Historic railcar on track for transport to Connecticut

railfan44 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 12, 2013 1:57 pm

It's really great when things go right. Please forgive me if this has been posted here.

http://www.reformer.com/ci_24702490/his ... cut-museum

KevinO · **Joined:** Thu Oct 21, 2004 2:59 pm **Posts:** 114

That is a great Christmas present for the Naugy. I'm glad to see the car go to such a worthy group. So who is the lucky organization that received her companion car? They eluded to it in the article but never mention where it is headed.

Kevin

Howard P. · **Posted:** Thu Dec 12, 2013 2:42 pm

Thanks, Kevin and Marty. There will be more about 260 once it arrives in Connecticut, perhaps even an RyPN article. We're still dealing with the move.

The coach, 551, was given to City of Rutland and was placed on display "downtown" near the Rutland passenger station site in late October.

Howard P.

wilkinsd · **Posted:** Thu Dec 12, 2013 11:15 pm

Howard,

What a nice item for RMNE! A perfect Christmas present to the hard working volunteers there!

David

daylight4449 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 12, 2013 11:19 pm

I would like to nominate RMNE for move-of-the-decade... Did anyone else move a wooden, truss-rod coach over a main line for any distance to get it moving towards home? I think not. For the disbelievers, there was this bit of photographic evidence I came across...
http://photos.nerail.org/s/?p=212710

Howard P. · **Posted:** Fri Dec 13, 2013 12:20 am

Thanks, Dylan, but RMNE did not move 260 from N. Walpole to N. Bennington, VRS did. And with no concerns, complications or freak-outs. 260 is in great mechanical condition, having been well-maintained by GMRC and VRS for many many years.

"Move-Of-the Decade" would have been 260 showing up in Waterbury on her own wheels....

It is an extraordinary piece of New England history, and we are pleased that VRS chose to have it repose with us.

Howard P.

PaulWWoodring · **Posted:** Fri Dec 13, 2013 10:57 am

Are those the two coaches that used to sit with the Alco switcher at the Bellows Falls station in the '90's? If they are, I've got slides somewhere I took of them from the Vermonter. Being the LSA had it's privileges, I opened a vestibule door to shoot them as we came into the station.

Howard P. · **Posted:** Fri Dec 13, 2013 11:11 am

They are--- Rutland RS-1 #405, combine 260 and coach 551 were the heritage train of GMRC.

Howard P.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Fri Dec 13, 2013 12:24 pm

In retrospect, I would say the closest I've ever come to an honest-to-goodness "time capsule" experience is riding my bicycle down the Connecticut River from Cornish, NH to Bellows Falls in July 1985 to ride this then-newly-advertised "historic railroad" operation, and discovering the then-newly-restored 260 and 551 and a vintage-looking 405 on the former Steamtown route to Chester and back. Of course, back then we were lamenting the loss of steam on that operation and the pending move of Steamtown, but this experience, in retrospect, was an amazing replacement--authentic equipment on the actual route with the actual locomotive, with no extraneous coaches or anything! They even offered to let my ten-speed bike ride in the combine's baggage compartment for the round trip, as my lock wasn't working! (That wasn't the first time my bike rode an excursion like that, either.)

Mount Royal · **Posted:** Mon Dec 16, 2013 10:22 am

Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote:

.....but this experience, in retrospect, was an amazing replacement--authentic equipment on the actual route with the actual locomotive, with no extraneous coaches or anything!

This is possible at RMNE as well. The collection includes the necessary components to assemble the "Winsted Train", which provided passenger service between Bridgeport and Winsted. The consist was made up of a RPO/bag, another bag (HP correct me if I'm wrong, please), a smoker, and an Osgood Bradley "American Flyer" coach. It wasn't uncommon for the consist to be powered by an RS3. We (RMNE) have all that stuff.