You're not speaking of....(get ready).....


.....ALCOqueda?

Great!!!

Now the FBI super computers scanning the web for key words, sleeper cells and obscure RR historical groups has found us.

No more hidden "ALCOqueda"!

Oh Brother!

I belong to the local amateur radio club. One of the club members was repeating a not so nice experience. Being that some Hams talk around the world to others there is a system to electronically send contact information. Some contests are geared around this information. Long story short, be careful if you use any of the "Translating Applications" you find on the Internet. This guy used one to translate some information of a Russian contact information entry. The translation left a lot desired. He is still waiting on the phone calls from the folks in DC.

On a serious note, I also don’t get the holding on of RR equipment just to let it rust away. I know of several groups who have gone to great lengths to obtain equipment and have not done anything with them, not even a stabilizing paint job!

I completely agree with rbarcus comments on this subject. I believe that if some of the equipment was in private hands we might see additional restored pieces. Groups and museums will argue that this is not the case. However, history has already indicated that this has happened.The rub is the reluctance of groups or museums to let some of their collection go into private hands, why not?

Unfortunately, many item have gotten to the point of no return for anyone, groups or private individuals, it is truly a sad state.

I would like to hear from someone who has an different point of view, maybe I am missing something?

Scott Kwiatkowski
www.prrllc.com

Well, only a slightly different point of view, Scott.

Equipment that may appear to be beyond the point of no return can provide an excellent basis for educational displays provided you are not afraid to apply some creative re-engineering with a cutting torch.

MX

As a member of WMRHS I can say WM 302 is definately being readied for movement. It will be going to the West Virginia Central shop in Belington, WV to be returned to service on their line. From what I read they are getting reasonably close to being able to move the engine. I do not remember the latest holdup but hopefully 302 will be leaving soon.

If nothing else I suspect there are a lot of useable parts on the other locomotives. Hopefully somebody besides the scrapper will get some of the parts.

John Bohon

Went down there today. Nothing changed. Several parties have expressed interest in some of the locomotives.

Sorry to be blunt again, but it is sometimes appropriate (particularly when talking about ALCOs). If nobody has the financial resources to take them out of there intact, then the course of action should be obvious. They would do much greater good as parts donors for surviving units already in the hands of responsible organizations, than as a public nuisance where thieves are stealing pieces for their metal value. Somebody needs to have the gutts to make the tough call on this one and light the cutting torch.

For the last four years that I have been going to Montreal, I've tried to interest the trainspotters in northern NY, who record our every move, into becoming preservationists. Primarily because the last D&H roundhouse still exists in Rouses Point, NY, in relatively good condition, minus trackage, privately owned, but minimally used. Along our right-of-way are many tons of disused stick rail, that CP would probably donate to a museum if asked. Also, in abandoned sidings and piles of scrap lie many steel "ties" constructed from two short pieces of rail welded together at the Colonie Shops in the 1920s.

The seven-stall roundhouse, enlarged with a wooden addition in the rear to hold 4-8-4s, has a drop table and most of the turntable is still there, minus motors, shanty, and most of the ring rail, which would have to be replaced. There are also separate stores department and car department buildings, with another odd concrete structure capable of holding about four freight cars called the "banana house", where reefers were once unloaded. Thus the site has the potential to once again look as it did in the early D&H diesel era (all D&H steam was scrapped).

With vision, it would not be impossible to see this site as a museum, holding D&H equipment, such as some of what is now endangered, with freight cars from the village's other four RRs (CV, CN, Rutland and Naperville Jct.) representing those lines on the rip track. It would also give a place for some of the endangered equipment to go. But thus far, everyone seems content with their trainspotting and photography. I live 160 miles away and work every day, so cannot head up such a project, it has to come locally. These persons have become friendly with our crews over the years, so I hesitate to berate them, but it is sad to see such potential and historic equipment being lost...

I just posted some recent pics here:

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 3&start=30

Scot