Took my WAI pic one step further....

[Jay H 237]

I realize the pic is 3 years old but I'm keeping it up for now, especially since I get to actually work on preserving that RS-3 now!

After years of thinking about it I finally joined the Railroad Museum of New England (RMNE) and have worked on NH #529 several weekends now helping get it back into service. Today I finally got to go on a cab ride in it. Below is a video of it leaving the shop after it had the auxillary generator replaced, high pressure fuel pump replaced and completed it's 92 day inspection to retain it's FRA blue card.

529 was one of 45 ALCO RS-3 locos purchased by the New Haven in several batches between 1950-52. 529 was in the first batch from 1950. The RS-3s were numbered 517-561. 529 is the only remaining ex-NH RS-3, most of them were ran into the ground (and scrapped) by the bankrupt Penn Central (1968-75) and the few that survived into Conrail and Amtrak service (1976-85) were sold for scrap when they were retired. 529 was in the last batch retired in 1985 and purchased by the museum at that time and restored in the few years afterward.

I've also been helping with a Pullmann parlor car built in 1927. It was retired from passenger service in 1962 and purchased by a private individual and kept on thier property. After they died it was bought by the museum from thier estate. The interior of the car is like a trip back in time to the late 50s with the old advertisements. Luckily no animals or anything got into the car while it sat all those years so the seats are all intact (fabric is dry rotted though) and all the mahogany trim and decorative lighting fixtures are all there and undisturbed. I should get some pics of this car.

Well, that's what I've been up to now. I still have my HO layout in the basement but now I get to "play" with the BIG trains now! I know there's some people into trains on here so I thought this would interest them, especially this time of year when it's slower without build season here.

And finally here's 529 in action,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xWwjTdpocE