2012 HCCA Regional Tour:
The Adirondack Coast
Stretching across the western shores of Lake Champlain in the shadow of New York’s Adirondack Mountains, the Adirondack Coast offers unprecedented views and endless recreation. Lakeside villages, charming hamlets and the historic City of Plattsburgh dot the landscape. Immerse yourself in the rich history of a young American nation or the beauty of Lake Champlain. Lose yourself in the open spaces of the Adirondack Mountains or the quiet confines of an Adirondack chair. Discover amazing treasures in a chasm millions of years old or a unique shop on the quaint streets of downtown.
The Champlain Valley Transportation Museum has adopted the "Gizmo" (aka "Ball Machine") at Champlain Centre Mall and have begun process of repairing and restoring the "Gizmo". If you would like to help, donations can be made in our Wishing Well next to the "Gizmo" or by sending donations to The Champlain Valley Transportation Museum at 12 Museum Way, Plattsburgh, NY 12903 or click "Donate Now" on the bottom of this page! Check out our weekly entry in the Gizmo diaries under the Gizmo tab of this page!
Family Movie Night at CVTM is a monthly event that provides
families the opportunity to spend time together outside of the house
without the high cost of an outing
Enjoy a fun night with family and friends with pizza from Pizza Hut
and Disney's Cars.
Sponsored by Pizza Hut
Donate
The Champlain Valley Transportation Museum (CVTM) was founded in 2000 by a group of car and history enthusiasts from the Plattsburgh area. What began as an automobile museum has grown to cover many more forms of transportation. The foundation of CVTM is the Lozier Motor Company, an automobile manufacturing business during the early 1900s that built some of the most exquisite and expensive vehicles during that time period. CVTM is dedicated to exploring, interpreting, and celebrating the region's rich transportation history.
"The mission of the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum is to preserve, interpret, exhibit, and educate regarding transportation history and artifacts in the Champlain Valley."
Automobile Collection
1903 Oldsmobile (Reproduction)
1910 National Speedster
1911 Kissell Kar Speedster
1914 Lozier 5 Passenger Touring
1915 Lozier 7 Passenger Touring
1915 Ford Model T Roadster
1917 Ford Model T Race Car
1918 Dodge Limousine
1923 Dodge 5 Passenger Touring
1924 REO Truck
1925 Ford Model T Bobtail Racer
1927 Pierce Arrow Sedan
1929 Ford Model A Touring Right Hand Drive
1930 Ford Model AA w/Compressor
1930 Ford Huckster Truck
1930 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1934 Dodge Fire Truck
1940 DeSoto Taxi
1942 Willys Jeep
1947 Crosley Coupe
1948 Plymouth Coupe (Fire Chief's Car)
1948 Dodge Convertible
1949 Dodge Sedan
1949 Riley LeMans Roadster
1953Triumph Renown Salloom
1956 Buick Century
1957 Ford Skyliner
1960 BMW Isetta
1960 Cadillac Deville Hardtop
1965 Ford Mustang Convertible
1967 Jaguar XK-E Roadster
1969 Pontiac Trans-Am
1970 Pontiac Trans-Am
1981 Home-Built Electric Towncar
Please note: Displays are rotated and not all vehicles may be on display at the same time
In 1900 the Lozier Motor Company left its bicycle manufacturing business in Cleveland, Ohio and relocated to Plattsburgh, New York. The company built marine engines and passenger boats in a factory on the corner of Margaret Street and Cumberland Avenue. Realizing that boat manufacturing was a seasonal business the construction and sale of boats was negatively impacted by the long North Country winters the Lozier Motor Company switched to the booming industry of automobile production in 1905.
Loziers were not just any automobiles, they were some of the most expensive and exquisite vehicles of its time. In fact, the company had a breathtaking showroom on 42nd Street across from Grand Central Station in New York City. In 1910 success in business allowed the Lozier Motor Company to open another automobile factory in Detroit. But beauty and quality were not the only traits of a Lozier; the cars have a notable history on the racetrack. In 1907 Lozier won its first race, a 24-hour slog around a mile long horse track in the pouring rain with soon to be famous, Ralph Mulford, at the wheel. Lozier was almost always a podium finish, but its most remarkable finish was on May 30, 1911 at the Indy 500. It was the first time Lozier had entered this pinnacle of car racing, and it won a heavily contested second place. The Lozier averaged 80 miles per hour during the race. Getting too big too fast and problems among the companys leaders lead to its downfall and in 1915 the plant, now owned by the Georgia Pacific paper company, was sold.
