This has been reported on the TRAINS Magazine website's news list.

Here is a link to the news item from the Hartford Courant
Fire Guts WWII Troop Train Sleeper Car

The link had been posted over on the narrow gauge discussion board.

I think this is article put the RMNE in a good light - while mentioning the tensions over this equipment (which is probably obvious for those who live in the area or who follow local politics) - it also states the larger purpose and story that the museum is trying to tell. The quote above will more hearts and minds than the sentiments of 'lets kill and/or mutilate them' so often expressed after such events.

Tom Cornillie

Thanks for your comments, Tom.

"When you get lemons, make lemonade."

With three TV trucks and at least two print reporters on-site, it was an opportunity to be used to get our message out, our positive message out. I think a few of those media types were dissapointed to not get the "obvious" reaction from us.

Is there anything that can be salvaged from the interior, such as the frames of the bunks or other metal fixtures?

Tom Cornillie

Several converted GI Troop Sleepers remain in Brownville, Maine. These are laying in an open field and are all forsale. The owner wants very little for each, including the trucks. Each will require trucking, but there is a way to salvage what your group is able to get and move ahead. Just a thought.

Here is the latest update:

http://www.courant.com/news/local/sr/hc-ctosbarrest0531.artmay31,0,2968971.story

It will be interesting to see how the court system processes this case. How about an defense based upon the doctrine of an 'attractive nuisance'-in the case of the minor ? :>)

Dave

Only if their attorney is looking for a both a Chutzpah award and an appeal based on ineffective counsel. (In my line of work Chutzpah is defined as asking for mercy for someone who has killed his parents on the grounds that he is a orphan.) If the youngster had been hurt playing there and the railroad had done nothing to indicate that he should not play in the troop sleeper (such as close the door) attractive nuisance might create some liability on the part of the railroad for the injury. A defense based on the converse of attractive nuisance, the "We had to burn it because Mom said it looked like trash" defense, would open the parents up to a possibility of civil action by the railroad.

GME

Trainlawyer, I was being facetious.

For the record, the car was situated behind TWO locked gates and was locked itself.

Dave

The other side of the story, perhaps, as posted on The Narrow Gauge Discussion Forum.

Re: Not Narrow Gauge, but important

Posted By: PRSL
Date: Thursday, 1 June 2006, at 8:03 p.m.

In Response To: Re: Not Narrow Gauge, but important (stuart olson)

There is more to the story as the town has been rasing hell to get the cars cleared out of that storage yard, account of a "eye sore". The Museum did not have the money to truck them to their line at Torrington. I think all the bad publicity led to it being a target of vandals helping the town's goal to be rid of them.


Frederick G. Bailey

Mr. Bailey,

By your logic, if you don't like your neighbors, it is acceptable to burn them out ? Or, if someone is looking at you on the subway in a certain fashion, you stab them ?

The bottom line is this: ARSON IS A FELONY. PERIOD. There is a ten foot ? fence in place with a locked gate. There is also a second gate in place that prevents easy access to the adjoining right of way and the first gate. The property on which the equipment sits is owned by the CT DEP. So, now we add trespassing to the mix.

Then, there is the reckless endangerment charge. Perhaps Trainlawyer can explain that.

That said, it is well know to all concerned that there is a local official who has been stirring the pot with respect to the site. Over and over again. I can only hope that one of the perps is related to that person-so that he will
suffer the indignity of being embarassed-hopefully out of existence.

That said, I think the perps (and their parents) are scum. Pure scum. The perps should have doing been something more productive with their time. I can only hope that they are convicted of all charges. Then, they will have the luxury of re-considering their actions for the rest of their lives. A felony conviction before the age of 21 is not exactly a ticket to success.

Mr. Bailey-would you want to live next door to an arsonist or hey-how about having them marry into your family ?

Dave

Similar to what occurred at stored cars on Cape May Seashore Line, at Rio Grande, New Jersey, posted on this forum on May 27th of this year.

Sad situation, indeed.

I don't know who Mr. Olson is, or where he gets his information about RMNE and our finances from.

Please allow me to say the following:

Since October 2005, RMNE has moved, via highway, 9 freight cars from the Valley Railroad/Old Saybrook location to the Naugatuck Railroad. These moves were all made by a commercial hauler, permitted and paid for at no small expense. One move was made in October 2005; the other 8 were made between late Feb and early May 2006.

As to the Saybrook Yard facility, it is fenced, locked and security-lit at night. All rolling stock in the yard is also kept locked and secured. The situation has been well-stated above by NH 0401; he is intimately familiar with the yard. The 1500-foot-perimeter fence is 10 feet tall, topped with three-strand barbed wire. It is quite obvious that there is a physical barrier to entrance of the property. Anyone entering the yard by means other than a key in the gate lock is willfully trespassing, and is most likely there to do some form of harm to the facility and/or the equipment within.

As to the "politics" of this situation, there is more going on here than I will comment on; suffice it to say that "development" of a large tract of wooded land (1000 acres) is part of this mix.

RMNE is continuing to arrange movement of our equipment from the Saybrook Yard and from other areas at the Valley Railroad. At the same time, we are continuing this summer to build many hundreds of feet of track at our new yard and shop facility at Thomaston. Over 900 feet and two switches have already been completed between spring 2004 and summer 2005.

Regarding the troop sleeper, a detailed assesment of the car's structural condition has not yet been made. The interior lining (roof, ends, sides) has been about 90% consumed (roof/ceiling is completely gone, most all side lining, one end lining-- all are completely burned up). All the windows and frames are gone. And, anything that was inside the car, save for some metal lockers, is just cinders.

Howard P.
RMNE/NAUG
Thomaston, CT

Dear Howard:
FYI: Mr. Olsen posted a poem in re-poorly behavied people.
Someone posting as PRSL made the comments in re-RMNE and Town of Old Saybrook, etc. to which you took exception.
A suggestion: get the Troop Sleeper sandblasted and painted before it rusts up too badly and board it up. In my opinion, it is still worth saving.
J.David

JDC, thanks for clarifiying who said what. My apologies to Mr. Olsen; I was confused (and not for the first time, either!).

HP