Hello all,About two years ago the Stuhr museum did a wonderful job announcing their plans to reshape their collection of railroad equipment, which included the deaccessioning of several pieces of equipment? Has this equipment been deaccessioned? If so, where did it end up? Many thanks,Tom Cornillie

Haven't heard anything, unfortunately. In the midst of the deaccession process, the museum's directorship changed hands. As a result, it appears the deaccession process went into limbo.Our efforts to contact them have thus far gone unanswered..George JenistaTrinity Valley Railroad Historical Association

Well, they did deaccession both WP&Y 69 and Paul Dalleska. Both are now in Wisconsin. 69 will be returning to Alaska soon it is hoped. Paul did A GREAT job massively rebuilding the historic Colorado wooden carbodies on flatcars and making real cars out of them again. dave

At least I didn't organically deaccess.To catch up on what I know...I left Stuhr In Feburary 2004. In the almost four years that I worked there I worked under four Executive Directors, and yes three interum arraingements, and the board of Directors had six seats turn over at a seven seat table. The turn over on the board was healty and constructive and very much a changing of the guard for Stuhr and will carry it one for years to come.The revamped train proposal was more than the museum and the community could support given the current economy in addition to the lingering defered maintenance from the prevous operation.The cars that were listed to be deaccessed made it to board approval but I was never given the go ahead to pursue disposition. I suspect that the currect director has bigger fish to fry or fires to extinguish and the cars are on the back burner.The F&CC coach is finished and it is litteraly a new car. A number of other small projects were completed and hopefully stand the test of time.I am proud of what I accomplished but I felt more than a bit frustrated by the time it took to do so.My time is almost up.I do not exist, I am a figment of your imagenation,when you wake I will only be a memory

I talked to a member of the museum a week ago and inquired about their future plans for the railroad. The facts that he told me include

1. It will cost several million bucks to put a operational railroad back to the museum (rebuild track, rebuild equipment)
2. The former WP&Y loco was only running at %4 capacity and was overkill for the museums needs
3. The museum has several different gauges of rolling stock (narrow, standard, and 5ft gauge)
4. They do have excess equipment, and want to reshape their equipment
5. The museum has a operational railroad as the next big high priority project

I mentioned to them a narrow gauge railroad would be a good fit for their mission considering the size and route of the tracks. A little 040 or 060 would have sufficient power for their needs. I also mentioned that should they decide to down size their rolling stock collection or have other questions that this website and the folks here would be able to help.

I would like to see steam at Stuhr again, but they have to realize without steam you can't tell the story of the pioneers despite the cost.

Years ago I emailed Paul Dalleska about the railroad there, suggesting that one of the park train 4-4-0s was a more practical way to reintroduce vintage steam there. Several were available then, and probably some still are now. At the time they were dead-set on reconstructing a prototypical locomotive, and were not willing to use a similar engine that provided the correct feel for their heritage village era, but that did not reflect some historical artifact.

So the budget for such a project was phenomenal, and that became the end of the active railroad hopes as far as I knew. Too bad as he had completed one of the best restorations of a wooden coach at the time, literally hanging the roof from the rafters and rebuilding the car underneath.

I believe the Union Pacific doodlebug at IRM came from the Stuhr collection in the 1970s.
O.

I have avoided commenting on this subject for a variety of reasons in the past few years. I will state a couple of things before I go back into obscurity.

The goal of the proposal was not to recreate a traditional tourist railroad or park train. They tried that. It contributed to a near financial collapse.

Stuhr was, and still is, accredited by the AAM. Which means a lot.

The goal was to create a living history exhibit of a railroad operating in the period of the town and use it to interpret the impact that it had on the community.

Not just a train ride.

The locomotive to be constructed was going to be a period looking replica incorporating as much modern tech as possible to make it as affordable as possible and was only a small portion of the cost which included a shop and storage building, rehab of the track and sub grade, fixing the turntable, restoring additional cars. All of which were overshadowed by the operating costs and the need for an endowment to maintain and operate it.

Now that I've spoke my mind, which along with $1.50 won't buy you a cup of coffee, I shall fade away.

Down periscope!