Photo of the burned Central Vermont roundhouse at New London, CT.

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?2002041019501720691.jpg
Bobyar2001@yahoo.com

> Photo of the burned Central Vermont
> roundhouse at New London, CT.
It is a shame that today,, that the young people just don't seen to care about there past,,if they can't break into it,,, or destroy insome way,??? but now another histority landmark is now gone I do not know what is the answer,,but maybe something what is great to them will be detroyed in the same way,, NOW it is the old saying,,,WHAT COMES AROUND,,GOES AROUND???...NUFF SAID

cprh1b@attbi.com

Instead of blaming "the young people of today" for the demise of this structure, you could also lay blame to the elders who didn't pursue the preservation of this structure so "the young people of today" could understand how this building, and others like it, changed the lives of so many people. This timber framed roundhouse could've been moved, or maybe preserved on site. But now it's to late. It's up to us to explain what these railroad relics are all about. If we don't, "the young people of today" will not have any respect for our nations greatest industrial legacy.

Smokebox

> It is a shame that today,, that the young
> people just don't seen to care about there
> past,,if they can't break into it,,, or
> destroy insome way,??? but now another
> histority landmark is now gone I do not know
> what is the answer,,but maybe something what
> is great to them will be detroyed in the
> same way,, NOW it is the old saying,,,WHAT
> COMES AROUND,,GOES AROUND???...NUFF SAID

> Instead of blaming "the young people of
> today" for the demise of this
> structure, you could also lay blame to the
> elders who didn't pursue the preservation of
> this structure so "the young people of
> today" could understand how this
> building, and others like it, changed the
> lives of so many people. This timber framed
> roundhouse could've been moved, or maybe
> preserved on site. But now it's to late.
> It's up to us to explain what these railroad
> relics are all about. If we don't, "the
> young people of today" will not have
> any respect for our nations greatest
> industrial legacy.

> Smokebox

I hate to say this Smokebox, but maybe that is a little too rose coloured. Back when I was in high school, my class went to Henry Ford's house in Dearborn MI, and while touring the house, being supervised and having the significance explained of the man and his machines, the kids thought it was cool to unscrew the light bulbs from the control panel of his hydro-electric generator, and throw them on the fireplace hearth because they made a popping sound. Do you honestly think that these same kids would give a rat's ass about a building that use to house something or other before their parents were born, or would it be more cool to set it on fire?

b.hume@rogers.com

Finderskeepers,

There will always be people who break light bulbs.
There will always be "railfans" who steal locomotive horns.
There will always be property owners that have buildings "just catch fire".
There will always be railroad artifacts with hazerdous materials such as lead paint.

These are just "another day at the office" for railroad preservationists. We can throw up our hands, head down to the basement and play with our HO scale, or we can "do something about it".

I fully understand that not every thing can be saved. But a look at the picture makes this building for all purposes look abandoned. History shows that if you have an abandoned building, especially wood, it will fall due to neglect or vandalism. Was there any effort to preserve the structure? It goes with out saying there was lead paint, and probably "fire paint" on the inside, so was it possible to move, or even salvage this building? We can all feel sorrow about the loss, but if nothing was being done to help the Roundhouse, its fate was sealed.

Smokebox

.. Do you honestly think that these same kids
> would give a rat's ass about a building that
> use to house something or other before their
> parents were born, or would it be more cool
> to set it on fire?

I've been a school teacher for a while now, so I am in tune with their thinking, and trust me, some of it is downright scary. I agree with you that something preventative should have been done, that the structure, if anybody cared about its future should have installed sprinklers, but hey, its money right? Sheesh, was that a run on sentence?

b.hume@rogers.com

> Instead of blaming "the young people of
> today" for the demise of this
> structure, you could also lay blame to the
> elders who didn't pursue the preservation of
> this structure so "the young people of
> today" could understand how this
> building, and others like it, changed the
> lives of so many people. This timber framed
> roundhouse could've been moved, or maybe
> preserved on site. But now it's to late.
> It's up to us to explain what these railroad
> relics are all about. If we don't, "the
> young people of today" will not have
> any respect for our nations greatest
> industrial legacy.

> Smokebox
For all intents and purposes, the demise of the structure was whenever the tracks and turntable were removed. Kinda like taking it off of life support and letting it "pass away" on its own. Sometimes they just linger on for 20 years without the life support.

drotarinoh@webtv.net

> For all intents and purposes, the demise of
> the structure was whenever the tracks and
> turntable were removed. Kinda like taking it
> off of life support and letting it
> "pass away" on its own. Sometimes
> they just linger on for 20 years without the
> life support.

I will respectfully disagree with your opinion. For if you're definition for the "passing away" of a roundhouse is true then the following will hold true:

A station passes away once the last train pulls out.

A steam locomotive passes away after the last first is dumped.

A diesel locomotive passes away after its fluids are drained.

A passenger car passes away after the last revenue passengers step off.

A freight car passes away after the last revenue load is unloaded.

So let us just let the existing roundhouses, stations, steam and diesel locomotives, passenger cars, freight cars, etc. fade into history. This includes the roundhouse at Scranton and the roundhouse my organization is working to save. Both of which lost their rails at some point in time. I guess I'm wasting my time trying to save it and the former passenger terminal in Omaha.

Hell, we'll be out of a job. I guess we could go some place where the things we are working on haven't passed away. I love consistency.

