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The Flying Yankee Seat Raffle is nearing the halfway point. We're getting close to having sold half of the 750 tickets being offered in this first-ever Seat Raffle. We are grateful to everyone who has purchased tickets thus far. This is a win-win offering. As a Friend of the Flying Yankee, we know you care about the restoration of this historic train and want to help as much as possible. This is an opportunity for you to support the restoration efforts while affording yourself an opportunity to win two seats, which will be yours to use four time a year and will be yours forever. We can't do this without your support and we hope that, if you haven't purchased tickets yet, that you will. Tickets are only $25 each and, since we're selling only 750 tickets, the odds are very good. You sure won't get odds like that playing the lottery. Also, we have some other wonderful prizes to go along with the seats. Of course, you are encouraged to purchase five tickets for $100 as that's your best value (you get one FREE) and it also increases your odds of winning. If every Friend of the Flying Yankee purchases a ticket or tickets, we will have sold all 750. Second prize is a priceless, complete set of glass, hand etched Flying Yankee Dinnerware. Third Prize is framed, signed, numbered (only 2,000 in existence) Steven Cryan print of The Flying Yankee crossing the Frankenstein Trestle in Crawford Notch. Fourth Prize is a a set of four glass, hand etched Flying Yankee mugs. Fifth Prize is a glass, hand etched Flying Yankee Hurricane Lantern. Perhaps you've wanted to be a Flying Yankee seat owner, but felt you couldn't afford to purchase a seat? Here's your chance to possibly join the ranks of Flying Yankee seat owners while helping to support the restoration project. Tickets are only $25 each or five for $100. They can be obtained at the final Open House of 2008 on September 27, online by clicking here or by calling 603-745-3974 or by sending a check or money order to The Flying Yankee Restoration Group, Inc., PO Box 145, N. Woodstock, NH 03262. Only 750 tickets will be sold. The winners will be announced at the April 3, 2009 Flying Yankee Celebration. You need not be present to win.
Flying Yankee President Brian McCarthy during an interview with the Laconia Citizen, explains the plans for the Flying Yankee restoration and the plans for its future.
Flying Yankee Featured On Front Page of The Citizen
The Flying Yankee received some additional coverage recently in a front page feature story that appeared in the Laconia (NH) Citizen on Saturday, Sept. 27. It was a very nice, long and detailed piece with several photos. You can view the entire story online by clicking here.
Pictured above are the first two pages of the feature story in the first edition of the new New Hampshire Troubadour. The entire story can be found on their website.
Flying Yankee Featured in NH Troubadour
The Flying Yankee is the featured story in the new NH Troubadour Magazine. The piece was beautifully written by David Lazar. You can also view the story online by clicking here. The history of the NH Troubadour is printed here for your enjoyment.
New Hampshire was weathering the hardship of the Great Depression when in the spring of 1931, the state began publishing a unique, pocket-sized, monthly digest to spotlight the beauty of NH to residents and attract new visitors.
Named for a composer and performer of song during the High Middle Ages in Europe, the old New Hampshire Troubadour proudly sang the praises of its home state. For twenty years this magazine celebrated the scenic mountain ranges, the covered bridges, the apple orchards, the foliage, the farmers, the fierce community pride and independence that have always made the Granite State unique. It sparked the imagination and earned the loyalty of readers with eye-catching, original pictures, prose and poetry. From the works of Robert Frost to those of a folksy local scribe named Uncle Talbot, the Troubadour was a New Hampshire original.
The state’s tourism bureau would ultimately print its last Troubadour in 1951, the magazine a casualty of cost-effectiveness. Over the next decades, it would resurface in numerous iterations under different ownership – most prominently as New Hampshire Profiles.
In 2008, under the direction of Milford-based businessman and philanthropist Robert Finlay, the rebirth of the NH Troubadour began. It was the belief of Finlay, a Granite State native, that there was an opening and a desire for such a digest in modern-day New Hampshire – something to help residents feel good about themselves and their communities; something that would serve as both entertainment and an educational tool.
With a reverent nod to the past and an energized eye to the future, the new NH Troubadour was launched on September 1, 2008 as a monthly, full-color publication. Like its predecessor, it remains a collection of original human interest stories, poetry, photography anecdotes and regular features about New Hampshire’s history and one-of-a-kind towns. It is mailed each month to residents, schools and libraries statewide and presented free of advertisements and free of charge. It is, in short, as it once was: a gift to the people of New Hampshire.
See The Flying Yankee on Chronicle
The Flying Yankee was featured on Chronicle last year on WCVB, Channel 5, in Boston. You can view this segment, by clicking here.
Fall Trains Running as Scheduled
  
Thanks to the efforts of the Department of Transportation and the Hobo Railroad, all Fall Trains are operating as scheduled. Although work remains to be done following the floods of early August, the lines are open and all trains are operating as planned. Now is a wonderful time to come visit the Lincoln-Woodstock region as the Fall colors are nearing peak conditions. The next three weeks will offer breathtaking scenery and there's no better way to witness the spectacular New Hampshire foliage than while riding one of the many excursions being offered by the Hobo Railroad. For a complete schedule of upcoming Fall Foliage trains, click here. Remember, Fall is also a fabulous time to enjoy the magnificence of the Cafe Lafayette Dinner Train.
And, remember, the Comfort Inn and Suites in Lincoln is the Official Hotel of The Flying Yankee and is located right next to the Hobo Railroad. For a complete list of loding properties and a list of events this Fall in the Lincoln-Woodstock area, visit the Lincoln-Woodstock Chamber of Commerce.
Traction Motors Next Step in the Restoration
The next planned step in the restoration of The Flying Yankee is the completion of the GE-721 Traction motors. These original motors will be used in the restored train and have already been inspected and it was determined that these traction motors should be used in the retored Flying Yankee. One of the two traction motors has already been completed and the other needs some work and that work will be done in the shops at the Hobo Railroad over the course of the upcoming winter. We'll keep you updated on the progress.
How do we get where we want to be?
As you may know, we still need to raise more than $3 million to complete the restoration of The Flying Yankee and achieve our goal of having this historic train traverse the rails of New England as it did during its glory dates from 1935 to 1957. To achieve our mission of providing a boost to economic development and providing a rolling classroom for New England children, we need to continue our fund raising efforts. We hope to leave a lasting legacy as The Flying Yankee will teach new generations how rail transportation can help preserve our precious fuel resources, save our roads and highways and help to save our environment. With fuel prices being as they are and with a renewed interest in trains among today's youth, now is the time to get the job done and get The Flying Yankee rolling again so that the next generation leads the way toward more freight rail use and more passenger rail use. Should The Flying Yankee help to change attitudes and behaviors in future generations, our efforts and your support will truly have made a difference in our world. We can't do it without you. Please check our our Naming Rights program. Purchase a seat or two and keep them forever and hand them down to your children and grandchildren. You can be a part of the legacy we hope to leave behind. To find out more about our Naming Rights Program, please click here. We also have several other ways you can contribute to the effort on our home page. And thanks to everyone who has already purchased a seat, made a donation, purchased a raffle ticket, or attended our Annual Celebration. Your supported is appreciated.
A Proud Supporter of The Flying Yankee
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