Our Flanger finally arrived!!

Ken Jones · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2012 5:12 pm

On saturday Septemer 29th, 2012, the Niagara Railway Museum Inc. in Fort Erie, Ont. finally recieved thier ex-CNR Flanger. Doesn't look like much now I know, but it obviously had the full wood body. Unfortunately, vandals set it on fire back in 2000 when it was used for a tourist info booth in nearby Welland, Ont. The car was acquired by a local shortline who planned to use it as a rider car for serving one customer at the end of a very long spur. Depsite stripping off the body, and moving the car, that plan never happened and the car sat in the weeds at a customer. In 2011 the Museum was asked if they wanted it, and figured since it spent so much of its life in NIagara, it was a worthwhile piece. Well, it finally touched down at it's new home early afternoon on Saturday. It will be a frame up rebuild, as the existing wood deck is, well, toast! There are still a few ex-CN flangers from this era around Ontario, so we can at least get pics and measurements, but plans sure would help. Anyways, the article can be found at:

http://www.nfrm.ca/blog

But here's a pic of the car as it is now.

Ken Jones
President - Niagara Railway Museum Inc.
http://www.nfrm.ca

sbhunterca · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:58 am **Posts:** 728

Ken, I still turn green with envy every time I see photos of your shop!

Even though the flanger is a huge project, it was well worth grabbing while you had the chance.

Steve Hunter

Ken Jones · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2012 5:54 pm

Here's a couple pics that aren't on the website. Things go great when you have the right equipment.

Ken

Richard Glueck · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2012 6:07 pm

Absolutely! Grab the piece and rebuild it. The investment will be worth it, and the shop you have allows work in all weather. I'll bet she'll turn out great, and I'm certain this is a better fate for the unit.

Dave · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2012 7:51 pm

Sometimes it's easier if you don't have to as much conservation as reconstruction. This will be a fun and doable project of great local significance - good luck.

dave

DBH · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2012 11:00 am

So are you restoring it to a operating flanger?

Jim Vaitkunas · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2012 11:58 am

Ken,

Who did the haul of the car for your group? I like that Landol trailer with the built-in flangeways.

Thanks!

Ken Jones · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2012 6:29 pm

DBH - no, the car will not be operational. It was stripped of pretty much everything when it was converted to the tourist info booth. Our goal is to rebuild the body and use the interior for a display on the battles of snow on the railway.

Jim, as for the move, it was a local guy, moves a lot of MOW equipment for a local contractor. He has another trailer which is lower to the ground and is used to haul TTC subway cars for scrapping. We found him through the Elgin County Railway Museum in St. Thomas. He moved thier coach for them.

Ken