It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 11:23 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 13 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: I Never Knew About These Secret Tracks Off Grand Central Sta
PostPosted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 8:39 pm 
User avatar

Joined: Fri Aug 06, 2010 11:05 pm
Posts: 380
Location: Between Things
This is from the daily weblog Gothamist: New York City News, Food, Arts & Events.

http://gothamist.com/2011/11/07/photos.php#photo-1

_________________
Marty Bernard
Boomer Volunteer
________________
In Rhode Island, it is illegal to operate a passenger car between a locomotive and a load of dirt.


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: I Never Knew About These Secret Tracks Off Grand Central
PostPosted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 11:34 pm 

Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2005 9:06 pm
Posts: 2530
Location: Thomaston & White Plains
Simply put, it's a crock of s--t, and has been kept alive and embellished by Mr. Brucker, who has never let real, known facts get in the way of his fantasy. And it keeps Dan in the media all the time around here.

That's a plain Jane NYC 60 ft steel baggage car that was part of the GCT wreck train. The double-ended electric crane (ran off the third rail) is now preserved at Danbury. If the crane was still there, Brucker would probably tell the press it was used to hoist FDR's wheelchair into the Waldorf.

This has all been throughly debunked and it's appearance here is in the same vein as PRR T-1s stashed in coal mines, and 0-6-0s in flooded quarries.

Howard P.

_________________
"I'm a railroad man, not a prophet."


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: I Never Knew About These Secret Tracks Off Grand Central
PostPosted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 12:28 am 

Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2005 9:34 pm
Posts: 2758
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
This topic has appeared multiple times in this Interchange. It appears about every two years.

_________________
Steven Harrod
Lektor
Danmarks Tekniske Universitet


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: I Never Knew About These Secret Tracks Off Grand Central
PostPosted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 12:40 am 

Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2005 9:34 pm
Posts: 2758
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Here are the topic links:

http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=21397

http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=25254

_________________
Steven Harrod
Lektor
Danmarks Tekniske Universitet


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: I Never Knew About These Secret Tracks Off Grand Central
PostPosted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 9:51 pm 

Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 12:58 pm
Posts: 1346
Location: Chicago USA
Wreck trains are no longer needed?

Steve


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: I Never Knew About These Secret Tracks Off Grand Central
PostPosted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 10:03 pm 

Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm
Posts: 6400
Howard P. wrote:
Simply put, it's a crock of s--t, and has been kept alive and embellished by Mr. Brucker, who has never let real, known facts get in the way of his fantasy. And it keeps Dan in the media all the time around here.

That's a plain Jane NYC 60 ft steel baggage car that was part of the GCT wreck train. The double-ended electric crane (ran off the third rail) is now preserved at Danbury. If the crane was still there, Brucker would probably tell the press it was used to hoist FDR's wheelchair into the Waldorf.

This has all been throughly debunked and it's appearance here is in the same vein as PRR T-1s stashed in coal mines, and 0-6-0s in flooded quarries.

Howard P.


Hey Howard -

I have a way to end all these stories; send the 60' NYC baggage car to a museum. I know we'd take her at HVRM, just to kill all those dumb stories of course. I'm sure you'd take her at Danbury wouldn't you? Then we wouldn't have to put up with the newspapers and TV stations and the internet being bamboozled anymore!

Les


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: I Never Knew About These Secret Tracks Off Grand Central
PostPosted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 10:31 pm 

Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2005 2:27 am
Posts: 569
Location: Winters, TX
No no no, you find a really narrow armor-plated Pierce Arrow with a wheelchair lift and park it in the baggage car. Maybe stick a water logged 0-6-0 further down the track. Then lead a History Channel expedition down there on April 1st.


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: I Never Knew About These Secret Tracks Off Grand Central
PostPosted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 11:13 pm 

Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2005 9:06 pm
Posts: 2530
Location: Thomaston & White Plains
Les, I'm sure the Danbury group would take the car; I can't say for sure, since I'm not involved there. I suspect that Brucker would much rather have the car stay right where it is....

Steve, the GCT crane will be 100 years old in 2013-- it came in the original "GCT Building Kit (Accessories Included)". Can you imagine any modern rail passenger operating entity using something that old? The guys that knew how to use that relic are not only retired, they are deceased. They use a hirail Holmes wrecker when there is a "service disruption" these days.

Howard P.

_________________
"I'm a railroad man, not a prophet."


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: I Never Knew About These Secret Tracks Off Grand Central
PostPosted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 11:18 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 1:51 pm
Posts: 11481
Location: Somewhere east of Prescott, AZ along the old Santa Fe "Prescott & Eastern"
There was mention in one of the previous threads that the baggage car in question had a "rotten" end from water dripping on it for decades. Not an incurable problem, mind you, but it's apparently not a "perfect specimen" awaiting a savior.


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: I Never Knew About These Secret Tracks Off Grand Central
PostPosted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 11:23 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 8:28 am
Posts: 2726
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Howard P. wrote:
Steve, the GCT crane will be 100 years old in 2013-- it came in the original "GCT Building Kit (Accessories Included)". Can you imagine any modern rail passenger operating entity using something that old? The guys that knew how to use that relic are not only retired, they are deceased. They use a hirail Holmes wrecker when there is a "service disruption" these days.

Howard P.


I was reading the DRM's description of the crane, GCT-1 on their website. Evidently it had storage batteries so it could be powered off live rail for periods of time. Definitely an interesting piece of equipment. I wonder what kind of motors and electrical gear it had.

http://www.danbury.org/DRM/GCT1l.jpg

I remember reading that the original GCT electrification system had provisions for "battery backup" where the third rail could run for a period of time on battery, in case of power failure. I can only imagine the "battery room" filled with early 20th century batteries. Had to have been a fun job to maintain them.

_________________
David M. Wilkins

"They love him, gentlemen, and they respect him, not only for himself, for his character, for his integrity and judgment and iron will, but they love him most of all for the enemies he has made."


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: I Never Knew About These Secret Tracks Off Grand Central
PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 8:53 am 

Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 12:58 pm
Posts: 1346
Location: Chicago USA
Well, I wasn't expecting them to keep ancient, obsolete equipment in service. More like why they wouldn't keep a modern wreck train parked there or wherever they kept it. But if the HiRail works, is sufficient, and can get there quickly, good for them. I know most wrecks are cleaned up with off-rail equipment nowadays but I wasn't sure if a tunnel / underground is different. So HiRail crane rather than side-boom Cats.

Steve


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: I Never Knew About These Secret Tracks Off Grand Central
PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 11:07 am 

Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:00 pm
Posts: 822
Location: NJ
One of the TV shows on History or Discovery debunked this line of thought. There are a few correct statements and a few wrong ones. The station was for the president. The car was not for hauling his car.

Later!
Mr. Ed


Offline
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: I Never Knew About These Secret Tracks Off Grand Central
PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 9:44 pm 

Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2007 8:25 am
Posts: 133
Location: Across the river from Baldwin's on the Naugy
One side note was that when I was guided through that car, there was a wooden handled shovel stamped NYCRR.

I wonder if it is still there....

Peace


Offline
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 13 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


 Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], QJdriver, robert havens and 120 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: