RG&E 1941 sees continued restoration

March 8th, 2010

---

Book of rules class to be offered - March 6, 2010

March 3rd, 2010

The Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum is always looking for new people to join us and help us run our railroad.   We are always in need of crews to help us operate our diesel powered trains, the trolleys of the New York Museum of Transportation, and our track cars.   So if you were interested in learning how to operate real railroad equipment and do it safely, the first step is to attend our 2010 Book of Rules classes to be held this winter and spring.

New for this year, we will have joint R&GVRRM/NYMT rules classes for train, trolley and track cars. Whether you are already a member of the museums' operating departments or you are a new member of either museum or either operating department, you are required take this class in order to be able to operate.

We are planning three sessions of the same class in March, April and May.  You are only required to attend one of the classes. The first class session will be held March 6 in Room 2240 in the Center for integrated Manufacturing Studies (CIMS, Building 78) at RIT from 9:00AM to 12:30PM. The Air Brake and Train Handling class will follow from 12:30PM to 5:00PM, and is required for anyone whom wants to be a Conductor, Fireman or Engineer. The best option for parking is in J Lot or T Lot, located at the northwest corner of the campus just off East River Road. Maps can be found here.  We do not yet have the April and May dates solidified.  We will update via our blog when the dates are set. 

If would like to attend or if you have questions, please contact us.   Space is limited in each class so please contact us as soon as possible if you want to insure a spot.

Thank you, and we hope you will consider joining the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad and the New York Museum of Transportation in 2010 to help us operate our trains, trolleys and track cars!

---

Restoring the details...

February 21st, 2010

When restoring a railroad car, there is the major work on the car, but there are also the many small details that need to be restored as well.   In this case, the restoration of the bathroom mirror in ex-New York Central Empire State Express coach #2657 which is seeing an interior restoration in the R&GVRRM's shop.

We have a lot left to do on the #2567 including repainting the bathroom.   Thus the mirror need to be taken down and itself needed some restoration work to return it to its former shine and function.    Here are a few images of the progress on the restoration of this mirror which was install in the car by the New York Central when the car was converted from a 56-seat long distance coach to an 80-seat commuter car in the late 1960s.

The mirror is a combination of chrome and aluminum pieces.   It includes a light on top which turns on by a small switch on the lower right front of the mirror.   The light bulb is actually an incandescent fixture and uses a GE light bulb called a Lumiline bulb.   Amazingly, these bulbs are still being made by GE although they are now very expensive after once being very common in bathroom type fixture likes this one.

In a stroke of good luck, the mirror actually comes apart.  The glass mirror was removable from the frame and the light sockets unscrew from the frame.  This made cleanup much easier which included a general wash with soap and water, followed by a treatment with Duro aluminum cleaner and then followed by a polishing with Mother's Mag & Aluminum polish.   As for today, all of the parts have been cleaned and the mirror is starting to go back together which will include new wiring.   Look for pictures soon of the completely restored mirror.

---