His Dreams Derailed by Death -The Overgrown Train Museum

Dave Shirey passed away leaving his amazing train collection and equipment behind.
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[@katarinamila3876]

D.J. ended up dying doing what he loved. On Oct. 4, 1993, a crane fell on him when he was trying to right a derailed train in Hamburg while working for the Blue Mountain & Reading Railroad. At age 26, he was gone, leaving behind a wife, baby daughter, extended family and several railroad engines and cars.

[@rj4590]

Wow,that is incredibly sad.And he did so much in his short life working on his dream rail collection.

[@TankGuyz]

It is Reading & Blue Mountain Railroad… RBMN…

[@rj4590]

@@TankGuyz Redding Blue Mountain & Northern

[@brendakrieger7000]

How awful💔

[@MaarkiMarko]

Very interesting story, and such a young man to die at 26. Beautiful monument! Thank you, Chris and Journey with Jay.

[@DavidNiehaus20]

Mobile instinct would you fufill my suggestion by visiting the grave of John philip sousa please and you are the sweetest kindest most caring guy on youtube♥️♥️

[@tylersebring8045]

If i had the money id pay to have all this equipment organized and restored and turn this into a museum and all proceeds goes to the family and this wonderful history love this collection

[@theshapeexists]

You'd be so upside down and out of money in a short time. Not enough here to see a profit from.

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

Pretty much nothing preserved is profitable. Old buildings, trains, even most vintage cars are expenses for owners or museums. Key phrase is "if I had money" looking for a way to be spent. Old things bring joy.

[@George-dy3pt]

​@@theshapeexists it'd be a tax write off!

[@cynthiacronin2794]

Hope they do something with this before it all rots away.

[@MikeT-TheRetiredColonel]

Which doesn't look like that's too far away with some of that equipment. At least Tinkerbell is well preserved.

[@MrWolfSnack]

@@MikeT-TheRetiredColonel every year it rots exposed to the elements is another $1,000 in restoration costs. a lot of that stuff especially the steam engines needs to be hand made.

[@cathystevenson5930]

Wow, that's gut wrenching. 😢 Such a huge dream and vision, such an untimely death. My dad was a railroad fireman and later engineer. He started during steam engines Era. It's so sad that all that machinery is lost to the ravages of time. So much history there.

[@kurtb8474]

My oldest brother passed away in 2016. He was 68. He was a massive train lover all of his life. He had a massive collection of model trains. And if he didn't have a car or building or anything else he needed for his layout, he would skillfully craft it by hand. He never married. He would have loved to see a collection like this.

[@Dfexnlife]

A torpedo was a little explosive that was set on the rail down or up the line from where a track crew would be working and if a train was to come within the work area and run over the torpedos they would explode and alert the guys working to get out of the way.

[@californigirl]

When my dad was a boy, living in Compton CA, he and his friend got their hands on a couple of those torpedoes, and laid them on the Red Car tracks at a busy intersection. They ground the whole line to a halt when the cars hit the devices.

[@dankamikubo7002]

Track torpedoes are not to be taken lightly! They are essentially blasting caps and can cause serious injuries or death.

[@artied1807]

As a brakeman on the Katy RR in the 1970's torpedoes were strapped to the railhead by a flagman. Usually by a caboose rider in non signal territory who would walk back down the tracks a way to signal a following train to stop. Using 2 torpedos spaced apart about 50 ft. They would detonate when the locomotives wheels passed over them. They were loud enough for the crew on the locomotive to hear signaling them to slow the train to restricted speed for a mile and be prepared to stop short of whatever might be on the track ahead. Such as a stopped freight train or a red flag placed by workers. Railroad officials often performed efficiency test using torpedoes to see if the train crew would respond properly to the rules.

[@arthurbrumagem3844]

@@artied1807thanks. Used to work for the RR years ago and that is pretty much how I remember them being used

[@jerlewis4291]

They would alert the locomotive crews to slow down because even with a torpedo the brakeman had to walk back and with a flag or lantern and protect the rear of the train. My dad had to walk back a mile on the NYC mainline on the Hudson River because another section was following.

[@davevan8864]

Dumping toilets to track ended many years ago. I am old enough to recall flushing a toilet on the Santa Fe Chief and seeing tracks below.

[@intercityrailpal]

Silly, 20,000 trains a day no issue. 15 it's a big deal. What do the animals out there do? There was never a connection to any illness from it. At the time Aids was going around. A BLOOD DISEASE. Like Covid a AIR DISEASE. But people scared and make things up for fun. Anything that hits the ground a 80mph is gone.

[@arthurbrumagem3844]

Did it end before cabooses were taken off.

[@Martive_Led]

Remember seeing the tracks on the Reading and the Pennsylvania.

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

Organics are bad for track drainage and tie longevity.

[@intercityrailpal]

How about dangerous toxic chemicals that leak out of trains in the air and on the tracks everyday?

[@EdwardMcDonnell-p2n]

He was a friend of my sister and I. Miss him dearly he was killed in a crane accident on the Blue Mountain and Reading

[@travis-c5o]

I call BS.

[@JMVideos7676]

Growing up outside Chicago along the BNSF rail lines during the 60s we would regularly ride the train into the city. I was amazed when I went to the restroom the first time and saw the hole in the toilet going straight down to the tracks with just a small sign saying "don't use while the train is stopped at the station.

[@intercityrailpal]

Rebuilt with holding tanks. Or complexed systems to filter it. The water is dropped at 22 mph on the tracks.

[@luislaplume8261]

Back in the 1970s I rode the Long Island Railroad to Montauk and for the return trip I took the train back to the Borough of Queens, NYC and the passenger car I rode on was built in the 1920s and the bathroom Toilet was the same thing. The railroad car had a raised roof in the middle of the car lengthwise and had ventilation slots on both sides. 😊

[@intercityrailpal]

You rode a long time ago. That car had a DECK ROOF. These cars were retired long before the one in the video. I remember then and rode then too. I liked the Palour cars the best. Before the super rich flew out to the Hamptons. The weekend Montauk Cannonballs ran all palour car sections of the train. Today's service is for the housekeepers and workers . There is a simple club service still on what is left of the summer only Cannonball. In the Hamptons you would never admit to talking to someone that works for a living!

[@samanthab1923]

@@luislaplume8261That’s a great train ride. Back then my great uncle lived in Montauk & had the Taxi stand at the station 🚂

[@groverfan1389]

To add this detail to your model train layout, just sprinkle a few grains of dark brown ballast down the center of your mainline. 🤣🤣

[@johnnyfreedom3437]

I'm an old retired Boilermaker and I'm fascinated by old steam engines. In the 1970s in Trenton New Jersey there were two steam-powered cranes along the Delaware River for unloading barges 100 years ago! They were removed out of fear they would fall down in the 80s.

[@nikkigardiner9426]

Thank you, Chris! ❤

[@FoxIslandRailroadCo]

As a young man with a large collection, this sure makes me think about making plans for my equipment earlier than I thought I needed to. So sad to see DJ’s dreams scattered across that field, thanks so much for sharing this visit. Safety First, and rest easy brother. 🙌🏻

[@Bella1neverknows670]

It's sad to see the train cars just rotting away instead of being preserved or maybe in a museum. Very nice collection

[@Carolbearce]

This is a huge collection for such a young man. So sad he passed away so young.

[@scottrider641]

I love trains. Thanks for sharing this great find with us. You and Jay are great together. Thanks Chris

[@jerryhoare8198]

Railroad toilets are no longer flushed/drained onto the tracks. The toilets now have retention tanks.

[@fatimaali8645]

He died so young and before he could Accomplish his dreams so sad rip 🪦 young man …. I enjoyed the video and looking around the awesome machinery 💔❤

[@killman369547]

Perhaps the family could donate some of the collection to a railroad museum for preservation. Hyce would be the perfect youtuber to talk to because he actually works at a railroad museum and he'd know how to get that ball rolling.

[@Mypandaloves]

Loved all those old trains. Thanks for sharing

[@mthivier]

According to my father, trains of this era used to have signs in the lavatories requesting that toilets not be flushed when stopped at a station, apparently because they didn't want passengers to have to step over road apples (or I guess, in this case, they'd be track apples) when boarding the trains.

[@ianmaddams9577]

This is was also the case here in the uk . I remember seeing similar signs not to flush at station 😝

[@cliffchance347]

That’s very cool I’m a retired Hoghead enjoy the memories you’ve produced thanks 👍😊

[@ПавелК-л6э]

Wow dude Hoghead hello

[@R.J.1]

I grew up in MN, in the Capitol of St Paul where James J Hill was a huge railroad baron/tycoon. As a child in the 80s & 90s, I lived not even a stones throw from tracks. It was actually hard to sleep once I moved away without the hum and my windows didn't rattle at night. I believe St Paul has the only functioning Roundhouse. It's called Jackson Roundhouse.

[@leakyjeep5.9]

Fancy meeting you here! Now I can say more away from my haters. I originally grew up at St Paul ave/ Davern st. Used to ride the Ford line when I was 9 to 11. I finally moved back in that area when I had a kid. I'm a stone's throw from the dead tracks.

