A while back there was a flimsey article about the car being moved to the to the Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum.

The jist of the article was that the State Police stopped the move because of lack of permits and faulty tie downs.

There is nothing about the car on the museum's web site yet.

Has anyone heard anything more about the project?

Ted Miles

The article was totally wrong. All the `I's were dottend and the `T's crossed before the move was even attempted. The trucking company even spent a day moving her around the parking lot to make sure she handled the way they wanted her to.

The permits were signed for her dimensions, the route was certified, the route was high poled by a certified escort service, the car was properly tied down, even inspected by another heavy haul company owner (he used to be responsible for the tie down before the company got big) that happened by while they were finalizing the tie down.

(just my opinion) The local Lieutenant saw tv cameras and decided to make it look like he was protecting the public. (My opinion based on the words he used in the TV clip) He put a hold on the move and called Connecticut DoT and State Police to check the trailer (no problem with me or the trucking company). The CDoT `Inspectors' came down to check the load. These 2 guys were the type that if you told them the cloudless sky was blue they would argue with you and say it was green and full of thunderhead clouds. The car was measured 3 times, once by the trucking company, once by the escort service and once by the museum at the front, middle and rear. Our measurements were 14'-6" - 14'-8" permit was written for 15' and the route high poled for 15'-6" The inspectors measured 15'-6" for car height. The parking lot is not flat, and they were measuring 2" clearance in the middle, the ends of the frame was 6-8" off the ground near the wheels, and you could sight down the frame and see that it didn't drop more than 1" in the middle (all the load was at either end of the frame at the coach bolsters). The trucking company had steel rollers to put on the road under the frame if they came to a high spot just like the guys that transport the oversized boats do, that also travel with 2" clearance under the trailer frames, the inspectors said 2" of clearance was insufficient. These idiots couldn't even figure how to measure the assembled truck and trailer because it was longer then their tape. As they were giving reasons why the move couldn't happen every statement started with `We feel' or `I feel', not `The rule book says' or `The permit states'. Then the Trooper decided that the load needed a police escort, which takes a week to schedule, even though the permit states that no police escort is needed and only a certified escort service is needed.

So currently the coach body is sitting on cribbing in the parking lot, so they can get the trailer assembly inspected by CDoT. The trucking company is currently killing around 50 trees to fill out the CDoT paperwork, getting the material specs for the center frame, and the design drawings from the designer who also makes the Tru-Hitch units for commercial and military uses (these are the units at either end of the coach one is the gooseneck and the other is mounted to a road dolley).

Almost wish I had the problems that they guy that moved the Pacific Lumber engine to Strasburg had, at least those we before the engine was loaded and the Trucking company & Museum had money invested in the move.

Hope I didn't put too much of my opinion in this, just trying to relate the facts.

Regards,

Rich Cizik
MoW Foreman
Blacksmith Shop Co-Head
P&R 910 Move Coordinator
Ct Eastern RR Museum
Willimantic, Ct 06226
http://www.cteastrrmuseum.org

Sounds like the move of an old army barracks in Perris, CA. When I was living in Perris, OERM arranged to move the old barracks off a lot in downtown Perris out to the museum, about 3 miles away by road. After permits were obtained, the move started on an early Saturday morning when traffic was nil. The truck had just started to pull off the lot when a state trouper comes by and stops the process saying the permits were invalid as a state highway would be used for about 3 blocks. He gave orders not to move the truck and then left the area. The trucker shifted into gear and that load disappeared quickly onto a side street and away to the museum.

The only problem after that was crossing an open field into the museum. Slow going through the mud and grass but the barracks was delivered and has been in use at Orange Empire for many years now - about 35 to be exact.

Thanks for the story.

We have to remember that permits and such things are supposed to benifit the public and private property along the route so that they will not be damaged; however there will always be people in power who get off on having an official position.

TM