Jon's Motorcar Page

Home
Most Recent

Click on any of the pictures for a larger, more colorful version... 		2009 Travelogue...
NEGS Work Ride
Concord, NH
May 31st

First day out on the rails, and TC-42 is running quite rough.  Not exactly how I want to start the year off, and only a week before the Hobo Trackcar Meet. Engine stalled twice, changed plugs, adjusted points. Fuel filter is new, and the fuel pump seems to be working.  We're starting to suspect bad gas and a dirty carburator. To the left, TC-42 at West Portsmouth Street, heading north on the White Mountain Branch.

21st Annual Hobo Trackcar Meet
Lincoln, NH
June 6

Great weather to get togther with friends and ride the rails. Fresh gas in the tank along with some carb cleaner and TC-42 ran flawlessly all day.  We got to see the results of last summers washouts, including the Weirs Beach boardwalk washout. To the right, TC-42 followed by  Harvey's "Sanford & Eastern #63" during the rest stop at Ashland.

21st Annual Hobo Trackcar Meet
Tilton, NH
June 7

Day two started by heading into downtown Tilton, right across the street from "Caboose Village".  We then headed toward the drawbridge at Lakeport.   Once the tourist train was headed back toward Weirs Beach, we closed the bridge and proceeded north.  The conducter called clear of mileposts, so we knew we were safely behind them. To the left, TC-42 sits near the end of the line after being seton.

June CVRTC Meeting
Wolfeboro, NH
June 14

Arrived at Fernald Station early so we could patrol east to the Diner.  On the return trip, I cleared a colapsed box culvert and trimmed countless leaning trees.  The mist turned to a steady rain and I was glad to have my repaired curtains back on the car. On the right, it looks like TC-42 has stopped to admire the box culvert that I just cleared out.  One had tipped over, blocking the flow of water.


MEC Track Patrol
East Baldwin, ME
June 27

Missy, David, and my "new" niece Shelby joined me and other CVRTC members for a track patrol on the former Maine Central Mountain Division. Weather was great, only a brief downpour! To the left, TC-42 faces west on the East Baldwin siding; very soon we'll back out to the mainline, then head west to Fryburg.

Weekend With Thomas
Conway Scenic Railroad
North Conway, NH
July 12
David, Missy and I headed up to North Conway for the day.  After setting on at the Golf Cart crossing, we headed to the roundhouse.  It was a pretty warm day, and we cooked hotdogs in the Onan Oven. David's picture shows me posing with TC-42 on the turntable.

New England Southern Railroad
Concord, NH
July 18
Edward and I joined other CVRTC members for a work ride.  We seton at West Portsmouth Street to assist NEGS crews with brush cutting in advance of trackwork. After several hours of cutting, we headed north... clearing sight lines at Sewells Falls, and one leaning tree in Northfield. TC-42 ran well, and Edward operated south from Sewells Falls on the way back. To the left, we pose the motorcars before continuing north on the White Mountain Branch at West Road in Canterbury.

Andover Historical Society
Potter Place, NH
August 2
On a cool, humid morning, Missy and I headed up to Potter Place to give motorcar rides as part of the Andover Historical Society's Olde Time Fair. TC-42 started well, and ran until I shut it down while we waited for riders.  Then it wouldn't restart, nor would it jump start with a push from Bill's car.  After being pushed into the siding, I started troubleshooting and determined that no power was getting to the ignition switch.  It appears that my ampmeter has failed.  With Tom's help we ran a jumper wire from the battery to the ignition switch and fired up the engine.  Once the engine fired, we took the jumper off and kept TC-42 running until noontime.  Which was good... with the engine running I could cook my soup!.
CVRTC August Meeting
Fernald Station, Wolfeboro, NH
August 9, 2009
Adjusted the brakes, and cleaned and tightened the battery terminals.  TC-42 started, but then we discovered that the radio fuse was blown.  Ampmeter seems fine, so last week's failure is a mystery. Missy and I patroled out to the Miss Wakefield Diner where we caught up with several other members.  To the left, TC-42 is on the mainline, beside the Fernald Enginehouse.

Silver Lake Railroad
Madison, NH
August 15, 2009

Today was a joint meeting with the CVRTC and the Boston and Maine Railroad Historical Society.  Seton was at Boulder Road, and we headed south to the Silver Lake Station.  After a safety meeting, I headed north for the first of two round trips.  After returning from the first trip, we took the siding for a meet with the regular scheduled passenger train.  To the right, TC-42 rests on the siding while I enjoy a juicy burger cooked up by Chef Buddy. The Society hosted a great cookout!  Looking forward to this being an annual event. For more information about the Silver Lake Railroad, visit their web site.
Concord Model Railroad Show
Concord, NH
August 23, 2009

I've been model railroading since I was a kid, and a member of the Concord Model Railroad Club since 1991. While I helped run trains on the Club's layout inside the Arena, TC-42 attracted attention in the parking lot.


Conway Scenic Railroad Excursion
North Conway, NH
September 6, 2009
We rolled out of the driveway at Oh-Five-Hundred hours, and to quote Robin Williams' character in Good Morning Vietnam, "that's 'Oh', for oh my god it's early!". Two hours, one gas station and one Dunkin Donuts stop later, we rolled into line at Redstone... waiting for our chance to seton. After tightening the battery terminals, the engine started... running until it ran out of gas; I had forgotten to open the fuel shutoff! Edward, David, Missy and I enjoyed a great excursion through Crawford Notch and up to Whitefield.  To the right, "Chef Jon" inspects the beef, potates and rice that had been cooking on the exhaust manifold. Along with Missy's BLTs, the Speeder Stew made a darn good lunch!

New England Southern Railroad
Concord, NH
October 4, 2009
A hard day spent cutting brush for the railroad; but an honest day's work. The vegatation continually tries to take over the right-of-way, and it's important to keep sight lines clear around corners and at highway crossings. To the left, Dave and Ed feast on another great batch of Speeder Stew. TC-42 started fine, and ran smoothly all day.

New England Southern Railroad
Concord, NH
November 15, 2009
Joined fellow CVRTC members for another day of brush cutting.  Focused on some of the taller, bigger trees that were likely to be brought down by heavy snow or ice this winter.  The rail line is open to trains until January 1st, then they become part of the State's snowmobile network.