[@RCRWJR]

Wow Green Euclids at 4:45 and at 8:37 an Osgood shovel , Osgood ceased and was bought out in 1954 so its old, I Know all about heavy equipment !

[@ohiosurvivalist7403]

I was surprised to see the Osgood. I'm from Marion, Ohio where the company was based. The power shovel company (Osgood) is a big part of our towns history.

[@Liz-cmc313]

Only 26!? Sad. I bet it would of been awesome if he had lived. Thanks for showing us. 🩵

[@chriscoon1382]

Im surprised no railroad museums have stepped in to help the family preserve the old equipment hate to see it all rot away like that

[@IndianaNorthWestern]

They probably won't let stuff go. A lot of private collections like this never gets moved on to be restored because it "reminds us of grandpa" or they want hundreds of thousands for what's basically rotted into the ground.

[@jacobaubertin645]

Ya know, that Pepsi can at 7:15 looks early 90's. I bet DJ himself drank that while marveling at his collection.

[@problu9586]

Sad to see various significant sites abandoned after big dreamers pass.

[@elmcreekrr]

I was there 20 years ago. I'm surprised it hasn't been touched. I thought surely it would have been dispersed by now. Thanks much.

[@mattw4547]

That's right down the road from me! Awesome, always wondered what was going on there!

[@MobileInstinct]

Very cool spot

[@oubliette862]

I'm amazed you learned about this. my grandfather worked with Dave sr rented equipment from him. I went to the little store they had for years. I remember when DJ died. they were moving a train car or something and the crane tipped over, he fell out and was crushed. he was a big guy to. Last time I seen Dave was my grandfathers funeral, at least 10 years ago. idk if I'd call that a museum more like a collection of junk, in the state they kept it anyhow. DJ died there moving those trains, I'm pretty sure.

[@kennethhummel4409]

Train torpedoes are an emergency signaling device. You place then on the track a train runs over it. It then explodes loudly enough to be heard inside a noisy train cab and is understood to be an emergency stop signal. It meant tracks out or train derailment if I remember correctly.

[@davesmith8330]

Those scrapers look like they still have quite abit of life left in em, would love to see someone restore them and get them back onto the job site.

[@TheBEARofHIGHWAY1]

That street car under the tarp must be over 100 years old. Heck might even have been a cable car. Too bad you missed it.

[@intercityrailpal]

Snow plow, something the railroads got rid of . That was a street railway plow. Street Railways had to maintain and plow the street and pay taxes on it! Used to build better roads. Not tracks. Paving assessments were common. Later the gas taxes were passed for funding interstate highways. They never did cover the cost of unsustainable end less road building we have today.

[@CCcastro336]

I love trains. Thank you for sharing this. He was so young when he passed. Rest in peace to Dave 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@brianhepke7182]

Amazing artifacts from a bygone era. Big fan of trains and the history of the mode of the transport. He was just a youngster when he passed. Very sad indeed. Great video... enjoyed your commentary and your passion for the machines. And yes I understand your feelings when your folks decided that it was time to get rid of your toys without taking into account your thoughts and feelings...... been there myself..... now 60 years later and I am collecting again. 😉

[@sammyday3341]

Locomotives have toilets that are contained. BTW, the motor cars are about as much fun as a railfan can have. We replaced a railroad bridge years ago in Maine and there was limited access to the site, so the contractor bought a Fairmont “speeder” which we used each day to reach the bridge.

[@Memphisdoug]

Matt from Diesel Creek would have a field day here.

[@dmllr5615]

I discovered this in 1998 by accident. Since then I ride past from time to time to check on it. I remember there was a store across the street where I stopped a couple times to buy a drink. I didn't realize the story behind it and that it was a "man made" collection until a decade later. It will be a sad day when this site is cleaned up.

[@curthenry9398]

Would have liked to see more video on the wooden body street car. From the design it appears to be from the late 1800 or early 1900s.

[@AlexThePatriot]

Other muesums need to take the relics, and restore them.

[@TheBEARofHIGHWAY1]

Told my wife I was looking for a job online. And then.... OOOOOOH abandoned trains!

[@neverinthemoment]

Definitely enjoyed seeing the old Michigan cranes! As yourself, I had one of the models as a child. They were manufactured by Nylint toy corporation. Very sad about the gentleman who owned all of this dying so young! Thank You for the tour!

[@cefruin]

I'm glad it's not all tagged and broken windows from tweakers.

[@inout3513]

Tonka truck are worth an absolute fortune now

[@fhwolthuis]

What an amazing site 😮

[@jamesholt7612]

Awesome video Chris. Awesome scenery.

