OK, so now we're over here, not interfering with the 3025 discussion. Apples and oranges, eh?

"NYC 4096": unit was originally E9 UP 912A, built in the final order/production of EMD bulldog-nosed locomotives in December 1963. UP 912A-914A were the last of them; they all went to Amtrak and 912A was the only survivor of those last three. It ended its days working as Amtrak 417 in 1981, and was subsequently sent north to New Haven, where AMTK was converting some RS-3s into EMD-powered switching locos, by taking 12-567s from E-units to replace the Alco 12-244s. The program was shut down not long after 417 arrived at NH, and 417, along with a bunch of other AMTK junk, was sold to a New Haven-based scrapper.

RMNE bought the unit from the junk man in spring 1985, moved it to Essex, and did a cosmetic rebuild as "NYC 4096" (one number higher than NYC's last E8) and that work was finished in October 1986. While I did the lettering work, Scott Wisner did 99% of the actual painting, and about 75% of the body work (as fabricator and/or foreman). It was RMNE's first real "restoration" work, and it was done in the Essex shop during 1986. A lot of RMNE people learned a lot of new skills on that project.

4096 was on display at Essex for a few years (it was quite an attention-getter in a place where steam locomotives are commonplace), and was eventually removed to RMNE's Saybrook Yard. As RMNE planned its future development, the replica 4096 was seen as surplus, and was sold in 1995 to Ed Bowers. He moved 4096 to Danbury, where some of his other diesel locomotives are on display.

Howard P.

Jason said:

On that same sense the 0401 couldn't move under it's own power since it had no traction motors. The 244 would run and "make the lights work" and that's it. It had a rough body and has a "mop job" quickie paint job done to it to look good for the pics. It was taken apart afterward for full restoration and got traction motors from our "4th" RS-3, the Amtrak #140, our parts unit. The 140 will also supply parts for the other 3 RS-3s in the future, the NH 529, MEC 557, and B&M 1508 (the latter two still in the restoration que).

The NH 2525 did run some special trains as I mentioned in my previous post and that one in Waterbury was one of them. I don't have full info on this, ask Howard.

The 529 also had a quick paint job before being stripped to bare metal and being redone correctly. Look at some of those pics you found, notice the upper cab windows are still blanked out from Amtrak days? They were opened up and had the glass reinstalled when the engine was repainted correctly.

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More from the memory dump:

In May 1987, 0401 was repainted with a quickie dip-job in the 1959 NH "trustee's scheme" just before travelling to New Haven shops with RS-3 140, so that the trucks could be swapped between units using the overhead crane inside the shops. Later that year, 0401 was coupled to NH 529 and used for a segment of an RMNE Railfan Day demonstration freight train at VRR. 0401 was MUed to 529 and the throttle and brakes wer controlled from 0401 that one time.

NH 2525 was operated on "off-line" trips over Metro-North and Conrail in 1992, as part of RMNE's "Danbury Railroad Days" Columbus Day weekend event. This was not only a series of excursions powered by 2525, but also an equipment display in the Danbury Yard, designed to raise support and awareness of RMNE's planned Museum at Danbury. B&M SW1 #1109 (with restored cab open for visitors, with functioning horn!), B&M milk car #1920 (with interior set up for displays) and CV wood caboose #4014 (also open for display).

The 2525 operated one day from Danbury south to Derby Jct via the Maybrook Line, then reversed direction north to Waterbury, then retraced it's steps back to Danbury. That afternoon, 2525 headed west to Brewster over the Maybrook line. The following day, 2525 operated a round-trip between Danbury and Dover Plains, NY.

Ultimately, RMNE did not move to Danbury, but it was an interesting weekend in many ways.

Howard P.

Howard, is it just me, or did DRM happen to spring up where RMNE was going to be should it have moved into Danbury? Also, how's that B&M geep coming along? I know that she was getting an engine transplant to get running again, but what happened to warrent such a rebuild?

Howard can speak on this for confirmation, but I believe B&M 1732 suffered a broken crankshaft. It's easier to pull the prime mover and drop a new one in. Other projects have taken priority.

1732's new prime mover is in good shape, but will receive an up-grade, which will require some new parts that aren't exactly cheap.

The shop has been an impressive sight lately. There has been work on at least four pieces of equipment at the same time. Work continues on coach 5805 (the shop queen), coach 4992 (roof job and paint), U-23B Naug 2203 (new governor, pumps, snubbers, and other various "things"), and coach 4990 (brake work, vestibules, and paint).

We even have a couple of "junior" members who have been involved. One of which, comes from the southeast corner of Connecticut, a drive of about two hours.

