Back on the High Iron
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NEXT MEETING: November 15 “Frostbite Ferroequinology” NEWSLETTER OF THE ROCHESTER & GENESEE VALLEY RAILROAD MUSEUM with Duncan Richards NOVEMBER 2012 VOL. 56 No. 3 COUNTRY COUSINS: Livonia, Avon & Lakeville #425 poses alongside RG&E 1941. Our 45-ton switcher was originally purchased by the LA&L in 1964 and their first locomotive. It was sold to RG&E in 1965. The 425 was LA&L’s first Alco road switcher puchase, the first of what would be many filling out the fleet of this successful regional railroad. On this day, 425 and 428 were teamed up to haul our Oct. 27 Rare Mileage Excursion from Lakeville to Henrietta and return. This was one of the photo stops orchestrated at Industry by our volunteers. PHOTO BY CHRIS HAUF Back on the High Iron After being idle for nearly eight years, it Another bit of exciting news is the was very exciting to see our excursion newly announced timeline for design and coaches take to the “high iron” once again! construction of our new inspection pit Many volunteers contributed countless inside the Restoration Building (See Page INSIDE hours to make our coaches ready for 3). Building this pit will allow us to better “prime time!” On October 27, your muse - maintain our railroad equipment and keep um hosted its first public excursion outside it in top running condition. This pit will Train Bulletin . 2 of the railroad since 2004. also benefit the New York Museum of Our special Rare-Mileage Excursion Transportation, and we are enjoying their covered the length of the Livonia, Avon & cooperation and assistance on this project. Museum News . 3 Lakeville Railroad from Lakeville to Many other projects will continue to Henrietta and return. The trip ran very move forward this winter, including work smoothly, thanks to great planning and on the Lehigh Valley caboose, RG&E #8, LAL Rare Mileage Trip . 4 cooperation between the railroad and our LV 211, Industry Depot and more. If you volunteers. Thanks to excursion co-chairs want to get involved at any level, please Fairmont Cup Award . 6 Dave Shields and Otto Vondrak for coordi - contact me and I will point you towards the nating the details and marketing that make right person. Contact me at (716) 474-2833 this trip a success (See photos on pages 4- or [email protected]. Many hands 5). We are exploring the possibility of make light work! more trips in the future. Stay tuned! —Mike Dow, Museum President ROCHESTER & GENESEE VALLEY RAILROAD MUSEUM • ROCHESTER, NEW YORK TRNEAWS AINDN ANN OUBNCEMUENTSL FROLM RE&GVRTRM IN R&GVRRM MEMBERSHIP MEETING roof. Also, our G.E. 110-ton diesel switcher RG&E www.rgvrrm.org OCTOBER 18, 2012 #8 is currently in the Restoration Building. The October Museum Membership Meeting was Volunteer Mike Walsh is working on cleaning the MUSEUM OFFICERS called to order at the 40&8 Club, 933 University frame and installing the new air tanks so that work Avenue, Rochester, at 7:35 p.m. Museum vice pres - can continue on rebuilding the braking system. PRESIDENT ident Joe Nugent presided over the meeting in the More donations have been sent in for the Lehigh Mike Dow absence of president Mike Dow. There were 31 Valley caboose. Work will continue through the win - (716) 474-2833 members in attendance. ter on making repairs to the interior as well as the Correspondence Report: Is anyone available to body in preparation for applying primer to the exte - VICE PRESIDENT give a talk about the history of the old New York rior in the spring. Joe Nugent Central “Hojack” line to the Hilton Historical Operations Report: Three more busy weekends Society, at their request? In other news, the Hojack to go! Fall Foliage trains have been popular. Hands- TREASURER Swing Bridge at the mouth of the Genesee River in on Operations Training planned for October 25. Our Dave Peet Charlotte is about to be dismantled. Long time volunteers worked very hard to prepare the excur - RECORDING SECRETARY member Ted Jackson passed away in September. He sion coaches in time for a special private memorial Joel R. Shaw was in the process of completing a manuscript about trip hosted by the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville the Erie Railroad’s Rochester Division. The manu - Railroad at the end of September. The cars per - CORRESPONDING SEC’Y script is now in our possession and is in production formed flawlessly and the railroad was very Don Wawrzyniak to be published at a later date. pleased. We are looking forward to using them Historian’s Report: Don Schilling described a again soon on our upcoming Rare-Mileage TRUSTEES 1958 newspaper article that discusses the antique Excursion this October 27. Bob Achilles locomotive headlight that is adorned with a portrait Museum Library Report: Charlie Robinson has Bob Burz of Oliver