Hi,

I'm curious as to why the N&W historical society is involved with the Whitehall, PA Ironton combine relic. Is it an ex: N&W car?

The RYPN Brief is a little scary. The car, which has been totally abandoned for years and is now an industrial relic on the Ironton hiking/biking trail, seems to be offered to anyone who wants to do anything with it.

Is this yet another car that will leave it's home area for dismantling or other use rather than stay in an area more meaningful to interpretation?

If I remember correctly, there's not much left of this car. No interior, just a shell. If anyone is going to put any effort into her, it's a full chicken-coop job, so maybe the N&W guys could encourage her restoration as a static LOCAL exhibit? There are transportation museums proposed for Allentown, Bethlehem and Phillipsburg plus the school display in Bushkill Center and the Reading museum a-building in Schyulkill Haven... can she end up at least near the cement belt?

Rob Davis

It's always a surprise to see a photo of something like that actually offered for restoration. Our wooden NKP in its shabby condition has much more to offer and nobody has a home for it!


lamontdc@adelphia.net

> It's always a surprise to see a photo of
> something like that actually offered for
> restoration. Our wooden NKP in its shabby
> condition has much more to offer and nobody
> has a home for it!

Care to explain your comment about your wooden NKP and the fact that nobody has a home for it?

Les Beckman (Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum/North Judson, IN)

midlandblb@cs.com

I have been offered many pieces over the years that were simply not of specific importance or not in adequate condition to justify the investment in moving. It is also something of a subjective thing - I don't need a modern Canadian National caboose but am now working on returning an old Central of Georgia car in poor condition home.

Unless the right organization with adequate resources is available, or the donor is willing to help defray loading costs, more will likely be lost.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

Yes, Rob, this is rather curious. A search of the N&W website reveals nothing publically of the car.

Being a citizen of Whitehall, I will have to investigate this topic. The Township of Whitehall purchased all of the Ironton Railroad in 1991 for use as a Rail/Trail, including the combine. They have spent quite a bit of money on this trail and it makes for a nice walk during the year. Recently, a pedestrian bridge was built to replace a removed concrete arch. As for the combine, I was told by a Whitehall Township employee, and it has been published in a Whitehall Newsletter, that volunteers were to "restore" the combine. It is hard to believe that the local Phillipsburg group wouldn't be interested in a free car.

FYI On the hill to the west of the combine is a former Ironton RR caboose. It was purchased and moved by Whitehall Township specifically for display. While not as rough as the combine, it is need of major "fixer-upper" work.

> Hi,

> I'm curious as to why the N&W historical
> society is involved with the Whitehall, PA
> Ironton combine relic. Is it an ex: N&W
> car?

> The RYPN Brief is a little scary. The car,
> which has been totally abandoned for years
> and is now an industrial relic on the
> Ironton hiking/biking trail, seems to be
> offered to anyone who wants to do anything
> with it.

> Is this yet another car that will leave it's
> home area for dismantling or other use
> rather than stay in an area more meaningful
> to interpretation?

> If I remember correctly, there's not much
> left of this car. No interior, just a shell.
> If anyone is going to put any effort into
> her, it's a full chicken-coop job, so maybe
> the N&W guys could encourage her
> restoration as a static LOCAL exhibit? There
> are transportation museums proposed for
> Allentown, Bethlehem and Phillipsburg plus
> the school display in Bushkill Center and
> the Reading museum a-building in Schyulkill
> Haven... can she end up at least near the
> cement belt?

> Rob Davis


rpsurv@nni.com

Les: LSRA has NKP coach #54, the last NKP wooden coach. The car was converted to a kitchen car for the Bellevue wrecker. LSRA does not have the facilities to preserve or protect the car. It is offered to any operation willing to give it a good home ..and so far no takers. The pictures posted of the Port Huron Baggage Car give a good idea what would have to be done to 54. Good points are mahogany interior and whats left of the full empire roof, along with stained glass fanlights. I did get to ride the car during several moves and it has a smooth ride. LSRA has the facilities to load the body and trucks for moving.


lamontdc@adelphia.net

BELOW IS THE TEXT OF THE EMAIL MESSAGE FROM LARRY RAFES ON THE SUBJECT, WHICH WAS FORWARDED TO ME BY BOB YARGER, AND WHICH I REWROTE.

"Hi. Perhaps someone can help with this. A park in my town has an old combination baggage and passenger car which has been deteriorating for
years. Before it completely weathers away we would like to give it away to an organization that can use it, whether for restoration or parts.
Does anyone know someone who might be interested, or additional organizations I can contact? The car is in Whitehall, Pennsylvania, which is near Allentown, about 50 miles north of Philadelphia."

OK, THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE N&W HS. WHERE THAT CAME FROM WAS THE ORIGINAL MESSGAE WAS SENT OUT TO THE N&W HS DISCUSSION LIST. I WILL CORRECT THE BRIEF TO REMOVE THE N&W PART (MY ERROR RESULTING FROM WORKING TOO LATE AT NIGHT).

AS FOR THE REST, WHY DON'T YOU JUST EMAIL LARRY AND ASK HIM.

Railway Preservation News
hkading@rypn.org

Hume-

I really don't see why any blame needs to be put anywhere: you did nothing wrong other than report what was told to you. To me, this is a case where if someone is able to find a home for the car, fine; but to echo Dave, the days of just taking in a car to save it are gone.

Very few of us can afford to vear very far from our mission statements; even with the history that our car had, we still had to think very carefully about whether or not to get started on a project like that. Only when we knew that about 3/4's of the money was in place to get the project done did we truly step forward, and I still can't thank the guys at Cuyahoga enough for
storing our car as long as they did; FOR FREE to boot. Maybe this raises a very good point; if there is not a place to put this car, if there is no real hope of ever restoring it, is it better to part it out (after documenting the hell out of it) and then use the trucks, etc. for a more worthy candidate for restoration, i.e. a better condition body with no trucks?

Waiting for the inevitable backlash...

TJG

> BELOW IS THE TEXT OF THE EMAIL MESSAGE FROM
> LARRY RAFES ON THE SUBJECT, WHICH WAS
> FORWARDED TO ME BY BOB YARGER, AND WHICH I
> REWROTE.

> "Hi. Perhaps someone can help with
> this. A park in my town has an old
> combination baggage and passenger car which
> has been deteriorating for
> years. Before it completely weathers away we
> would like to give it away to an
> organization that can use it, whether for
> restoration or parts.
> Does anyone know someone who might be
> interested, or additional organizations I
> can contact? The car is in Whitehall,
> Pennsylvania, which is near Allentown, about
> 50 miles north of Philadelphia."

> OK, THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE N&W HS.
> WHERE THAT CAME FROM WAS THE ORIGINAL
> MESSGAE WAS SENT OUT TO THE N&W HS
> DISCUSSION LIST. I WILL CORRECT THE BRIEF TO
> REMOVE THE N&W PART (MY ERROR RESULTING
> FROM WORKING TOO LATE AT NIGHT).

> AS FOR THE REST, WHY DON'T YOU JUST EMAIL
> LARRY AND ASK HIM.


Port Huron Museum

peremarquette@hotmail.com