Another year is drawing to a close, so once again it's time to take a look back to what all has been achieved in preservation over the last 12 months.

Just for reference, here's last year's thread which will in turn link to the threads from 2013-2016: http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=41417

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Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

NS debuts the first two SD70ACCs, NS 1800 and 1801, painted in Catipillar Yellow. They also debut NS 8520, the first AC44C6CF painted red and gray. CP Mike in Depew NY caused a bunch of drama. NKP 587 gets a new lease on life after the ITM shutdown. A PRR 1361 restoration is proposed. C&O 1309 and SF 2926 have fires in their boilers for the first time in modern restoration. Skookum 2-4-4–2 is restored to operation. Conrail 6670 and NKP 757 get prepped for their move to Ohio. Did I miss anything?

It has been a good year for two-footers...

• Bridgton & Saco River no. 7 returns to steam in Portland after a 10-year hiatus.
• S.D. Warren no. 2 returns to steam for the first time in preservation in Boothbay.
• Jones & Laughlin 58 undergoes a successful steam test in Youngstown.
• Trout Brook bridge installation on the WW&F.

Non-railroad:

• Large waterworks pumping engines restored to steam in Phillipsburg, NJ (Allis triple) and Woburn, Massachusetts (Platt compound).
• Delta Queen's SOLAS exemption renewed.

The dissolving of the ITM collection in Noblesville is a very significant happening. I'm not sure of any other collection of a size like this that has had to be parceled out and transported in such short notice. While the museum being evicted may not be an "accomplishment," the accomplishment certainly lies in the individuals and organizations that were able to rescue much of the collection in such short notice.

Canberra Railway Museum on track to re-open early next year.

http://www.canberrarail.org.au/

In the rail preservation zone of Northeastern Pennsylvania, it has been a tremendous year, if you ask me. First off, Steamtown's Boston & Maine 4-6-2 no. 3713 has awarded the firebox rebuild to the Strasburg Rail Road, and they are already at work flanging some of the steel needed to craft this giant combustion chamber. Many other parts that were contracted out in 2017 are either back in the Scranton locomotive shop, or will appear right around the turn of the year. The replacement cab showed up in late August, and final pieces such as grab-irons and the like have been transferred from the original to the new one. Our first hot riveting projects in several years took place too. Some of the riveting was done on brackets for the stoker trough in April, while in the Fall, riveting of the cab took place. The tender tank is nearly complete and will be shipped to Scranton soon, along with the lead truck and the drive wheels.
Besides that, Steamtown's 0-6-0 got some wheel work and balancing done over the off-season, and was ready to take on the rest of the year when our season began in mid-April. The F3 units, "Lackawanna 663 and 664" were having a few ups and downs this year until late Summer, and they were even joined by the F7B unit for the ARHS convention train in September.
Nickel Plate Road GP9 no. 514 is in the final stages of her rebuild, and may be back in action within this coming week. It looks as if everything that could be done on this 1958 Geep is repaired. She should be an excursion star in 2019.
Early in 2018, the Ontario & Western Railway Historical Society made a lot of progress on 44 tonner no. 105 in the Steamtown shop. By Spring, the project was put on hold until new radiator parts arrive. This little beauty, when running again, could help out in yard train service and on special weekends.
Steamtown's Iron Horse Society accomplished their first restoration this Summer. A green storage shed not far from the roundhouse received roof and window repairs, a new door, and coat of paint. This is the first attention the shed has received since the formative years of Steamtown 30 years ago. Other small projects like this are being sought as the Society's role takes shape.
Steamtown lost its superintendent when Debbie Conway, in office since 2014, accepted the position of Deputy Regional Director for the Northeastern Region. The superintendent position is temporarily filled by Matt Carroll.

The preservation is not limited to Steamtown, of course. The local railway historical society, the Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley chapter of the NRHS, hosted a special excursion on rare mileage of the Reading & Northern RR, dubbed the "Oneida Clipper," along with hosting the National officers of the NRHS with excursions on Steamtown and Stourbridge Line trains. It was a very busy year for them, on top of their restoration project at the Moscow, PA stations and the annual "Sentimental Journey" slide show. This year, a new offering, "Holiday Trains & Holiday Brews" at the Susquehanna Brewing Company in Pittston, PA will help promote the Boston & Maine restoration along with other railroad action in the area. Local model and toy train fans will set up their layouts for the weekend before Christmas.

The Electric City Trolley Station & Museum in Scranton is also far along in restoring Scranton Cars no. 324, and 505. They also continue to run on their 5-mile stretch of track between Steamtown and the Trolley Works, using mostly Philadelphia Suburban Transit car no. 80.

Other new projects in the area are the fundraising by the Huber Breaker Society in Ashley, PA to bring Wanamie Coal no. 9 back to Pennsylvania. This 3-foot gauge steam engine (0-6-0T) once worked for DL&W coal operations, and is considered one of the last existing DL&W steam engines. Wanamie Coal, located outside Wilkes-Barre, PA, was also one of the last coal operations still using steam power in the 1960s.
A Wilkes-Barre street car, which is currently part of a house, is a new project underway to extract the car and send it to a restoration facility. I am not fully sure how this operation is going, because it is so new.

The Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society maintains a fairly busy schedule, and was a key part of the International Cast Iron Arts convention in May. The train's Circus Cars housed many of the artists during the week, and the coaches brought the passengers to two different hot iron pours: one at the East Stroudsburg station and another at the Gouldsboro station. They also hosted the Train of Horrors at Halloween time using the Circus Cars, and a number of Santa Trains in the holiday season.

Delaware Lackawanna's fleet of preserved Alco locomotives were joined a few times this year by Norfolk Southern diesels when space in the Taylor yard was limited. After D-L repainting four of their locomotives two years ago, and acquiring Business Car 2 last year, you might wonder what they will do on top of all that? The traffic boom of sand and other types of rail business as well as rebuilding the track damaged by heavy rains in August has been keeping them busy.

Delaware Lackawaxen & Stourbridge's rail line in Honesdale is continuing to improve their fleet and courting industry along their route. One FP7, no. 9880, debuted last year in a Pennsylvania RR inspired scheme, and the second F unit's repairs are still coming along.

I am not as familiar with Reading & Northern RR operations in the area, so I hope someone else can fill in that railroad. I know they are all doing their part.

I know other installations have suffered similar blows this year but Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, WI. sustained two 100-year flood crests in a weeks time. We lost the month of September completely but were able to open partial facilities in October and complete our Fall Colors (tm), Pumpkin Special, and Santa Train (tm) for the year. Due to the damage and time needed for contractors we didn't have a gift shop but the trains ran, the displays were open and many smiling faces were seen.

mld

Is this the locomotive in Grand Rapids, Michigan?

The bridge replacement was a big accomplishment for the MCRM:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWCKI2t ... e=youtu.be

Ex-Mississipian #76 went from a basket case to a beautiful cosmetic restoration as B&O 476. It now resides at the Oakland, MD B&O station museum, not to be confused with the official B&O Museum in Baltimore. A link to a prior RPN thread on the subject.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=41589

Yes. Here is a newspaper article from this past week. https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/pres ... -1.2418308

New England Steam Corp. erected its restoration building, put Maine Central 470's frame and boiler indoors for the first time in seven decades. The tender has been professionally detailed, than is drawn for re-fabrication, and the tender fund has nearly been reached. The frame is being worked on, drivers and rods are being cleaned for magnafluxing. The cross-compound pump is being rebuilt by engineering students at the University of Maine, and the stoker motor is being rebuilt by a private individual from our Board.

We've had a huge 2018. Come visit us in Hancock, Maine, in 2019! We'll be at the Springfield, Mass train show as well!

No kidding! That's awesome. I just learned about the Wanamie from watching my friend John's video that features its operations: https://www.johnpmedia.com/dvds/short-l ... s-volume-3

I wonder if he knows about this effort.

High Plains Railroad Preservation achieved lots, the finding and purchasing of 1900 era wood passenger car trucks for Pullman car 57, an 8 year search. The removal of two UP cabooses in danger of demolition 1880 and 1901, and the discovery, moving and restoration of 1907 UP caboose 2409, the move of UP wood caboose trucks found in Washington and the continuing preservation of UP caboose 2516. Its been a brilliant year for us and we could not have done it without the generous help of some on here and elsewhere.
In 2019 we hope to raise sufficient funds to secure our famous silo restoration facility to ensure the security of the artifacts we have.

Mike Pannell

307 221 2371

Well folks,

This project should be a really strong contender for the 2018 preservation award in the - "No way in hell could that happen, but dam, it actually did!" category.

I have to add this was one amazing "save" that nobody here in New Jersey could have imagined just two months ago.

In early October, right here on RyPN, a Facebook post was shared. Two builders were looking for help with a "train car" that they found in a house!

After reviewing all the "call Strasburg" posts, Mr. J.r. May and myself exchanged a couple of emails. Within 48 hours of reading that Facebook post, we had an appointment with the builders to inspect the "train car". We met Marc Manfredi and Brandon Breza for the first time in less than week after Marc Manfredi's Facebook post went viral.

It was quickly confirmed that the "train car" was, in reality, former Trenton Transit Co. #288, a 1914 Brill streetcar - the only known surviving trolley from the transit system which served New Jersey's capital city.

Within two weeks after that meeting, Liberty Historic Railway, through the efforts of Bill McKelvey, had a contract in place to acquire and preserve the #288. Within two weeks of signing the contract, #288 was carefully extracted from the house it was cocooned inside of for the past 75 years.

LHR then designated J.r. May as the project manager to head up the removal and restoration efforts.

On December 5th, 2018, (less than 60 days from the date of Marc Manfredi's Facebook post), #288 passed into the hands of New Jersey's rail preservation community when Mr. May handed the final payment to Mr. Breza. #288 then left the property it called home for 3/4 of a century, beginning a new chapter in its life as, once again, a trolley!

I'm thrilled that New Jersey's rail preservation community was able to come together to pull off this amazing "save" in the time period it was accomplished in. To pull off a save like this in less than 60 days is truly an impressive feat worth celebrating!