Backyard train collection (OT)

Ran across this article today. Probably too far off topic and if so, please delete.

In Chile, this man has an epic train set in his backyard. They'''re real trains.

Sadly they do not show the "Keystone" of his collection - the Steam Locomotive.

Joe in NH

He is not alone. There has been many in this country that more or less followed his footsteps. Many joined forces and in grass roots style formed the early RR museums in the 1960s. The only limitation is same as todays only limitation and that is money. It costs a small fortune to buy, transport, restore and then store RR equipment. I found when I bought a run down farm 30 years ago that I bought my own museum. The upkeep or decision to let somethings go is very much like a RR museum be it a personal museum or organized museum. To me trains are magic and I love working on them much like many here do with old machine tools. If you love one you can easily fall in love with the other. Rusty iron can be seductive for sure.

Sad thing is the realization you get when you age and face the facts you will not live for ever and there does come a day when you will have to let go of your stuff. Who is going to want it and where is it going to go or end up. Machine tools are much like RR equipment. Not everybody wants it, can afford to move it or have housing for it. All your passion is yours alone. You may find a home for a pc of your collection that someone wants. My friends who may want some of my gun collection wonder who I am going to stick with my 5-6,000 lb radial drill press. Kind of funny but kind of sad that so few people are interested enough to take possession of what we find so fascinating and historically valuable. You think it might be hard to find a home for your 1907 lathe, try finding a person or museum who wants your rusty Pullman MOW car. Try selling your caboose or unrestored wrecker crane. I can't imagine being involved in Maritime Restorations like USS Texas or the couple of Liberty ships that are still in existence. Interesting link, sure most of us would get along with this fellow.

Some who think of winning a big multi million dollar lottery muse on what they would do with the money. If you want to see it go fast you only need to pick expensive hobbies. JJ Jacobson and heirs of the AOS in Ohio AT&N 2-1- No. 41 are my heros. Regards, John.

Having a collection in Chile is a lot more sense than in some "advanced" country where greenies,environmentalists ,lawyers ,and assorted criminals at town councils decide what you have is junk...........funny thing is every old building "must" be saved,but everything else is "unsightly objects",and subject of clearance orders.

Joe, there's a photo of the steamer. It is so small you likely missed it. Last photo in the article, in front of the green "crew car"(?)

Rudd said:

Joe, there's a photo of the steamer. It is so small you likely missed it. Last photo in the article, in front of the green "crew car"(?)

Click to expand...

You are correct. Diminutive little thing ain't it? I almost missed it.



Joe in NH

https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...-roundhouse-348732/?highlight=railroad+museum

https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...ng-railroad-325654/?highlight=railroad+museum

R.C.P. An extremely interesting thread, which shows up some really nice railroad artifacts, Good credit to Jose Zagal, without his love of technology and its civic and cultural significance , It would have been gone for ever, I have a feeling in many ways he has been a lone voice crying in the wilderness, He must have been extremely saddend to witness the total obliteration of his countries railway infrastructure under the dictatorship of August Pinochet, an extremely sad period in history I find it somewhat peculiar that at that timescale in world history, one of Pinoches most ardent admirers the United Kingdoms own beloved leaderette Mrs Margaret Thatcher , (Who took him in & returned him back home, when the world posse was baying for him) also had a great disdain of the United Kingdom railway structure, I feel if she had remained longer in power our railroads would have been scrapped also, Maybe, It was a historical marker used by right wing politicians
The writer of the article on the railroad museum of Jose Zagal has done a good job, But what I find most peculiar is the tendency in writing of such collections as always to refer to some soul who has amassed such a treasure trove of interesting technical things as a "Fanatic," In fact this derogatory term was used twice in the script, This sort of attitude does no favours whatever to any collector of technical material, I do not know if it is a "Blind Spot" in the mindset of news hacks generally Many years back I was helping to preserve an extremely old direct current electric motor, Somehow or other one of Scotlands Sunday newspaper reporters got wind of it needless to say when he found out it was ONLY an industrial object and not an early motor car, He was not one bit impressed, Even although it was of an era preceeding the motor car, His one solitary brain cell could not handle this fact that this was important, He departed in a total tantrum

Well to sum up if you are an ardent collector of fine art etc. (good credit to the folks who are) You are greatly to be admired in your field, Unlike, the sad & strange low regard technical items and folk who collect or save them are regarded. I would love to meet Jose Zegal and shake his hand Well done Sir.