Folks,
Erie 833 left Ringoes this morning en route to Port Jervis.
Kudos to Jimmy Wilson for adding another shining star to railroad preservation.
For me, that preservation work brought railroad history to life, transporting me to an era I never saw but can clearly imagine. Picture it: It is late Spring. I am restoring my PRR ore jenny, just a few feet from the ongoing restoration of the 833. As I hammer away, Ray Clauss and crew address the 833, and space is tight in Ringoes engine house. So the Erie makes a handshake agrement with the PRR for storage space. The PRR boxcar on the jack pad next to the 833 stores the E-8's grills, grabs, and such. It had probably been 40 years since that “S” on the side of that Pennsy boxcar had meant anything.
Is it 2007 or 1957?
History does repeat itself.
A couple of fallen flags come together. This photo, and the one above, were taken by Keith Muldowney, who was the architect of the restored CNJ Flemington station that you see behind the 833.
Scott