Connecticut Trolly Museum is divesting themselves of all steam locomotives including the Moore-Keppel 2 truck 1910 Climax that is operational. See link for more info.

Jeff

Locomotives For Sale

btflco@aol.com

> Connecticut Trolly Museum is divesting
> themselves of all steam locomotives
> including the Moore-Keppel 2 truck 1910
> Climax that is operational. See link for
> more info.

> Jeff

Jeff, What's the timeframe on the sale? Can you give us more insight into the reasons for the sale?

Jim

http://nctrans.org
Wrinnbo@aol.com

I am a member of the of the Connecticut Electric Railway Museum and my comment is strictly unofficial, However the names says it all. These engines have been a matter of discussion for several years, I think that there better places to display or operate steam engines than the nation's second oldest trolley museum.
I find it upseting to go into the visitor Center of a New England trolley museum and find a geared steam engine from West Virginia occupying the place of honor in the display hall. TM



ted_miles@NPS.gov

I think that
> there better places to display or operate
> steam engines than the nation's second
> oldest trolley museum.

Ted, while your positon may be an unpopular one in many circles, I applaud your museum for taking a bold step in establishing a focus for their collection. Sticking to a mission is hard to do. It's easier to tell prospective donors (of equipment) "No" in the first place, than to liquidate pieces of "prominence" from a collection.

wyld@oc-net.com

Yes please a round of applause for these guys doing a great job of professionally rationalizing their collection and focusing on a specific mission. It is wonderful to hear of this kind of maturing of old-line established museums, providing newer museums access to pieces of relevance unavailable otherwise in the present.

Every "fat" mature museum with collections rusting in the rain should take a closer look and realistically plan to find responsible homes for pieces they don't need or can't care for.

Dave

lathro19@idt.net

> Could someone please tell the list what gauge the Moore-Keppel Climax #3 locomotive for sale is? I can't seem to find this in the link or my resources.

Thanks,

Todd Mullens

Morgantown, WV


MullensTKMS@aol.com

> Could someone please tell the list what gauge the Moore-Keppel Climax #3 locomotive for sale is? I can't seem to find this in the link or my resources.

Standard gauge.
Dave Sherron


MT14L@aol.com

The Climax is a 50ton standard gauge. It was restored to operation in the early 90's and has run very little since. Here is the what was e/mail'd to me this morning regarding the bidding:

"Dear Jeff,

We will entertain any bid for the locomotives, and the website will be updated with current bids as we receive them. Thanks for your interest!

Troy D. Sulser
Executive Director
The Connecticut Electric Railway Association, Inc.
58 North Road, P.O. Box 360
East Windsor, CT 06088-0360
Office: (860) 627-6540
Mobile: (860) 614-2834
Fax: (860) 627-6510"


Locomotives For Sale
btflco@aol.com

I would like to express our appreciation to everyone who has responded in support of our decision to de-access the steam powered locomotives in our collection. This was a very difficult decision to make, as our members have spent countless hours engaged in the restoration and operation of this equipment. I believe that this process will help advance our museum toward the realization of our true goal, "the preservation and operation of an electric railway".

Additional information about the sale will be posted on our website as it becomes available.

Troy D. Sulser
Executive Director
The Connecticut Electric Railway Association, Inc.
58 North Road, P.O. Box 360
East Windsor, CT 06088-0360

http://www.ceraonline.org
troysulser@ceraonline.org

> I would like to express our appreciation to
> everyone who has responded in support of our
> decision to de-access the steam powered
> locomotives in our collection.

Let me add my voice to the chorus of congratulations. We talk much in this forum as well as esewhere (at ARM, etc.) about the virtues of this kind of clear collecting focus and rationalization, but its really a pleasure to see such an old and well-respected institution take up the leadership in this cause.

In an aside, when I lived in Connecticut a decade ago I had a few occaisions to visit your operation at Warehouse Point; on each visit I was welcomed by some of the most friendly and outgoing volunteers I have ever had the pleasure to encounter. Kudos for a job well done on the visitor interaction front as well.

eledbetter@mail.rypn.org

Regarding the sale of steam equipment owned by the CT Trolley Museum (CT Electric Railway) --

Please direct inquiries regarding the CLIMAX locomotive, or our 0-4-0 to me for further handling. We recently decided to de-accession our steam equipment and focus on our Mission Statement to operate an electric railway.

Further info is on our website at: www.ceraonline.org

Alex P. Goff
President & CEO
Connecticut Electric Railway

al.goff@ceraonline.org

I may have missed it, but is there a deadline for acceptance of bids? Any reserve or other consideration we might want to know about?

Dave

> Regarding the sale of steam equipment owned
> by the CT Trolley Museum (CT Electric
> Railway) --

> Please direct inquiries regarding the CLIMAX
> locomotive, or our 0-4-0 to me for further
> handling. We recently decided to
> de-accession our steam equipment and focus
> on our Mission Statement to operate an
> electric railway.

> Further info is on our website at:
> www.ceraonline.org

> Alex P. Goff
> President & CEO
> Connecticut Electric Railway


lathro19@idt.net

I read your posting yesterday and had to just walk away from responding.... three times. You see, I was a member of the steam department at CERA. We put many hard hours over many years into the Climax's restoration as well into the museum's operation. It drew big crowds when it ran. The Climax represents the dedication and hard work of many people which are no longer there for various reasons. If you have trolley cars to display, put them in there. The last I knew, there is unoccupied track space in the Visitor Center. By the way, locomotives like the Climax help build trolley lines. Don't cut off your nose despite your face. It is highly unlikely I will ever return. CERA members should seek to unite and not divide.

> I am a member of the of the Connecticut
> Electric Railway Museum and my comment is
> strictly unofficial, However the names says
> it all. These engines have been a matter of
> discussion for several years, I think that
> there better places to display or operate
> steam engines than the nation's second
> oldest trolley museum.
> I find it upseting to go into the visitor
> Center of a New England trolley museum and
> find a geared steam engine from West
> Virginia occupying the place of honor in the
> display hall. TM

Let me make a few comments concerning the sale of these locomotives. Having once been a longtime active member ( trustee,head of restoration,ect., etc.,etc.). I was actively involved in the restoration and operation of the climax. I am sorry to see it leave, but have long felt it needed to go to a better home where it could be operated safely. I hope to see it operate and possibly pull the throttle again.

I cannot applaud the impression that is being given that this organization is trying to focus itself. It has had the best oportunity to be the finest of its kind in the country and it squandered that oportunity. I believe that there are hidden reasons ( dirty laundry) for the need to sell equipement.

Everyone who knows me, from other fine museums and publications like L&RP, know that myself and others gave thier heart to this organization. You need to ask why after giving so much time and effort do people like myself leave?



cchestnut@earthlink.net

Ray -- When I read your post, I had to stop and remember our volunteer days together. As a friend for many years, I certainly respect your opinion, and have always respected your skills. This decision was NOT easy to make.

I suggest you consider the REAL issues and responsibilities involved with owning the CLIMAX.

We all know that restoring a locomotive is great fun, but what happens next? You certainly were involved in the restoration, but, if you recall, Meddy B. and I cut the oak trees, brought them to the sawmill, stacked and seasoned them for two years, brought them for creosoting and THEN installed the CLIMAX decking, and the bumpers with Bruce E. I also worked on the retubing of the boiler with Bob C. We all worked to get the project done.

There were *many* people who worked more hours than I did on the CLIMAX, especially Bruce E., who did a great job as the Project Manager. The CLIMAX was run a few times, but since the early 1980's, with the possible exception of Bob C., *ALL* of the CERA members involved in the restoration, yourself included, left the museum long ago to pursue your lives. As I recall, there was a woman involved when you decided that you had to leave. I left for the same reason, then gradually came back as my kids got older, usually with them in tow.

Consider the fact that you all left the maintenance, feeding and care of the CLIMAX and 65 other pieces of equipment to a handful of other veteran volunteers, myself included, and luckily, a large group of recent volunteers.

