I've been to Cuba the past 3 years. Problem is, a lot of that historic stuff is already gone. And now that regular service steam has been mostly abandoned, what's left will deteriorate quickly. To quote Neil Young, "Rust never sleeps".

Only 3 Brill cars left on the Hershey, and only 1 of them is still operable.

bas1210@comcast.net

> I'm about 99.9% sure the engine
> spent some time at the Tennessee Valley
> Railroad Museum and I think it ran a time or
> two (or more??) while there. I think I
> remember seeing a photo of the 0-6-0T coming
> out of the TVRM's tunnel. I believe the
> "Flying Dutchess" is now stored in
> Louisville, KY, still under private
> ownership.

> Also, anyone know what happened to the 3
> British coaches that were used with the
> locomotive in MI? I thought 1 of those cars
> had went along with the engine when it went
> to the TVRM(??).

Right on all points. The 0-6-0 and one coach did come to TVRM, and I believe the coach is in Louisville with the engine.

JAC

Jim,

Neat photo. I was just going through my collection of old Steam Directories and the Boyne City caught my eye.

-Alan Levy

alanl759@aol.com

See below link for yet another photo from this fallen flag tourist line. All of these linked photos appear to be "vintage" postcards from the BC RR tourist operation.

The view at the link is actually 2 postcards, both from inside the car shop / museum. One shows the Russell snow plow (now at Mid-Continent), a caboose, and a c.1901 wooden business car. The other one shows an interesting (and nicely presented, BTW) exhibit of locomotive and car foundry patterns.

Question: what happened to the business car and WHAT happened to those patterns!!

BTW, if the Boyne City RR "sounds familar" to any western NY steam fans, it was (in the BC RR regular service days) the former home of 2-8-0 18 at Arcade & Attica RR.

Regards,
Jim Robinson


Boyne City RR museum

Nice looking car shop.

A&A #18 is, of course, in choo choo heaven now.

Joshua

The entire Boyne City Railroad was auctioned off around 1976, including the hugely valuable lakefront land, now occupied by massive condos. I suppose the patterns went to antique dealers. The business car went to the Detroit and Mackinac and then to the Henry Ford Museum. This is the Munising Railway car recently excessed by the Henry Ford, but I can't remember to whom. The shops of the former Boyne City, Gaylord and Alpena were a real relic, and had one of only two flue-rattling tumblers I've ever seen. The Cass Scenic got that. The other two British coaches may still be stored in private hands.

- Aarne Frobom

Dear Jim:
The much of the pattern collection (including the driving wheel) was purchased at the auction by the Bensenville (Illinois) Park District. I was their agent at the auction and purchased a number of items including a water plug, several signals, a switch stand (harp type?) and a collection of railroad passes. These items were earmarked for a proposed railroad museum that was never built. I later installed the outside stuff adjacent to the 0-6-0 that they have on display (I restored that locomotive in 1974+/-). The passes and patterns are probably still in storage.
J.David

jdconrad@snet.net

Jim,

Keep the fallen flag tourist stuff coming. I really like the era of the early tourist lines. It was kind of a golden age.

Alan Levy

alanl759@aol.com

The 0-6-0 was purchased by Chattanooga Coke & Chemical for use as their corporate symbol. When the company closed, the locomotive was donated to TVRM. The Dutchess was unique to TVRM's operation since it was oil fired and had vacuum brakes. Little did we know that we had the perfect locomotive to be Thomas the Tank Engine.

During the financial problems that TVRM suffered in the early 1980's, the Dutchess was identified as an asset that could be liquidated. It was purchased by an individual who then moved it to the Louisville, KY area.

Perhaps the Dutchess could be painted up as James or one of the other Thomas characters...

BTW, Steve says he has finally updated his website so click on the link.

G. Mark.

TVRM Shop Updates by Steve Freer
aw90@comcast.net

> Jim,

> Keep the fallen flag tourist stuff coming. I
> really like the era of the early tourist
> lines. It was kind of a golden age.

> Alan Levy

Does anyone have a picture of Arcade & Attica No. 18 operating on the Boyne City RR? I've seen the image of her in Ed Lewis's book, but does anybody have a photo of her in BCRR service that is seldom seen?

One British coach arrived at TVRM with the "Duchess." Chattanooga Coke and Chemicals Co. actually bought the train in 1976, acccording to a CC&C newsletter I have stashed somewhere. The royal visitor operated at TVRM from 1977 or 78, until 1980 or 81. Kids used to ask if it was a Circus train. If there's interest in seeing a pic of it at TVRM I'll post one to steamvalley.com.


that other (lately neglected) Chattanooga website
mail@steamvalley.com

Mark,
My youngsters, who grew up on Thomas remind us that James, unlike the Duchess, has a tender.

that other (lately neglected) Chattanooga website
mail@steamvalley.com