KIDS' STATION is a division of CVTM and is an interactive and educational museum for children to learn about the history and the future of transportation. Kids Station hosts many events throughout the year, all of which are dedicated to engaging children in a fun and exciting environment for learning. These family events include: Tractor Day, Family Fun Day, Circus Smirkus, and, through a continuing partnership with Mountain Lake PBS, early childhood reading hour with themes like Thomas the Train, Curious George, and Bob the Builder. These events create an opportunity for families to get involved and learn together!
Upcoming events for Kids' Station will be posted as scheduled
Founder and President - Anthony Vaccaro
Vice President - Bruce Carlin
Secretary - Stan Ransom
Joanne Astill
Randy Beach
Robert Ivy
George Bissell
Gene Chauvin
John Kitchen
Stan Ransom
Robert Virostek
John Prim
Richard Soper
Exhibit Manager & Docent
Lisa LaFountain
Director of
Fundraising & Membership
Docent
2012 Champlain Valley Winter Wine Festival
2011 Champlain Valley Winter Wine Festiva l
Our 2012 Champlain Valley Winter Wine Festival was a success!
We raised over $4,000 to go towards Kids' Station!
Thank you to the following organizations and individuals who made this event so successful: NBT Bank, Chauvin Agency, USA Bound, and Adirondack Radiation Therapy (our sponsors), City of Plattsburgh and Mayor Kasprzak, WPTZ NewsChannel 5, Comcast, the Press Republican, Fox 44, WVNY-ABC, 97.5 Eagle Country Radio, Irises Café and Wine Bar, Amazing Grace Vineyard and Winery,
Hid-In-Pines Vineyard, Stonehouse Vineyard, Vesco Ridge Vineyard, Goose Watch and Swedish Hill Winery featured through Dames Discount Wine and Liquor, Liquor and Wine Warehouse, Randy Brown, McCadam and Cabot Cheese, Mimi Independent Chocolatier, Batters Up Bakeshop, D and D Meats, Gonyo Farms James and Jellies, Homestead Maple, Hannaford, Kim Tetreault, Ruby Hernandez-Torres, the SUNY Plattsburgh Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management students, pianist Emily Carlin, John and Kristine, Sharon Carlin, Rob Ivy, Nine Platt Hospitality Group, JetBlue Airways, Hannaford, Brigitte Lussier, Dee Jenkins, Roy and Sharon Maze, Bill Crosby, Elaine Cloutier, Walmart, Green Mountain Coffee, North Bowl Lanes/Cumberland 12, Champlain Peterbilt, Ben and Jerry’s, Kneucraft Fine Jewelry, The Great Outdoors, Koto Japanese Steakhouse, Richard Guglielmo, The Merry Wine Makers, Light's Jewelers, Perrywinkle's Fine Jewelry, Yarborough Square, Price Chopper, Andrea Knight, Payson and Stoughton Jewelers, Lakeside Coffee, and LakeShore Candy.
Check back soon for more information!
Stretching across the western shores of Lake Champlain in the shadow of New Yorks Adirondack Mountains, the Adirondack Coast offers unprecedented views and endless recreation. Lakeside villages, charming hamlets and the historic City of Plattsburgh dot the landscape. Immerse yourself in the rich history of a young American nation or the beauty of Lake Champlain. Lose yourself in the open spaces of the Adirondack Mountains or the quiet confines of an Adirondack chair. Discover amazing treasures in a chasm millions of years old or a unique shop on the quaint streets of downtown.
Here you can experience high adventure or total relaxation, often in the same afternoon Come and discover it for yourself.
Arrive Saturday to check-in and relax before Sundays festivities.
Sunday: VIP tour of the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum, an afternoon at the Bluff Point Golf Resort on Lake Champlain, Americas oldest resort golf course, for a public showcase of the tours automobiles, and if you choose, complete the day by attending the Lozier Centennial Celebration Black Tie Dinner.