At NO time have any of the group who left helped us raise money to KEEP or maintain the CLIMAX. They simply left those chores to "others." Why not" They restored the CLIMAX. Why should they be responsible for it the next 25 years? (Making a baby is easy; taking care of it and being responsible for it is NOT so easy)

Regarding "returning" to the museum, I distinctly recall our efforts times to get some of our older members back. Many HAVE come back. They are very much involved in projects. They teach other members, and have accepted positions of responsibility to HELP keep the place running. The members are the REAL decision makers, not the board or the Officers. Have you happened to see Roger S. (40+ year volunteer) working on the new Visitor's Center track, cars 3001, 836, 840 and others? How about Bill Wood (40+ year volunteer) writing our history, giving talks at local schools, etc. Or maybe Matt W., running the shop with Ben W. as they finish school. Probably not.

Your opinion is shared by a few other former active members. But, the VAST majority of past, present and even NON-MEMBERS agree with CERA and other museums who are finally facing their responsibilities to their collections. We CAN'T save everything as we don't have the resources. It is far better to deaccession those pieces that are NOT part of our Mission to organizations where they are the FOCUS.

As a 31-year member of the CERA, I have held almost every position, including Chairman of the Board and President. After 16 years with Penn Central, Conrail and Amtrak, I am very fortunate to consult on railroad and transit projects worldwide. But at the Museum, I would *much* rather be designing/wiring new signal cases, retensioning the trolley wire, building track or performing other railroad technical work than being President & CEO.

Along with other senior members, I realized that the "business" of keeping the museum going is the MOST critical part of our long term survival. We held a Director's meeting tonight that ran from 7:30 PM until after Midnight.

I can't recall seeing even ONE former steam member at tonight's meeting. Actually, I can't recall seeing any of them at ONE meeting in the last 10 years, or volunteering to accept a senior staff position. I have appointed 6 excellent Vice-Presidents, and more than 20 Department Heads and Staff positions. Each person has personal authority to govern their part of the CERA's museum "business". I recently appointed a Supervising Locomotive Engineer, a Librarian, and am about to name other staff appointments. Our website (ceraonline.org) has a list of the people, along with many photos. The Board members and Officers are solidly behind our efforts and I am personally VERY PROUD of the other senior staff, including our Executive Director (10+ year member).

If the people who disagreed with the Museum's recent decision to deaccession steam would have accepted some responsibility for fund-raising, maintenance, and the safe operation of the CLIMAX, #5 and other pieces of steam equipment, things would be different.

The door is still open to anyone willingly to LEAD and participate, but...., come with a positive attitude and a willingness to HELP, not complain. You'll find that the active volunteer members all share those traits, even though we may not *like* the tough decisions we have to all discuss and make as a group to ensure our survival.

The volunteers and people who have cared for the CLIMAX for the last 15 years have finally, and painfully, decided what's best for it. This process took more than FOUR years.

I suggest that maybe anyone who disagrees with the decision can certainly offer some alternative positive suggestions about how to keep steam active at CERA, and also commit some support (time, money, or other types) to HELP instead of complaining. We *welcome* all former members back if they WANT to help and not just complain. Above all else, the place is still fun, especially for old friends who can work on projects together while they teach new members all about operating a railway.

Al Goff
President
CERA

---------------------------

> I read your posting yesterday and had to
> just walk away from responding.... three
> times. You see, I was a member of the steam
> department at CERA. We put many hard hours
> over many years into the Climax's
> restoration as well into the museum's
> operation. It drew big crowds when it ran.
> The Climax represents the dedication and
> hard work of many people which are no longer
> there for various reasons. If you have
> trolley cars to display, put them in there.
> The last I knew, there is unoccupied track
> space in the Visitor Center. By the way,
> locomotives like the Climax help build
> trolley lines. Don't cut off your nose
> despite your face. It is highly unlikely I
> will ever return. CERA members should seek
> to unite and not divide.


al.goff@ceraonline.org