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I understand that the above mentioned museum has "lost it's lease" and has been forced to move or disband.  I read that the NKP Mikado is going to the Ft.  Wayne group for continued resoration.  Makes good sense to me to bring two former NKP engines together and the thought of them possibly double heading some day is great.  Also some other RR equipment will be saved.

However, the group there also had some significant traction equipment including a former Union Traction steel combine (#426?), an Indianapolis streetcar, a North Shore car and several other pieces.  One of these was the "Cook Transportation" GE steeplecab, which I was somewhat involved with bringing to Noblesville, nearly 50 years ago.

Does anyone know what is happening to all these artifacts?  Are they going elsewhere for continued  preservation or are some of them    finally meeting their end by the scrapper's torch right there in Noblesville?  It seems that this is happening to more of the early trolley museum efforts these days.

Paul Fischer

 

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fisch330 posted:

I understand that the above mentioned museum has "lost it's lease" and has been forced to move or disband.  I read that the NKP Mikado is going to the Ft.  Wayne group for continued resoration. 

No. Their NKP 2-8-2 #587  has been transported by heavy duty trucks, to Kentucky for rebuild on behalf of the Indiana Transportation Museum.

Makes good sense to me to bring two former NKP engines together and the thought of them possibly double heading some day is great. 

Nope. See above answer.

Also some other RR equipment will be saved.

Yes, but some has already been scrapped.

However, the group there also had some significant traction equipment including a former Union Traction steel combine (#426?), an Indianapolis streetcar, a North Shore car and several other pieces.  One of these was the "Cook Transportation" GE steeplecab, which I was somewhat involved with bringing to Noblesville, nearly 50 years ago.

Does anyone know what is happening to all these artifacts?  Are they going elsewhere for continued  preservation or are some of them    finally meeting their end by the scrapper's torch right there in Noblesville?  It seems that this is happening to more of the early trolley museum efforts these days.

Paul Fischer

 

 

Last edited by Hot Water

Thanx, Jack.  Guess I had my info wrong.  Happens when you get to my age.  But I'd sure like to know what is happening/has happened to all that traction equipment.

Incidentally, the guy who founded our sponsoring magazine, at that time called:"0 Scale Railroading", Vane Jones, was  one of the founding members of the Indiana Museum of Transport and Communication (IMOTAC) back in the mid-1969's.  I lived in Inpls for a coupla years back then and got somewhat involved in those early efforts.  We had just worked out a deal to use part of Forest Park in Noblesville as the home base for the museum.  First piece that arrived was the body of that Union Traction interurban

Vane was a great guy and also founded a magazine called "Traction and Models" back then.  His primary RR interests were in electric railways and he lived in the heart of the largest congregation of interurban RR's.

Paul Fischer

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