Evergreen Express - SOLD OUT
Thanks to everyone who supported our 2013 Evergreen Express! We are officially SOLD OUT! We look forward to hosting you this Saturday to bring you to the North Pole for a special visit with Santa Claus!
Help us ROC the Day!
The Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum is participating in the United Way of Rochester's ROC the Day 24 hour fundraising campaign being held on Wednesday, December 10, 2013. We hope you will consider helping us continue to preserve the railroad history of Rochester & Western New York through a donation during this 24-hour period this holiday season.
Click here to visit our page on the ROC the Day site to make a donation today!
Thank you for your support.
Fun events in December!
Please join us for these fun and festive events in December!
Holiday Party and Open House
Saturday, December 7, 2013 6:30-9:30p.m.
Industry Depot - 282 Rush-Scottsville Road, Rush, NY
Enjoy some holiday cheer in the warm festive atmosphere of our restored country depot. Bring a dish or other refreshments to pass. Our holiday open house party is open to all friends and family! Please join us between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. and enjoy the spirit of the season with us!
Museum Meeting
Thursday, December 19, 7:00pm
40 & 8 Club - 933 University Avenue, Rochester, NY
RGVRRM member Peter Gores will be presenting his program about his adventures while a chasing a Canadian steam fan trip. The museum store opens at 7:00pm, a brief business meeting takes place at 7:30pm, and the program begins around 8:15pm. This is a FREE event open to everyone. We meet at the 40 & 8 Club in downtown Rochester, New York.
All Aboard the Evergreen Express!
Saturday, December 21, 2013, departing 5:30 and 7:30p.m.
Industry Depot - 282 Rush-Scottsville Road, Rush, NY
A special treat for boys and girls of all ages! Arrive at our Industry depot, all decked out for the season. Enjoy hot chocolate while you wait to board your train. Climb aboard vintage cabooses lit by kerosene lamps for a magical trip to the “North Pole” to visit with Santa! After the children are greeted by Santa, you will board the train for the return trip to Industry Depot. Join us and create a special memory for your family this holiday season. Trains depart Industry Depot at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., only 30 seats available on each trip. Tickets are $15.00 each, and available by pre-order only. Purchase your tickets online.
Holiday Party and Open House
Saturday, December 7, 2013 6:30-9:30p.m.
Industry Depot - 282 Rush-Scottsville Road, Rush, NY
Enjoy some holiday cheer in the warm festive atmosphere of our restored country depot. Bring a dish or other refreshments to pass. Our holiday open house party is open to all friends and family! Please join us between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. and enjoy the spirit of the season with us!
Museum Meeting
Thursday, December 19, 7:00pm
40 & 8 Club - 933 University Avenue, Rochester, NY
RGVRRM member Peter Gores will be presenting his program about his adventures while a chasing a Canadian steam fan trip. The museum store opens at 7:00pm, a brief business meeting takes place at 7:30pm, and the program begins around 8:15pm. This is a FREE event open to everyone. We meet at the 40 & 8 Club in downtown Rochester, New York.
Saturday, December 21, 2013, departing 5:30 and 7:30p.m.
Industry Depot - 282 Rush-Scottsville Road, Rush, NY
A special treat for boys and girls of all ages! Arrive at our Industry depot, all decked out for the season. Enjoy hot chocolate while you wait to board your train. Climb aboard vintage cabooses lit by kerosene lamps for a magical trip to the “North Pole” to visit with Santa! After the children are greeted by Santa, you will board the train for the return trip to Industry Depot. Join us and create a special memory for your family this holiday season. Trains depart Industry Depot at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., only 30 seats available on each trip. Tickets are $15.00 each, and available by pre-order only. Purchase your tickets online.
Join us in November!
Remember the slide show scene from the 2003 movie The Station Agent? Yeah, it's not like that.
