My neighbors in Princeton-land continue to clean up after Monday’s storm, which delivered to us a large number of uprooted oaks and snapped off pines. A lot of people are still without power, but my home never lost electricity. Due to the travel bans, I haven’t been able to get up to the railroad yard to check on the Mount Vernon. RR cars are pretty robust when it comes to high wind, but are seriously damaged by even small amounts of flooding. Fortunately, the storm was all wind and little rain.
Despite the storm, we’re off to the Gaithersburg Railroad Collectables show this weekend–we’re two of 450 dealers, and we’re bringing some neat stuff to sell.
Two Hamilton 992B pocket watches.
Everything from historic cufflinks to Fairmont rail cars will be on display and up for sale. I’m looking for a few speciality parts for the Mount Vernon (door locks and latches, and a Pullman berth key). Maybe I’ll get lucky.
Part of me wants to like the one on the left because it has some artistic flair, but the watch on the right is easier to read and that is the whole point of a watch isn’t it? Wonder what the sum of Sandy damage is to various rail lines on the NJ shore.
Comment by Dave Correale — November 3, 2012 @ 7:37 am
Sandy caused trouble in a few distinct areas. The electrical substation in Kearny flooded creating a power shortage for the Northeast Corridor and Coast Line. Downed trees along the Gladstone Branch. Washouts and tidal surge flooding at the Meadows Maintenance Center, Hoboken Terminal, and various places along the Coast Line. Also about one quarter of NJ Transit’s rolling stock and Locomotive fleet was water damaged (if the water gets as high as the bearings on the trucks of a RR car, it’s going to need a truck rollout and inspection at the minimum before it runs again, that’s a lot of work). There is likely going to be a major investigation regarding Transit’s preparation for the storm–a lot of equipment was parked in advance of the storm in flood-prone yards. Also, NJ Transit’s obsession with not appearing unprepared has seen them turning down offers of loaner equipment from the federal DOT and Amtrak.
Comment by Tom — November 21, 2012 @ 1:43 pm
Moving cars out of harms way would seem a no-brainer
Comment by Dave Correale — November 25, 2012 @ 4:25 pm
You’d think.
Comment by Tom — November 25, 2012 @ 11:08 pm