Diesel Days is this weekend - 8/21 & 8/22

These kings of the rails come in all sizes, and the collection at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum gives visitors a close-up look. Learn what makes a diesel go. See several different diesel locomotives under power, and take a ride on them! Extended hours (10A.M.-6P.M.) both Saturday and Sunday.   This is the only Saturday the museums will be open during the day in 2010, so please take advantage.   Special Event admission prices apply. Adults $8.00 Seniors $7.00 Children $5.00

Start your Diesel Days experience and purchase your tickets at the New York Museum of Transportation at 6393 East River Road.

We hope to see you at the museums this weekend!

Latest newsletter available - August 2010

Interested in learning more about what is going on at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum?   Please read the August 2010 issue of our newsletter, The Semaphore, online in PDF.    And if you want to read more, please check out our online newsletter archive.  We have nine previous years currently available.

Paint progress - RG&E #1941

Work on the cosmetic restoration has continued in earnest on ex-Rochester Gas & Electric GE 45-tonner #1941.    This time around it is work on the painting of the interior of the engine hoods to insure this restoration will be top notch inside and out.    Here are some photos of the work and the results from this evening's work session.

Project Manager, Joe Nugent (top two photos), and volunteer Luther Brefo work on the painting of the interior of the engine hoods on #1941.
The results!

Uh oh!

One of the challenges of being an operating railroad museum with operating equipment is that even the best maintained equipment occasionally suffers a breakdown.   In the midst of tamping our new siding west of the LA&L, our Jackson tamper had such a failure.   After 20+ years of faithful service to our museum, it began to make an awful sound while operating.  It was still running, but was quickly shutdown. 

After removing and dismantling the engine, this is what we found:
The broken crankshaft from the museum's tamper.
The crankshaft broken in three pieces!   Yikes!  

Luckily, we have several qualified diesel mechanics who have already been hard at work on the engine, but have also been searching for parts for this two cylinder Detroit.   Parts have been located alas at a cost of $1600.00.   Since we need the machine, we have made the parts purchase, but we could really use your help to Donate-A-Ton.    The money we raise for ballast frees up other monies to repair and maintain our equipment like our tamper.   Thanks for your consideration and here are a few more images of the work on the tamper and its engine.
Tamper minus one engine.

A little tight on space in the shop, a work bench has been placed behind our Gradall which is also seeing work.   Volunteer, Bob Ziegler (left), is leading the rebuild effort and is working here to disassemble the lower half of the engine to remove the crank.
Engine with the broken crank removed.   The new crank is on order, and the engine will soon be back together.

Latest newsletter available - July 2010

Interested in learning more about what is going on at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum?   Please read the July 2010 issue of our newsletter, The Semaphore, online in PDF.    And if you want to read more, please check out our online newsletter archive.  We have nine previous years currently available.