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trains?
Jan 9, 2004 18:05:47 GMT -5
Post by Jonathan Ball on Jan 9, 2004 18:05:47 GMT -5
Hi really enjoyed your website, I'm from North Wales UK and I was wondering if you can help me. I am trying to locate some narrow guage steam locomotives that are located somewhere in Terre Haute, They where originaly shipped out from North Wales in 1965 and I have been trying to find them for many years now! I was told that one was at a place called "The Early Wheels Museum" on Wabash Ave and this locomotive was called "Winifred" and built by Hunslet of Leeds. I know this is a lot to ask but if you happen to know where they are, any information would be great. A great big Brithish thanks to you Jonathan email tynyclwt@go.com
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trains?
May 14, 2004 17:19:21 GMT -5
Post by Jonathan on May 14, 2004 17:19:21 GMT -5
Boring subject I supose! A simple "no" would have been ok
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trains?
May 16, 2004 5:15:18 GMT -5
Post by brisray on May 16, 2004 5:15:18 GMT -5
No, not a boring subject at all. I've been having a lot of health problems since January - Chrohn's Disease, Pneumonia and now TB! See brisray.com/injury.htmIt's pretty hard to answer anything when you've been close to death and semi-unconscious in hospital for a couple of weeks! Also, my graduate finals were this month - see brisray.com/grad.htmAs you can see, i've been a tad busy. Now I've also got some 400+ emails that need researched and answered. If there were 36 hours in the day your query would have been answered months ago. But there isn't, and you'll have to wait your turn. Believe me, I answer every query I get - even if it's to say I haven't a clue. Recently it's been impossible to. Actually, I live about a five minute walk away from where the the "Early Wheels Museum", where the locomotive was stored, was. I say was, because apparently it got burned down about 15 - 20 years ago. If the locomotive is still in the area - and if it wasn't totally destroyed - I'll even get you some photos of it. Just have a little more patience. Please. Ray
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trains?
May 19, 2004 1:45:50 GMT -5
Post by Jonathan on May 19, 2004 1:45:50 GMT -5
I am really sorry, I had no Idea of your health problems, I feel awful! Sorry Ray And thankyou for helping me.
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trains?
May 19, 2004 20:51:38 GMT -5
Post by brisray on May 19, 2004 20:51:38 GMT -5
lol, no problem at all. Hopefully I'm on the mend now. The real point I was trying to make is that any research I do is done in my spare time and I just can't drop everything else to go running around. I could make a fortune doing this though. Imagine if that engine has been moved to Chicago - about a 4 hour drive away. If I were a professional researcher it'd be cheaper for you to fly across the Atlantic to take your own photos of it rather than have me drive up there and do it! Apparently the museum burned down in 1976. There are local people here who say that it may have been done deliberately for the insurance - but that's just heresay. Whatever the reason, the owner, Tony Hulman, had died shortly before and the museum never reopened. I phoned the local history people here and asked them if they know what happened to the Winifred, but haven't heard anything back yet. I did my own quick search of the web. I couldn't find anything though. There seem to be quite a few train enthusiasts sites that still list the Winifred as being in that museum, even though it's been gone 28 years! My orginal estimate of 15 - 20 years was wrong because the memory of some of the local people round here is a bit confused! I've asked around, but no-one seems to have any idea what happened to anything from that collection, apart from a wagon that is now in Indianapolis, but not on display - see home.rochester.rr.com/andrewsfamily/Genealogy/MarklesMill.htmlHopefully, the engine is still around somewhere. Ray
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trains?
May 20, 2004 16:10:09 GMT -5
Post by Jonathan on May 20, 2004 16:10:09 GMT -5
Thankyou so much Ray, That is really useful information, I am one of the founder members of the Penrhyn Railway Trust, North Wales, where the locomotive originaly worked. As a Trust we are expected to know the current location of locomotives etc. I had a feeling things were not right at Terre Haute. Please do not go out of your way on this, I just thought you could shed some light on this. We would be more than happy to cover your costs etc with this. Thankyou again Ray
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trains?
May 21, 2004 3:18:08 GMT -5
Post by brisray on May 21, 2004 3:18:08 GMT -5
It's OK, there's no charge. It's only a couple of telephone calls and chatting to some of the people around here.
Still nothing from the Historical Society. I'll go and chat to them if they don't contact me by the weekend.
Ray
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trains?
Jul 16, 2004 16:55:01 GMT -5
Post by brisray on Jul 16, 2004 16:55:01 GMT -5
The saga of these locomotives continues ... I've been in contact with Marylee Hagan, the Executive Director of the Vigo County Historical Society - web.indstate.edu/community/vchs/She say's that the Hulman family suppposedly has two locomotives in storage somewhere. She also very kindly put me in contact with a representative of the Hulman family Clabber Girl museum - www.clabbergirl.com/history_museum.htmHopefully, they'll get back to me soon with some details of the locomotives they've in storage. If the Winifred isn't one of these they may be able to say what happened to it. Ray
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trains?
Jul 18, 2004 19:02:58 GMT -5
Post by Jonathan on Jul 18, 2004 19:02:58 GMT -5
Thankyou so much Ray I cannot tell you how much this means to me, I just would not have a clue where to start without your help. Is there anything I can do for you in the UK? Just let me know
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trains?
Sept 25, 2004 20:27:59 GMT -5
Post by brisray on Sept 25, 2004 20:27:59 GMT -5
Just to let you know what's happening. Despite several enquiries the people at Clabber's still haven't got back to me.
I'm having another bout of illness at the moment. This time I've managed to damage my spine (I've dislocated C3 and C8 vertabrae which I don't suggest you do as these control the nerves to the arms which along with the back become very painful) and and it'll be a couple of weeks before I'm fit enough to go anywhere. As soon as I'm able I'll speak to them again and try and find out about this locomotive.
I can't believe that finding something as big as a train is getting so difficult to do. They are hardly something you can just put down somewhere and forget about like car-keys are they?
Ray
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