NEXT MEETING: Sept. 17 “Railroads Around Rochester” slide show by Otto Vondrak VOL. 63 NO. 9 SEPTEMBER 2020 Jeremy Tuke’s 1940 Buick was one of the many antique auto exhibits during our Classic Cars & Train Rides event on August 23, marking our first public train rides of the 2020 season. Operating on reduced capacity and taking all precautions, we served 250 happy visitors this day. PHOTO BY OTTO M. VONDRAK Back on Track While it’s not quite the type of operating patch event in October, but we are being season anyone expected, your museum very cautious with our announcements hosted its first public event with train rides as we monitor the health situation in the INSIDE on August 23. While operating on reduced coming weeks. The good news is, with a capacity, we welcomed 250 visitors to little extra work on our part, we can break our museum, taking all precautions for even on our expenses this year. In an Health/Safety Plan ...2 sanitizing and social distancing. The extraordinary season full of obstacles no weekend was a huge success on all points, one could have expected, this is the best BNY 12 Update ......4 from operation to attendance (and we possible outcome for your museum. even netted a few new members, too)! Our annual elections are coming up Classic Cars .........5 Encouraged by this progress, we have in November. Many positions are up for Salute to Veterans ....5 scheduled a two-day train ride event for election, including president. Want to get September 19 and 20. “Salute to Veterans” on the ballot? See page 6 for details. Election Committee ...6 will also include the cooperation of the We want to keep you all connected Black Lions 2-28 Vietnam Living History during this difficult time. Your ideas for Mercado, Swisher ....6 Group to provide World War II and Vietnam the future are welcome. Please email me era military exhibits and demonstrations. at [email protected] or call me at Nick Tahou’s ........7 Your museum is making preliminary (585) 820-2341. plans to host some sort of fall pumpkin —Otto M. Vondrak, Museum President ROCHESTER & GENESEE VALLEY RAILROAD MUSEUM • RGVRRM.ORG R&GVRRM Health & Safety Plan The first priority of the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum is the safety of its visitors, volunteers, and members. Our museum is facing a www.rgvrrm.org monumental challenge as we prepare to re-open this summer. R&GV Railroad Museum We are doing everything we can to keep you safe during your P.O. Box 23326 visit, but we can’t do it alone. Before you visit, please review Rochester, NY 14692-3326 the following Visitor Responsibilities that follow the latest President guidance from New York State and the Centers for Disease Otto M. Vondrak Control. Guests of the museum are invitees to private (585) 820-2341 property, and therefore are required to follow our policies [email protected] for entry. Vice President Peter Gores Museum Health and Safety Plan Treasurer • All handrails and exhibit surfaces are cleaned multiple Dave Peet times throughout the day by museum volunteers. Recording Secretary David Kehrer • Hand sanitizer stations are available throughout the museum grounds. Corresponding Secretary Jeremy Tuke • Cashless transactions are strongly encouraged for any Trustees purchases made at the museum. Rob Burz • Social distancing will be enforced on all train rides David Kaiser Adam Lloyd and in all exhibit areas. Joe Nugent • All staff interacting with the public are required David Scheiderich to wear proper PPE. David Shields Mark Wilczek COVID-19 Visitor Responsibilities • Please purchase your tickets in advance and either print them out or display on your phone for entry. The official publication of the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum • Masks covering the nose and mouth are required for all visitors age 2 and up. Masks may be removed if you are Volume 63, No. 9 seated to eat or drink. EDITOR • Please maintain a safe social distance of 6′ from visitors. Otto M. Vondrak • Please use the hand sanitizing stations conveniently PRINTING AND MAILING located throughout the museum grounds. Dave Peet • Please stay home if you are sick, prone to infection, ©2020 Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum. The Semaphore is published monthly by the Rochester & or in a “high-risk” category. Genesee Valley Railroad Museum. Electronic distribution by e-mail is free. First-Class mailing is available for $7.00 a year. Non-member mailed subscriptions are $12.00 and run from January 1 to December 31. Member meetings are held the third Thursday of each month, and the Board of Trustees We look forward to your visit and meets the first Thursday of each month. Any items related to the activities of the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad we thank you for your support! Museum, and regional railroad history and current events are gladly accepted for publication. 