|
|
|
Homepage Photo
Gallery
YouTube videos
About Us
Miniature Railway Logging Railways Willingdon Beach Trail Museum Tour Research Next
general meeting the AGM March 2012. The Railway Section will hold some
meetings over the winter; notice by email.
Steven James and Dan cleaned loco parts; Jerry Oszust and Dan worked on the gondola, with Dan cleaning up the wheels on the lathe. Next: await warmer weather to prime-paint the loco frame, then
reassemble. After that the body can be painted. We need and welcome more participation. Please give Dan a call or email if you can help out.
The Gas locie we are refurbishing is a bit like this Merrill Ring Gas Locie from their Squamish operation. This is 0-4-0; ours is 0-6-0; but the use and general shape is the same. Dan's been wondering what colour to paint the equipment. Basic black was of course common for easier maintenance in the coal-burning era, but bright colors are common - check out this page We have no color photos of Powell RIver trains, so no guidance there. Any ideas? Please email us
Track Expansion project Dave Hodgins is talking to the Regional District staff about drawings of the park and buildings and should have something soon so we can plan out possible track routes.
More restoration photos here More on the Rolling Stock Restoration Project here. Call for Restoration Team participants If you want to get in on the restoration, or know a potential member who might; please email railwaysection@prforestrymuseum.org or call Dan Parsons.
For those not comfortable with online credit card use, Peter Sansburn, our secretary, has the administration binder for the winter/spring season. He can accept membership applications, and issue receipts for donations for the Friends of the Society program. Peter is often at the Townsite Heritage Society office at Henderson House on west Walnut Street. Call to set up a suitable time: 604-483-3901
The entire loco (and indeed most of the Nanaimo rolling stock) requires sand blasting and repainting.
More detail on the Rolling Stock restoration here.
 Bucket project No one showed up for the first work party Saturday Dec 3 10 am at Dan’s place on McLeod Road. Dan Parsons got the welding done on the shovel bucket. Next steps for this project: Clean it up and paint it. There is a new pin to hold the parts together, but we will need some big bolts and other parts to connect it to the machine, which is installed on the Willingdon Beach Trail. ; may also need a visit to the trail to plan the connectors. Installation day on the trail will be decided at the first work party and announced by email. We'll fit in the remaining work around the Train work parties. Fall Trail Work Party was held Nov 19 - thanks to all who participated Miniature Railway Approval Status At the “Committee of the whole” meeting of Nov 17: S. Gisborne / C. McNaughton proposed that the Committee endorse, in principle, the proposal to expand the miniature railway at Paradise Exhibition Park and make it more permanent and refer the item back to staff to prepare a report for consideration by the Committee. -- Carried Semi-annual Newsletter draft here - 2mb file; 15mb available on request Membership, Friends, Donations, Receipts Peter Sansburn, our secretary, has the administration binder for the winter/spring season. He can accept membership applications, and issue receipts for donations for the Friends of the Society program. Peter is often at the Townsite Heritage Society office at Henderson House on west Walnut Street. Call to set up a suitable time: 604-483-3901 New Sponsor November 3: We added Modern Windows and Siding to our list of Corporate Sponsors for donating plexiglas to repair 4 interpretive signs on the trail.  Our
annual Winterization work party took place on Oct 25 from 2:30 pm to
3:30.
It was attended by (left to right) Shaun Coburn, Mike Lister, Richard Parker, Ron Hunter, Jerry Ozsust, Hans Maurer, Doug Lott, and Dave Florence. The murals, removable photos, birds, electronics etc went into the heated office. Thanks to those attending; we had just the right number to get it done in an hour.
On October 25, Hagen Vob, Verena Klokhigh and 15 students from Immanuel-Kant-Gymnasium in Tuttlingen Germany visited the Willingdon Beach Trail and Forestry Museum, hosted by Hans Maurer and Dave Florence, from 1 pm to 2:30 pm. Roseanne Dupuis, Brooks host, made a nice donation from SD47 to the museum on behalf of the visitors, as did visitor Verena.
 October 18 General Meeting highlights: We approved:
Photo by Phil Kemp's iPhone: Jerry Oszust talking with Ron Hunter behind Jerry's Caboose Donation box that received over $1200 in donations at the fall fair. Photos of life members Gerri and the late Charlie Parsons on the wall in the background.
Click for more on the Miniature Railway Project
School Tour Oct 25 - a group of visitors from Germany will tour the forestry museum - winterization work party after that at approx 2:30.
Our Patron of the year for 2011 is Gerri Parsons, who generously donated $5,000 for the Miniature Railway during its debut at the Fall Fair, Sep 24/25, 2011. Read more here.
