The Flying Yankee

Gosh it has been a long time without a posting on this string! Is everybody standing in line waiting to purchase naming rights for a car or a seat on the train?

I wonder if you have to donate a certain amount for something like that to happen. I like that idea though.

They had the schedule of prices for naming rights to cars and seats posted on their website. They also have the list of those who have purchased naming rights so far.

I have heard through the TBR (talk between railfans) that they have some more definite plans now for the repowering of the train. Nothing on the website about that yet. Anybody know any details?

I see they have posted a new update on the website indicating that the request for proposals for rebuilding the truck frames is presently being drawn up. It advises that the effort to locate a suitable engine/generator replacement package will begin after the truck frames have been completed.

Speaking of the FY, were opperations stopped due to funding? It seems that last i saw it, it was sitting under it's white tarp in the yard in Lincoln, not in the engine house as i thought it would be

Bernie you are correct. Work is on a pause with the Yankee or was. I was told back in May during the MBRRE rail fan trip that they were working on getting more funding and would resume work on it shortly. According to the tour guide (who let me and Andria sit in the B car) the Yankee should be all finished up in the next 2 years if all goes to plan.

It seems like two years might be a bit too short considering the amount of work left to be done. They are requesting proposals to have the trucks rebuilt, but without knowing at this point what the replacement engine and transmission system are going to be, how can you be sure there will not be a need for later alterations to the truck frames and motor nose supports to allow the use of different traction motors? And if that becomes the case, then do you need to make changes to the wheelsets (which have already been reconditioned) too, to allow for a different support bearing arrangement or different design of gears? Re-engineering something built 70 years ago can be a pretty complex problem.

There is a big article on the Flying Yankee on Boston.com/The Boston Globe. It appears to be pretty positive. It can be seen here at:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_ha ... _on_track/

Actually if you go to http://www.boston.com, it gave the Flying Yankee top billing.

I see that the Boston Globe article now lists the completion as 2009, three years away rather than two. It also says the Flying Yankee will be equipped as a rolling classroom for the school children of New Hampshire. Maybe they can get together with the NRHS and host RailCamp sessions.

It quotes 2.6 million dollars being the balance needed to complete it rather than the previous 3.2 million dollars. This is consistent with the posting on the FYRG website that indicated $800,000 had been raised.

Those trying to access the article on the internet site be aware that the Boston Globe is like the NY Times, after they let you look at the page once they drop a cookie on your computer that makes you register at their site before you can visit again.

The Amherst Railway Society just posted their 2006-2007 season schedule of events, and a presentation by the FYRG president is scheduled for the September meeting. The schedule of events for Amherst can be found here:

http://www.amherstrail.org/calendar.html

Tying this in with school children is brilliant, becuase it can open up funding streams they didn't have access to previously. I hope it works.

Dave Becker

What would really help this group's standing with potential contributors and the preservation community is if they would keep their word and reassemble the Winton 201A engine and put it on display in a way that properly recognizes its historic significance, rather than auctioning it off piece by piece at their dinners and banquets. I believe it is the only engine of this type in New England. After all, when they first announced they were not going to use it in the restoration they said they were going to put it on display, so why not do exactly what they said they were going to do? It would cost very little to put it back together since it is never going to run again, it would keep the parts from getting lost or deteriorating on the floor of the shop, and would restore some confidence that the people running this operation keep their word and recognize the historic value of this equipment.

I wonder where in Concord the train will be stored at. The city of Concord should take advantage of this opportunity to try and get a rail museum in place. There's ample room in the old Boston & Maine Industrial site to have a museum of some sort.

It has been quiet on this string for a long time again, anybody got any news to offer on the Flying Yankee?