Erie Lackawanna
Railfan.net 'erielack' E-Mail List Photo Archive

BAR_F3_44_June_1977_Tom_Sink_edit1.jpg   Original: 1024 by 443 pixels - Current: 1024 by 443 - 100%
                          Try your mouse wheel too!

(No Previous Image) CNJ_57_DLW_hopper_Coxton_2009.jpg - Next Image

From: MDelvec952 mdelvec952 AT aol DOT com
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:32:14 -0400
Subject: DL&W F3 Volunteer -- Future work sessions
"BAR_F3_44_June_1977_Tom_Sink_edit1.jpg" - image/jpeg, 1024x443 (24bit)



Greetings, all,

It was a terrific Labor Day weekend in Scranton when we got to see so many supporters of the F3 project who were able to visit and enjoy the spectacle. The weekend debuted the Lackawanna F3s for the first time, a sight not seen in about 50 years. And it's just in time to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the EL merger, thus ending the corporate existence of the Lackawanna Railroad. October 17th is that day.

As good as the F3s look, there is still much to do and the work sessions will continue. A recent staff meeting with the National Park Service featured the F3 project on its agenda. While NPS management is very happy with the locomotives and the image they portray, they admitted allowing a certain amount of autonomy between the two groups during the Convention and Railfest build-up periods. Going forward the NPS would like us to better adhere to their rules governing outside volunteers and contractors, and they only want to deal with one entity. Since ARHS has been leasing our F3 for nearly 20 years, the exhibitor's permit for both units is in the ARHS name, though we had to supply much documentation about our ownership and relationship. Future work sessions need to be coordinated through ARHS. While this would have been a real problem during the painting stages when we had to watch the weather and were making go-no-go decisions the night before, during this phase our proj
ects will be smaller and most of them will take place inside the carbody. What we'll do is schedule our work sessions on certain days, and we'll go back to weekends. We'll try two per month, or roughly every other weekend. I'd like to hear from interested volunteers if they prefer Saturdays or Sundays. For now, we're planning a work session for Saturday, September 17th, starting at 9:00 a.m. What's most important, though, is that we must report in advance who is attending. We have badges made that we must wear, and a list of protective equipment that we're expected to wear on NPS property. I'll forward this and the other required information on Thursday of each week. We can use some hands this weekend, so if you can make it Saturday, please let me know. Sorry, but those appearing unannounced will have to be spectators.

On the agenda include coating the porthole screws to keep the dissimilar metals from bonding (which was a problem when we removed them), mount the polished stainless steel kick plates (thanks, Ken!), start to install filter material and the filter boxes, mount the flag holders, scrape, vacuum and POR-15 some interior areas, drill more drain holes in strategic places, some paint touch up, possibly repair the crank mechanism for one of the cab windows (comin' up, Dave Lindstrum, please) and whatever else we can accomplish. We'll also do some surveying for future projects, such as the cab floor (needs plywood -- we have the correct linoleum), possibly adding additional lighting for the touring public, etc.

One of our next major expenses was to be a new set of batteries, so we began fund raising for the nearly $7,000. In a great bit of news for which we owe many thanks we have been offered a full set of batteries. We've agreed to accept them. We now have to arrange transportation to Scranton from Maine. The weight of a full set of batteries is more than 2000 lbs, up to possibly 2600 lbs depending on the version we choose. I'll measure our space this weekend. We'll share all of the details of the donation once the deal is final and in writing, but what I'm looking for now are ideas on transportation. If anyone has a truck and is willing to make the trip, please speak up. Yes, we can have them trucked commercially, or we can easily fly up, rent a truck one way ourselves, but all of that can get expensive. A trip up to Maine and back to Scranton could be quite an adventure. Finding a way for members to have this fun while saving the club some expense would be good for all.

And now for some pictures. If you can join us Saturday please let me know by Thursday. ....Mike Del Vecchio




Since Railfest, the F3s were moved to turntable radial track alongside the roundhouse. The scene below was lensed by ARHS's Davis Palmer last week. We'll ultimately be along the driveway that brings visitors into the parking lot for a spell until our operating permit is ironed out.







For a look back, here is our DL&W 663 in Searsport, Maine, during June 1977 in a photo by Tom Sink. You can see the many changes and some of the repairs we had to make over the years. Notice all of the grab irons common to a cold-climate railroad. Notice, too, that Joe's Nose under the nose door is already bulging from rust. Just to the left of the cab ladder are signs of a side swipe, a repair that was made by the Steamtown Foundation shop crews in 1990 -- back then we had leased the engine to Steamtown Foundation, a deal that would have seen the F3 painted in the Lackawanna passenger scheme. (Steamtown purchase an FP7 that rendered our unit uneeded, so it returned to Morristown.) It's also apparent that the heavy hitch that bent the rear side sill and frame had happened previous to this 1977 photo showing the 44 at just under 30 years old. In 2010 this unit turned 62. Compare this image to the one above.






Here's what DL&W 663 looked like while en route to Scranton in the fall of 2009. What a difference a year makes. This was the better of the two sides of the locomotive -- steel panels on the opposite side had large holes in them. By November of 2009 we had the 57 smoothly running after a little more than a thousand dollars in parts and labor to rescue a No.9 cylinder that had water in it for years. With that repair we were able to make a decision to proceed with the restoration. That Lackawanna cement hopper sure looks nice -- it is owned by the Delaware Lackawanna and also in Scranton. It wouldn't be a stretch to think that it will be coupled to the 663 again. Photo by Rich Jahn, ARHS.







Not bad looking for 62 years old. Here is another view from Railfest of our "steam-era diesel." What's everybody think about this type of image for a T-shirt, with a Pocono's nose to the left, and the nose of a passenger-painted E-unit to the right? No locomotive ever gleamed more proudly than 663.
--a9c54cba-653a-4d27-8dfc-ca07da7b7b98

BAR_F3_44_June_1977_Tom_Sink_edit1.jpg

Image EXIF Data:
Image Creation Date   2009:09:02 15:34:36
Make   Nikon
Model   Nikon COOLSCAN V ED
Software Version   Adobe Photoshop CS2 Windows
Samples Per Pixel   3
Bits Per Sample   (8,8,8)
Photometric Interpretation   RGB
Compression   Uncompressed
Exif Image Width   1024 pixels
Exif Image Height   679 pixels
EXIF Version   0220
FlashPix Version   0100
ColorSpace   sRGB


Click Here or on the corner X to close this window.


    All photos are the property of the original photographer unless otherwise noted and are to be used for personal viewing purposes only.

    The use of these photos on any website or other distribution media is strictly forbidden without the express consent of the image copyright holder.

    Linking directly to this page is permitted as long as "Railfan.net Erie Lackawanna Email List Photo Archive" is creditted on the linking page.