Just a nice 1966 photo of CN 6218, running on the CV. How is it doing today? Is anyone looking after it? Anyone have recent photos of it?

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo=2004040614501713613.jpg&bydate%3A3
ryarger@rypn.org

> Just a nice 1966 photo of CN 6218, running
> on the CV. How is it doing today? Is anyone
> looking after it? Anyone have recent photos
> of it?

Still the "Pride of Fort Erie" last I knew. Its been ten years since I last saw it, but she looked pretty good then, although she was outdoors without cover. The picture below was pretty much the way she looked last time around.

TJG


Port Huron Museum

tjgaffney@phmuseum.org

It didn't look very good the last time I saw it up close about 5 years ago. There was a huge hole rotted right through the bottom of the smoke box, all the appliances and guages in the cab had been either stolen or broken, and the inside of the cab had been painted a bright lime green. Yuk!

Those are a couple of nice pictures. The Fort Erie museum isn't a bad little set up and it only costs CAD$2 for adults. Not bad value for money. Unfortunately, 6218 is showing the ravages of time. I saw it last summer and I seem to recall the smokebox hole being "patched" and the lime green paint in the cab replaced with a more authentic dark green but the cab is still missing several parts and several rods coming from the cab are broken. Really, it appears much like a typical park engine in spite of being in a fenced enclosure and presumably supported financially by several corporate donours listed on one of the brass plaques you see in TJ's picture. Still, it is worth a visit to the museum if you're ever in the area.

CN Northerns haven't fared too well in the post-steam era. 6167 in Guelph Ontario was still a basket case when I saw it last year in spite of the city presumably putting funds toward a thorough cosmetic restoration some time ago. 6213 at the CNE in Toronto looks great and a group was looking to move it to the CPR John Street Roundhouse for a restoration back to operating condition some time ago but haven't heard anything for over a year. 6200 looks kind of rough from pictures I've seen in Ottawa but I haven't seen it for myself. 6153 looks good in pictures in the National Museum in Delson Quebec.

> Those are a couple of nice pictures. The
> Fort Erie museum isn't a bad little set up
> and it only costs CAD$2 for adults. Not bad
> value for money. Unfortunately, 6218 is
> showing the ravages of time. I saw it last
> summer and I seem to recall the smokebox
> hole being "patched" and the lime
> green paint in the cab replaced with a more
> authentic dark green but the cab is still
> missing several parts and several rods
> coming from the cab are broken. Really, it
> appears much like a typical park engine in
> spite of being in a fenced enclosure and
> presumably supported financially by several
> corporate donours listed on one of the brass
> plaques you see in TJ's picture. Still, it
> is worth a visit to the museum if you're
> ever in the area.

> CN Northerns haven't fared too well in the
> post-steam era. 6167 in Guelph Ontario was
> still a basket case when I saw it last year
> in spite of the city presumably putting
> funds toward a thorough cosmetic restoration
> some time ago. 6213 at the CNE in Toronto
> looks great and a group was looking to move
> it to the CPR John Street Roundhouse for a
> restoration back to operating condition some
> time ago but haven't heard anything for over
> a year. 6200 looks kind of rough from
> pictures I've seen in Ottawa but I haven't
> seen it for myself. 6153 looks good in
> pictures in the National Museum in Delson
> Quebec.

Wow, that's sad. It really seems to have a fallen over time, although now you mention it, I do remember some guages missing. ) I wish better for 6167, too: have a great shot of it on one of its last runs, and the print is about 3 feet long! Have a similar one of #5629 that now hangs in my son's room.

TJ Gaffney


Port Huron Museum

tjgaffney@phmuseum.org

6218 is in deplorable shape....I was a volunteer there many years ago, for thier 20th anniversary. When the Asbestos was removed, the failed to properly secure all the domes. While scrubbing the engine boiler, in preperation for the 20th ann. i grabbed onto a steam dome handle and almost fell off when the dome moved about 6". The grate inside the firebox are mostly rotted or siezed. I managed to move a few of them, but the rust inside is incredible. As for the firebox, well, we won't even go there....The hopper under the firebox is filled with rust. The hinges of the water fill hatches on the tender were welded years ago to prevent anyone from getting in. Well, with the hinges are still welded, but, now you can lift the hatches anyways because they are so rusted, you just move the whole hinge. When she was painted in 93, they used a wagner power sprayer, which, needless to say, was not designed for that job. Most of the people who have ever worked there know/knew nothing about the engine, or anything else onthe property. The former Atlas Steel 30" gauge fireless 0-4-0, was leaning to one side when i was there. When they put the track down, they laid one rail on the common spot on the tie, and just put the other one 30" in. Well, over the years, the engine started to lean. I had the engine pulled ahead, ripped out the track, and rebuilt the line, centering the rail on the ties, which of course keeps the engine upright. The motorcars were in brutal shape, with sharp edges, parts missing, etc. I haven't been there ina while, and said i'd never go back. We have talked to many people who have donated items to them, thinking they would be displayed. Well, a few years ago they redid the one station, and everything was put into storage. Many people have never seen thier items again, and many of them are not to impressed. Anywho, that's another situation. I have shots of everything around here somewhere, when i find them, i'll send one over.

Ken Jones
President
Niagara Falls Railway Museum

Niagara Falls Railway Museum
digitekfx@kwic.com

Not all of the CN northerns have had such a fate. Although not CN, the OC 6325 is a close reletive.
-justin

> CN Northerns haven't fared too well in the
> post-steam era. 6167 in Guelph Ontario was
> still a basket case when I saw it last year
> in spite of the city presumably putting
> funds toward a thorough cosmetic restoration
> some time ago. 6213 at the CNE in Toronto
> looks great and a group was looking to move
> it to the CPR John Street Roundhouse for a
> restoration back to operating condition some
> time ago but haven't heard anything for over
> a year. 6200 looks kind of rough from
> pictures I've seen in Ottawa but I haven't
> seen it for myself. 6153 looks good in
> pictures in the National Museum in Delson
> Quebec.


qcmrs18@yahoo.com

With apologies to "Flying" magazine.

As I recall it was a trip from New London to Brattleboro. On the way back, we were cruising at night alond a river (Thames?); I was in a Dutch Door when I heard BAM! BAM! and the engineer tooted twice and the brakes came on. We came upon a flagman, then eased up to two GP-9's on a siding with a freight. Seems we had right over them but they were too long to clear in that siding. We pulled along slowly; you could hear the Geeps pulling once we were past the switch. I forget if we stopped to line the switch (it was their job but they could have asked for the favor). But there was (old) Rule 99 in action.

Electric City Trolley Museum Association