I was looking at the Bellows Falls webcam this morning at 8:30am. A GP-38(?)and a couple of coaches pulled in, and suddenly there were 60-70 people standing on the platform waiting to board.
Keep in mind this was on a Saturday morning at 8:30am. My question is, has the GMRC/VTR considered acquiring steam for these trips? I know the susie-q Chinese #142 ran some excursions a few years ago, were these successful, at all?
I was picturing the CV display loco at the Shelburne museum restored & running on these rails... ;-)
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Bellows Falls, VT webcam

Mark,
You must have hit the webcam at just the right time because the train was a special excursion to Rutland and was schedualed to leave at 9:00am. The loco was GP9r #804.
As far as I know there are no current plans to run more steam excursions on the Green Mountain RR. Thats not to say that it will never happen because it could, but the excursion would have to be set up by a separate group such as the 470 railroad club or the Mass Bay RR Enthusiasts. The reason is that the Green Mountain Funded the Suzie-Q #142 by its-self and just barely covered their expenses for it's shipping and up-keep. I've been told by a reliable source that if the Green Mountain hadn't been able to (sub)lease the locomotive for the making of the film "The Cider House Rules",that the GMRR would have ended up in the red.
Luckily though, the GMRR has some good folks running things down there in Bellows Falls, and they seem to have an open mind to things such as special excursions. I'd guess that a steam excursion is not so far fetched, but I think that someone else is going to have to pay for it.
As far as the CV #220 up in Shelburn,VT, perhaps Bob Yarger could get em' to fire her up?...no?;)

Brian Hebert


btamper@hotmail.com

Operational restoration of the 220 was an active goal for several years, but after three different ISTEA grants were turned down, the Shelburne Museum decided funding wasn't worth pursuing further. The CV, under Chris Burger, was very supportive. After that wretched bunch from Texas took over the CV, company support was no longer forthcoming and they eventually fired nearly all the former CV employees, which caused me to relocate to a real RR job. Presently, my former volunteer colleagues are still working on cosmetic restoration of the 220, with full museum support. The engine has been stabilized and is under cover. Eventually, the cab will be opened to visitors. It did actually move a short distance last Fall, to enable the sagging track underneath to be raised and tamped. The boiler has some holes burned into it, done when unknowing workmen removed the asbestos and replaced the jacketing in the 1970s. To make jacket installation easier, they simply burned off studs for boiler steps and handrail posts, then sloppily tried to burn out the stud stubs, doing some damage. The stud stubs were then tacked back on, with some replaced with threaded rod brazed into place. A couple of boiler experts have told me this damage is fixable, with some effort.

> Mark,
> You must have hit the webcam at just the
> right time because the train was a special
> excursion to Rutland and was schedualed to
> leave at 9:00am. The loco was GP9r #804.
> As far as I know there are no current plans
> to run more steam excursions on the Green
> Mountain RR. Thats not to say that it will
> never happen because it could, but the
> excursion would have to be set up by a
> separate group such as the 470 railroad club
> or the Mass Bay RR Enthusiasts. The reason
> is that the Green Mountain Funded the
> Suzie-Q #142 by its-self and just barely
> covered their expenses for it's shipping and
> up-keep. I've been told by a reliable source
> that if the Green Mountain hadn't been able
> to (sub)lease the locomotive for the making
> of the film "The Cider House
> Rules",that the GMRR would have ended
> up in the red.
> Luckily though, the GMRR has some good folks
> running things down there in Bellows Falls,
> and they seem to have an open mind to things
> such as special excursions. I'd guess that a
> steam excursion is not so far fetched, but I
> think that someone else is going to have to
> pay for it.
> As far as the CV #220 up in Shelburn,VT,
> perhaps Bob Yarger could get em' to fire her
> up?...no?;)

> Brian Hebert


ryarger@rypn.org