We will be holding our Annual Elections and hosting our annual Member's Slide Night on Thursday, November 21. Bring your favorite railroad images (slides or digital images), limited to 20 per person. The museum store opens at 7:00pm, a brief business meeting takes place at 7:30pm, and the program begins around 8:15pm. This is a FREE event open to everyone. We meet at the 40 & 8 Club in downtown Rochester, New York. Cash bar available and do some early holiday shopping at our museum book store set up prior to the meeting.
Enjoy fun fall foliage train rides through November 3
Board the trolley at New York Museum of Transportation (6393 East River Road). Trolleys depart every half-hour!
Ride the trolley down to Midway station, where you will transfer to a diesel-powered train.
Our friendly volunteers are ready to welcome you aboard!
Enjoy the ride inside or outside as we roll through the colorful forest.
Join us for our October meeting!
Trolley cars 60 and 66 at Rowland's loop. Photo by W. D. Clark, Tom Kirn Collection. Car 60 is part of the collection of the museum. NYMT Archive No. 2689e
Did you know Rochester had its own rapid transit system from 1926-1956? In fact, our museum hasa very important part of the old Rochester Subway: Car 60, the last remaining trolley car from the Subway fleet. At our October meeting, NYMT board member Charlie Lowe will be presenting a show about the old Rochester Subway, featuring many never seen before color slides and other information. Don't miss it!
The museum store opens at 7:00pm, a brief business meeting takes place at 7:30pm, and the program begins around 8:15pm. This is a FREE event. We meet at the 40 & 8 Club, 933 University Avenue, in Rochester, NY. Cash bar available.
https://www.facebook.com/events/619721378080489/
http://www.rgvrrm.org/events/#20131017
Enjoy Fall Foliage by Trolley & Train through November 3!
All tours begin at the New York Museum of Transportation, 6393 East River Road, Rush, N.Y. One admission is good for entry to both museums and the train rides between them! Admission is $10 for Adults (18 and over), $8 for Seniors (65+), $8 for Youth (3-15). The museums are open from 11:00am to 4:30pm. We suggest you arrive by 3:00pm to experience everything our museums have to offer!
Trolley and Track Car rides through September 8!
Your trip back in time starts just 20 minutes south of Rochester! Enjoy an authentic electric trolley ride through the bucolic western New York countryside. Transfer to our open-air track cars at Midway Station to continue your ride to Industry Depot and a tour of the restored country train station and equipment displays at Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum.
All tours begin at the New York Museum of Transportation, 6393 East River Road, Rush, N.Y. One admission is good for entry to both museums and the train rides between them! Admission is $10 for Adults (18 and over), $8 for Seniors (65+), $8 for Youth (3-15). The museums are open from 11:00am to 4:30pm. We suggest you arrive by 3:00pm to experience everything our museums have to offer!
See, hear, and ride vintage diesels on August 18
Railroads have been a vital part of our nation's success for more than 150 years, thanks to continuous expansion and innovation. One of those innovations is the diesel locomotive, which has been the backbone of the railroad industry since the 1940s. From the earliest switch engines to today’s high-horsepower thoroughbreds, the diesel locomotive has been essential to the growth and success of American railroads.
On Sunday, August 18, the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum will host its annual Diesel Day, where visitors will not only see and hear a collection of restored vintage diesels, but also ride behind these kings of the rails. Your ride begins at New York Museum of Transportation, where you will board a trolley that will take you to a special extended diesel ride. Visitors will have a chance to meet the volunteer train crews and see what's under the hood of these fascinating machines. Learn how we keep these historic trains running, some of which are more than 70 years old!
All tours begin at the New York Museum of Transportation, 6393 East River Road, Rush, N.Y. One admission is good for entry to both museums and the train rides between them! Admission is $10 for Adults (18 and over), $8 for Seniors (65+), $8 for Youth (3-15). The museums are open from 11:00am to 5:00pm.
Summer museum update
It's been a fun and exciting summer season at the train museums! Here's a few photos from the last month or so of activities around the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum. For the latest news and information, please "Like" our Facebook fan page!
Volunteers Rob and Bill weld new steel to the sides of our historic Lehigh Valley caboose, currently under restoration in our shop.
