Tri-State's Holds First Year-End Dinner

Tri-State celebrated the successes of 2017 by holding its first "Year-in-Review Dinner" at Boonton Station 1904 on December 14. More than 50 of Tri-State's members filled the restored Lackawanna train station, now a restaurant and bar, to enjoy dinner, to look back on the last year's major projects and events, and to honor members and volunteers who were most instrumental to Tri-State's success in 2017.

Certificates of Appreciation were awarded to top donors to the organization. Those members included Eugene Graber, Andrew Dick, Leon Moreau, John Quinlan, and Brian Alesin. An award was also presented to Liberty Historic Railway, for their generous grant gifted to Tri-State which was used to purchase Morristown & Erie 19. 

The organization's first "Youth Volunteer of the Year Award" was presented to newcomer Matthew Herman, who had the highest number of volunteer hours of any Tri-State volunteer under the age of 18.

Lifetime Membership awards, inscribed with, "In recognition of your meritorious service to Tri-State Railway Historical Society and your enduring effect on the organization," were given to two long-time members and supporters of Tri-State. The awards were presented to Mark Krisanda, who donated his Erie C330 bay window caboose to Tri-State, and to William McKelvey, who's generosity was instrumental is Tri-State's acquisition of M&E 19.

View the gallery below for pictures of the event and this year's award recipients!

President Michael Del Vecchio with presenting member Matthew Herman with the "Youth Volunteer of the Year" Award

Member Andrew Dick receives a donor Certificate of Appreciation

Member Leon Moreau receives a donor Certificate of Appreciation

Member Eugene Graber receives a donor Certificate of Appreciation

Member William McKelvey receives a donor Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of Liberty Historic Railway

Member William McKevley receives his Lifetime Membership award.  From Left to right, Vice President Kevin Phalon, William McKelvey, President Michael Del Vecchio, and Treasurer Richard King.

Member Mark Krisanda receives his Lifetime Membership award. From Left to right, Vice President Kevin Phalon, Mark Krisanda, President Michael Del Vecchio, and Treasurer Richard King.

Railroad Museum [for a day]

Tri-State's last public appearance for 2017 was at the United Railroad Historical Society of NJ's "Railroad Museum [for a day]". The event, which was held on Sunday, September 25, served as a showcase for not only the URHS collection, but Tri-State's as well. Tri-State shares space with URHS in Boonton yard, which is leased from NJ Transit.

Tri-State's M&E 19 and cabooses were half of the open exhibits at the event, and Tri-State's volunteers had the opportunity to display their hard work to the public. Check out the photos of the event below! (Hover over for captions).

19 and Tri-State's cabooses headed back to Boonton on the tail end of Norfolk Souther H-02, seen here in Mountain View, NJ. Photo: Russel Sullivan

The star lineup for the event: CNJ 1524, M&E 19, and New York Central 4083.

19 was open for cab tours. Here is Dennis Livesey's view of the helm of our Alco.

Volunteers Steve Falco and Bill Talmadge on the end of the Raritan River 10. Photo by Mark Forman

The like-new Lackawanna 896, open and on display. Photo by Mark Forman

Tri-State member Mark Krisanda brought his Studebaker police car to show off. Photo by Mark Forman

Volunteer Bill Bossert holding down the fort in M&E 19. Photo by Mark Forman

Some of Tri-State's volunteer force in glowing sun reflection off of the Century Green NYC 4083. Photo by Marc Glucksman

Lackwanna 896's "Second Restoration"

The first of Tri-State's three operating cabooses to be refurbished, DL&W 896, has fared well since it was fully-restored more than 20 years ago. Its high-quality DuPont Centauri paint job was applied by a professional automotive painter and has stood up well to the weather. That, coupled with its fully-restored interior, working oil lamps and coal stove, and like-new replica upholstery, has made it the crown jewel of Tri-State's collection for the past two decades.

However, as for anything stored outside, nature takes its toll. Before 896 hit the road in September, it was time for some improvements. 896's windows, roof, trucks, and under-frame were starting to show their age, which is to be expected after years of hauling passengers. All of that was addressed this summer.