Monday: Opening Breakfast at Perkins, picnic lunch and live music under a tent in Rouses Point, and a visit to Hearts Delight Farm Heritage Exhibit to experience the development and evolution of an early 1900s homestead.
Tuesday: Appreciate the taste of the Adirondack Coast with a wine tour and a picnic lunch at Parkers Maple Farm.
Wednesday: Take the ferry to Vermont to visit the Shelburne Museum one of the finest, most diverse, and unconventional museums of art and Americana, and explore Church Street Marketplace, Burlingtons historic open air mall.
Thursday: Visit Rulfs Orchard and taste a variety of locally grown fruits, homemade ciders and baked goods, tour Ausable Chasm, a 500 million-year-old canyon and one of Americans oldest tourist destinations, and end the day with Babbies Rural Farm and Farm Learning Museum.
Friday: Stop at The Station Café and Gifts for some coffee or a fresh baked snack on your way to Fort Lennox National Historical Site, an old British fort just over the U.S. - Canadian border on an island in the middle of the Richelieu River, and say farewell to the Adirondack Coast with a dinner on the lake at The Naked Turtle that features live music, good food, and a relaxing outdoor atmosphere. (passport required)
For More information, visit the Adirondack Coast.
The Champlain Valley Transportation Museum is hosting the 2012 Adirondack District Pinewood Derby. This event will be held on May 12. 2012. For more information, click HERE
As a member of the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum and Kids' Station you join a wonderful community of people who are fascinated by transportation and its history and believe in the education of youth in our region.
Individual Membership Levels
General Benefits:
Free admission to museum
Subscription to museum newsletter Transportation Times
Adult: $25 per year
Senior: (60+) $20 per year
Additional Benefits:
2 adult admission tickets, 2 children admission tickets
10% gift shop discount
Family Membership Levels
$40 per year
Free daily admission to the museum for two adults and 2 children under 18 valid during membership year
$100 per year
4 tickets
15% gift shop discount
$250 per year
16 admission tickets
Special thank you gift
$500 per year
24 admission tickets
Special thank you gifts
Support is recognized at museum
$1,000+ per year
32 tickets
Corporate Membership Levels
$100
4 admission tickets
Recognition at the Museum
$240
10 admissions tickets
$500
25 admission tickets
Use facility for a corporate eve
The Champlain Valley Transportation Museum and Kids Station provides endless opportunities to volunteer: arranging and cleaning exhibits, painting scenery, giving tours, renovation and construction, cataloging our many artifacts, and helping at fundraising and educational events. We ask our volunteers about their passions and talents, and look for how we can use these skills to help the museum. If you are interested in volunteering please call the museum at 518.566.7575.
Adirondack Coast Cultural Alliance
Find links to this region's museums, art galleries, wineries, and cultural centers.
Get travels deals, view upcoming events, and plan a visit to the Adirondack Coast.
Mountain Lake PBS
This public television station is a proud supporter of the Kids' Station and a partner in the museum's educational outreach programs for young children.
National Association of Automobile Museums
NAAM is a professional center of excellence for the support, promotion, and education of automobile museums and affiliated organizations.
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Help raise money for the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum!
The Champlain Valley Transportation Museum would like to ask you to please become part of TD Bank's Affinity Program to help raise money for the museum! TD Bank will donate its own money to the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum based on a percentage of the average balance of accounts linked to the TD Bank Affinity Program. All you need to do is stop by a TD Bank Store and open an account (i.e. checking, savings, money market certificates of deposit and retirement accounts qualify) and request your account(s) balances be linked to the TD Affinity Banking Program to support the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum. Already have an existing account with TD Bank? Just stop by your TD Bank Store to have your TD accounts linked to the Affinity Program.
This is a no-cost program for non-profits and their supporters. CVTM does not receive any infomation regarding personal information or account balances. The only information provided is the number of accounts linked.
Here is How It Works:
TD Bank will make an annual donation to the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum based upon the average balance of all linked accounts. Eligible accounts include business and personal, Checking, Savings, Money Market, CD, and Retirement!
What We Recieve:
Checking Accounts:
1/2 of 1% contribution based on the annual average balances of all participants.