[@randy51]

From Randy in Chattanooga, Tennessee: MAN! Hank Hamilton of Hamiltonville Farm would have a field day out there, trying to get all of those engines started!

[@poolfixer]

Thanks for the video, Chris!, It is always nice to see Jay too :-)

[@jeffreycalderwood9893]

I think we need to bring all the steam locomotives back to life

[@paulacrawford5209]

Amazed at the lack of graffiti as well !!

[@jwagnermail]

You didn't need to worry about that hornet nest you found on a train car. The hornets all die in the winter, except the Queen (who burrows into some mulch for the winter). Each spring the queen comes out and lays eggs for a new colony, and the workers re-build a new nest.

[@seanbryant5714]

I drove by the other week and saw you filming.

[@lorijean8919]

He died so young. I wonder what his plan for all this was.

[@WhenImBackInChicago]

Answer coming-up at 10:15 ... 🕯.

[@chrisbrown2191]

1989 was the last year for caboose. Railroads were selling them for scrap and wanted them off the property.

[@randyhelsel9438]

26 years old. Where did such a young man get the money to buy all this stuff. Even derilect, this equipment would have cost a small fortune.

[@eddylonergan142]

Sad to see someone's passion rot away. Surely there must be some way to get these pieces of history to a deserving home. Sad to see.

[@RobsNeighbor]

My neighbor Rob will love this!

[@MYESHIA-DAWN-MATTHEWS]

New sunscriber here you hooked me in with the jeepers creepers episode now I'm binging on allure videos thanks for something new❤

[@FORTRAN4ever]

I traveled from Washington, DC, to Atlanta, GA, by Amtrak on a Thanksgiving weekend trip in a Budd stainless steel Ssleeper. It had a toilet and it advised passengers not to flush the toilet while the train was ina station. It is easy to see why because i could see the track looking down with the flush handle extended down.

[@drby0788]

Reminds me of a place in Ohio not too far from where i grew up called "Greens heritage farm". He had a caboose, and a bunch of buildings thst he had moved from his hometown, to his property. Im talking a depot, a church, a store, and a few other buildings including the very first white castle building.

[@Martive_Led]

A ‘torpedo’ was a very small explosive device that was affixed to the tracks to communicate with the engineer to stop or slow down.

[@bennettgibson7287]

The Reading and Northern should buy those Reading cabooses. They would look great behind 2102.

[@tedsandidge-zo4jp]

love the reading caboose , the crane with tracks . would love to put a foundation to continue his vision . prayers for him .

[@cm-ek4ci]

Caboose make nice small home😊

[@MobileInstinct]

Yeah I've always thought how cool a caboose tiny home would be

[@visnichba]

Go to Google Maps and paste this in 39°16'57.0"N 84°31'18.8"W Drop the little yellow guy on the map there and look east. You'll see a home that has a real caboose in their backyard. It's been there at least since 1972.

[@teribenoit87]

Thank you 😊

[@victorcontreras3368]

Sad that his plans were ended at such a young age. However, I'm surprised that he was able to plan, collect and start his park at that early age. It takes funds to buy and move that equipment!

[@epifanio4857]

I live right there in Birdsboro! I pass there all the time ! So cool

[@markmark2080]

Amazing collection for a 26 year old, on google earth it's tagged Geigertown Central Railroad.

[@MYWILLYS57]

I’m amazed and in reverence

[@XJag9684]

That 💩 on the tracks remark just kinda threw me. I had to walk the tracks a year ago, 10 plus miles after getting off work late, catching the last train closest to home and my phone died. It was a very nerve wrecking, animals running in front of me, tripping over switches in the pitch black dark. Never again. It was Point of Rocks station to Frederick, MD is the line I had to walk.

[@MobileInstinct]

Haha I've walked so many tracks without realizing this

[@960wattoffgridrv]

Vintage Tonka toys are collectibles now. They're worth quite a bit of money especially if they're in good condition. Some people are restoring them

[@derp8748]

Still got my Orange Road Grader, Yellow Loader and Earthmover, circa '73ish. When they were all badass looking with mean looking cabs, white lined tires and rubber stacks😁

[@BudTheDrummer]

I think this is absolutely heartbreaking that D.J. died so tragically at a very young age and his dream was never realized. Apparently he had a penchant for MOW and construction eqpt. I'll bet mush of the diesel engines on this eqpt still runs. Unfortunately after 31 years in the elements, most of it has deteriorated to the point of no return. In my opinion the best thing to do would be to part out the various pieces and donate the remainder to a local museum as a way to both be in line with his endeavor and still have others enjoy the artifacts that he saved from the torch.