Boy Scout Troop 210 from Kirkville, New York, came out to visit us on June 29. They helped out with many service projects around the museum, and also worked on requirements towards earning the Railroading merit badge.
As part of our special Baseball Day celebration on June 30, we had a visit from Spikes, the official mascot of the Rochester Red Wings baseball team! Spikes has just stepped off the trolley from NYMT and is about to board our diesel trains for the ride down to Industry.
Spikes rides our restored Penn Central caboose with our visitors on the way down to Industry Depot to tour the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum.
Volunteer Jim Moore gives visitors a tour of our MDT refrigerator car, along with a brief history of the Despatch Shops carbuilding facility once located in East Rochester.
Our diesel powered train, consisting of two restored cabooses pulled by R&GV 1654, departs Industry and heads up the hill towards Midway Station.
A
young visitor takes a picture of our departing train. Our museum is fun
for kids of all ages, and provides a fun experience you won't find
anywhere else.
Visitors wait at Midway Station for the trolley to take them back to the New York Museum of Transportation. The station at Midway was once an unmanned station located near Brockport serving the old Buffalo, Lockport & Rochester interurban trolley system.
Volunteers Rob and Bill weld new steel to the sides of our historic Lehigh Valley caboose, currently under restoration in our shop.
New steel has been welded to the west side of our Lehigh Valley caboose, now the process will continue on the east side. You can help by sponsoring a rivet! Rivets are $10 each, and we need about 250 to complete the job. Please dontate today...
Boy Scout Troop 210 from Kirkville, New York, came out to visit us on June 29. They helped out with many service projects around the museum, and also worked on requirements towards earning the Railroading merit badge.
More progress was made on our display of railroad markers at Industry Depot. Next will come black paint for lettering, and small signs to explain each marker. From left to right: Erie milepost for Industry indicating 12 miles to Rochester and 373 miles to Jersey City; New York Central milepost for Wesbster indicating 92 miles to Pulaski Jct, New York; New York Central milepost for Victor indicating 87 miles to Syracuse, and a "whistle" post letting the engineer know he was approaching a crossing and needed to start blowing the whistle.
Every Tuesday and Saturday, our track gang is out making repairs to keep our railroad in top operating condition! Want to join them, or help out with any of our other projects? We're always looking for new volunteers. Come on out and try it!
Boy Scouts invade Industry!
On June 29, Boy Scout Troop 210, from Kirkville, New York, paid us a visit. They spent the day touring our museum, contributing to service projects, enjoying train rides, and learning how we keep the museum running week after week. Volunteer Otto Vondrak, a former Scout leader himself, took the troop around our museum for the day, organizing work parties, and taking them on behind the scenes tours. Volunteer Ray Howard, also an active Scout leader, helped several Scouts earn requirements towards their Railroading merit badge! The Scouts camped out overnight in our cabooses and enjoyed a train ride on Sunday morning before departing for home. We welcome Scout troops and have many opportunities no matter what age. What are you waiting for? Photos courtesy Mark Dashnaw/Troop 210.
Scouts try their hand at the levers that control the semaphore signal outside (don't worry, it's disconnected).
Scouts got a behind the scenes tour of our Restoration Building, where Lehigh Valley caboose 95100 is currently being repaired and rebuilt. A donation in any amount will help us complete the work and put this historic car back on the rails!
Volunteer Otto Vondrak explains how certain machines help us maintain the museum railroad.
Volunteer Ray Howard helped several Scouts earn their Railroading merit badge.
Using the waiting room at Industry Depot as a classroom, Ray Howard helped several Scouts earn their railroading merit badge.
Several Scouts helped clean up our new railroad marker display, despite the light drizzle that morning.
Scouts and adult leaders alike helped clear pine needles and debris off our tracks (There were no trains operating this day, and everyone was protected inside the work zone.)
Some lucky Scouts got to ride in the cab with volunteer Rich Fischpera on Sunday morning.
Visit our web site or Find us on Facebook!
Exciting June Events
Aside from being open every Sunday from May through October, we have a few exciting special events to share...
