No doubt a lot of you have seen the aftermath of that airplane accident at Teterboro, New Jersey last week. Yesterday, J Supor construction company removed the damaged airplane from the building it had struck. There were pictures on most of the evening news reports of the aircraft being transported on a large flatbed.

The destination given was a "warehouse" in Harrison, N.J. The Supor construction owns some of the old buildings of the defunct Harrison Foundry. Supor in the past, has also moved some notable items, among them ex-Southern, then VBR, Morris County Central steam locomotive #385.

After the MCC went belly-up in 1980, the 385 languished in a dilapidated enginehouse in Newfoundland, New Jersey along with two other steamers, ex MCC# 4039 (Ex US Army) and O. Winston Links CP#453.

The 385 was purchased eventually by an ex-MCC volunteer who was a teacher at Bergen Techincal High School. I believe it was in 1990 when the engine was prepped and moved by the NYSW railway to a siding in Hackensack, NJ with the intent to be moved to the school by other means. This move was completed by J Supor and many photographs of it were in several rail-oriented magazines.

The intended restoration was never completed and the locomotive eventually wound up in Supor's warehouse in Harrison where it reportedly is today.

So it looks like the Bombardier CL-600 "Challenger" (sic!) may have a historical roommate.

I have also heard this was once Worthington Pump and Machinery's Harrison Works. Is that correct?

The plant I worked at had a Worthington duplex pump made at the Harrison Works; below is it's nameplate. I tried unsuccessfully to have it preserved; and it went to scrap just this year.





I have asked before, but still no answer: what happened to the rest of the steam engines that were amassed at Bergen Techincal High School when the steam program was cancelled? They had over a dozen engines in their collection; all restored to operational condition.

It would be great to see them all go to the future Waterworks museum in Hackensack, or the NJ Transportation Heritage Center in Phillipsburg.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Project

Indeed, this is the Worthington plant.

What has become of Link's ten-wheeler since his death?

Stuffed and mounted near Utica, NY at a hobby shop. Many pieces missing but it looks OK.

Joshua

Were these steam engine stationary? I have another question. Why is it that every time rail or machine preservation is brought up in the state of New Jersey people always say "it should go to Phillipsburg". Why, they have been trying to put together that museum for how many years and they have very little to show for it. They also have had millions of dollars given to them for there project. They are not the only museum in New Jersey. There are other organizations that would be better candidates for funding from the state and other bodies. Also every piece of railway, transportation and machinery equipment should not go there. For example of an organization that doesn't get the support it should is the New Jersey Museum of Transportation Inc (for those of you that don't know NJMT we are also the Pine Creek Railroad). We are the ONLY all volunteer organization that has an R stamp certified shop. This is what you HAVE to have to do boiler repairs. We have been operating for 50 plus years and in that time have gotten nothing from the state or any other bodies. We have a very large collection of steam and other rail equipment. We are the oldest continues operating steam preservation organization in the USA. We get nothing and we work hard to preserve our rail history. There are also many other organization. This just really makes me and other people mad and I have to voice my opinion. I know I will probable be shot down and torn to pieces but this is how I feel. P-burg is not the only rail preservation organization in NJ. There are more disserving organizations out there. That's is, that's all I have to say.
http://www.njmt.org

-Eric

I think several threads here over the last year have touched on this subject. The consensus among both railroad historians, fans and the politicians is that there will never be a state transportation museum in Phillipsburg (or anywhere else in NJ for that matter). So when people say "that should go to Phillipsburg" it is like when you ask someone "How are you" - it's just a mindless pleasantry you say that you don't really expect an answer to.

Eric;

There is an Adobe .pdf document published by the ASME that describes the equipment collected by the Bergen Vo-Tech School on the web at:

http://www.asme.org/history/brochures/H175.pdf

You will see that they also had a fireless locomotive, several stationary engines, and lots of steam pumps. There is an article from Locomotive & Railway Preservation Magazine posted here on the RYPN website at:

[url=http://www.rypn.org/altoona/AltoonaRoundhouseImages/Rolling_Homework_
web.pdf]http://www.rypn.org/altoona/AltoonaRoundhouseImages/Rolling_Homework_
web.pdf[/url]

Eric; it was I that mentioned Phillipsburg because they had a stationary pumping engine. As Steamtown Observer said; that was not meant to slight the NJMT or any other organization in the area. I am sorry I offended you or any other group in the area; and I hope SOMEONE can (or has) gathered up that equipment and given it a good home where it can be preserved.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Project

I didn't want it to seem like anyone offended me because you didn't. Its just the hole P-burg thing in general. Also yes it could be a good thing that NJMT has survived for so long without outside funding, but this has come at a price. There are or were things we wanted to do that we couldn't or cant because of a lack of funding. Insurance is crazy! So we would definitely want outside funding.

-Eric