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| the Trolley Museum of New York-The climb upward towards Respectibility (1406357) | |||
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the Trolley Museum of New York-The climb upward towards Respectibility |
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Posted by ENY Blitz 5107 on Thu Aug 25 23:24:41 2016 Greetings everyone!!! Well, here we are again; The TMNY is on the move once again as a major event is in the works on 09/11/2016 as we formally dedicate the PATH PA-1 car # 143 in the memory of those who were lost in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. The "Goal" here is to eventually construct a new wing to our existing car barn in which to house the 143 and our related 09/11 artifacts. Despite some "Naysayers" right here on this very page we are a museum moving forward no matter what some people here might say. So we will dispense with all the negativity and will focus instead on all positive gains we have made at the TMNY over the last few years. But first, lets take it back just a bit as a historical prospective to give some of you here a different prospective on things:In September, 2014 as a brand new group of volunteers arrived at the museum (some for the very first time) this is what they saw: A museum teetering on the edge, having almost hit bottom. There was very little activity going on with only one active restoration project: former NYCTA R-16 subway car # 6398. At the time our newly formed group arrived this was the car in which helped to begin the rebirth of the museum. More on that later. Just about all of the other cars in the museum'c collection were neglected and worn, some of them left to the elements and stored outside for many years. It was time to make some changes. Shortly after our group's arrival in Kingston some of the "Old guard" there scoffed at our new group and it's initial enthusiasm. Our first "Volunteer Day Event" was held in September, 2014 and was such a success that another event was quickly scheduled for October and then one final event was held just before the weather turned cold that November. Clearly we were on to something! As work on the R-16 progressed our group began to eye future projects for there was (and is) a great deal to do up there. As things began to progress i started asking about some of the other equipment in the museum's collection,and how we could bring things to a good state of repair. In October, 2014 i inquired as to the status of long stored "Whitcomb" built 65 Tonner Diesel # 9. This diesel was once an active locomotive at the museum but had not been run since "Superstorm Sandy" struck the area, partially flooding the museum site. It was time to find out if this beast could be brought back from the dead. Not even two months in and we were already tinkering with things long forgotten and left for dead. Diesel locomotives, especially 70 year old ones do not take kindly to long periods of inactivity. This locomotive did not come around easily and required a great deal of work before she would ever turn a wheel again. Of course we didnt know that as we charged her batteries and filled her old "Buda" built engines with cooling water. After we prepped her we tried starting her # 1 engine and: NOTHING! At least at first. Our volunteer group has some genuinely talented individuals who can be quite stubborn when it comes to getting things working. After some repeated tries and a great deal of starting fluid, the # 9 burbled back to life for the first time since 2003. It was truly a great day to have seen that! The # 9 would need additional repair before she could even move once again, but move she did! "Hat's Off" to everyone in our group who helped to get this beast operable once again! As our 2015 season got underway work continued on the R-16 subway car; Things were moving along nicely but there was far more to do. One of the sticking points of a project like this is that there is seemingly never enough people to pitch in and help. Several new people joined in to participate but it was (and still is) a hit or miss proposition. People have lives to live and it can be quite hard to assemble a work group on a particular date. Despite this, our group boasts some regulars, who sacrifice their time and money to head up to the museum to pitch in and help. I wish to thank each and every one of you. You know who you are. Our group has faced many road blocks and met them head on: Track work (Probably the single hardest job to do) Car repair, Grounds clean up and just plain ol' getting down and dirty! Our group can do it all. I am proud of our guys and gals who do what needs to be done and chip in for what needs doing right out of their own pocket. I can on and on about what we have accomplished over the last two plus years so let me tell you what has been done: NYCTA R-16 subway car # 6398: Body work completed. Cosmetically restored. Completely repainted into the "Economy" MTA "Silver and Blue" paint scheme until the permanent "Silver and Blue" scheme can be applied. IRT "Low Voltage" car # 5600: Partially repainted into a pseudo IRT paint scheme with a green carbody w/ dark green roof. This car awaits a full restoration. Additional work will be done on this car in 2017. IND R-4 car # 825: Replica number plates installed giving this car it's identity back after the original plates were removed many years ago. Interior work on this car started Spring,2016 abd is progressing as of this writing. Boston "All Electric" PCC # 3204. Body work started Spring,2016 after being left outside to the elements for many years. Car will be repainted into the green MBTA paint scheme but plans are very much in the works for repainting into the "as delivered" orange MTA paint scheme in 2017. Stay tuned! PATH PA-1 car # 143: A true survivor of the 09/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center site and one of the "Jewels" in the museum's collection; Limited car body repair on the car's roof and large windows re-installed after they were were kicked in by search parties looking for survivor's in the days following the collapse of the Twin tower's. This car is considered an "Artifact" and is for display purposes only. This car will NOT be used as an in service car at the museum, for it is a silent reminder of what happened on that dark day in American history. B&QT "Clark" built PCC # 1000: Another "Jewel" in the collection is this "One of a kind" PCC car; "Scope of work" started and exterior carbody repair started. Another car well underway as of this writing. Brill built Model 55 Doodlebug car # 120: Still one more car under repair after having sat dormant for many years after the cars engine was torn down but never completely repaired. This car's engine has been reassembled and is slowly being restored for service, giving the museum two operating cars for probably the first time in its history in Kingston. This car is expected to re-enter service for the 2017 operating season. Plans are to repaint this car into a brand new paint scheme. So, for those who persist in saying that nothing is going on here that could be further from the truth. Things are indeed happening! Change has finally come to a museum that once teetered on the brink. I am proud to have been a part of a talented group of individuals who have done great things in the short time we have been at this. Of course you dear reader have to be the judge so why not come up for a visit one sunny weekend? $6.00 bucks for a ride on the Johnstown,PA. Trolley and a walk around the museum grounds to see all that is happening here. You are all welcome to come on up! Oh, did i mention we have a "Member's Day" event in the works? Here is your chance to join the museum and be a part of a special exclusive event not open to the general public. You guys are not going to miss this one! Additional details coming soon! I can state all of the positive things we have done thus far but it is up to all of you here to actually "Support" our museum. Nope, sorry to say it but no one here makes that kind of bread to keep an operation afloat out of pocket. We depend on YOU, the riding public to support our mission which is to preserve these old machines so that future generations can see and ride them. Please support us if you can, by making the trip upstate and by buying a ticket. No one in our group is getting rich off of this for every dollar earned helps to pay the bills and to keep our trolley operational. Thank you for reading, and please don't let a few naysayer's sway your opinion-decide for yourself. Thank you. |
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