Old New Haven 40-footers in Boston:

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ge=49&key=
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ge=49&key=
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ge=49&key=

Given their plain bearings - these cars do not seem any more stranded than if they were parked on an active siding connected to a Class 1 mainline. The vast majority of railroads will not considering moving plain bearing equipment - a trend that began in the early 1990's

Additionally, from these photos these cars do not look to be in too bad of shape for a car sitting outdoors for probably 30+ years without maintenance. While there is a fair bit of surface rust, I do not see any rust through along the side sheets.

Tom Cornillie

Neat old cars!

Yes, moving them on rails is out of the question. However, trucking a 40 footer is not to bad. 10-12 grand and they can be yours. Great for storage and photo freights.

Scott
www.prrllc.com

The value in them lies with the friction bearing trucks and all the brake rigging and couplers and draft gear. If someone doesnt want to save the car bodies at least save the parts for restoration of other cars that are more significant to a collection. 40 ft cars are easy to move so if the cars are in good shape get with the program before someone decides to make razor blades out of them.

John Deck

John -

I think that the car with the New York, New Haven & Hartford "script" herald is really the valuable item here. This would really make a great eye-catching addition to any museums "heritage photo freight" operation. I would hope that someone saves the car for that reason if nothing else. Plus, the cars don't look as if they are in that bad of shape and could provide some good storage space. Wish they were in OUR backyard. Might take a stab at trying to pick one up. Who owns the cars anyway?

Les Beckman (Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum/North Judson, Indiana)

Nice Cars!
I would say that 10K to 12K is maybe a bit high on moving them of course that’s depending on how you chose to do it! I think there are various ways these cars could be moved in very economical ways. If donated these cars are very attractive prospects. I could go on but I see moving and saving these cars as being very doable and not breaking the piggy bank either. I wouldn't mind having them my self. Anyone know who owns them?

RMNE has moved numerous (12+) freight cars "over the road" in this region (Mass, Conn, RI) in the last few years. State police escorts, clearance escorts, rigging companies are all required, and not cheap. And we own a nice road dolly made for this purpose. I would think $10-12K each to move these is not out of line, especially if they're going further west, like west of the Hudson River.

They're both NYNH&H cars; the welded one is a New Haven PS-1. DRM and VRR each have one of them. The riveted car is a bit earlier NH car, probably a 1944 Pullman-Standard car (I'd have to check the car numbers). RMNE has a 1945 riveted P-S car, NH 33109, which we moved by road from Mass. to Waterbury, CT in 2004.

While they're nice cars, they are not "last-of-a-kind". If some group has the money and moxie to get them out, it sure would be nice to see them in safe hands.

Howard P.
Cor-Ten, CT

Too bad these cars were not out West. We are always looking for more 40' boxcars - they make great storage and look good in period freight trains. We would probably look at getting at least one if they were in our neighborhood.

Alan
www.ncry.org

Howard

I understand the cost, while our group has only moved 6 or so cars personally I guess the cost are definitely regionalized and due to available resources. We have some very friendly heavy haulers and house movers locally in our region that routinely move cars (Boxcars and Cabooses) for a couple thousand dollars over the road. One example was a Wilson Reefer car that was land locked that is now used on photo trains at TVRM. I've received recent quotes to haul rail equipment from NY State down to VA over the highway and even given the weights involved the prices were very attractive. I know depending on who you work with and how you work the details the cost can be all over the board. Good luck on someone saving these cars, while not unique in their own right, they are very worth saving, as they say they don't make them anymore, try buying a new one today.

Just to clarify our experience, the rather simple in-Connecticut road moves were accomplished for about $2500 each. Those moves involved some participation by RMNE volunteers, including one with a nice tilt-bed trailer (to haul the freight car trucks) and 1975 Kenworth tractor. The moves involving neighboring states, and equipment that was over 15 feet in height, required police escorts.

As you say, Mr. P., the prices quoted and the abilities of those quoting, are indeed all over the board.

I certainly hate to see nice, un-butchered steam-era freight cars get turned into razor blades. As with anything else in this crazy biz, it takes money and moxie; sometimes lots 'o moxie can make up for not so much money.....

Howard P.
lusting after one of those N&W H-1 hoppers in Roanoke....

Howard,

Yes in deed, moxie.

The 4 N&W 1910 vintage H1's are safe. I'll send you a note on the details of the recovery, one alomost came to Jersey!

Scott

Just curious; approximately how long did the H1 coal hoppers remain in interchange service for the N&W? Did they make it into the 1950's?

Les

Howard a little teaser for you...

These are three of the four N&W H1 Hoppers that spent more than the last 50 years resting on a coal tipple next the N&W "Lost" Locomotives in Roanoke VA. These Hoppers have been moved out of the scrap yard and are now located at the Virginia Museum of Transportation. The Forth Hopper was traded to the owner of the hauling company for moving the other three. The heavy hauler is a Rail Fan and has a very eclectic collection of railroad equipment of his own, that's another story for another day.

Now it has been said that these hoppers were stranded on the tipple many years ago due to a fire on the tipple lead, Sounded logical the tipple lead was burned, but after closer inspection since their move all four of these cars had damage that would have ended there usefulness before they were originally spotted in the scrap yard many years ago. One of the cars has a Major defect/repair to the center-sill that would have prevented it from any use in a train and still does today. The others all had/have problems here and there and these were not virgin examples that were "Trapped" and left in the yard, we feel they were there for a reason (Scrap) after closer inspection. Now with that said one car of the three remaining in the museum collection is a good example it still has its Andrews Trucks and is very straight. The other two are either body damaged or have significant center-sill repair/patch.

Attached are three pictures showing the three in the Museums back lot as of Jan 07.

Group of three cars out side the museum back lot, Roanoke VA.


This is the straight car with Andrews trucks.


Body Damaged car


Enjoy the pictures.

OUTSTANDING!

When do they plan to move the Locomotives, from the scrap yard. What are the long term plans for them?

OH, very nice, Mr. P. !!!! I can envision a nice photo showing that car painted, looking like a page out of Andrew Dow's book.

Bent metal cars can be straighted, and center sill repairs were not unknown back in the old days.

At any rate, it's nice to see those things off the trestle, out of the brambles and vines, and in good hands. Of all the stuff in the Va. Metals yard, I would have given those the least chance for salvation-- after all, they aren't locomotives. Considering how important they and the thousands of other hopper cars were to Roanoke and the N&W, they are pretty significant.

Howard P.