Hello everyone,


I haven't been down to the NCTM in almost a year and would like to know if there is any news about what is being restored in the shop. Thanks.

Martin

I was there on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I saw no evidence of any new restoration activity just routine maintenance. Of course no one was working so there was no way to ask any questions.

But I enjoyed my cab ride in FP-7 #6133 which was pulling the museum train that day.

Last time I was down in the roundhouse at NCTM was in October when the Disney A Christmas Carol movie promotional train was visiting the museum. The only thing I recall seeing going on in the shop at the time was former Southern Railway J class 2-8-0 #542's tender was in the shop getting a cosmetic restoration which indicates that the locomotive may regain its' own identity soon after having been cosmetically dressed up as "604" for the George Clooney movie Leatherheads since at the time BC&G 4/Spencer 604 was/is disassembled and was unavailable to be used for filming of the movie, which also featured TVRM 2-8-0 610.

That was a pretty good movie BTW.

I had seen pictures of BC&G #4 and the Bonsal porter in the roundhouse being put back together. It's sad that #4 isn't finished. I'm glad though that the Bonsal porter is being put back together, because she had been sitting on the ground minus here wheels for a long time. Now, hopefully, she can for now, be under a roof and out of the weather.

I had also heard on this site the the NCTM aquired some ex Southern HW coaches.

Martin

Here is what the Bonsal porter looked like in 2006 without her wheels.

Martin

Here's a recap of what's been going on (to the best of my memory) in the last year at NCTM-others can fill in the gaps:

1. The Bonsal 0-6-0T-yup, undergoing cosmetic restoration;
2. Tender for 2-8-0 #542 undergoing cosmetic restoration;
3. Southern Railway clay (cargo) hopper car undergoing cosmetic restoration.

Projects completed within the last year:
a. Southern Railway bay-window caboose restoration;
b. Norfolk and Western hopper (coal) car restoration;
c. GE 45-ton locomotive L3-cosmetic restoration.

And I think it's been over a year on this one, but the restoration and modification of the ex-N&W combine into an ADA-accessible conveyance was quite a project. The car was torn down to the ribs. Then a new floor (concrete, I think) was installed, new linoleum flooring installed, new siding fabricated and installed (riveted), new windows, new and/or re-upholstered seats, wheelchair hoist, wheelchair securing gear, onboard diesel generator, baseboard heating, etc.

The ex-Southern Railway coaches mentioned above (there are two of them) are candidates for potential return to operation at some future date.

The combine car really does look great. The NCTM did a fantastic job restoring it. Here is a picture of it fro 2007.


I wonder if the Flagg Coal Company 0-4-0T #75 will visit Spencer next year for RailDays like she did in 2008. That would be nice.


Martin

Martin,
I had a nice chat with Larry Neal on staff today about Flagg Coal 75. We're seeing what we can do new with it in 2010. JIm

Thanks Jim. Guess I'll need to plan a trip to Spencer next year.


Martin