God Bless,
Gerald Kopiasz
President

Heartland Railroad Historical Society
hrrhs@aol.com

> I will respectfully disagree with your
> opinion. For if you're definition for the
> "passing away" of a roundhouse is
> true then the following will hold true:

> A station passes away once the last train
> pulls out.

> A steam locomotive passes away after the
> last first is dumped.

> A diesel locomotive passes away after its
> fluids are drained.

> A passenger car passes away after the last
> revenue passengers step off.

> A freight car passes away after the last
> revenue load is unloaded.

> So let us just let the existing roundhouses,
> stations, steam and diesel locomotives,
> passenger cars, freight cars, etc. fade into
> history. This includes the roundhouse at
> Scranton and the roundhouse my organization
> is working to save. Both of which lost their
> rails at some point in time. I guess I'm
> wasting my time trying to save it and the
> former passenger terminal in Omaha.

> Hell, we'll be out of a job. I guess we
> could go some place where the things we are
> working on haven't passed away. I love
> consistency.

> God Bless,
> Gerald Kopiasz
> President
The key word is my post was SUPPORT. Keep in mind, you can resuscitate as well!!!! We've all seen miraculous recoveries i.e. Scranton, Spencer and OC #6325 are a few that come to mind, but there has to be a willing AND financially able savior. Look at all the steam locomotives that have "saved" by groups with the best of intentions, torn apart to be restored, then left dismantled when money/interest wanes. Is this really saved???? Are these locomotives better off now????

drotarinoh@webtv.net

> The key word is my post was SUPPORT. Keep in
> mind, you can resuscitate as well!!!! We've
> all seen miraculous recoveries i.e.
> Scranton, Spencer and OC #6325 are a few
> that come to mind, but there has to be a
> willing AND financially able savior. Look at
> all the steam locomotives that have
> "saved" by groups with the best of
> intentions, torn apart to be restored, then
> left dismantled when money/interest wanes.
> Is this really saved???? Are these
> locomotives better off now????

So are you saying these locomotives should have been scrapped? As sad and agonizing it is to see a "bad" restoration or a locomotive rotting in a park, there is still hope.

Heartland Railroad Historical Society
hrrhs@aol.com

> So are you saying these locomotives should
> have been scrapped? As sad and agonizing it
> is to see a "bad" restoration or a
> locomotive rotting in a park, there is still
> hope.
Not talking about bad restorations or engines still rotting in parks. I am talking about the numerous locomotives and other equipment, and I will not name names or numbers, that are stripped down, for whatever reason(s) the group loses interest, and what was once a somewhat complete rotting park engine becomes a boiler on a frame. Parts get scattered to the four winds or scavenged for "private collections". Now, what does one do with the skeleton???? When is an engine "lost"?????? When the torches are starting to cut or when the engine falls into hands that do more harm in the long run than good?????

Glad we've started something here, there hasn't been much "gossip" on here lately!!!!!!!

drotarinoh@webtv.net

It has been gratifying lately to see some such items deaccessioned by organizations who discover the job is too large or the piece is not of interest any longer, and offered to other legitimate museums who demonstrate the capability to responsibly deal with it. NMT has done a very creditable job of seeking out good homes for surplus deaccessions.

OTOH, many less professional NRHS chapters and similar "museums" are more content to hang on and watch the rot progress because after all it is "theirs", refuse to offer to legitimate potential museums, or simply sell to the highest bidder without regard for the future of the piece.

We don't actually own any of this stuff - we simply preserve it for future generations and interpret it for this one. If we can't do it or find we don't want to, we need to responsibly pass it along to those who are c apable and interested in carrying this stewardship out.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

Maybe I'm taking this one too far, but here goes...

I watched a thing on the history channel last night on the Titanic. Now, some experts are saying that the ship's sides could and probably will collapse in ten years or so. Since it is an historic artifact, should something be done about this? Or not? There is already a lot of controversy surround this ship as it is. But it's fate is already sealed is it not?

Secondly, maybe some science experts can help out here. As I remember, in about five million years the sun is going to Super Nova and take with it the first three or four planets. So with Earth being one of them, should plans be made to move all our precious engines and other things to say Mars?

Like I said, I might be going out on a limb here.

Jeff Lisowski
West Chester, Pa

unfunkyufo76@hotmail.com

> It has been gratifying lately to see some
> such items deaccessioned by organizations
> who discover the job is too large or the
> piece is not of interest any longer, and
> offered to other legitimate museums who
> demonstrate the capability to responsibly
> deal with it. NMT has done a very creditable
> job of seeking out good homes for surplus
> deaccessions.

> OTOH, many less professional NRHS chapters
> and similar "museums" are more
> content to hang on and watch the rot
> progress because after all it is
> "theirs", refuse to offer to
> legitimate potential museums, or simply sell
> to the highest bidder without regard for the
> future of the piece.

> We don't actually own any of this stuff - we
> simply preserve it for future generations
> and interpret it for this one. If we can't
> do it or find we don't want to, we need to
> responsibly pass it along to those who are c
> apable and interested in carrying this
> stewardship out.

> Dave
Exactly my point, Dave

drotarinoh@webtv.net

Railroads have many times sold for one dollar, or donated, old depots and freight houses with the understanding that by a certain date the structure has to be removed from RR property. Has this been done with a wooden roundhouse? How were issues such as lead paint and lead/asbestos "fire paints" delt with? Deconstructing a bolted timber frame Roundhouse couldn't be that hard, but the issues of hazardous contaminates is something that would have to be delt with in todays world.

Smokebox