Metamora IN & Whitewater Valley RR - 1977 & 1979

 

Here are a few photos from Metamora, Indiana and the early years of Whitewater Valley Railroad's operation. I believe the railroad started excursions in 1975 or thereabouts, and these photos were taken in metamora/1977 and 1979. Since then, Metamora and the railroad both have experienced significant investment and the railroad has grown its equipment roster.

 

Steam is no longer a regular part of the operation, but steam excursions are run on special occasions. Whitewater Valley will feature a visit by Thomas the Tank Engine again in 2008.

 

1977

 

Heisler geared locomotive

 

If my memory is correct, this engine came from East Broad Top Railroad in Pennsylvania and was one of two standard-gauge locomotives owned by that railroad.

 

 

 

 

 

Lima-Hamilton #25, built in 1951, powered a caboose train that met the steam train from Connersville in Metamora.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A much larger flour mill stood by the canal in Metamora, powered with a turbine that took advantage of the eight-foot differential in water levels across the lock. That mill burned, and the later, smaller mill was built with a wheel in the former lock to grind corn meal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1979

 

Two Heislers nose-to-nose

 

 

 

 

    This railroad offers a 10 week course in railroading. I took the course, and learned how to assemble trains in 1940's style, with hand signals.

 

    The idea is to train volunteers to work on the railroad. I never did assemble any trains, but I led a team to restore a stone arch culvert that had partially collapsed. A contractor had bid $20,000 for replacement with a steel culvert. We repaired the original stone culvert instead, for the cost of about $800 in materials and a lot of volunteer manual labor. We think that the culvert dates from the canal construction, or about the 1840's.

 

 

   

Sounds like a really neat experience. It's not often that you can save money while preserving a valued historic artifact instead of replacing it with new stuff, either. Usually, it's Bite the Bullet and save the old stuff when replacement would be lots cheaper. A lot of it comes down to finding and cultivating volunteers with real skills.

 

Whitewater Valley has to be one of the success stories among tourist railroads. Sure, it's no Strasburg RR, but the fact that it's not in an area that has national tourism prominence and still has survived and grown for more than thirty years makes it noteworthy. It takes solid managment with foresight and probably some pretty good fund-raising skills to accomplish that.

 

The infant mortality rate among tourist railroads is extremely high.

Nice!

I've been (dragged) to Metamora several times; I've never seen a train! :lol:

 

Nice shots!

Very good pics! I love trains!