2 • SEPTEMBER 2020 • THE SEMAPHORE MUSEUM CONTACT INFO MUSEUM PRESIDENT Otto Vondrak (585) 820-2341 [email protected] BUILDINGS & GROUNDS SUPT. Charlie Marks (585) 637-4271 [email protected] MECHANICAL SUPT. Joe Nugent (585) 944-1047 [email protected] OPERATIONS SUPT. Frank Gough (585) 703-4476 [email protected] TRACK AND RIGHT-OF-WAY SUPT. David Kehrer (585) 576-3843 [email protected] CONSTRUCTION SUPT. Our August 20 members-only meeting was our final summertime gathering at Industry Depot. Mem- Scott Gleason bers enjoyed a ride on our museum railroad and a tour of our latest projects inside the Restoration (585) 406-6484 [email protected] Shop. Meetings return to the 40&8 Club in downtown Rochester in September. INTERIM PUBLIC RELATIONS SUPT. Otto Vondrak (585) 820-2341 [email protected] LEHIGH VALLEY CABOOSE 95100 sheet metal below the belt rail and produce RESTORATION UPDATE MEMBERSHIP CHAIRMAN new window sashes in the mid-1990s. Sam Rosenberg Sam Rosenberg, Chuck Whalen, and Joe [email protected] Steimer have been making preparations for BR&P CABOOSE 280 applying the first coat of primer by the end Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh caboose PROGRAM CHAIRMAN VACANT of September, and possibly the first finish 280 made its public debut hauling visitors coat of red paint if the weather holds out. on our museum railroad on August 23! The Volunteer Charles Bell will be manning the first piece of equipment to arrive at our spray guns for this project for as long as the museum in 1979, the caboose had been a weather cooperates. display piece until it was one of the first UPCOMING Our goal is to complete this car in 2021, projects placed inside the new Restoration MONTHLY PROGRAMS and operate it as part of a photo freight with Shop in 1998. Meetings return to the 40&8 Club our Lehigh Valley boxcar and LV 211. Do- Volunteer Bill Marcotte has fabricated in downtown Rochester! Following the nations in any amount can be made to this a new smokejack that will be mounted to latest guidance and restrictions, monthly project at rgvrrm.org/donate the roof and connected to the coal stove meetings will be restricted to museum —Sam Rosenberg, Project Mgr. chimney so we can have heat this winter. members only until regulations are relaxed Jeremy Tuke will be installing the special by the state. ERIE STILLWELL COACH signal lamp on the cupola roof sometime in Our next meeting will be Thursday, PROJECT UPDATE the next few weeks. Rob Burz is installing September 17, at 7:30 p.m. Museum Project manager Charles Rothbart has new plumbing inside the caboose for the president Otto Vondrak will present been working with volunteers Jackson installation of the conductor’s emergency a slide show program of “Railroading Glozer, Jackson Klatt, and others to disas- air brake valve. Around Rochester” featuring CSX, semble the last of the old masonite interior Rochester & Southern, LA&L, Amtrak, so the interior structure can be asessed for JACKSON TAMPER and more. Face coverings will be required restoration. Plywood and paint has been REPAIR UPDATE for entry, and members must maintain safe acquired to produce new window plugs to Thanks to the efforts of Tim Gifford and social distance from one another. Cash bar help make the car weatherproof so work Scott Gleason, our Jackson Tamper moved is available. We thank you in advance for may continue through the winter months. for the first time under its own power on your cooperation. Built in 1926 by Standard Steel Car Co., August 29. Jim Johnson is finishing up his We are currently seeking programs for Erie Railroad 2328 was retired in the mid- inspection of the wiring, while Dan Water- our meetings on October 15, November 1950s, gutted, and rebuilt as a “camp car” straat is installing new gauges and a mas- 19, and December 17. Programs can be on for work trains. It was retired by Conrail ter starter circuit. John Redden produced any railroad-related topic. Please contact and acquired by a scrap yard in Elmira. It new engine compartment covers, and Dave Otto Vondrak at [email protected] to was acquired by our museum in 1985, and Luca cut and installed new rubber straps to reserve your presentation slot. had significant work done to replace the support the tamper motors. We look for- RGVRRM.ORG • SEPTEMBER 2020 • 3 ward to turning this piece of equipment back over to the Track Dept. for use in their various projects. BROOKLYN NAVY YARD 12 PROJECT UPDATE Activity has resumed this past spring on the cosmetic restoration and re-assembly of Brooklyn Navy Yard 0-4-0 no. 12, built by Vulcan in 1918 and acquired by our museum in 1997. Recent tasks completed include the removal of air tank mounts re- moved from the top of the smoke box, and all associated air tank piping all removed.