Good illustrated history for this RR and associated Angelina County Lumber Co.. At least three steam locomotives from this line still exist.

http://www.cets.sfasu.edu/ANR/main.htm
ryarger@rypn.org

From Colorado Railroad Museum, dated Oct. 2003. Always lots of Museum and Colorado news here and it's easier to get now. Remember sending in those self addressed, stamped envelopes?

http://www.crrm.org/ironhorse.htm
ryarger@rypn.org

We are in the process of having some duplicate builder's plates made for Georgia Northern 107 (Ex FEC 88, ALCO 1911) so that one pair can be put on the engine for display and the originals safely stored. In talking with the museum Executive Director today, the subject came up of using mounted aluminum duplicates as a fund raising gift to persons or companies making donations of significant size.

Does anyone have any experience in this type of gift use, it's success of failure? I know there are a lot of variables to be considered, but I am looking for some general feedback. Or alternately, might we be better off selling them in the gift shop or as a promotion with a very limited run? How much ($) might we be able to get for them (keeping in mind these would be full size, not mini-duplicates like I've started seeing at some train shows)? I am also having a few of the superheater patent plates cast, again in aluminum. Are these considered very collectable?

Thanks in advance for your input.

Stephen Syfrett

ssyfrett@bellsouth.net

You might want to contact the North Carolina Transportation Museam at Spencer. They have made replica plates for all there Steam Locomotives and Diesels. The Replicas for the static engines were cast aluminum. This is alot cheaper. The operating engines do have brass plates. I have a friend who has a Baldwin Number Plate Pattern. He casted me one in Brass and it cost me $300 for one plate. NCTM might still have patterns as well I think they have an Alco steamer. You need to Contact John Bectal or Jim Wrinn.

Tim S

http://www.tweetsie.com
tssmith@boone.net

Steve, I would prefer to see the plates in aluminum as long as the original locomotive did not come with aluminum plates. I feel that it is a good idea to have a raised pad on the plate in the back that states reproduction. This helps to prevent many problems years later. There is a flock of N&W Roanoke Shops plates floating around and being passed off as originals. These plates were cast in brass off the original N&W patterns. I can usually tell them when I see them, but it is not easy if you have not seen a lot of plates. You should keep it to a limited production at first because other railroads have done did and they did not move all that well. Original superheater plates can retail in the $50 to $100 range. You want to keep your pricing below originals and have it appeal to families that are visiting your musuem.This can be difficult in this day and age.

steamfan@crusoel.net

Check this site out for the "top end" of the market.


http://www.newtonreplicas.com
lamontdc@adelphia.net

One of the best reproducers of builder's and number plates is Wayne James of Gettysburg, Pa. His work is excellent and the quality is first-rate; he reproduces in brozne, brass, iron or aluminum, and has a catalogue available. Contact:
Wayne N. James Products
70 Stone Bridge Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325
717-624-4910
email: jamesgang@netrax.net
> We are in the process of having some
> duplicate builder's plates made for Georgia
> Northern 107 (Ex FEC 88, ALCO 1911) so that
> one pair can be put on the engine for
> display and the originals safely stored. In
> talking with the museum Executive Director
> today, the subject came up of using mounted
> aluminum duplicates as a fund raising gift
> to persons or companies making donations of
> significant size.

> Does anyone have any experience in this type
> of gift use, it's success of failure? I know
> there are a lot of variables to be
> considered, but I am looking for some
> general feedback. Or alternately, might we
> be better off selling them in the gift shop
> or as a promotion with a very limited run?
> How much ($) might we be able to get for
> them (keeping in mind these would be full
> size, not mini-duplicates like I've started
> seeing at some train shows)? I am also
> having a few of the superheater patent
> plates cast, again in aluminum. Are these
> considered very collectable?

> Thanks in advance for your input.

> Stephen Syfrett

Ran across this photo at the Alaska Live Steamers website. Thought some might like to see it.

http://www.alaskalivesteamers.org/car-9.html
ryarger@rypn.org

One option you may want to consider is making them youselves using a high strenght epoxy resin. This would eliminate any chance of them being sold as originals and are substantially cheaper to produce. They do have flat backs but look fine mounted on a wall. I have done this using products made by a company call alumilite (www.alumilite.com), no affiliation, and it is quite easy. The mold which is said to be able to produce about 50 piees before needing replacement cost about $50 and each plate comes out to around $15 but I am looking into ways to reduce that.

Let me know if you want any more information.

Roger

belpaire@aol.com

> Interesting that Abt said not to exceed a
> 25% grade. That's exactly the steepest grade
> on the Pike's Peak Cog Railway in Colorado,
> which uses the Abt rack system and has been
> operating since 1891 without a single
> significant accident.

I'd love to see it. We have a recently rebuilt Abt steam tourist railway here in Australia (link below), but the max grade is 'only' 1 in 20 (5%).


West Coast Wilderness Railway
chairman@pbr.org.au

> Website for the group that plans to use this
> ex-CPR facility in Toronto, which will be
> shared with a brew pub.

The brew pub, Steam Whistle Brewing Co., alreadt exists, and several pieces of rolling stock are already in other roundhouse stalls. See website link below.


Steam Whistle Brewing, Toronto

LNER4472-NOSPAM-@bcpl.net

As a member of the museum and a long time reader of the Iron Horse News let me say that if you join you get it in the mail and it comes with the pictures.

You don't have to wait until they get around to posting it on the web site!

ted_miles@nps.gov

Stephen,

We had the same idea in regards to the builders plates for S&A 750 (ex FEC 80). We have the originals (or at least whatever she carried on the Southern), but had considered making duplicates out of epoxy or something similar that could be cheaply made and offered for sale in the gift shop. I don't guess epoxy would be a good fit for 88 since I assume it will be kept outdoors and would need something more durable. If you don't mind, let me know what you find out in regards to the aluminum idea.

Andrew Durden
SERM

Southeastern Railway Museum
gapower97@yahoo.com

This all came about because Bama Foundry is in its slow season and I took them a stanchion to cast. Given the seasonal slowdown, they are looking for jobs and it is a good time to cast anything required. They cast brass and iron as well as aluminum.

If you like, I can take one of your plates down for replication. Hard Aluminum should provide durable service in a cosmetic venue - consider all the early aluminum castings on PN headlights and how they have held up.

dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

> I don't guess epoxy would be a good fit for 88
> since I assume it will be kept outdoors and
> would need something more durable.

> Andrew Durden
> SERM

Actually, Andrew, we have been planning on building some sort of structure to cover the locomotive, the Georgia Northern combine, and 3 or 4 other pieces in the collection. I had hoped to build a larger, enclosed and climate controlled exhibit hall, not as large as what you now have at SERM, but sufficient for our needs. Unfortunately, the powers that be do not want to errect such a permanant structure in the space available, and the only other property we could build on happens to be owned by NS. We have been talking to NS for over 5 years with no progress, primarily because we are being used as leverage to get the city (from which we receive no funding, by the way) to close a couple of grade crossings. It has been very frustrating.

As it currently stands, we will be erecting a 30x350 ft steel shed. We are scheduled to have a meeting this week to iron out the final details.

Stephen Syfrett
Albany, GA

ssyfrett@bellsouth.net