Some updates to the following points from this month's article:

"Like the Colorado Railroad Museum, the WRM site appears to have once been a farmstead, with the original farmhouse still in use as a bunkhouse for volunteers staying the weekend, and a metal farm outbuilding used for storage of rubber-tired vehicles."

Rio Vista Junction was a stop on the former Sacramento Northern mainline between San Francisco and Sacramento. The bunkhouse was an original SN structure for either the section crew or an agent and family. It has a mudroom, two bedrooms, a parlor and dining room with kitchen, pantry and back porch. Sleeping porches have been close in over the years for storage.

Behind the house is the former bus barn. Bus connections were available to Rio Vista and other Delta communities. In later years, the barn served as a store and even a bordello. Until recently it served as the Museum Bookstore.

The last original structure is the former hay barn located on the RVJ house or spur track. The barn was recently donated to the Museum.

As an interurban way station, RVJ has a fair amount of original material extant.

"Though electric operation is the focus, there are about ten diesels and three steam locomotives on the property. The diesels will likely remain for now, as some are used on the spring wildflower trains that run north of the Museum to Dozier. The WP F7 (Photo 47) still looks good repainted in its original silver and orange scheme, the adjacent WP/SN GP7 wears the green it was retired in, and the two military MRS1s have, interestingly, intact steam generators in their short hoods. Much of this "railroad" rolling stock is stored on a long siding (Photo 48) beside the main line."

As well as terminating the steam program, Museum management also terminated the Prairie and Santa trains north of the Museum. Most if not all of the crew that worked and supported this operation also supported the steam program. When we left, it was only a matter of time before this happened.

The WP F unit (917D) was stored inside Carhouse 2 until the 1999 NRHS convention visit, and has been outside ever since. Museum management has from time to time considered deaccessioning it from the collection, even though it was donated to the Museum by the Union Pacific, with whom the Museum still has a physical rail connection.

Only one of the MRS-1's the 612, ever operated at the Museum. 614 has a historical past as it was this locomotive that ran over protester Brian Wilson at the main gate of the Concord Naval Weapons Station where the MRS-1's came to RVJ from.

"The real gem is former WP 4-6-0 No. 94 (Photos 51 & 52), which was operable at the museum into the 1980s. It needs boiler work today, but looks like it could be fired up and run in short order. Equipped with an early headlight, it appears little different today than it did pulling the first passenger train across the Keddie Trestle in 1910. With 67-inch drivers, it was built to the same specifications as some ten-wheelers on the Rio Grande, which was under the same management at the time. For now, the "steam" shed is locked to the public and Museum members are debating what to do with the locomotives, as most of the "steam" volunteers are no longer around. Just outside this shed is a huge driving wheel lathe (Photo 53), said to be from the Sacramento shops of the WP. The Museum already has a smaller wheel lathe in better condition and does not plan to install this one. Other machine tools (Photo 54) are extra to their needs and rust away outdoors."

The 334 was moved inside for storage, but was inspected by the steam team, and found in fair condition. The 94 has 68 inch drivers and is simply in need of long over due work. Last shopped by the WP for major repairs in 1949, it needs the usual tubes, flues and superheaters. The shell of the boiler also needs to be checked. As well both locomotives will need abatement of the lagging.

The 70 inch wheel lathe actually is sitting on a concrete foundation. If any work were ever to be done on the 94, odds are this lathe might be needed.

Personally, I still see a great deal of potential for the entire Museum and collection, and I hope for the day when a balanced approach to the collection and property will be the focus.

Roger

rogerc38@aol.com

Is there talk of the GPEX milk car being deaccessioned? I'd be happy to make some connections here in the east if WRM decides to find the girl a new home.

Rob Davis

> Some updates to the following points from
> this month's article:

> "Like the Colorado Railroad Museum, the
> WRM site appears to have once been a
> farmstead, with the original farmhouse still
> in use as a bunkhouse for volunteers staying
> the weekend, and a metal farm outbuilding
> used for storage of rubber-tired
> vehicles."

> Rio Vista Junction was a stop on the former
> Sacramento Northern mainline between San
> Francisco and Sacramento. The bunkhouse was
> an original SN structure for either the
> section crew or an agent and family. It has
> a mudroom, two bedrooms, a parlor and dining
> room with kitchen, pantry and back porch.
> Sleeping porches have been close in over the
> years for storage.

> Behind the house is the former bus barn. Bus
> connections were available to Rio Vista and
> other Delta communities. In later years, the
> barn served as a store and even a bordello.
> Until recently it served as the Museum
> Bookstore.

> The last original structure is the former
> hay barn located on the RVJ house or spur
> track. The barn was recently donated to the
> Museum.

> As an interurban way station, RVJ has a fair
> amount of original material extant.

> "Though electric operation is the
> focus, there are about ten diesels and three
> steam locomotives on the property. The
> diesels will likely remain for now, as some
> are used on the spring wildflower trains
> that run north of the Museum to Dozier. The
> WP F7 (Photo 47) still looks good repainted
> in its original silver and orange scheme,
> the adjacent WP/SN GP7 wears the green it
> was retired in, and the two military MRS1s
> have, interestingly, intact steam generators
> in their short hoods. Much of this
> "railroad" rolling stock is stored
> on a long siding (Photo 48) beside the main
> line."

> As well as terminating the steam program,
> Museum management also terminated the
> Prairie and Santa trains north of the
> Museum. Most if not all of the crew that
> worked and supported this operation also
> supported the steam program. When we left,
> it was only a matter of time before this
> happened.

