What happened to no auction!? Oh well, it looks like the track they were talking about it being removed anyways. I think they were referring to the remaining track of the same line over in Mt. Holy. It was by yet another station of the same line and form what I see in my google maps, there are two tractors and some panels of removed track.

Did you catch where the auction is being run by NRHS?



Google says John Fiorella is the general counsel of the National Railway Historical Society. The article is not clear whether he's acting in that capacity, or whether his firm happened to be in the deal. Sounds like the reporter doesn't know himself.

This is also one of those deals where the auction is tentative and the court has to approve the results. So, like the Trolleyville situation, some sort of Bill Wall deal could happen. I'm pretty sure the Township will stipulate to any deal that gets the equipment gone. Not so sure about the Trust.

Seriously folks. This is what happens when you govern your railroad museum with your ego, and don't learn your craft.

This is also what happens when you are not in control of your own destiny by not owning the land (or in the Big U's case) the water beneath your feet.

At the auction, will scrappers be allowed to bid their price for the intention of scrapping?

My guess would be no. I assume that the intention of the sale is just to get rid of the equipment and not necessarily get the top price if that price is for scrapping.

I debated whether to respond or not as I tend to be caught in the middle here but I think its important to get the story straight. I have been tracking this closely for quite some time and have provided a couple of updates as required over the past year or two. Whether the Trust appreciated it or not, a couple of us locals have hammered away on the mayor’s office that cutting up the equipment is an option to be avoided. I have kept track of the court proceedings and have spoken to the receiver.

I confirmed this morning via the receiver that Monday’s event is an inspection, not an auction. That is about all we really know for certain.

However, we have been told that following the site visit on Monday, interested parties, whether that be the Trust, scrap dealers, another organization, or an individual, can submit proposals to the receiver, or maybe call it a bid. These proposals, or bids, can be the whole collection, elements of it, or individual pieces. Such proposals will be provided to the judge by the receiver to make the final decision.

The primary goal here is to remove the equipment as quickly as possible. Whether that is done by the Trust, another organization, by an individual, or by a scrap dealer is a decision to be made by the judge. Its encouraging that the receiver has an interest in seeing as much of the equipment preserved as possible. Again, the key seems to be get stuff out quickly.

Based on the above facts, I see no reason why the Judge would throw out a solid, realistic proposal from the Trust if they indeed have a plan that removes the equipment in some set number of days. If you have some means to help them, then go for it. Shooting them down is not really helping the equipment which is the real goal here.

J.R.

Sounds like the first (potential) good news in a long time regarding this collection.

It might be a good idea for groups interested in adopting equipment to see about posting some sort of performance bond to convince the authorities they are serious. I'm sure they are a bit spooked about dealing with volunteer heritage groups by now! Does anybody here have experience with that sort of thing, which might help guide potential bidders?

Steve Hunter

I'd suggest an influential person in the region gather a group of interested parties and submit a common group proposal supported by either a performance bond or evidence of ready funds for a fast move. This saved many streetcars in Ohio; it could save a lot of this hardware as well. Whether there's any leader capable of pulling it together or enough able groups to form such a consortium I don't know.....but the clock is ticking. We're stronger together than apart.

dave

Gentlemen:

This submission is intended to provide technical information and guidance for the pending acquisition and safe removal of my former Rock Island PS-1 boxcar from Pemberton, New Jersey. Simply put, I donated the car to the wrong people. As sale by court ordered auction is imminent, it is reasonable for future bidders to have good information moving forward.

The car was restored and equipped to support railway restoration. It is mechanically sound, well coated (painted) and insulated with ample storage and work areas as well as a few creature comforts. The car was equipped with a built-in work bench, table saw, drill press, and bench grinder. Storage lockers and shelves are designed to preclude damage during car movement. In addition, large interior pocket doors allow effective heating via kerosene or electric heater for year-round comfort. The car can be locked to preclude unauthorized access.

To move the car to its present location, brake rods, valves, and air reservoirs as well as foot stirrups were removed and stored to facilitate trucking activities. The car is easily loaded on flatbed with a large forklift equipped with sufficient counterweighs – crane loading in not needed. The car’s trucks can be moved on separate flatbed. Knuckles were removed to facilitate loading, but this detail is dependant on the buyer’s rigging company. Additional logistic information can be provided, as needed.

If the moderators of our website allow, I will post additional technical information for the car, our restoration efforts, share some of its history, and provide photographs on a separate post for consideration of future bidders moving forward. Materials provided were prepared several years ago – please bear with me as I pull items form archives and format them for presentation, herein. As always, should anyone have questions or need additional information, I will accommodate as best I can.

Many thanks,

Jim Kovach, P.G.

I have been a preservationist for many years and I posted to this group because I actually believed that the words “Railway Preservation News” were to be taken literally. That has not been the case. In my outrage over the “nastygrams” that have been posted about the fate of the rail cars at the Pemberton Railroad Station, I planned on responding to your venomous posts with a plethora of epithets but I am bigger than that and those of you who don’t understand or know the meaning of the word “preservation” are probably not doing very well in English or Math either, so that would be pointless.
Scrapping or separating these valuable artifacts for personal gain would be a terrible thing and usually terrible things that are done with the excuse that solutions require them are not really solutions at all, but just terrible things.
Also, I refuse to waste any time attempting to explain the concept of historic preservation. I will not cast pearls before swine and to explain history is like drinking an ocean and pissing out a cupful.
At the end of the day, we will all be judged not by the monuments we build and acquire for ourselves but by those we have destroyed.
Thank you to the few people who have actually been helpful. I hope the rest of you enjoy spending your thirty pieces of silver.
You know what they say about Karma?

Actually, given your group's track record, I think it is you all who don't understand what "preservation" is.




Your group's actions (or inactions) are a perfect example this, of what vanity and failing to face cold-hard reality can achieve.

Honestly, I see what tomgears wrote as an accurate reading of the situation, and presented in a thoughtful, non-rude manner. Sure, some others have written rude and jaded comments, but I'm curious to see what you have to say about the first reply to your topic here.



Also, for groups who wish to preserve railroad artifacts, there will be an auction of the equipment. See here:
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/b ... 035f9.html

This is a loose assortment of artifacts. There is nothing cohesive about them, nothing that makes them relevant to Pemberton. It looks like the Rock Island boxcar is a nice specimen that I hope someone can save. The idea that they must stay as a grouping is a non-starter at this late date.

Your group started this mess when you were told not to bring anything else to the site so what did you do? Brought something else to the site! You obviously were anxious to start a war and you did. Now you lost.

Perhaps it's time your group starts watching reruns of the show "Hoarders".

It's a common mistake I see, actually. The idea that you "gotta save them all." So you bring in more pieces, and spread your restoration efforts out over more cars. But then those who have less of a direct interest (but in this case a lot of power) get upset and start calling the pieces 'eyesores'.

Here where I'm from, there was a case of a local museum who is equipment rich but manpower poor. They had top notch equipment parked in the middle of their track next to about five rural houses. Said houses started calling it an eyesore when their children started vandalizing equipment. Only through reaching out to the youth and moving the equipment beyond the sight of the houses did that not blow up. But it shows you HAVE to work with your neighbors, not antagonize them.

Well, there are a bunch of people on here from organizations that are on good relations with their landlord... own their railroad... own their facilities or are seriously working on same... have a healthy dynamic volunteer culture... have regular board votes break 5-4... have long ranging master plans... have good government relations... and a few of us are even raising carbarns. And a few of us own nothing but equipment... lack any capacity for stewardship... run our organizations as a cult of personality... start fights with everybody else... are years if not months from sitting in the back of a police car watching our stuff get cut up.

I certainly agree with Pemberton Railroad that anger is a very, very, very appropriate emotion right now. But one should be more discerning in its direction than merely "outward".

And if the reasonable direction is "inward", that is actually very very good news. Because it means you command the power to change the outcome. Redemption is quintessentially American.

Several sources have stated that Fiorella was appointed by the legal authorities to oversee and administrate the distribution/removal/whatever process.