[@lancomedic]

Just got back from there. There is a “private property no trespassing” sign that someone had knocked down so I took my pictures from the perimeter. Looks like the family business is construction so it makes sense that there are so many old construction vehicles there. There are a couple of nice pieces but most appear to be beyond restoration.

[@AirGunnerrr]

Great Video... Thank you for sharing....😎

[@Dfexnlife]

Toilet waste is held in a holding tank under the toilet and when it’s full, at a service shop or fuel pad, it will get dumped and refilled with blue toilet chemical or water chemical mix depending on the temps

[@jburnett8152]

Hey Chris, there are several groups of people who have those train track platforms and make Utube videos. They have little motors on them. I've seen them in desert areas and very green areas. Thanks for the tour.

[@opiumextract2934]

Most class 1s now have in essense a portapotty in the nose. There is a tube that someone unloads the contents. So we dont "dump" onto the track

[@dlbstl]

We have a train museum in St Louis. Too bad these weren't donated to a museum to be preserved.

[@visnichba]

Yeah, I remember that. Over near the Greenbriar Golf Course in Kirkwood. I saw it as a little kid about 1970-1. Moved away in 1972.

[@paulacrawford5209]

Such a shame he passed so young!!🎉

[@TroublesomeSlateTruck]

Good Work.

[@jmd1743]

The passanger train cars can survive. They'll likely have to be restored & turn into unique cabins such as a small wood stove in the corner with a desk & bed for a nice & unique retreat.

[@bobby-io2rr]

Great job Chris I have been going back watching your older stuff It's all good Thank you

[@MYWILLYS57]

Love this stuff gentleman!!

[@normende]

Thank you for a thoughtful presentation of an epic collection. It is a shame to see all this history go to waste and be unappreciated!

[@davekreitzer4358]

Torpedo's we're a explosive device , that could be strapped to the track as a warning device , of trouble ahead - a bridge out , a wreck , etc.

[@matthewjones1119]

The sewage from trains are put into tanks and pumped out like an RV. Also the torpedoes were used to signal other engines there was trouble ahead.

[@lisakoon4966]

My 3 times and 2 times and 1 time great grandfather's were all engineers and so was my grandfather. My dad was a pattern maker for a steel company and made train parts.

[@DosieDoughRailfan]

I live about 10 mins from here, it's sad what hall to DJ. I'm glad the stuff is all still there

[@richardmassoth8237]

The Putt-Putt (or speeder) cars often used gasoline or "distillate" hit-and-miss engines. You can see information about these in farming museums and on Wikipedia. They also used small engines similar to large lawnmower engines. They were faster than a hand car and would carry or pull more weight.

[@bobhickes6395]

I've lived 10 minutes from there for 15 years and always wondered what the story is behind all of those old trains and equipment. Thanks!

[@867diesel]

thats amazing he family held on to all of that as a memory of him . i wish i had a family or even people who cared about me and my passion around me . when im gone it will just be what ever . but ill never know

[@kennyrichard2971]

Thought it would be a good opportunity to say farewell And to say, rest in peace hobo shoestring for those who never knew of his KZbin channel it’s just so sad. He was such a great guy that had an interesting life hopping train all over the United States.

[@edwardmarakovits]

R.I.P Hobo Shoestring Always felt like I really knew you and could relate to your life and your times being the same age as you were. Peace to You brother. Peace.

[@kimjaniszeski498]

Every collectors nightmare. That his/her kids will love the collection to much to sell it, but don't care enough to take care of it.

[@vikingblood0408]

Volunteers needed! Interest in railway equipment preferred but not a must!

[@derp8748]

Still have my rusty classic circa '73 Road Grader, Yellow Loader, Yellow Earthmover. Boys toys were so cool

[@AbandonedUrbexCanada]

Great video, Amazing spot 👌🏻 Love trains, I never heard of a Clearance Car, very cool

[@MobileInstinct]

Thanks man

[@2dogsmowing]

Tonka trucks, I had the grader, the dump truck and front end loader. 😊

[@ironiczombie2530]

No the toliet waste is no longer dropped on the tracks, it goes into a black water tank under the car and they pump them out when they get full. Similar to an RV.

[@Nav1gamer]

Old hacks. Always a blast getting up and holding the pole when the slack drops for the brakes and getting thrown into the end. Being in the head was even better. Those earth movers were Terex giants made here in Hudson Ohio. Both great memories of mine. To a degree. Keep up the great vids bud

[@ismewhat1234]

Really impressive place. Young man must have lots of money died so young. R.I.P