After another weekend is said and done, Engine 399 gets continued TLC from Aide de Camp DeBellis in Riverhead. A once old and rusty engine now has new life in it with it’s new bright orange and black color scheme. Saturday saw prep work for 399, with the entire locomotive getting grinded and sanded to remove any rust that has been taking this engine’s appearance over. By the end of the day Saturday the entire engine was in primer brown ready for paint! Front handrails were also in black ready to be reinstalled. Sunday was the big day for our little 25 Tonner, when color would be restored to this tiny loco. The front of the engine received a nice gloss black, as did the undercarriage and wheels. This allowed for the installation of the coupler hand rails and a front handrail on the engine. With grinded shinny nuts and bolds and a little spray grease they went on just fine. Then came the moment every one has been waiting for…399 started to shape up to her original glory and orange paint. Right now the front and firemen’s side are done, with the roof and engineer’s side to be completed on the next good weather weekend. This is the first coat of paint that will be applied. In the spring the second and final coat of orange and black will be applied. But for now 399 is safe from any winter rust. On the east side of the museum our Visitor’s Center continues to get needed repair and paint by Lou Caruso, who diligently works every weekend to make the museum look better. The Visitor’s Center is getting the same paint job the Lionel Visitors Center got, which is a historic white worn by many Long Island Rail Road Stations in the last century. Next weekend there will not be any work done in Riverhead because of our Annual Holiday Open House at the Greenport Museum. Come and meet Santa and Sir Topham Hatt at your last chance to see the museum in 2011.
