Today marked the glorious end to a saga that began a week ago, but had beginnings several years ago.
Early this afternoon, Conrail caboose #21165 rolled off a rail-equipped low-boy flatbed trailer and onto its new home, the Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad. They have graciously offered to store our caboose for $1 a year, with the provision they are allowed to operate it in their tourist trains. This agreement will allow it to generate revenue for both the M&H and the CRHS, and will hopefully be a great partnership.
Last weekend, a group of CRHS members braved a nor'easter to go up to Long Island to prep the caboose for the move. They spent Saturday and Sunday clearing brush, strapping the wheelsets into the trucks, and washing the exposed side. Monday morning, the fine folks at Long Island Crane and Rigging showed up and their crew spent the only lull in the storm lifting the crane onto a trailer owned by Jim Lilly, a man who specializes in moving rail equipment by truck.
Due to a problem with the overweight/oversize permits for NYC, the caboose sat on the trailer for a week until it was finally given clearance to move through the city between 5 and 6 this morning. It was in Middletown shortly before 2 PM and the crew took their time unloading it. I was able to escape from work early and meet up with the group from the CRHS at the Amtrak interchange track in Middletown to enjoy a short ride back to the M&H's small yard.
21165 backs off the interchange and pauses for a photo op:
http://sean121982.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=724547http://sean121982.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=724549http://sean121982.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=724550M&H 1016 was in charge of this special little excursion:
http://sean121982.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=724576President Klemick christens the car after the ride:
http://sean121982.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=724599A bunch more pics can be seen here:
http://sean121982.rrpicturearchives.net/archiveThumbs.aspx?id=21799
