Tri-State Establishes Permanent Archive and Library in Boonton, NJ

Tri-State Railway Historical Society announced today that it has signed a lease to establish the Mike Del Vecchio Library & Archive in historic downtown Boonton, New Jersey. The archive will be home to Tri-State’s growing artifact and book collection focused on the railroad history of New Jersey its connecting regions. This is the first such archive in the state dedicated to railroad history.

“New Jersey has perhaps the richest railroad history of any state in the country. There has unfortunately never been a central repository where the paper artifacts and data from this region can be collected and accessed by the public,” said Tri-State President Richie King. “This archive finally begins to solve this decades-old problem.”

Located on the top floor of 408 Main Street in Boonton, NJ, the archive is strategically located just walking distance from United Railroad Historical Society of NJ’s Boonton Yard, the base of operations for Tri-State over the last several years. This proximity will allow volunteers to have easy access to the entirety of both organizations’ collections in one lively, downtown area. The building itself, built in 1904, retains its exposed brick interior and has a historic character that lends itself beautifully to Tri-State’s purposes.

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With a permanent site established, Tri-State welcomes the donation of historic photos, documents, artifacts, and even full collections that fit the archive’s New Jersey-centric scope.

“We know there are troves of resources out there to just waiting to be shared with the public,” said King. “We encourage folks to make the Mike Del Vecchio Library & Archive the forever home for their collections. With an ever-growing archive, we can collectively help to enrich the public’s understanding of railroad history.”

The archive is named in honor of Mike Del Vecchio, Tri-State’s recently deceased, long-time President and patron. It was his significant bequest of photos and documentation upon his passing that formed the impetus to establish this archive.

The archive will consist of two main spaces. One large room to house artifacts, and a smaller reading room with working space for volunteers and visitors. Following the move-in, Tri-State will look to procure professional equipment and software to digitize and catalog its collection over the coming months

To support the Mike Del Vecchio Library & Archive, donors can contribute at https://www.tristaterail.org/donate.

Tri-State Holds Boy Scout Merit Badge Workshop

Tri-State held another Boy Scout Railroading Merit Badge class this month. Tri-State's father-son volunteer duo Josh and Ed Kohler, with the help of member Rudy Garbely taught a class of boy scouts off site, and then brought the group to volunteer in Boonton Yard to get hands-on experience with out collection of railroad equipment.

Tri-State's New Workshop Arrives at Boonton Yard

Tri-State took delivery of new 20-foot shipping container at Boonton Yard on Saturday, June 16. This container will now serve as Tri-State's storage shed and workshop, opening up space in the Erie C330, which until recently was home to the restoration team's tools and equipment.

Having secure storage and work space in Boonton opens up new opportunities for Tri-State. It allows the group to expand upon the growing collection of tools which help carry out projects, and allows us to keep inventory of parts which are use for restoration projects and keep 19 operational.

This purchase is part of the many improvements that Tri-State has been making to Boonton Yard for the benefit of volunteers who work on Tri-State and URHS projects. Tri-State recently brought an on-site restroom to the facility, and with the new container in place, will have an outdoor sink installed. The group plans to prioritize more amenities that will improve the volunteer experience in Boonton.

Plans are to give the container a new paint job with Tri-State signage and to install the very-necessary ventilation.

19 Back in Service After Heavy-Duty Repairs

Tri-State's M&E 19 was fired up and run for the first time this year on Saturday June, 9. This was following several weeks of repairs to the engine's oil cooler. 

At the beginning of the season, volunteers found that oil had leaked into the water/coolant system--evidence of a failed oil cooler. Upon further inspection, it was found that at least one tube in the locomotive's oil cooler had failed, and dumped several gallons of oil into the lower-most pipes in the cooling system. To fix this, volunteers would have to inspect each of the dozens of tubes in the oil cooler, remove and degrease all of the affected plumbing, replace gaskets and bolts, and then bypass the broken oil cooler tube(s).

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ALCo Century locomotives have a unique oil cooling system. The oil is water-cooled in the same way that the block is. Four hundred small tubes carry coolant through the oil in an intercooler which sits a the lowest point in coolant system. Because the oil cooler is so low, water can settle there, making it prone to freezing in the winter. Evidence of prior fixes from its career on the M&E and TP&W could be seen when the access panels on either end were removed. 

The most logical solution for this problem is not to "fix" it, per se, but to bypass broken tubes by plugging either end. This is a common practice in industries that use heat exchangers or intercoolers for variety of purposes. It eliminates the need to remove and rebuild the device and its affect on performance is negligible.

Tri-State's volunteers spent several weekends taking apart plumbing, disposing of oil, degreasing parts, and even cleaning the oil cooler tubes with a rifle brush. After all the tubes were cleaned, it was found that only one had ruptured. That one tube was plugged, and the oil cooler was reassembled. The first test run of 19 was successful, and the engine performed up to expectations.

In the following months, improvements will be made to 19's electrical system, and it will get its first 92-day inspection under Tri-State.

Record Setting Success at 25th Annual Santa Train

Tri-State operated its twenty-fifth Santa Train out of Wayne, NJ on December 9, 2017. Over 2,000 people, including parents and children, were treated to a 45-minute ride with Santa, elves, carolers, and a host of characters over NJ Transit’s Montclair Boonton Line. The Santa Train is Tri-State’s largest annual fundraiser, enabling the organization to fund operations, equipment restorations and maintenance, and events. 2017’s train was the most successful one of the last five years.

A light snowfall throughout the day blanketed the scenery and framed a most joyous, happy day. Each child received a special gift from Santa, a candy cane, and coloring book. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the Grinch, Snoopy, and Olaf the Snowman greeted families and posed for pictures.

Our train was staffed by a team of over fifty volunteers. Who are these folks? They are from all walks of life, including: a nurse, a pipe fitter, a hairdresser, a news cameraman, a painter, a professional ballet dancer, accountants, lawyers, and railroaders. Some of them were with us for the first time and some have been with Tri-State for decades. A great abundance of thanks is owed to all of them.