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There Is a Light at the End of the Tunnel By Otto M. Vondrak
HERRON RAIL VIDEO Since 1985. The Leader in Vintage Rail Video 2 NEW N&W Steam DVD’s!*
PILLARS of
SMOKE in the SKY
Coal trains over Blue Ridge Grade in 1957. Filmed with cooperation of N&W manage- ment! Go aboard A & Y class engines as they struggle to move long coal drags over N&W’s most famous grade! Filmed in 16mm. Real sound! 45 mins. Chapters! Original film by E.C. Eddy. Item 049-D $34.95
With mechanical work complete and a new coat of paint and fresh lettering, RG&E 1941 made its official debut during the summer of 2012. Volunteer Joe Nugent is at the controls. Joe helped lead the project, along with many other volunteers who contributed their time and skills.
IN THE WORLD OF RAILWAY PRESERVATION, it sometimes seems like restoration projects have no end. An initial survey may indicate that a given project can be completed with a few months of dedicated work. But more of- ten than not, once work begins, additional items are revealed that can extend the proj- ect by months or even years. Such projects can
often strain even the most well-
equipped and staffed volunteer organiza- tions. Shifting priorities and a change in an organization’s mission can also affect the schedule of a restoration. In the January 2011 issue of RAILFAN &
RAILROAD, we made our first visit to the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Muse- um, located in the upstate town of Rush, N.Y. Tracing its roots back to 1937, the mu- seum was founded in 1971 when volunteers purchased a former Erie Railroad passenger depot from the Erie Lackawanna and began to restore it and create a home to interpret Rochester’s railroading history. Over the years, the volunteers have turned out an im- pressive volume of work, not only maintain- ing the collection, but also rebuilding and restoring pieces as well. As the one of the on- ly operating railroad museums in New York State, this can be quite a challenge for the group’s limited resources. Volunteer Joe Nugent wrote about the long-term rebuild and restoration of Gener- al Electric 45-ton switcher No. 1941 (LINE- SIDE LEGACY “45 Tons of Fun”, January 2011 RAILFAN & RAILROAD). This locomotive was originally built for the GE Riverworks Plant in Lynn, Mass., in 1941 (serial number 13057, class B-B90/90-2GE1204). After serv- ing for a number of owners over the years, it
was purchased by the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville in 1964 to be reconditioned as their first locomotive. Finding the unit too light to handle regular freight duty, it was sold to local utility Rochester Gas & Electric in 1965. It was assigned to switching coal hoppers around RG&E’s BeeBee Station in downtown Rochester until it was retired and donated to the museum in 1991. The short wheelbase was well suited to the curves and grades along the museum’s two-mile long railroad. Numbered 1941 in honor of its construction year, the engine performed reliably, but all those years of hard wear and tear were beginning to show through. Water had infiltrated one of its prime movers, thanks to a rusted out ex- haust system. A winter of inactivity caused the prime mover to seize up by 1997 and the locomotive was moved to the shop for evalu- ation and rebuilding. Since major work was to take place, it was decided the locomotive should get a full cos- metic restoration, as well. Sheet metal re- pairs would be made to the cab and body, as well as mechanical restoration inside and out. Work began, but as weeks dragged on to months, it was clear that the locomotive was going to need more work than originally planned for. Aside from sheet metal replace- ment, volunteers installed a new main air reservoir and piping, made numerous elec- trical repairs, installed new batteries, fixed the hand brakes, and also replaced the engi- neer’s seat. A number of volunteers con- tributed to the effort, but work began to slow down as other projects took priority. With four other operable diesels, restoration of 1941 was not an immediate concern.
Pocahontas Glory 7
J, K2, A, Y, Z & S1 a Class locomotives on passenger, freight & coal trains at Cincinnati, Portsmouth, Roanoke area and the Pigeon Creek Mine Run! Turbine Jawn Henry in pusher service with Live Sound! 78 mins. Chapters! Watch with or without narration. $39.95
Also available:
Pocahontas Glory Volumes 1 - 6 Vol. 1: Kenova, Abingdon Branch; Vol. 2: Roanoke & Blue Ridge; Vol. 3: Shenandoah Valley Line; Vol. 4: Coal Trains WV to Norfolk; Vol. 5: Passenger Service; Vol. 6: A’s west from Norfolk, Electrics on N&W & VGN
Quality the difference is on the screen.
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OTTO M. VONDRAK
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