Is anyone familiar with the Hudson Valley Railroad Museum? A person who claims to represent this group has been on several Yahoo Groups mail list trying to raise funds to aquire the NYC Mohawk 3001 from Elkhart and also a NYC electric from the Illinois Railroad Museum in Union. He has also been trying to raise money to build a full scale replica of a NYC Hudson.

http://hometown.aol.com/hvrrm/
timsb@goshen.edu

Note the phrase on their website: "When the funds become available". No one ever accused me of dreaming small, but you have to do things one step at a time. If they build the model railroad they speak of, that alone will be a major accomplishment.

> Is anyone familiar with the Hudson Valley
> Railroad Museum? A person who claims to
> represent this group has been on several
> Yahoo Groups mail list trying to raise funds
> to aquire the NYC Mohawk 3001 from Elkhart
> and also a NYC electric from the Illinois
> Railroad Museum in Union. He has also been
> trying to raise money to build a full scale
> replica of a NYC Hudson.


ryarger@rypn.org

> Is anyone familiar with the Hudson Valley
> Railroad Museum? A person who claims to
> represent this group has been on several
> Yahoo Groups mail list trying to raise funds
> to aquire the NYC Mohawk 3001 from Elkhart
> and also a NYC electric from the Illinois
> Railroad Museum in Union. He has also been
> trying to raise money to build a full scale
> replica of a NYC Hudson.

I don't know what they're smoking, but IRM's S Motor is not for sale. Perhaps they're thinking of the one at MoT, a group well known for their willingness to send locomotives back east, ha ha. And I'd be mildly surprised if the Mohawk was available, either.

This same character is planning to somehow "acquire" a number of Metro-North Commuter Railroad 1100-series MU cars (ex-NYC 4700s), store them at a site "to be made available" off MNCR lines, and operate them over MNCR lines. Having had more than a few dealings with MNCR, I would say that they are supportive of railway preservation, but they are also very realistic. We are also realistic in our expectations of what Metro-North can or cannot do. "A man's got to know his limitations", as Harry Callahan once said. I think the model/live steam railroad would be the way to go for this guy.

Railroad Museum of New England
hpincus@mindspring.com

Regarding the "Hudson Valley Railroad Museum's" goal of acquiring S-motor #4715 from the Illinois Railway Museum: I have talked with some IRM board members concerning this matter, and I have been notified of two facts. First, we have absolutely no intention of selling S-motor #4715. It is on our Permanent Collection List and is regarded as one of our most historic electric locomotives. Second, we have not been contacted recently by anyone interested in buying #4715 from IRM.

The individual who has been posting in online groups asking for donations to his "museum" in the hope of acquiring IRM's S-motor has been doing so without inquiring into the price or even the possibility of doing what he suggests. The possibility does not exist; a price is pointless. The people who are being asked to give money for this cause ought to be notified that their money will NOT be used for the purpose of purchasing #4715. On the other hand, IRM has plans for doing major work on #4715 (including welding work and repainting), and donations to IRM for this purpose WILL go directly towards its restoration.

Frank Hicks
Illinois Railway Museum

fullparallel@wideopenwest.com

I agree, Howard. Those HO Broadway Limited Hudson's are the way to go. ;-)

In my grand old dreams, there would be a NYC collection to rival the PRR collection. It would have been nice, but the green team didn't share the sense of history (or self-importance or ego) of my red team PRR forefathers.

Could a NYC interpretive exhibit be cobbled together? Sure, I suppose so, but would it be anything more than a collection of haphazard scrap refugees? No, not really.

I'm all for the story of the NYC being told. And I am all for the Elkhart Mohawk to get under cover (yeah, and the GG-1, too). However, the grand NYC museum that could'a been was not. And unless you uncover J's 1-3, an F-12 and a few other goodies, maybe the best way to educate is via models, interactive displays and photo/document conservation.

Now, if he starts raising money for an F-12e replica, maybe we can get my Rutland buddies to order a second one! ;-)

Merry, Merry!

Rob

> This same character is planning to somehow
> "acquire" a number of Metro-North
> Commuter Railroad 1100-series MU cars
> (ex-NYC 4700s), store them at a site
> "to be made available" off MNCR
> lines, and operate them over MNCR lines.
> Having had more than a few dealings with
> MNCR, I would say that they are supportive
> of railway preservation, but they are also
> very realistic. We are also realistic in our
> expectations of what Metro-North can or
> cannot do. "A man's got to know his
> limitations", as Harry Callahan once
> said. I think the model/live steam railroad
> would be the way to go for this guy.


rjd@robertjohndavis.com