CPR 1246: railroad class G-5c, built by Montreal Locomotive Works Limited, June 1946, number 74906.

A reasonably extensive survey by respected steam locomotive restorers was made of 1246 about 20 years ago; the locomotive is ultimately a good candidate for restoration and operation on the railroad RMNE uses. Such a restoration will be expensive, and is not a priority for RMNE at this time.

During the Flagg Coal #75 visit to RMNE, steel plates between the rails served as the ash dumping location at Thomaston. Coal was easily handled with a front-end loader and dump truck (along with the specially-designed and highly-technical "Gramling Automatic Coal Containers" [GACC]).

Howard P.

Howard! Don't forget Gene's chute!

Going back to the comments in the earlier thread that RMNE doesn't have "proper facilities" to maintain a steam locomotive, as Mr. Pincus points out you do not need fancy facilities to necessarily operate a steam locomotive.

No water tower? No problem, just use a hose, an industrial diameter hose is probably better.

No coal dock? Use the aforementioned front end loader, conveyor, or chute arrangement. Also a crane with a clamshell bucket works just fine.

No ash pit? Use mtal plates or build a metal box that goes between the rails. When full, empty it using the clamshell above.

Of course, it all just takes money.

Strasburg doesn't have a coaling dock or tipple. And how long have they been one of the 'textbook' steam operations?

Alright, this relates to the abandon train-whatever in Uxbridge, but if whatever this thing is, and it's worth pulling out of the woods, is there even room at RMNE? Someone has to keep "it" safe. That's if it isn't a pile of scrap. Dragging it out of the woods would be the hard part, but I know someone who has the equipment to move "it" to some place safe. Just a thought.

I think you posted this in the wrong topic by mistake. Some members may get very annoyed by this.

Not trying to annyoy people. If whatever is in the woods in Uxbridge is railroad related, wouldn't it make sense to take it to a group that would take good care of it? I know it would be another car in the yard for a while, but I've seen the excellent work done by RMNE volunteers, so they'd make good caretakers. That comes back to the possibility that whatever is out in the woods is a pile of scrap. Might not even be worth the effort, and that's coming from the keyboard of a die-hard railfan who wants to park a PA in his back yard!

I am Not Sure You Can Grasp the Truth about Preserving This Stuff, It is Expencsive, Very EXPENCIVE!!!, a Locomotive paint Job using your own labor still will cost you about 10-20 thousand dollars, and you haven't even opened the hood to look at the engine,or the electrical, how about 28,000 dollars a side for radiators, a simple relay could cost you as much as 900.00 and a 2 month wait for them to make it, steam it gets crazier, please read all the forums on the K4--- this is a great example of a number of things, who's doing the work, will the boiler pass a hydrostat, will this potential BOMB, pass the FRA boiler inspection, do you need a new boiler, how much running time will you get out of the so called restoration, hmm there went a Few MILLION Dollars,

saving stuff is great, preserving it is another animal all together, so do yourself a favor and understand the two, they are different animals before you go looking for a LOST PA for your backyard, and or win a MegaMillions jackpot with a 40+ million dollar jackpot, and pass it around to your favorite groups , and they will preserve one piece of what ever you want

you will now have a new group of best friends

This discussion has brought back some memories from over four decades ago, when a high school buddy and I found a "lost" steamroller in a grove of trees by the railroad tracks. Put the emphasis on STEAM roller. We thought it was so neat, surely it needed to be saved. Of course, on further reflection, the grove of trees was at the back of a contractor's yard, and the steamroller wasn't lost at all, somebody knew it was there, even if they had no further use, or immediate plans for it.

And it just so happened that Phil and I had just made our first trip to volunteer at the Illinois Railway Museum, so we figured that was the perfect organization to save it. Why, they could even use it to maintain their pavement... if and when they ever got any pavement.

And as I think back, I have to thank the various people who weren't condescending to a couple of kids as they patiently explained that museums have missions, and everything that's old doesn't have to be "saved", especially if it doesn't fit the mission of the institution. We quickly found there were plenty of other things that needed doing, several lifetimes worth in fact, and the forlorn steamroller was quietly forgotten.

What happened to the steamroller? I haven't a clue. The street crossing was closed soon thereafter, so I never had a reason to go that way, until many years later when I found the contractor's lot cleaned out, and converted to a different use. Was the artifact saved? Maybe, if a local urban steam traction enthusiast found it, and ponied up the money to buy and move it. More than likely it was scrapped, and went to that big steel mill in the sky. The most important question is, in the greater scheme of things, does it really matter?

What about that 25-ton does that run at all?

Not sure. Isn't that supposed to be used as the shop switcher?