Allen, one of the founding fathers of the volunteered ad hoc to be the Librarian in the Peter Gores Rochester & State Line Railroad, which eventually absense of Bob Fleck who is on extended vacation Jim Johnson Bob Mader became the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh in California. The Library (located upstairs at the David Scheiderich Railroad (the BR&P was acquired by the B&O in 40&8 Club, 933 University Avenue, Rochester) will 1932). This headlight was in the collection of the be open November 5 at 6:30 p.m. former Rochester Chapter NRHS for many years Otto Vondrak made a motion to adjourn. The before it was loaned out for exhibit. Current where - motion was seconded by Don Warwyzniak. The abouts unknown. [EDIT: The headlight is currently motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned in posession of the Rochester Historical Society.] at 8:06 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, The official publication of the Rochester & Genesee Valley Membership Report: Membership Chair Sam —Otto M. Vondrak, Trustee and Acting Secretary Railroad Museum Rosenberg reports that renewals are going out. Four new candidates for membership were present - DEFOREST “DEE” MOWERS (1935-2012) Volume 56, No. 3 ed: John Rafter of Hamburg, New York; Jack and Long time museum volunteer "Dee" Mowers passed Sue Barker of Bloomfield, New York; Gary Stevens away on November 3, he was 77. Dee was a EDITOR Otto M. Vondrak of Brockport, New York; and Jon Saulsgiver of Spencerport native, and a McCurdy’s retiree. He is [email protected] Webster, New York. A motion was made by Joe survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Beverly Nugent to accept the candidates as new members. Mowers. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be PRINTING AND MAILING The motion was seconded by Dave Scheiderich. The made in Dee’s name to The Palliative Care Program Bob Miner motion passed unanimously. at Strong Hospital in Rochester, New York; or The Don Wawrzyniak Preservation Report: Thanks to a donation from Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research ©2012 Rochester & Genesee Valley new member Jon Saulsgiver of Webster, we hired a (www.michaeljfox.org). Our condolences go out to Railroad Museum. The Semaphore is pub - contractor to apply a professional-grade shrink the Mowers family. lished monthly by the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum. It is mailed free to wrap to the roof of the Lackawanna M.U. to help all members. Non-member subscriptions are stabilize it while we assess repairs to the collapsed $12.00 and run from January 1 to December www.rgvrrm.org 31. Meetings are held the third Thursday of each month, and the Board of Trustees meets the first Thursday of each month. Any items JOIN THE MUSEUM TODAY related to the activities of the Rochester & PLAN AHEAD : Next Meeting: Genesee Valley Railroad Museum, and Annual Dues: $25.00 regional railroad history and current events Rochester & Genesee Valley RR Museum are gladly accepted. P.O. Box 23326 Dec. 20 Rochester, NY 14692-3326 at 40&8 Club, Rochester NY 2 • NOVEMBER 2012 • THE SEMAPHORE ROCHESTER & GENESEE VALLEY RAILROAD MUSEUM VISIT OUR WEB SITE: WWW.RGVRRM.ORG MUSEUM CONTACT INFO MUSEUM PRESIDENT Mike Dow (716) 474-2833 [email protected] MUSEUM MANGER David Scheiderich (585) 301-1019 [email protected] MOTIVE POWER SUPERINTENDENT Joe Nugent (585) 944-1047 [email protected] MEMBERSHIP CHAIRMAN Sam Rosenberg [email protected] MOTIVE POWER DEPT. LV 211: Sidelined mid-season due to ques - tionable issues surrounding the water pump. We will drain the water and prep this engine for winter storage. We will investigate the water pump issue this win - ter. We’re looking forward to restoring this engine to service next season. RGV 1654: Available through the winter as needed. This locomotive may need new batteries to operate reliably next season. RGE 1941: Available through the winter as needed. RGE 8: We have placed this engine back in the building for winter work. Mike Walsh is putting together a punch list of tasks to complete and it will be worked on through the winter. The second air tank was hung earlier this month. USA 1843: The last time our Fairbanks- TOP: Work began on November 11 to repair a slump in the tracks near Reid’s Crossing. Mike Dow is at the controls of the backhoe, while Dave Scheiderich acts as spotter. Constant attention to track Morse locomotive was fired up was in ensures a smooth ride for our visitors. ABOVE: We brought our last trainload of visitors back to January to help move our excursion coach - Midway on Sunday, November 4, closing out another safe and successful joint operating season with es to the new siding. She remains stored the New York Museum of Transportation! Thanks to all the volunteers who helped this season.