OTHER Reward for stolen Hoosac Tunnel plaque

$500 REWARD

For the recovery of the missing plaque recently removed from the East Portal of Hoosac Tunnel, in Florida, MA, commemorating the "World's First Fantrip."

On Sunday, August 26, 1934, the "National Association of Railroad Enthusiasts", predecessor of today's Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts, Inc. organized the "world's first railfan trip" on the Hoosac Tunnel & Wilmington Railroad. Passengers first rode Boston & Maine Railroad Boston-Troy train #67 to East Portal, MA. There they boarded an HT&W special behind ex-Lake Shore & Michigan Southern 4-6-0 21 for the trip to Wilmington, VT and back. They returned to Boston later that day on B&M Troy-Boston train #62.

On August 26, 1984, exactly fifty years later, Mass Bay RRE sponsored the "Half-Century Limited," a special train of MBTA equipment that ran from Boston through Hoosac Tunnel to North Adams, then to Adams on the ex-Boston & Albany North Adams Branch.

Mass Bay RRE commissioned the commemorative plaque, which Guilford Transportation (owner of the B&M) placed on the face of the East Portal. During the 1984 excursion, we held a dedication ceremony at the tunnel marking the 50th anniversary of the 1934 trip. Sadly, the plaque was reported missing the week of April 3.

Mass Bay RRE Trip Chairman Bill Crawford, who was our president when the plaque was placed, filed a report of the missing plaque with Guilford Police April 7. The Mass Bay RRE Executive Committee has authorized a $500 reward for recovery of the plaque, which we announced at the joint Mass Bay RRE-B&MRRHS meeting in Lowell, MA April 10.

We would appreciate help from all railfans in publicizing this reward and
recovering the missing plaque. Please contact us at MassBayRRE@aol.com or Box 2742, Wilmington, MA 01888.

-The Officers and Directors of Mass Bay RRE

 

Was this recovered?

 

Again I ask,
Was this recovered?
Was the theft reported in Trains or Railfan & Railroad?

 

First I've heard of this (although it occurred three years ago). Was the plaque made of brass or Copper? If so, there has been a rash of such thefts in the area over the past few years. These metals are in high demand and bring in a nice salvage price. These objects are quickly sold to scrap dealers who can melt them down which makes the evidence 'disappear' forever. :sad:

 

photo of Hoosac plaque

Here is the item in question. It was one of the first train related shots I took! I see no reason why they can't make a duplicate, perhaps out of a different material.

 

Missing Stuff

The placque probably fell victim to drug addicts. The same thing is going on around here. The meth addicts are stealing the aluminum guard rails from bridges and signs from the road sides along with anything else that can be sold as scrap.
Last year some meth addicts broke into the roundhouse where SP 4449, SP&S 700 and other locomotives are stored and stole copper cables made up to rewire the PA-1 and some other diesel locomotives as well as trying to get the bell from the 4449.
Some placques in the Columbia Gorge have also been stolen.
These items will probably never be recovered and some are of historic value far beyond the value of scrap metal.

 

Hoosac Tunnel Historic Plaques

Its been over thirty years since I have been that way,
but remember that somewhere to the south along rte 2,
that parallels the B&M but goes over the top, there was
a large roadside elk put in place by the BPOE. The summit
area town had some optimistic name like "Florida", that
certainly wasn't related to its exposed mountain pass
New England weather. There was also a roadside plaque,
by a large roadside stand that overlooked the B&M
down in the valley. They specialized in selling products
from a Trappist monastery in Spencer, along with the
the usual collection of maple goods and souvenirs.
This plaque had been stolen from its mount circa 1957,
and for awhile had a painted sign discussing the Hoosac
Tunnel below. By 1960 the cast metal sign had been
restored, but was swiped/destroyed again by mid sixties
and the wooden sign was back.
By accident in a conversation with the US Bronze
Sign Company salesman who worked the territory
that covered my area this matter came up.
The firm I acted as purchasing agent for
was constantly putting up and taking down cast
signage related to the coming of new research
people and the newly titled organizations
they set up to cover their activities.
Part of your taxpayer dollars at work financing
scientific progress, you know.
He knew about the signs in the parking lots
concerning the Hoosac, because whomsoever was
putting up the signs had bought two of their aluminum
cast signs, which were made relatively
cheaply, by then new, rapid prototyping
techniques using precast elements and molds.
He also said that some vandals had been apprehended
at some point and made to do work on roads and the
like.

Nevertheless, the dual signage reflected the dim
view held of the public at large, by the sign placers.
They also had shifted to metal posts and hardware that
would have made it more difficult to remove the signage.

Are these roadside historic signs on the north side
in the parking lots off the westbound lane(s) still
there? These simple signs can be purchased for a
several hundred dollars plus installation costs,
if aluminum elements are used.
The specialized ones, such as the bronze map
of the Battle of Bennington that has routes of march
of the combatants and topography are unique.
Costs running over five thousand dollars to replace
this one of a kind in cast bronze would be par.
This map, adjacent to north side of NY highway 7
at the battlefield site, was losing out to vandals the
last time I was there. It is near Hoosick Falls,
where the hobby shop famous for advertizing
"Big Bucks Models" at a discount, is located.

Merry Christmas, and Good-Luck, PJB

 

Ah yes, the elk... at least no one has melted THAT down yet!!