There is controversy on the subject of rearranging the displays at the Branford (Conn.) Electric Rwy. Ass'n. - Shore Line Trolley Museum. Some of the insiders state that the Museum is a Unit and claim that changing things around is Playing With Trains and would disappoint visitors who expect to see the Same Old Thing that hey heard about or saw before.

This is getting a little of the topic. The recommendation is that everything should be oiled and moved several hundred feet every year to avoid etching the journals. If the equipment remains static, then it may have to remain static as the journals deteriorate.

Just found this:

Sept. 2, 1952, 7:40 AM, Leonard W. Rice photographer. Photo now in collection of Md. Rail Heritage Library via the Lee Rogers estate collection.

The Rice photo is a great one as we not only know its date but the time it was taken. This is how the locomotive looked after a very complete job of removing all the old paint and doing some body work before repainting it in 1950. Unfortunately its lettering and stripes were not done at that time and were only restored in 2012. In 1950 they just painted it in the color it was upon arrival at the museum. The red window frames were different from that appearance as we do have one color slide taken of it shortly after arrival with no red windows. Now it looks like it did when new, painted raw umber with gold lettering and stripes, and with red wheels and pilot. Thanks for posting it.

Looks really Cool!!! I know they weren't looking to restore it to operation, but I wonder how much would have to be done to make it operable on just compressed air? That would make it mobile and allow visitors to see it in action, even if on a limited basis.

And today we found this photo print, in another boxload of Leonard Rice hoardings, this one in a folder full of Reading-related clippings and articles. (Gad, why couldn't that SOB had kept those Reading/CNJ Magazine issues intact instead of chopping them all up willy-nilly?)

Note the number and date of "12-10-30" in lower tight. This is consistent with the style of other apparent official Reading RR company photos in the files. I'm assuming this is somewhere in the Reading's Reading Shops.

Ron, drop me a line and I'll send you a maximum-resolution TIFF as soon as my wife tells me why HER art scanner doesn't want to interface with me.

Wait, I think there was another photo........... [goes off to dig]

Yes, that 1930 photo of the BLACK DIAMOND is taken at the shops in Reading, Pa. Specifically, it is on a lead track to the old 1860s-built 6th Street Car Shop, south of Spring Street. The General Storehouse complex at the SE corner of 6th & Spring Streets appears in the background. Also, the date and serial number in the lower right corner of the photo is indeed in the style used by the Reading RR company photographer at that time.

-- Rick Bates
Archivist, Reading Railroad Heritage Museum

Thanks for posting this photo. I have a cropped version from the RR Museum of PA and knew it had been made in 1925 or later based on the number of the gondola seen through the front handrails. That was the first year those cars were listed in the Official Ry Equipment Register. Now we know exactly when it was taken. We can't wait to see what else comes out of that collection as I understand there are more photos of inspection locos in it.