> The WP F unit (917D) was stored inside
> Carhouse 2 until the 1999 NRHS convention
> visit, and has been outside ever since.
> Museum management has from time to time
> considered deaccessioning it from the
> collection, even though it was donated to
> the Museum by the Union Pacific, with whom
> the Museum still has a physical rail
> connection.

> Only one of the MRS-1's the 612, ever
> operated at the Museum. 614 has a historical
> past as it was this locomotive that ran over
> protester Brian Wilson at the main gate of
> the Concord Naval Weapons Station where the
> MRS-1's came to RVJ from.

> "The real gem is former WP 4-6-0 No. 94
> (Photos 51 & 52), which was operable at
> the museum into the 1980s. It needs boiler
> work today, but looks like it could be fired
> up and run in short order. Equipped with an
> early headlight, it appears little different
> today than it did pulling the first
> passenger train across the Keddie Trestle in
> 1910. With 67-inch drivers, it was built to
> the same specifications as some ten-wheelers
> on the Rio Grande, which was under the same
> management at the time. For now, the
> "steam" shed is locked to the
> public and Museum members are debating what
> to do with the locomotives, as most of the
> "steam" volunteers are no longer
> around. Just outside this shed is a huge
> driving wheel lathe (Photo 53), said to be
> from the Sacramento shops of the WP. The
> Museum already has a smaller wheel lathe in
> better condition and does not plan to
> install this one. Other machine tools (Photo
> 54) are extra to their needs and rust away
> outdoors."

> The 334 was moved inside for storage, but
> was inspected by the steam team, and found
> in fair condition. The 94 has 68 inch
> drivers and is simply in need of long over
> due work. Last shopped by the WP for major
> repairs in 1949, it needs the usual tubes,
> flues and superheaters. The shell of the
> boiler also needs to be checked. As well
> both locomotives will need abatement of the
> lagging.

> The 70 inch wheel lathe actually is sitting
> on a concrete foundation. If any work were
> ever to be done on the 94, odds are this
> lathe might be needed.

> Personally, I still see a great deal of
> potential for the entire Museum and
> collection, and I hope for the day when a
> balanced approach to the collection and
> property will be the focus.

> Roger


inlinebob@aol.com

> Is there talk of the GPEX milk car being
> deaccessioned? I'd be happy to make some
> connections here in the east if WRM decides
> to find the girl a new home.

> Rob Davis

Rob:

I believe that it was already discussed with a museum back east. Not sure what the final outcome was. It was indeed on the list...

Roger

rogerc38@aol.com

Folks,

I am a volunteer at WRM and I understand that the folks at the IRM have expressed interest in the car. Suggest you call Bill Kluver, Chairman at WRM for latest news on the car. TM

ted_miles@NPS.gov

Thanks for these corrections and aditional details.


bobyar2001@yahoo.com

IRM??? They already have a steel GPEX tank in thier collection (as does St. Louis). I would love to see it get to New England, and I would be happy to get involved in that.

Rob

> Folks,

> I am a volunteer at WRM and I understand
> that the folks at the IRM have expressed
> interest in the car. Suggest you call Bill
> Kluver, Chairman at WRM for latest news on
> the car. TM


inlinebob@aol.com

> Is there talk of the GPEX milk car being
> deaccessioned? I'd be happy to make some
> connections here in the east if WRM decides
> to find the girl a new home.

> Rob Davis

RMNE has been speaking with WRM on and off since 1991 about that car. We are still quite interested in returning it to New England (it's an HP Hood car).

hpincus@mindspring.com

> IRM??? They already have a steel GPEX tank
> in thier collection (as does St. Louis). I
> would love to see it get to New England, and
> I would be happy to get involved in that.

I must confess to not knowing exactly what type of car you're talking about, but I can say that I have definitely not heard anything about a major push to acquire the car. Contrary to popular belief, IRM doesn't go out of its way to acquire multiples of everything!

Goop

> I must confess to not knowing exactly what
> type of car you're talking about, but I can
> say that I have definitely not heard
> anything about a major push to acquire the
> car. Contrary to popular belief, IRM doesn't
> go out of its way to acquire multiples of
> everything!

The IRM has a GPEX car, and a very similar car acquired from the Illinois Central in 1999. The IC car was bought from in 1999, painted in Modern IC Grey with modern heralds, rides on roller bearing caboose trucks. The car is almost identical to the IRM's GPEX car except for the above. I'm not sure what it was used for on the IC, and getting information from anybody at the IRM to that end or even why it was acquired was hard to come by. As far as I can tell, the car has not yet been accessioned. From what I could in 1999 they did not plan to keep it.

>>>I have heard rumors they wanted to trade the IC Milk car for Henry Fords private car at the Henry Ford Museum!

Andrew

A link to the IRM's GEPX car is below

GEPX 1021 @ IRM

railroad_andrew@yahoo.com

Doesn't matter who gets it, it will be truck and/or flatcar all the way. No exceptions, per the UP RR co.

> Doesn't matter who gets it, it will be truck
> and/or flatcar all the way. No exceptions,
> per the UP RR co.

Oh, we knew that right off the bat. You learn to not even ask about moving something like that on it's own wheels anymore. It is just a question of which method would be most cost-effective (an awful long distance to go!!).

hpincus@mindspring.com

Bob,

here is a shot of the Dixiana at work in 1985 (the Shay at Roaring Camp that you showed as currently out of service). Also, there has been a segment on the Roaring Camp in Tracks Ahead; it is contained on one of the purchasable videos of that TV series. I enjoyed your article and thought that after you've shown me how much more railroading you've had in California (and probably most elsewhere), I'd tease you a little with this one where I'm "ahead" of you - I rode behind Dixiana twice in 1981 and once, on my honeymoon, in 1985.

Cheers, Jochen


JochenTrost@cs.com