Sayre LV Station and LV U23B locomotive

Sorry I thought they said it was going to be fenced in so their would be no damage done to her.

Hopefully it wont be fenced off. I dont want it to look like a glass coffin. I want people to feel like they can reach up and touch the locomotive (hopefully not with a torch and a wrench in the vicinity of the horn or bell)...but all the same...feel like they climbed through the photos in Mike Bednar's book and that at any moment, it could be assigned to a train or something. Now the problem that remains is that we have an insurance company owner on our Board and most of what we do is met with extreme concern for liability...much to my dissappointment. At any rate, at any given point in time, there are 1-5 morons walking across the property. More damage has been done on account of them. Conrail used harsh measures to deter this and resulted in pretty heavily vandalism to engines and MW equipment that was parked there. Norfolk Southern started the same thing when they took over and resulted in the same thing. Now no one bats and eye. When we were putting in the track, a lady who was dragging her infant in a stroller across the tracks infront of the H13 train.. demanded to know why we were cutting off their only access to town with more tracks. So thats the type of mentality we are dealing with. Currently, we are just planning on installing bright ground lights all around the engine and caboose to illuminate its bright colors at night and also as a deterrant. We are also going to install security cameras that tie in with our current security system so we can identify any problems and prosecute as a warning. I really want people to enjoy the outside displays.

And why did CR remove the walkbridge? Seems to me this could be avoided IF that was still standing. (where did the pieces go to be scrapped?)

Why did Conrail do a lot of things. They tore so much up and gave so muhc up that NS is still playing catch up. ...as for the bridge
I suppose it was becoming a maintenance headache for them and much of it was just scrapped and destroyed. Most of the planks from it ended up in retaining wall on one of Finger Lakes at a cottage owned by the family of a former LV exec....cant say which one though

I doubt the walkbridge would have alleviated any headaches. The Packer Ave. bridge is even easier to use and they dont even consider that unless a coal train outlaws on the secondary.

Greg

Like Greg said, even if the walkbridge was still standing, it would have zero effect on how many people cross the tracks right next to the station.

the walkbridge was too far out of their way anyway, lots of people crossed the tracks even the walkbridge was still there.

they cross the tracks because the Packer Ave bridge would take seconds longer to use..
cant have that.
I hate lazy people..

I still wish NS would build a serious fence..force people to use the bridge. but I guess thats not going to happen.

Scot

Try electrification. Security cameras are a good idea. There are crazy railfans out there.

Try opera, classical, or bluegrass music 24/7. National parks and convenience stores are playing it over intercoms to keep loitering down - and it works!!!

If the railroad had a bridge they probably would incur even more liability issues. They would have to maintain it, and any little problem could be held against them. An uneven plank, a sharp spot in the handrail - sue the railroad! Not lit well enough? Sue the railroad! Who handles the snow in the winter? A little ice and somebody slips? Sue the railroad!

Without the bridge, they can at least argue that someone crossing the tracks should not have been there. Of course they still could get sued, but they are not openly inviting the public to be there as a bridge would. Until our society gets over the idea that any unfortunate incident should be rewarded with huge sums of money that's the way it's going to be.

Aji & Calorosome,

Great points. Maybe a little Lawrence Welk and some Die Zoberflote piped in could cut down on the problem.

The lawsuit mention is very sadly...dead on. Ever since I began working for the railroad, I have seen more BS than I ever needed to see. Its widely known and discussed the methods to moving trains in and around Sayre. People (mostly on the east side) have escaped the Darwin awards for an amazingly long time. It doesnt matter if I am riding the shove of the salt train out of Sayre, working a coal train for Milliken or mowing the lawn at the station...I am always met with the same "why are you in my way" attitude. More times than I am willing to accept have I had problems with people climbing under cars in my train or other extremely dangerous nonsense. Its enough to make you feel like an Operation Lifesaver course should be mandatory for all 6th and 12th graders in the schools around here. When you advise trespassers to leave..you get the same snotty comments that usually begin with the sixth letter of the alphabet.

Ive even had a few people who have recently moved onto lakefront properties adjacent to the Corning Secondary south of Geneva and the Ithaca Secondary north of Ithaca complain miserably to me about how their foundations are turning to dust with the vibration of the passing trains. That they were going to turn in claims against the railroad etc etc. Its very discouraging because the Corning Secondary (NYC Fallbrook line) and the Ithaca Secondary (LV A&I branch) were there at least 100 years before available land was even surveyed there for anything else BUT the railroad. People spend hours mapping the distance of their new property to schools and stores..but it must distract them from the railroad tracks that cut through their driveway.

Greg

Friends,

After nearly five years, I am proud to say that the Sayre Museum has become a near reality. The first phase of the exhibits (mostly about Sayre) will be open to the public during our grand opening on Sunday, Dec 16 from 2-4pm. The exhibits are primarily in the south (east) waiting room, which the main focus is on Sayre as a community and its people and businesses. The north(west) end waiting room will be specifically railroad exhibits but is still under construction and is expected to be open in the near future.

For some reason, the news announcement is in the print version of the Sayre paper but not the web version.

Directions for those interested:
-For those with GPS nav systems, program (103 South Lehigh Avenue Sayre, PA) into your waypoints by address and start driving.

-From the northwest
Take I-86 East to exit 61(Sayre/Waverly) take ramp and at bottom of ramp bear right (Spring St.) Follow Spring St. until you come to the intersection of Lehigh Ave and Mohawk St. Turn slight left onto LehighAve. and you will travel beside Sayre yard the whole way down. When you arrive at the intersection of Desmond St. , Lehigh bears left and by this point, you will see the passenger station looming on your left. Turn left and arrive.

From the South
-Two good ways to go. I-476 to Clarks Summit, exit off and get on Route 6 west. Follow Rt. 6 to Wysox/Towanda and get on Sr220 North at Towanda. Continue North until you see "Athens Business District" exit. Exit right, and turn right again facing traffic lights. Take road ahead, which is Pine St. Follow Pine St. until it ends at the eastern end of the Sayre yard at River St. Turn left, River St. becomes Lehigh Avenue in Sayre and continue until you see the station on your left.

-Second way to go is I-476exit Clarks Summit or/I 81 North to Binghamton. Get on NYS Rt 17/I-86 and follow to exit 61.
take ramp and at bottom of ramp bear right (Spring St.) Follow Spring St. until you come to the intersection of Lehigh Ave and Mohawk St. Turn slight left onto LehighAve. and you will travel beside Sayre yard the whole way down. When you arrive at the intersection of Desmond St. , Lehigh bears left and by this point, you will see the passenger station looming on your left. Turn left and arrive.


Questions, Comments...Call 570-882-8221, post them here or email me at [email protected]

Greg

Sad to ask,but is the project of getting the U23B dead? Was there in 8/08 and it didn't look promising since it looked about the same around the station as it did 2 years ago.

Sad that this project has failed. I've checked the museum website and it seems there has been no update in quite a while.

Jerry

Can't raise the money to move that locomotive overnight, it takes time. Doesn't mean anything has failed -

For those of us who missed the grand opening, what are the normal operating hours for this museum? Is there a web page for it?

Hi Everyone,

Here is another update. Just as the economic conditions have plagued small to major for-profit companies, small contribution funded organizations such as the Sayre Historical Society have been hit doubly hard. In many ways, I feel that organizations such as ours were the first to feel it.
Additionally, as the SHS doesnt employ anyone to work on these projects full time, its all done by volunteer labor when time allows. arnstg, you may be interested to note that by 8/08, the elevator that was grant funded had just been installed and we had added a fourth HVAC condenser to control the "weather" that occurs in the building. Additionally, we also got the green light to begin renovations on the far east 1st floor room for a gift shop and reception lobby. Progress has been made, and continues to be made.

I was hired away from Norfolk Southern by the Virginia Railway Express in early 2008, which required relocation to Northern VA so I no longer have much dealings with the day to day operations of the SHS. The locomotive project isn't dead, although I'm gone from the Valley area, I still work on that project. Its just a waiting period given the donor's immense amount of revenue projects that take priority. The display track is completed, which was a major obstacle on our end but that battle has been fought and won. The main project, creation of the museum, is still being worked on slowly with funds that trickle in. The SHS recently completed full restoration on the immense William Rau original painting of the Black Diamond Express that was the basis for the LV's early advertising campaign. If you havent had a chance to see it, be sure you do. Its amazing.

If anyone has questions at any point, as previously mentioned, feel free to contact the organization directly. As I am usually away at work, I dont get much time to check these boards and the SHS can usually foward me an email sent to them. I believe there are some museum hours being held. Send an email to the SHS and someone working with volunteers should be able to get you that answer. http://www.sayrehistoricalsociety.org

Happy New Year to everyone!

Greg

calorosome wrote:Try opera, classical, or bluegrass music 24/7. National parks and convenience stores are playing it over intercoms to keep loitering down - and it works!!!

It doesn't work. In our crime ridden section of Ft. Pierce, the city spent $14,000.00 to install speakers along Ave. D, to play loud classical music, to deter the crack dealers from plying their trade. Instead, the place became a surreal scene, of slowly dancing dealers and unsavory characters, "popping and breaking" at extremely slow speeds, to the new music. Soon, a few more industrious types decided those speakers were perfect, for use in their own yards, garages, whatever. They were being stolen, while they played music. Soon, the city abandoned all hope, and built a satelliite police station, whose roofed porches provide out of the elements vantage points, for dealers, during inclement weather.........

You won't keep people off the rails, so all you can do, is light it up, and record local activity, with high resolution cameras, placed to capture faces, and not the tops of heads, from long distances. Cameras in in the cab, shooting out the cab doors, seem to be an excellent way to keep the engines from being destroyed......