I would definitely include a good intrusion and fire detection alarm system, with central office monitoring. Resolving the occasional false alarm is defininitly a minor problem compared to the potential for loss. However, be aware that running a diesel engine in the building may set off the smoke detectors. We did it with our tamper.

If possible, I would also install a dry pipe sprinkler system. The cost will very much depend on the availability of an adequate water supply. If you do not have a large enough municipal water system connection available, a standpipe or reservoir and pump system will be needed, which can cost megabucks! Just ask the Rio Vista people.

Even if you do not plan to install a sprinkler system, I would allow a couple of exta feet of height in the building, so that you will have enough room to put one in if you can eventually afford it.

Beside allowing a few feet extra height for sprinklers, if that is on your wish list, make it known to the building designers, whether a package deal or custom. The weight of a sprinkler system, wet or dry pipe, often means one size larger truss to be accomodated in the roof loading design.

Speaking of which, what does everyone use for snow load in the northern areas? In Chicago, 25 lbs per sq ft has been 'conventional' wisdom, but I always mentioned to use a number of 30. Are climate changes affecting this number? Did not Seashore have a barn roof collapse many years ago during a particularly heavy snow load?

Smooth sheet metal roofs often allow for 'self unloading' snow pack during intermittent thaws and warm ups, with adequate pitch. But do not be walking along that eave line when it decides to let loose!

Bob Kutella

I put an ad for this gantry over in the classifieds section. This would be an ideal alternative for a museum or tourist line that cannot afford a shop right now. Pour a 38' wide by XX long concrete pad around a section of track, set up this crane and you'll have an inexpensive way to move around parts, wheelsets, couplers, power assemblies etc.

I built a 5 ton gantry crane on wheels for at home. Your right it can be a poormans overhead crane. Not as handy, but beats getting guys around to help lift things that were not intended to be lifted by middle age and older people. Can do some things a forklift can't do as well. An overhead crane or gantry crane is a tool that anybody working in a RR shop should not have to live without. Thats why RR shops have them. Just had to put that in there because blieve it or not, there will be someone out there reading this that can't understand the concept. Nice to dream about a new shop. Beats thinking about snow and subzero wind chills. Cheers, John.

It would be interesting to get a survey of all the remaining EMD designed shops still out there. I now Northern Pacific's Auburn, Wash and Glendive, MT shops were EMD designs and I suspect Milwaukee's Pig's Eye and Bensenville shops were EMD designs.

Anyone know of others out there?

The Erie's Marion (Ohio) Diesel Shop was a standard EMD design, and EMD designs were used for the Lackawanna's diesel addition to the Scranton shop now used by NPS. Considering that EMD offered designs for new construction diesel shops and additions to steam shops, and that their "recommended practices" drawings were adapted by railroads and other architects, there are a lot of shops with EMD design features.

MX