Keep It Up, Or Else....... Newfoundland Ry. G8, Carbonear

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Sat Jun 30, 2018 11:33 pm

http://www.cbncompass.ca/news/local/car ... rn-222329/

Quote:

CARBONEAR, NL — Carbonear councillors are starting to worry about the condition of one of the town’s most recognizable landmarks.

During the Tuesday, June 26 meeting, council members had a brief discussion about Locomotive 803, a section of a 1965 TerraTransport train that has been sitting just a few feet away from the boardwalk for a number of years.

Coun. Ray Noel said he and some town employees were beginning to worry about the state of the train car, which was continually declining, and has gotten to a point where Noel feels that action needs to be taken as soon as possible.

This is not the first time council has expressed concerns about the car, either. In 2015, the previous council began looking into the costs associated with repairing the car, hoping to see the stationary vehicle sandblasted, re-painted and touched up.

A request for proposals was issued, and the town learn it would cost approximately $65,000 to complete this work.

Now, two years later, the train has yet to see the upgrades council was hoping for, and the state of the car is not looking any better, having not been touched up for over a decade. At Tuesday’s council meeting, Noel said the car cannot remain where it is for much longer.

“We do have some strong safety concerns regarding the car,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll find some way to either, as we’ve said previously, either improve it, fix it up, or get rid of it, because it cannot stay out there in the state that it’s in now.”

Noel also said that the recreation committee would try and restrict movement around Locomotive 803, as it has become something of a safety concern for people getting too close to it.

R.L.Kennedy · **Joined:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:37 pm **Posts:** 242

Sadly, this is what happens to many "train cars" that nobody cares for.

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2874

If it could be re-gauged from 42" to 36" it could help D&S run during fire season.

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Sun Jul 01, 2018 7:03 pm

There is a little bit of track there. Did someone have dreams of running it?

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Sat Nov 26, 2022 6:19 pm

Update four years later: Heading for scrap. likely:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2320589 ... 9426969980

Quote:

FYI...
Per the Shoreline newspaper, Nov. 25th 2023 edition, the town of Carbonear has decided to scrap engine 803. It is in poor shape no doubt, and due lack of attention over the years. They said they sought expressions of interest but no takers. Restoration cost too high to justify to the taxpayers and a safety concern. Picture was taken Sept 2022.
Would look good near station diner in Holyrood but at a cost. I expect Carbonear has estimates, to have made a decision...

EJ Berry · **Posted:** Sat Nov 26, 2022 8:59 pm

And at one time, all it needed was painted.

Phil Mulligan

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Sat Nov 26, 2022 9:40 pm

EJ Berry wrote:

And at one time, all it needed was painted.

AND a prime mover, generator, traction motors, fuel tank, electrical cabinets................

It was well stripped before donation.

EJ Berry · **Posted:** Sat Nov 26, 2022 9:49 pm

If you wanted to run it, yes. To sit on a plinth and welcome people to town.......

Phil Mulligan

lvrr325 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 26, 2016 2:13 pm **Posts:** 25

65 grand to paint it. Why can't like three guys wire brush the worst of the rust, tape it up and paint it with a roller for like a tenth of that?

Overmod · **Joined:** Thu May 24, 2012 1:37 pm **Posts:** 2492

And surely there's a Canadian equivalent for Boy Scouts, or the usual sorts of community organization, that help with this kind of thing? Crowdsource requests to buy the paint if community stores won't donate it?

Heck, I'd bet one of the Canadian museums might consider loaning a needle gun and compressor for the... how long would it take to get to the point you could apply a coat of rust converter? Then paint what's left?

Chris Webster · **Joined:** Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:45 am **Posts:** 1087

lvrr325 wrote:

65 grand to paint it. Why can't like three guys wire brush the worst of the rust, tape it up and paint it with a roller for like a tenth of that?

There are only 4,696 people living in Carbonear per Statistics Canada.

Overmod wrote:

And surely there's a Canadian equivalent for Boy Scouts, or the usual sorts of community organization, that help with this kind of thing?

There are only 24 scouting groups in all of the province per Scouting Canada.

Overmod · **Joined:** Thu May 24, 2012 1:37 pm **Posts:** 2492

Are there roads going to Carbonear that volunteers might drive on?

Are there telephones out of Carbonear that volunteer organizations might be called on?

Chris Webster · **Joined:** Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:45 am **Posts:** 1087

Overmod wrote:

Are there roads going to Carbonear that volunteers might drive on?

Carbonear is on Newfoundland, an island. To get to Carbonear from Montreal requires 1400+ miles of driving and a 110-mile ferry ride.

Montreal to Orbisonia is only 575 miles.

Overmod · **Joined:** Thu May 24, 2012 1:37 pm **Posts:** 2492

I've been to Newfoundland. In 1968, we took family vacation, in a Lincoln Continental, no less, all the way from Port aux Basques up to L'Anse aux Meadows. And back. Strangely enough, on roads, or at least I thought they were.

Presumably the situation has only improved since then. Even around Carbonear.

I don't remember the ferry from St. Stephen taking more than about 7 hours. Admittedly there's a pound of flesh because you'd want to take your car with you. But that would only be for loaning equipment, not regular volunteering stints... unless there are no Newfies interested in preserving their own heritage.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Tue Nov 29, 2022 12:52 pm

Yet another example of why I say our national "conversation" and culture could be vastly improved if everyone in urban and suburban America (including Canada and Mexico) were forced to spend six months to a year in extreme rural America--Wyoming, rural Arizona, Maine northwoods, Oklahoma, towns that at best might have a "dollar store" and the nearest WalMart or good grocery is a half-hour or more away, etc.--and vice versa.....

Perspective.