June Museum Meeting
Thursday, June 20: Join us for our June museum meeting at Industry Depot! Following our regular meeting, enjoy train rides on our museum railroad aboard our restored vintage trains. See the latest progress on our restorations and learn what we have planned for the future. Our meetings are open to everyone, please bring a friend! R&GVRRM's Industry Depot is located off Route 251 in the Town of Rush. This is a FREE event, doors open at 7:00 p.m.
Baseball Day Train Rides
Sunday, June 30: What's more American than trains and baseball? From teams using trains to travel from city to city, to baseball fans taking the train to the game, these two American traditions have been intertwined for more than 100 years. Come and enjoy trolley and train rides while you spend the day exploring our two museums. Kids won't want to miss a visit from Spikes, the mascot of the Rochester Red Wings. All tours begin at New York Museum of Transportation on East River Road and include a visit to the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum as well. First trolley departs at 11:30 a.m.
Like us on Facebook or visit our web site for more details.
Thursday, June 20: Join us for our June museum meeting at Industry Depot! Following our regular meeting, enjoy train rides on our museum railroad aboard our restored vintage trains. See the latest progress on our restorations and learn what we have planned for the future. Our meetings are open to everyone, please bring a friend! R&GVRRM's Industry Depot is located off Route 251 in the Town of Rush. This is a FREE event, doors open at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 30: What's more American than trains and baseball? From teams using trains to travel from city to city, to baseball fans taking the train to the game, these two American traditions have been intertwined for more than 100 years. Come and enjoy trolley and train rides while you spend the day exploring our two museums. Kids won't want to miss a visit from Spikes, the mascot of the Rochester Red Wings. All tours begin at New York Museum of Transportation on East River Road and include a visit to the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum as well. First trolley departs at 11:30 a.m.
Like us on Facebook or visit our web site for more details.
Adopt-A-Rivet... Help restore Lehigh Valley caboose #95100
After being saved from the scrap yard in October 2011 by the R&GVRRM and moved into the museum's shop in January 2012, the museum has been very busy working on the restoration of ex-Lehigh Valley Railroad caboose #95100. The project has now reached the phase where we are beginning to put the car back together; starting with the exterior. Part of this work is to install new lower steel side sheets on both sides of the car as the steel that was on there had badly corroded and was removed over the past few months.
To remove the sheets, we had to cut and remove nearly 250 rivets.
Along with welding portions of the new sheets, we are going to need to acquire and reinstall those rivets.
This is where we hope you will help us and Adopt-A-Rivet! $10 buys one rivet and we need to raise the funds for the equivalent of 250 rivets to allow us to purchase all of the materials needed for the job. Would you please help us turn our Rivet Counter Cornell red by donating and adopting a rivet or rivets today? Please click on the link below to donate online using PayPal. Do not wish to use PayPal and prefer to send a check? Perfect! Please send your check made out to the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum to:
Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum
Adopt-A-Rivet
P.O. Box 23326
Rochester, NY 14693-3326
To donate a rivet ($10) online via PayPal, please click here:
Like to adopt more than one rivet? Please click the button below and fill in the dollar amount for the number of rivets you would like to adopt or any other dollar amount you would like:
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| LV #95100 in the R&GVRRM's Restoration Shop with its lower side sheets removed. 04.27.2013 |
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| Volunteer, Rob Burz, cuts the rivets away from the side of LV#95100 to allow the lower portion of the side sheets to be cut and removed. |
This is where we hope you will help us and Adopt-A-Rivet! $10 buys one rivet and we need to raise the funds for the equivalent of 250 rivets to allow us to purchase all of the materials needed for the job. Would you please help us turn our Rivet Counter Cornell red by donating and adopting a rivet or rivets today? Please click on the link below to donate online using PayPal. Do not wish to use PayPal and prefer to send a check? Perfect! Please send your check made out to the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum to:
Adopt-A-Rivet
P.O. Box 23326
Rochester, NY 14693-3326
To donate a rivet ($10) online via PayPal, please click here:
Like to adopt more than one rivet? Please click the button below and fill in the dollar amount for the number of rivets you would like to adopt or any other dollar amount you would like:
Donations to the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Thank you very much for your support. We are actively working on the #95100 now so your donation will have an immediate impact.
