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Building Tracks to the Future |
Building Tracks to the Future...
In 1996, the Rochester Chapter of the National Railway Historical
Society held the 25th Silver Anniversary
Celebration to commemorate owning our former Erie Railroad railroad
depot at Industry, New York for twenty-five years. As part of that
celebration, the Rochester Chapter NRHS initiated a capital fund drive
to raise the money necessary to construct a restoration building, a
facility to support restoration and preservation of our locomotives
and rolling stock at our Rochester & Genesee
Valley Railroad Museum.
We achieved our
goal to build and enclose the building,
but work on the building and building site remains to make it a truly
first class restoration facility. On top of that, we need to grow our
museum in other areas as well.
For our Building Tracks to the Future Capital Fund Drive, we are
focusing on three objectives in two key areas:
- Completion of the yard trackage north of our restoration
building.
While we have our building, we have
not yet connected track to the facility.
A temporary track was installed in 1996, several pieces were rolled
inside to start work on them, and then the track was removed to allow
for further excavation for the permanent installation. This goal will
see the permanent installation of two switches and over 600 feet of
track along with all the necessary grading, sub-ballast and drainage.
We estimate this cost to be $25,000.
- Installation of the locomotive inspection pit and concrete
floor in the east side of the
restoration building.
As part of this project, we will
have to acquire 280 feet of 115-pound
relay grade rail and associated installation hardware. Chapter volunteers
will perform the pit excavation and the slab grading with equipment
from the Chapter's historical construction equipment fleet. Professional
concrete contractors will be hired to perform the forming and concrete
placement work necessary to complete the pit and floor according to
our already completed engineering drawings and specifications. We
estimate this cost to be $75,000.
- Installation of a siding west of the
LA&L
mainline for the storage and
maintenance of our passenger
excursion trainset
This trackage will be installed in
accordance with the LA&L's engineering and operational requirements.
This work will include site preparation,
drainage, ballasting, the acquisition and installation by the LA&L
of a 135-pound per yard right hand turnout and the construction
of approximately 1400 feet of siding track. In 2006, the Rochester
Chapter NRHS took the first steps by entering into an agreement
with the LA&L
and paying for the installation of
the turnout in 2007, however, the Chapter still needs to handle
the building of all of the siding trackage. Thus, the cost to complete
this siding track is estimated at $50,000.
To adequately fund these objectives, the Rochester Chapter's Building
Tracks to the Future Capital Fund Drive goal is $150,000.
Would you help us Build Tracks to the Future? Donations to the Rochester
Chapter NRHS are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law. If
you wish to help, please make a Paypal donation.
Donations can also be made via the mail. Please make your donation
check payable to the Rochester Chapter NRHS and mail it to:
Building Tracks to the Future
Rochester Chapter NRHS
P.O. Box 23326
Rochester, NY 14692-3326.
On behalf of the Building Tracks to the Future Capital Fund Drive
Committee and the officers and trustees of the Rochester Chapter NRHS,
we thank you for your generous support of our Chapter and its many
projects. We look forward to substantial progress in 2007, the Rochester
Chapter's 70th Anniversary year, to build on all of the work completed
in 2006.
The building we do today will preserve our rail heritage
for tomorrow.
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