The Year in Review ** 2002 **

This month I wanted to review and look over some of our accomplishments of the year 2002. I began by looking through the Wednesday reports that I read to you on a weekly basis, and I was very much surprised at some of the things we did. There were too many to list each and every one of the activities here.

It seems that almost every week there has been some sort of event, either major or minor, that has happened to us. We have worked as a team through these many projects, which very much encourages me as the President of the Museum. We have a certain trait of pulling together as a group to tackle whatever the project might be, although at the last minute, sometimes.

In 2002 we were very devoted to cleaning the yard with many dumpsters filled with refuse that had accumulated over the years. We have succeeded in making it a safer environment for our volunteers and, of course, for our visitors. The future brings more work though at the turntable area with the stacking of the many ties and the development of an exhibit area on the history of the roundhouse and facilities that existed there. This area should be considered the heart of the yard and be developed as such.

In accessions this year we were very fortunate to receive the generous donation of the SW8 #1 locomotive from the Pfizer Corporation and the #605 RS3m from MetroNorth. In our lifetime as a Museum we were never able to have operating spare locomotives in our roster. This has considerably eased the maintenance strain on our RS1 locomotive 0673. Speaking of maintenance, our staff began a preventative maintenance program this year on our equipment and is closely scrutinizing the air systems, oil consumption, and quality of our engines and rolling stock. Our mechanical staff has been actively involved in the preservation and stabilization of our ever-expanding fleet of equipment and physical plant.

The RDC32 continues to be a major success story for the Museum with its use in occasional yard local service. This is a story of great accomplishment and commitment over an approximate six-year period.

We have also received three boxcars this year and a wooden caboose. Aside from the donated Reading boxcar, these other projects were extremely difficult, expensive, and time consuming in their journey back to Danbury. There they are though! Sitting in the yard awaiting restoration. My compliments to the people who succeeded in these events. I’m looking forward to their eventual restoration and painting in the upcoming season. We also were given the Wilton semaphore for an eventual functioning display in the yard.

In the building we have constructed an exhibit area and have successfully had two photo exhibits there attracting new visitors to our Museum. This area has enhanced our station and has begun to educate the visitors on the rich history of the region. There are also further ideas for exhibits that are in the works for the upcoming year that should be exciting for us.

We have also incorporated computer service at the front desk and gift shop that has kept a better control of our admissions and inventories at the Museum gift shop. This is very important for us as an organization and will make operating the Museum for our volunteers easier in the long run.

The library has also moved forward this year in categorizing our ever-growing inventory of books and two-dimensional artifacts. They have reached the point of wanting and needing to expand into other reaches of the building. Sorry folks – No Room! The only space left is going up to the ceiling. They have been diligent in their non-ending tasks of sorting and inventorying the many photos, slides, and documents donated to us.

There are many events that I’ve left out and members who I haven’t mentioned here in this report. The fact remains though that there are many different things happening at our Museum with many different people doing them. We all have that same love though and that need to keep the Museum vibrant and moving forward. I enjoyed working with you this year and respect you for what you have accomplished. I’m also very encouraged by walking through our facilities and hearing praise from our visitors. That makes it all worth it for me.

The future still brings much hard work before us. We still have grants to pursue, a maintenance building to raise, crews to train, and a thousand other tasks to do. I know we can do this though by once again pulling together and just doing it, by putting aside our personalities and differences and working as one team. It can be done!

Thanks for your help.

Ira Pollack
President