 |
| UPDATE 06.26.2013 - The east side has all of its new steel side sheets welded in. Now we just have to fasten the bottom and that is where your donation comes in and makes an immediate impact! |
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| UPDATE 06.26.2013 - A wider view of all of the new east side steel welded in place. |
Getting ready for opening day
Industry Yard was a flurry of activity this past weekend as we get ready for our Opening Day on May 19! Volunteers were out in force working on track, trains, and other items around the museum. Follow our Facebook fan page and stay up to date on our progress! Want to lend a hand? We're always looking for new volunteers! Photos by Otto Vondrak.
Volunteers Ryan Bailly, Dave Scheiderich, and Mike Walsh do a little track work at Switch 5.
Another
crew was out getting our rare Fairbanks-Morse diesel ready for the upcoming operating season. That's a pre-lube pump they're using.
Volunteer Dave Peet scrapes paint off the depot and prepares the surfaces for sanding and priming.
Brakeman James Otto keeps an eye on the train while conductor Dave Scheiderich communicates with the engineer via radio to safely spot the train in Industry Yard.
Latest newsletter available - April 2013
Latest newsletter available - March 2013
Revisit the old Hojack Swing Bridge with us on March 21!
Everyone is invited to our meeting on March 21! The evening program will be "Charlotte Swing Bridge" by museum members Chris Playford and Harold Russell. Chris will share his digital images of the bridge’s dismantling from November 2012, while Harold will share his slides made in 2005 while gathering field data. The Hojack Swing Bridge carried the trains of the New York Central, Penn Central, and Conrail over the mouth of the Genesee River for more than 90 years.
We meet at the 40&8 Club, located at 933 University Avenue in Rochester, New York. The museum book store opens at 7:00pm, a brief business meeting takes place at 7:30pm, and the program begins around 8:15pm. This is a FREE event. Everyone is welcome!
R&GVRRM projects featured in Railfan & Railroad
Helping out our neighbors to the north
As many of you are aware, we operate a unique dual-museum experience in cooperation with the New York Museum of Transportation. We share many aspects of our operation, including the tracks, equipment, and volunteers needed to make a successful trolley and train ride. That also means from time to time we help each other out with special projects.
On Sunday, January 20, museum volunteers Jay and Todd Considine, Rick Holahan, Charlie Lowe, Tony Mittiga, Joe Nugent, Robert Pratt, and Otto Vondrak all contributed to the effort to help clear out a new space at NYMT for the future display of the steam engine parts from the now dismantled Hojack Swing Bridge. No small feat, as many heavy parts and small machines were moved through the cramped space, as well as many boxes and discarded trash were removed as well.
NYMT has been kind enough to help store several pieces for R&GVRRM over the years. Robert Platt (above), Charlie Lowe, and Otto Vondrak helped move this pistol-grip interlocking machine onto a pallet and closer to a doorway so that it can be relocated back to Industry.
Joe Nugent and Charlie Lowe wrestle a brake cylinder from an old interurban car onto a pallet for relocation elsewhere at NYMT.
Charlie Lowe and Joe Nugent pose in the newly cleared space at NYMT. The parts from the old steam engine that once drove the pivot mechanism for the Hojack Swing Bridge will be put on display here in the near future. Thanks to everyone who made this possible!
On Sunday, January 20, museum volunteers Jay and Todd Considine, Rick Holahan, Charlie Lowe, Tony Mittiga, Joe Nugent, Robert Pratt, and Otto Vondrak all contributed to the effort to help clear out a new space at NYMT for the future display of the steam engine parts from the now dismantled Hojack Swing Bridge. No small feat, as many heavy parts and small machines were moved through the cramped space, as well as many boxes and discarded trash were removed as well.
Charlie Lowe poses with a relocated belt-driven Fairmont track car. This was one of the first pieces of operating equipment running on the tracks at NYMT.
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