4 years ago I rode as a Tech Adviser for the movement of Hack C-60 (LI used Hack, not Caboose) from Riverhead (73 miles from NYC), into NYC, where it was going on display at the NYC Transit Museum for the LIRR 175th Anniversary exhibit.
A little history on the car: Built in 1961 by International Car Co. for LI, one of the Flatside N22A series (Cars 56-61), no bay window or cupola. It was Donated to the Twin Forks Chapter, NRHS (group I am with on LI) in 2003, and was restored by them.
Heres the story copied from another forum I had it on back when it happened.
Well, We start out about 6 months ago (Fall of 2008). The NYC Transit Museum museum is interested in an exhibit for the upcoming 175th anniversary of the LIRR. Well, after a few more months of work, the ball really started rolling about February (2009). They want it, and they want it in April. The race is on to finish the darn thing now. We get a date with the FRA inspector who gives us a list of issues to address. We knock them out and are given a clean bill of health. So, after a few more meetings, measurements, etc, the date is set for the 4th. We rush to finish it. Many LONG weekdays and nights were put in, especially the last week, to finish it up. LIRR wants to use 2 MP15s, o7ne on each end. I was surprised to see 3 the night before waiting... Who will take it to Fresh pond to hand off to NYA, who will take it to Linden to hand off to South Brooklyn Railway.
Our adventure begins yesterday morning (April 3rd). I get up at 4:30AM and head over to Ronkonkoma (East end of Electric service on LIRR, home to a small yard). Our power came the night before so I snapped a shot of it in the wee morning hours. I have to pick up somebody and off to Riverhead we go. Turns out they pulled the power off a local work train, hence why we had 3 engines.
We do some final prep work and she is all ready..
Power arrived at about 9am.
Time to drag it out. Some other equipment had to be moved around to get to it.
Putting some of the other stuff back.
no, the Dan's are not crooked. Its the window frame..
Setting up to go West.
LI Extra 170 Set to go west. The original plan was to fly west before the first scoot (Passenger) but that was changed. We are now going west after the first scoot goes East. That was fine, until NYA was in Yaphank dropping off some sand at Arriva. After they cleared up we went west, we finally left around noon. Yours truly and the chapter president were riding as tech adviser's.
(In my post on the LI groups I had a bunch of misc. shots of some of the abandoned spurs we passed, but I will leave those out here)
Reflections.
We had a 15mph speed restriction from the FRA.
Somewhere by Mannorville.
Buff.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll29 ... 1238964467
Our first major stop was in Ronkonkoma to check the bearings (it still has plain bearing trucks). Mind you, this hack sat for over 10 years. We redid all the bearings, and they didnt give us a hint of trouble.
A platform.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll29 ... 1238964660
Waiting at Central Islip Station for an Eastbound.
LIRR had there own film crew to document it all, from Riverhead west. They paced us in Pinelawn.
Rounding Divide.
Hicksville.
SRS 128 in Hicksville.
They stuffed us down the Oyster Bay Branch for a few to allow some trains to clear up.
We made Queens by 530 and had a crew change in Hillside.
Morris Park
We made it into Frsh Pond by 8. From here on its dark, And I had no tripod..
Our power in Pond
Sitting in the Wye.
East New York tunnel
Linden Yard interchange track. SBK N1 and N2 were waiting with a rider car.
N2
So how do you move a caboose on the Subway? Very carefully.
We had to use a coupler extension. This thing weighed about 200lbs, and is about 75 years old. It has seen steam.
Into the TA at about 11pm.
Williamsburg Bridge. I am one of 3 people who can say they rode a caboose in the subway, over 2 East River bridges, at 2am.
Coming off the bridge.
Into the tunnels.
Waiting.
..Waiting. Extension cord is for our lights inside.
Waiting for a fresh crew at 38th Street.
Still waiting..
We went from Linden, Up to Manhattan over the Willy B, Down into Brooklyn, Around Coney Island, back up over the Manhattan Bridge and North. All of this thanks to a few track work projects going on in the middle of the night.
We got some interesting looks going through some of the subway stations.
I got off just before they got to 207th Street Yard and hoped on the train back home. I was going on over 24hours..
60 stayed up there for a few days while they added a few safety items before they moved it into the museum.
A week or so after it was in the museum they had a large closed reception party, with all the top MTA officials and the like. Lots of wine and cheese also!
In the museum
Interior. I only wish I got the heater working before we made the trip..
The sign.
The Hack was originally supposed to be on display for a year but it is still there, they kept renewing the loan, as they like it there, but hey, its inside in a protected museum, what every group could only wish for.
There is a handful of other photos here of it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12bridge/s ... 291056719/
Here is Twin Forks page on it with restoration photos: http://www.twinforksnrhs.org/C-60_1.html
