After over a year, an arrest was made in one of the break ins at our shop.? The article on the Niagara Falls Review Website can be seen here.? Please note, the break in WAS NOT at the Fort Erie Railway Museum as it says, but was in fact at the Niagara Railway Museum Inc. shop, located at the listed address.
http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3311595
October 1st & 2nd 2011 will be the first major track construction weekend for the Niagara Railway Museum since we took over in 2010. We are looking for anyone who wants to learn how to build track, or who have experience with track construction. We will have a skidsteer at the site to move rail and ties around, and clear any spots that are needed for leveling.? If you are interested in joining us for this, please drop us an email.? You don’t need to have any experience, but you are required to have safety boots, safety glasses, and?reflective clothing (vest or shirt) . We have a limited number of vests available.? We will provide all the tools, and water.? Our goal is to get at least another 4 sticks of rail laid, but the more people we get out, the more we can get done.? Saturday will start about 0930, and run into the afternoon. You do not need to stay the whole day, and you only need to do what you feel you can do. Hope to see you there.
We once again had great weather for the final open house of 2011, held on September 10/11.? We changed up the displays a little bit, showing off some of the other artifacts in the NRM collection.? We also added another motorcar for display, with our ex-CNR Fairmont M9g, being shown to visitors for the first time in about 4yrs.? Thanks to Bill Woods from the ONRT&HS society for coming out early Saturday to help set up, and to all the other NRM members who came out to help man the shop.? There was also a fair amount of work done out there on the Sunday, as Richard Berry still had his Caterpillar motor grader and gradall out there.? We’ve been wanting to do some preliminary work on the turntable pit, to see exactly what the condition is under all the fill.? A 10’x10′ test hole was dug, and I now know exactly where the roundhouse went after the fire in 1991. When the roundhouse was demolished, the remaining structure was used to fill in the pit.? A layer of topsoil covered the rubble. Preliminary inspection of the pit wall and base found it to be in very good condition.? The excavation of the pit itself is a ways off yet, but hopefully the rest of the pit is as good as our test hole.? We also graded the right of way for the continued track construction.? The north track of the shop has been graded about 125′ to allow a temporary track to be put in place in case we are able to move some of our equipment over during the winter.? This will be laid with 85lb rail for now.? The grading for the rest of the south and middle track was also done, and we hope to have part of the turnout to join the 2 tracks in place by winter.
Traction Engine Lineup
The Niagara Railway Museum Inc. attended the 51st annual Steam Era power show in Milton on the Labour Day long weekend.? This is one of the largest events of it’s kind in Canada, and this years show featured numerous makes and models of farm tractors, construction equipment, and steam traction engines.? There were 10 traction engines under steam, and 2 smaller steam engines powering other equipment.? There were also vendors, some great food, a large Meccano display, and lots of items for sale in the flea market.? There was a large kids area, and quite a few antique cars & trucks to top things off.? There were garden tractor pulls Friday night, farm tractor pulls Saturday morning, and a country music show Saturday night.? Kevin Forster of Toronto also hooked his 20hp George White Traction engine up to the fan and put on a bit of a spark show on the Saturday night (he had also hooked it up to the tractor pull sled earlier in the day!)? Kevin also invited me up onto his machine to take it for a spin around the grounds, over an hour later, and after?joining the parade past the grandstand, we finally parked it.? Also had the opportunity to drive the big Sawyer Massey 75hp Steam traction engine with a friend, THRA member, and railroader, Michael Guy.? This was a great 2hr endeavour that also had us in the competition with the other traction engines.? This was an excellent weekend, and I must say that being able to drive the steam engines around the grouds were by far the highlight of the weekend.
My thanks to the NRM members that came out to help man the booth during the show, and to set up and tear down.? We’ve already been invited back next year, and we are looking forward to it.? Now we can turn our attention to our own event on September 10/11, 2011 at the NRM site in Fort Erie.
 Our Display |
 Traction engine lineup |
  Spark It Up! |
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 Ingram Road Roller |