952 riders rode the train at the Fall Fair; 680 on Sunny Saturday, and 272 on Soggy Sunday. Congratulations to all who participated! Fall Fair story here photos here
More later.. send in your photos. - Thanks to Stephen James for many photos, plus others from Rudi and Phil, with more photos and video on the way from others.
C'mon Mike...... give the kids a turn......
-------------------  Monthly meeting held at the Forestry Museum at 7 pm Sep 13 passed these resolutions:
"A CUT ABOVE: Powell River Forestry Museum Society’s summer attendant Morgan Robinson [left], vice president Dave Florence and past president Rudi van Zwaaij [kneeling] have some fun with some of the chainsaws on display at the museum, located on the south shore of Willingdon Beach. Only a few days remain before Powell River Forestry Museum closes its doors for the summer." Photo by Andy Rice, courtesy of the Peak. The Peak is a consistent supporter of the Forestry Museum.
Nice weather for Art's Alive in the Park. Our display featured Betty Wilson doing cedar inner bark and root weaving; Ron Hunter carving, a graphic on the Miniature Rail Project, and final sales/draw for the Seal head. Dave, Hans and Art set up at 10:30 Saturday near the food booths, in full view of the sound stage. Betty Wilson did her demo on the Saturday, along with Ron Hunter, who carved both days. Rudi joined for a shift Saturday. Dan and Lynda Parsons, Peter, Dave, Linda, Hans, Carol and Chet helped Sunday. The Miniature train project drew some interest and several signed up to help. Debra Bevaart sculpted our prize "Neptune's Eyes" and also sold 200 of the 450 tickets at her Tug Ghum Gallery in Lund. The lucky winner is Dianna Stoesz from Haney; luckily for us she asked a friend to accept it for her to avoid shipping.
1. The PR Forestry Museum Society (PRFMS) is considering providing and operating a miniature ridable railway for the community. We want to do this because the Forestry Museum and Willingdon Beach Trail have few Railway-related artefacts. A miniature train in the community, particularly with hobbyists showing off their Steam Locomotives, will help fill that gap. It will help deliver what our PRFMS Train Logo promises. 2. A volunteer-driven operation provides ongoing ticket revenue opportunities to offset the investment and expand the system. Early discussions with PRFMS members and Farmers Market and Agricultural Association board members were well received. The operating season of the Farmers Market is a good season for an outdoor ridable railway (end April to end Sept). 3. We believe that there may be sufficient existing or soon-to-be model rail enthusiasts in Powell River to make this plan work. It can lead to model rail club inter-visits and be a general tourist attraction. Learn more about the train project here (click) See also the PR Living issue June 2010.
You can support the Forestry Museum and Trail by purchasing a ticket at the Forestry Museum, the Tug Ghum Gallery in Lund, or a member.
Click for an update to the Millennium Park project. ------------- Dave Florence has launched a Research Project - " Human-made Sounds of the Powell River Forest". -----------
Pole Wheel Display On July 12, 2010, Rudi, Peter, Jerry, Hans and Richard installed a new sign at the Pole Wheel Display, and installed a strip of anti-slip metal on the trestle. See more photos here.
Check our our photo album and comments for this date
All can be viewed here in our Photo Gallery Next meetings at the Forestry Museum, normally 2nd Tuesdays at 7 pm; if in doubt ask by email : Have a look at Rob Tremblay's website "Vanishing history" http://www.vanishinghistory.ca , which has some interesting ideas and photos of some of the logging artifacts to be found in the forest.
We created a Membership Page to provide information about joining the Society. Check it out here. Next meetings at the Forestry Museum, normally 2nd Tuesdays at 7 pm; if in doubt ask by email :
|
|
|
Rolling
Stock Restoration Project Dan Parsons reports January 9: "The
parts are back from West Coast Industrial Maintenance. Sand blasting and
prime coat is done. Dan painted the tender frame satin black. Some parts
still need cleaned up and painted before assembly of the loco and tender.
We must decide what colour to paint the loco and tender. It's now time for
work parties to start."
Our
first equipment package! Dan
Parsons alerted us on Nov 29 of a package of train equipment for sale near
Nanaimo that would be a good "get-started" package for the Forestry Museum
miniature railway . The package includes a 0-6-0 gas-powered switcher;
tender; 4 riding cars;700 ft of track; plus 9 switches. The engine and
cars are about 3" scale,22" wide. There is one flat car ,two gondolas and
one small 4 wheeled gondola. The rolling stock requires significant
restoration, which is reflected in a good price. ($4,000.) The PRFMS
executive approved the purchase; Dan and son Todd went to Nanaimo Dec
10 to pick it up, and the package was unloaded at the Parson's ranch
Sunday Dec 12.
Se