Savings Accounts/CDs:
1/4 of 1% contribution based upon the annual average balances of all participants.
It's Simple, all you have to do is ask your TD banking agent to link your accounts to the Champlain Valley Transportaion Museum through its Affinity Banking program.
Please remember, CVTM will not receive any information from TD Bank regarding your account balances or any other personal information. This information is kept strictly confidential with TD Bank.
Link your account today! Call TD Bank in Plattsburgh at (518) 561-9730
12 Museum Way, Plattsburgh NY 12903
Phone: (518) 566-7575 Fax: (518) 324-6666
Tuesday - Saturday
10am - 2pm
*CVTM is open only for guided tours. Tours typically run just over an hour. Tours begin on a first-come, first-serve basis. You may also call ahead to sc hedule a tour. The last tour leaves at 1:00 p.m.
Please be advised that the museum buildings are not heated. Please dress appropriately during the winter season.
Members......................................Free
Adult (18+)...................................$5
Senior/Students..........................$4
Children (6-12)............................$3
Children under 6........................Free
The Champlain Valley Transportation Museum is located on the East End of the City of Plattsburgh along the shore of Lake Champlain.
If you have GPS please enter the museum address:
12 Museum Way, Plattsburgh, NY 12903
-FROM I-87 SOUTH, take Exit 36 to Route 22 (Plattsburgh South End)
Follow the signs toward the Plattsburgh International Airport. (This is Route 22).
Turn RIGHT after the Airport onto Arizona Avenue.
Turn LEFT onto New York Avenue. There is a traffic circle on New York Avenue and continue straight ahead to the stop sign at Ohio Avenue
Turn RIGHT onto Ohio Avenue, the museum is on your left.
-FROM I-87 NORTH, take Exit 37 to Route 3 (Plattsburgh West End)
Follow Route 3 East toward the City of Plattsburgh.
Keep RIGHT on Route 3 and follow Broad Street through the city to Route 9. (Peru Street)
Turn RIGHT at the traffic light (Geoffrey's British Pub is on the right)
Follow Peru Street (South) to the traffic circle near Burger King.
Exit the traffic circle onto New York Road East (The airplane monument will be on your right).
The Gizmo located at Champlain Centre Mall has been adopted by CVTM!
Loved by adults and children alike, the Gizmo or better known as the Ball Machine, was installed in 1987 when Champlain Centre North opened. It was created by George Rhoads, who is better known for his large audiokinetic sculptures that attract and engage people throughout the world. His first large public art commission was for the Port Authority bus terminal in New York City, which is still enjoyed by travelers. In his sculptures Rhoads strives to make his mechanisms easy to understand in order to demystify technology. His machines have no use other than to engage people in their play.
The Gizmo had been sitting quietly for quite some time when CVTM proposed the adoption to Champlain Centre. Dr. Anthony Vaccaro, president here at CVTM, and David Napolitan, General Manager of Champlain Centre, feel this is a win-win opportunity for both. “The Transportation Museum has the expertise to repair the “Gizmo” and the museum will be able to generate an increased awareness.
If the public would like to help with the Gizmo restoration they can drop off contributions at Champlain Centre Mall in the museum wishing well located next to the Gizmo. Donations can also be made online by clicking the donate now button below or by mail to the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum at 12 Museum Way, Plattsburgh, NY 12903.
November 18, 2011
Hi All You Gizmo Fans!
Well, Dick and Tony are into the second week of the Gizmo repairs, and they are having fun. Maybe we could make this into a TV reality show hosted by one of the local networks? Na, that wont fly.
For those just joining us, we are talking about the 24 year old structure sitting in the middle of the mall, claiming the name the Gizmo. You must have walked by it at least once in your life. It has been sitting quietly for some time.
But here come Dick Jenkins to the rescue! Dick is a retired Vietnam Veteran, Director of Plant and Property at the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum, Mustang owner and is married to Dee the Quilter. He commandeered the People Lift (which is good for a lift of about 32 feet up into the air) as his means of reaching high places. The great fun in all of this is trying to drive this steed from the mall storage area located by Sbarro and down the long hallway. What makes it fun is trying not to run over any of the Mall walkers that
circulate through the Mall at these early hours of the morning and not ensuring not to take out any of
the hallway vendors in the center of the halls. This vehicle is rear wheel steering, which leads to me
(Tony) frequently shouting: Dick, the other way, the other way! as he travels up to the center court
with the interior lights of the Mall still turned off.