Tri-State ordered new glass to replace the faded Lexan plastic that came with the window frames when the caboose first restored. Lloyd Leone, Jeff Jargosch, and Richie King took on swapping out and sealing all the new glazing, purchased locally from Snow's Glass in Dover.  It was no simple task. Hours of tedious work were needed to remove the cupola windows and replace the glass once the frames were on the ground. The new "real" glass now stands no chance of fading and is far easier to clean... and you can see out of them.

The radio antenna on the roof had also fallen victim to age. Erik Stenzel re-fabricated a new post for the antenna and welded it back to the roof. It may be a small detail, but when the caboose was built with "RADIO" emblazoned on its sides and cupola, it is an important one.

Kevin Phalon, with some help and equipment from member John Nolan, repainted all of the black on the caboose: trucks, stairs, and under-frame (which was formerly a steam locomotive tender frame).

All of that work, along with a wax job of the whole car body, resulted in 896 looking almost as good as it did 20 years ago. This is all part of Tri-State's commitment to not just high standards of restoration, but high standards of maintenance for the duration of our equipment's life in preservation.

Volunteer Erik Stenzel re-fabricates the rusted radio antenna on the cupola.

Board director Lloyd Leone gently slides the new glazing into the frame.

Treasurer Richie King installs the all-important front-facing cupola windows, through which decades of conductors would have kept an eye on their trains.

The faded Lexan windows before being replaced.

A panoramic view of the new view from the cupola.

Volunteer Jeff Jargosch masks off the car body to repaint the black underneath.

The underside of of 896 prior to painting.

Done painting, after midnight!

The finish product, just prior to departing for Rockaway.

Tri-State at "Celebrate Rocakaway Borough"

Tri-State hosted more than 800 passengers at "Celebrate Rockaway Borough" on September 17. In conjunction with the borough of Rockaway, Tri-State was again invited to provide free caboose rides to visitors of this well-attended annual street fair. Over eight-hundred passengers were carried over the course of fourteen trips.

Following the free trips for visitors, Tri-State hosted a longer excursion for its members, which traversed several miles of the line. The train stopped for photographs at one of the seldom seen bridges over the Rockaway River, near the Route 46 overpass, and at the Rockway River crossing in downtown Rockaway at dusk.

Tri-State's all volunteer crew. Rear L-R: Mike Del Vecchio, Jeff Jargosch, Kevin Phalon, Richie King, Michael Kaplonski, and Jim Hager. Front L-R: Erik Stenzel, Andy Dick, Duncan Mara, John Nolan, Lou Capawana, and Barry Levitt. Absent: Matt Herman.

This was a significant day for Tri-State in many respects. Thanks to the Dover & Rockaway River Railroad, this was Morristown & Erie 19's first time hauling passengers under Tri-State ownership. M&E 19, along with Tri-State's Raritan River 10, Lehigh & New England 580, and Lacakwanna 896, made for a train of exclusively organization-owned equipment. This is a claim that only two organizations in New Jersey, including our own, can make.

Lackawanna 663 Fired Up: Part 2

DL&W 663 leaves the shop on its own power for the first time in two years after a heavy overhaul in the Steamtown shop.

Early this summer, Tri-State fired up DL&W F3 No. 663 for the first time in two years after a substantial rebuild. Since then, Steamtown staff and Tri-State volunteers have worked on finishing touches before putting the locomotive back in service.

For volunteers, this meant the little details: Replica builders plates, thanks to Rich Jahn of Anthracite Railroads Historical Society, were installed. The flag holders were put back on (with a placement unique to Lackawanna F units). Aluminum-cast rear door steps were replaced with replicas, again thanks to Rich and ARHS. Some rust and and weathering was removed and the body was cleaned and waxed. The cab seats, which have seen more than their fair share of use, were removed and restored. Volunteers repainted the seat frames, and the cushions were reupholstered by Winfield Upholstery of Lake Hopatcong, NJ. (See below for photos).

With its excursion schedule delayed by contract negotiations, Steamtown National Historic Site began its excursion season in mid-July. On July 29, No. 663 was test-run for the first time with ARHS's 664. The following Monday, 663 went out on the "Scranton Limited" train rides for its first trip of the season. Steamtown expects both 663 and 664 to haul excursions for the rest of the Summer and Fall after 663 is broken in and okayed for road service.

Check out the photos below by NPS Ranger Tim O'Malley:

More photos of the restoration process: