dallashistory

I went to Plano today to pay a visit to the Interurban Museum---first time in about 10 years. The docent and I had a nice conversation.
When I mentioned that the Vogelzang cast-iron stove looked brand new, he confirmed that it had been a recent donation. There was also a story to go with that. When the Plano Conservancy mentioned to the City of Plano about the stove, some officials came out to inspect it. The next thing you know, the City required the museum to weld all movable openings shut for security reasons--- a possible bomb hiding place. This is the second time I've heard this story. The first time from a recent visitor and the second time from this museum docent. The docent thought it was ludicrous especially when I mentioned that the file cabinet or desk in the museum office area could be possible bomb enclosures too.
Not sure of the source of this decision to seal up the stove. Could be overzealous officialdom from Homeland Security down to the City of Plano. I heard both. By the way, the stove is strictly a period decor piece and was never intended as a heat source even before this zany decision was made.

Dennis;

I have also heard the same story through another message list; overzealous officialdom from Homeland Security down to the City of Plano was cited as the reason there.

This is not related to the museum in Plano, which I have never visited. It was an example of overzealous rules on the part of someone, IMO, but perhaps several will remember and one of the railroad experts can tell me why.

I am speaking of the static display of steam locomotives, etc. that is or used to be at the Northwest edge of Fair Park at the RR right of way. Maybe those were big engines once used by T & P RR, don't remember of r sure. It has been a number of years since I took the time to look at the equipment on display but I remember well that the drive rods (think I've got the right term) of all the the locomotives I saw had been cut, severed.

Although they are not the sort of museum I am most interested in, I've seen static displays of rail equipment literally all across the country. I don't remember the locomotives being mutilated in such a way any where else.

Why at Fair Park in Dallas?

I think the history of the Museum of American Railroads (formerly the Age of Steam Railroad museum) in Fair Park, Dallas can be found on the web; or Clyde may know.

There were two reasons for the rods being cut; in particular, on the Union Pacific "Big Boy." First was that the railroad did not want anyone to run it post-perservation, cutting the piston rods saw to that.

The second was because they were hauled cold, or "dead in tow" to their new home. You may recall my mentioning in a previous posting that steam engines are not splash lubricated, like i.c. engines. Rather, they are lubricated by injecting "steam oil" into the intake passages using a lubricator; the steam then carried the oil through the cylinders and out the stack.

Pulling them dead meant there was no steam flow through the cylinders, and hence no lubrication. So, cutting the piston rods prevented the steam pistons from possibly seizing up, and stopping the "hospital train" in its tracks. It they intended to run the engine again one day, the connecting rods were taken off instead, and either stashed in the tender or lashed to the running board. This also kept both the steam piston and crosshead from moving and possibly seizing up; but it also put the running gear in a slight imbalance; and called for reduced speed when hauling dead in tow.

Plans are underway to move the whole museum to Plano, and put it all under a huge shelter there. Watching them drag all that equipment up to Plano will be quite a sight. I and others are wondering if the tower and shed full of steam stuff will also make the move the new site, or be demolished.

I know SOME of the history of what i still think of as The Age of Steam. It basically started out as a project of the local chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society (actually, maybe it was the Southwestern Railroad Historical Society that was the original moving force), with a lot of input from Dallas railroad enthusiast Everette DeGolyer and a few others like him. It ramified some,

I knew the piston (and valve) rods on the Big Boy had been severed, but I didn't recall that the Frisco 4501 or the Russian Decapod had been neutered that way. And am pretty sure the 7-Spot wasn't cut.

Sure hope the historical structures will be preserved, either at Fair PArk, or better, moved to Plano with the equipment. I would expect them to be preserved.

Our Peter K's brother was the "curator" (or whatever his title was) of the "Age of Steam Museum" at Fair Park.

I'm sure Peter could shed some light on the happenings there.

Peter hasn't checked in here a quite a while, so I hope he is well. It may be that he is out of the country on business.