After finally positioning ourselves, the first problem that we encountered was a drive chain being off its gear and a gear that was no longer attached to its axle.
There is an axle key, a piece of square metal that fits partly into the gear, and partly into the axle, locking the two together. Then there are 2 set screws that go thru the gear and down onto the axle to stop the axle from moving right or left on the axle shaft. What has apparently happened over time is the set screws fell out, causing the gear to wobble back and forth and allowing the axle key to work its way out, unlocking the gear from the axle. The wheel was in bad shape as seen on the left.So the first thing to do was to bring the gear to the Museums restoration shop, where one of our restorers, Tom Michael, sandblasted the old gear.
At the shop, the wheel was repainted along with the replacement of two new set screws and the axle key. You can see the square groove in the center hole where the axle key slides in and onto the axle shaft.
So Dick and Tony were able to rise up in the air and amazingly not drop the gear, wrenches or the flashlight (the Mall lights were still out) onto any of the Walkers who stopped underneath us, waiting for us to do something stupid like fall out of the People Lift, and remounted the motor and gear.
So with that we went in search of Russ, one of the Mall Managers, who turned on the power. The middle half of the Gizmo started to turn, lift and do all those things that it hadnt for some long time. That is until the big black ball got stuck where it is deposited onto one of the many tracks before making its way down. So back up we went. And after a long stare, and comments of various levels of usefulness from the crowd below, we concluded that we will need to return with some more tools to do some proper reengineering of the track (i.e. bend it back into alignment).
The final evaluation of the morning found that the big green Whatever It Is Called wasnt turning.
This is an interesting part of the Gizmo because it turns by the action of a hammer connected to a shaft that comes across and pushes on the Whatever It Is Called. The reason the hammer wasnt doing its job was because it was lying on the floor inside the Gizmo down by the base of the structure. So next week we need to take things apart and find a welder to do the reattachment. We will get to go really high up in the People Lift, all the way to the top. Think about the crowd we are going to attract next week! As long as they dont start
chanting Jump, Jump.
Sincerely Submitted,
Dick and Tony
Nov 9th, 2011
Week One
Hello fans of the Gizmo! This is Anthony Vaccaro, President of the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum (CVTM) and Dick Jenkins, Director of Property for our facility, welcoming you to our fan site. Our plan is to keep you informed from week to week on our project.
We here at CVTM have decided to adopt what has been called The Gizmo. What we are talking about is the mechanical ball art that resides at the Champlain Centre Mall here in Plattsburgh, just as some service organizations or groups have adopted a stretch of highway. We would like to see the Gizmo resorted to its prior beauty and function and we hope that along the way you will also learn more about our museum, which is located at the Museum Campus on the old Air Force Base. Already many people have approached us expressing their pleasure to hear about our efforts, saying that they can remember spending many hours with their family just sitting and watching it perform. It was built in 1987 and has been operational up until recently. There have been many requests and offers to the Champlain Centre Mall to get it back up and running but our group has been the first one that the Mall Management felt that made sense and had the ability to do the job. Hey, if we can restore 100 year old cars back to beauty and running condition then we should be able to get something simple like the Gizmo to work.
We initially saw the Gizmo as a simple device, with electric motors like accessories on your car, chains like a lawnmower, springs and levers just the same as other machines. But now that we have dug into it, literally going inside the machine while it has been running, it is more complicated than we had initially believed. But the laws of physics and mechanics are still applicable in a device this complicated. So by going back to basics, the operation of the Gizmo can be understood. It is an energy transfer system that consists of motors that lift things up, in this case pool balls, which gives the balls Potential Energy and the balls then make their trip down by giving off Kinetic Energy. It is very much like when the Boy and Cub Scouts come to our facility and race their pinewood derby cars down the track. They are the Potential Energy, lifting their cars up to the top of the hill, and then the cars expend their Kinetic Energy on the way down. It is Physics 101. But it is the pathway, both in direction and what occurs along the way, which is what makes this device so interesting.
