Re: the Flimsies piece below concerning "Turntable Park" in Montpelier, Vermont. This is the former Montpelier & Wells River RR table near downtown and the Winooski River. The (somewhat modified)original wooden enginehouse burned several years ago. When I lived in VT, I tried for years to spark interest in the local fan group there about making some sort of appropriate display in Montpelier with the (state-owned) table and enginehouse as the centerpiece. The state-owned Washington County RR had good potential for excursions, with switchbacks, a 5% grade and granite quarries and the Bombardier plant at the top of the hill. Alas, they were too busy taking photos and building models to care about saving the real thing and I lived far enough away that I couldn't take on the whole thing myself. When the people who should act do not, others will. http://timesargus.nybor.com/Story/56406.htmlThe result is the Turntable Park ampitheatre, in my opinion a ridiculous, inappropriate waste of a historic resource and $181,000.

http://timesargus.nybor.com/Story/56406.html
ryarger@rypn.org

I can think of a couple of recent examples of groups in Maryland trying to save historic sites that were foiled by powerful commercial interests, namely the Gaithersburg B&O turning wye and the Hagerstown Roundhouse. The roundhouse is especially infuriating, since such a great deal of effort was made to try and preserve it by the Hagerstown Chapter NRHS. It is proof that when the town fathers and the owning railroad (CSX), don't want something saved, they can prevent it.

pww57@hotmail.com

It is
> proof that when the town fathers and the
> owning railroad (CSX), don't want something
> saved, they can prevent it.

That may be true but that is not an excuse for the plethora of other preservation opportunities that go begging for a savior that do not have powerful interests blocking your path.

Its their roundhouse, if you can't make the case to save it, remember that it is still theres. Move on to something else, something that you can win.


http://www.todengine.org
jrowlands@neo.rr.com

> case to save it, remember that it is still
> theres.

Oh shoot, that is the truest of all lines. We (NJMT) worked so hard to save a PRR Pb 1860s passenger car only to have the owner bull doze it out from under us. We tried. But he owned it and it was on his property. You MUST have ownership or a solid, legal agreement.

J.R.



http://www.njmt.org
jrmay@njmt.org

Had the same thing happen with the body of LSE169. One of the best preserved bodies around. The manager of the site decided it was better to burn it and cut it up rather than have someone haul it away.


lamontdc@adelphia.net

In the Turntable Park case, nothing was intentionally destroyed, rather apathy in our own ranks was the culprit. The old enginehouse was still in use as an enginehouse when it burned. There was good potential for a group to get something going at Montpelier as the track and buildings were owned by the state, with (until the recent election) a highly pro-rail governor (who is running for President in 2004). It was no East Broad Top by any means, but had potential that could have been utilized with not much effort or expense. Alas, the local RR club preferred to remain a coffee and slides group, with the resultant foolish turntable project a result.



http://members.tripod.com/~Kenyon_Karl/WE-home.htm
ryarger@rypn.org