The first phase of the long awaited move of the Museum’s 3 CP Rail boxcars will take place on Tuesday November 19th. They will be moving to temporary storage for future forwarding by road to the Museum site.

We are accepting donations to help offset the cost of the road move. If you would like to contribute, please contact the Museum. Donations will receive a charitable tax receipt, and have a plaque on our project donor wall inside the display boxcar.

Ken, Ken and Jim were out at the Museum today working on some planning items, and ended up looking after a couple of small, simple restoration projects.? First off was to plan where equipment will be going, and how it will all fit inside the shop when it arrives.? For years there were 2 signs in the shop that were painted over in plain sight.

Jim Cherry uses some varsol to remove what we believe was tar covering the lettering on the sign.

The finished product, visible for the first time in years.

The above sign hung directly below the main shop clock, located above the Shop Foreman office, hence the saying. We have recently acquired an original CN clock, which once repaired, will be placed above the sign replicating the original arrangement.

This is one of the signs on the Whiting 90ton drop table which has been damaged by graffiti.

After some elbow grease, it’s looking like it did when it was new.

These were both small projects, but are part of the advances made by Museum members this year.

In other news, we have received word that our boxcars will be moving from Niagara Falls very soon. We are hoping to have the cars at the Museum site by the end of the year.? They will make the final part of their journey by road.? This will not be an easy or cheap move and the Niagara Railway Museum Inc. is currently seeking donations to help defray the costs of the move to the shop.? If you would like to help, please contact the Museum.? All donations are eligible for a charitable tax reciept, and donors will recieve a plaque on our donor wall inside the display boxcar .

The Fall Niagara Model Railway Show is this Sunday, October 27, 10am – 3:30pm At the CAW Hall at 124 Bunting Rd. St. Catharines. Model railway vendors selling trains of all sizes, railway artifacts, books, etc. something for everyone. Also model trains layouts and Thomas the Tank Engine play area

Admission is $5 (under 12 free with paid admission).

contact the Niagara Railway Museum for more info.

If all goes well, our Whiting 2 TMA Trackmobile should be up and running next weekend.? Rick finished installing the rest of the drive chains and gears, and we have been given an old (but in date) propane tank from Attar Metals.? Antifreeze and hydraulic fluid has been added to the engine and fluid tank with no visible leaks. A new battery will be installed next Saturday, and if all goes well, the first test of the Trackmobile in a great many years will take place.? Also taking place on the weekend, we moved another 24 ties to the site, and hope to finish moving the remaining ties?on Saturday. this will bring our track construction at least into the turnout.? We have more than enough rail to finish off the middle track as well as a tail track past the turnout, we?just need more ties to finish off that part of the construction. Saturday will also be a track construction day as we install the #8 self guarded frog and stock rails.

Recently the NRM was given an opportunity to acquire 32 sticks (29?/stick) of 85lb rail.? This was a ?come and get it now? deal, as the group offering it needed to clean it up. So, a hunt for someone to move it for us at a reasonable price was now on.? We checked with Railroad contractors, but they were slightly out of our budget range. There was however an offer made to us that we could not refuse.? Wayne Ettinger from Trillium Railway offered to move the rail to our site, as long as we provided 2 people to help load/unload the rail. So 2 weeks after first seeing the rail pile, the arrangements were made and away we went.? The loading went well, taking just about 2hrs. The unloading at the Museum site was even better, at 1.5hrs.? The rail is stacked neatly so we can neatly drag it into position when we are ready. Despite it being only 85lb rail, it is still in very good condition, at least for what we have planned for it. This acquisition is almost 900? of rail, allowing us over 400? of track. This will allow us to connect the middle track to the turnout for the south shop track, and give us a tail track past the turnout to move equipment from track to track. This move would not have been possible without the generous assistance from Wayne Ettinger, owner of Trillium Railway Co. Ltd.? The Niagara Railway Museum Inc. thanks Wayne for his help with this project on such short notice, and another thanks for items previously donated, including our ex-CNR flanger frame.

Loading the rail.

Back in Fort Erie, Wayne Ettinger (left) mans the controls while NRM Secretary Aaron White sets the rail clamps on the next piece of rail.

The 32 sticks of rail stacked neatly awaiting installation.

Rick, Ken and Ken got the recently rebuilt transmission back in place on the Whiting 2TMA Trackmobile bringing it one step closer to operation.

Things are progressing well at the shop, and we are always looking for new members to help with our many projects. Members are generally at the shop on Saturday mornings, and sometimes during the week.? Contact us if you?d like to see our facility or come out and get involved.

Don?t forget the Annual Niagara Model Railway Show on October 27th, at the CAW Hall on Bunting Rd in St. Catharines, 10am-3:30pm.? The Show features Model Railway vendors, layouts, artifacts and model supplies.? Something for everyone. Admission is $5.

With the open house just a few days away, work is progressing well and everything will be in good shape for our visitors.  On another note, the Niagara Railway Museum Inc. is also in Facebook. You can get instant information when work is happening at the shop. The NRM blog will still be kept up to date as well, as both are very important tools in the Internet world. When you visit the museum, don't forget to "Check In" with Facebook on your smartphone. 

Hope to see you there.