THE MASS BAY RRE RAILROAD PRESERVATION FUND

Mass Bay RRE established the Mass Bay RRE Railroad Preservation Fund in 2016 to support worthy projects to preserve historically significant railroad equipment, structures, information or artifacts in New England. One or more grants, generally not exceeding $5,000, will be awarded annually, funded by donations to the fund, income from the Fund's endowment and a grant from the Samuel L. Freeman Charitable Trust.

Each year, Mass Bay RRE designates its largest Preservation Fund grant or grants as “The Ralph S. Hawkins Memorial Railroad Preservation Grant” to preserve and honor the memory of our dear friend, Ralph Hawkins.

In 2024, Mass Bay RRE awarded $45,000 in grants to 16 organizations, thanks to the generosity of our members and friends,. This includes four $5,000 grants. Since its inception in 2016, the Mass Bay RRE Railroad Preservation Fund Grants has made grants totaling over $220,000 to help preserve New England railroad equipment, structures and artifacts.

The 2024 Mass Bay RRE Railroad Preservation Fund grant recipients are:

The 2024 Ralph S. Hawkins Memorial Railroad Preservation Grants:

• The Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum of Lenox, Mass., will receive a grant of $5,000 toward the purchase new wheel sets and rebuilding the trucks on New Haven RDC #42 "Firestone." This RDC provided service for sixteen years for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, including occasional service to Pittsfield, MA along the Berkshire line. This RDC is unique in that it was the only named RDC in New Haven's fleet of 40 such cars. Ownership was then transferred to Penn Central and later to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority which ran it for an additional twenty years. It was designated as surplus and sold to the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad Museum in 1990. BSRM acquired #42 in 2017 and is committed to having "Firestone" operate on the former New Haven Berkshire line once more.
• The New England Steam Corporation of Winterport, Maine, will receive $5,000 toward restoration of the trailing truck of Maine Central steam locomotive No. 470. Maine Central #470 is an icon of New England railroad history. Built by ALCO in 1924 and tasked with pulling the varnished name trains, 470 wasn't just another locomotive; it was the pride of the fleet. 470 pulled the last steam passenger train on the railroad on June 13, 1954. The locomotive was saved by the railroad to serve as a monument, on display in Waterville, Maine as a tangible reminder of the railroaders who worked during the days of steam. However, time, vandalism, weather, and neglect nearly destroyed this once proud monument, until New England Steam Corporation stepped up in 2013 to save the locomotive from a certain demise.

• The Andover Historical Society of Andover, NH, $2,500 to replace the deteriorating boarding platform at the former Boston & Maine station at "Potter Place."
• The Baltimore Streetcar Museum of Baltimore, Maryland, $1,000 for the overhaul of B2 trucks on Baltimore Transit Company PCC streetcar 7407. Car 7407 was constructed at the Pullman-Standard Facility in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1944. This car is the sole operating example of a Worcester-built PCC car restored to its original configuration at any museum in the United States.
• The Boston Street Railway Association of Boston, MA, $4,000 toward completion of car body and interior restoration work on Boston Elevated Railway Type 5 Streetcar #5706.
• The Branford Electric Railway Association, d/b/a Shore Line Trolley Museum, $2,500 for the replacement of rattan covering on 10 seats of Connecticut Company car #775.
• The Chester Foundation of Chester, Mass., $2,500 for the repainting of the Chester Railway Station.
• The Contoocook Riverway Association of Contoocook, NH, $4,000 to construct an open-air canopy to protect their 1907 Boston & Maine coach.
• The Danbury Railway Museum of Danbury, CT, $1,000 for an engine rebuild for Budd RDC #32.
• The Greenville Junction Depot Friends, $4,000 for the completion of the exterior restoration and painting of the historic 1889 Canadian Pacific depot, which has been transformed into a vibrant community meeting place.
• The Old Colony & Newport Railway of Newport, RI, $2,500 for window & windowsill replacement on 1904 Old Colony & Newport coach #53. Old Colony & Newport #53 is a 1904 wood commuter coach built for the Boston & Maine railroad. The coach was used in Boston commuter service until the 1950s, when the car was put into MOW service. After being retired in the 1980's, the car was sold to the Old Colony & Newport Railway, where it was used regularly in tourist service until the 2014 season when the OC&N ceased regularly scheduled passenger operations. From 2014 to 2021, the
  car was used in occasional charter service, before being moved to Melville, RI, for display and restoration as a museum.
• The Railroad Museum of New England of Thomaston, Conn., $2,500 for the restoration of New Haven RR RS3 529 to operating condition. Locomotive 529 was part of the New Haven's initial first order for 20 RS3 locomotives from Alco.
• The New Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad of Phillips, ME, $1,000 for the restoration of end platforms on 1913 SR&RL caboose 556.
• The New England Electric Railway Historical Society, d/b/a Seashore Trolley Museum of Kennebunkport, ME, $2,500 for the restoration of Manchester and Nashua Street Railway interurban No. 38.
• Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum of Shelburne Falls, MA, $2,000 for its ongoing car barn extension project, which is now nearing completion.
• The Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum of Alna, ME,e $2,500 for the acquisition of aslide scanner and high-quality printer for artifact digitization and preservation.
  

The application period for the 2025 Mass Bay RRE Railroad Preservation Grants is now OPEN.
See the Preservation Page for details and application instructions.

Donations to the Mass Bay RRE Railroad Preservation Fund are welcomed! Your donation will help us fund additional worthy railroad preservation projects. Donors may choose to designate their gift to the Preservation Fund Endowment or to be used to fund grants directly. Endowment funds are invested to provide an annual income to be used for preservation grants. Investment income will be supplemented each year with donations to Mass Bay RRE, including all donations designated for direct grants. All donations to the Mass Bay RRE Railroad Preservation Fund are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Donate to the Mass Bay RRE Railroad Preservation Fund.

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Page updated October 11, 2024