Summer 2002

Volume 22, Number 3

A Quarterly Publication of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, Inc.

R&LHS Annual Meeting

by Mike Walker
 

Rails in the Rockies and the eighty-first annual meeting of the R&LHS were held in Colorado Springs Colorado, June 6-9, 2002, at the Wyndham Hotel. Some 60 R&LHS members and guests participated in a full schedule of events.

where a fabulous dinner was enjoyed by all. After dinner, Ken Miller announced the winners of the raffle for cab rides during the Royal Gorge Railway excursion Saturday morning. The outright winners were R&LHS member Fielding Bowman and a guest from Colorado Springs, Warren Olsen.

Saturday morning dawned early with a 7:00 am bus departure for Canyon City and the Royal Gorge Railway tour. A continental breakfast was served on the bus during the ride to Canyon City. The Royal Gorge over the former D&RGW rails was spectacular. The train departed from

After registration on Thursday, the Society hosted a reception for participants. During the reception Howard Noble from the Pikes Peak Historical Street Railway Foundation gave a presentation of his museum’s status and future plans. He invited all to visit the trolley museum the following morning.

the restored Santa Fe depot in Canyon City. Mike Walker found out that cab rides were available for both outbound and return trips. A second mini-raffle among those who had purchased chances was held: Ann Miller and Don Morrison were the follow-on winners.

The R&LHS BoD met Friday morning at the Wyndham Hotel. While the board met, some 20 attendees visited the trolley museum, touring the restoration facility and riding the museum’s operating PCC. The museum is located near downtown Colorado Springs in the former CRI&P engine facility.

Friday afternoon, the group boarded the bus for a ride to Golden and a tour of the Colorado Railroad Museum. The museum’s Executive Director, Bill Gould, arranged to have a special train in operation for us. Members availed them selves of the Richardson Library, and they visited the newly constructed round house and restoration facility. CRRM named the facility in honor and recognition R&LHS director Corny Hauck’s contributions to the success of the CRRM. Harry Bean, President of the Southwest Chapter, provided videos of Colorado narrow gauge operations during the ride to CRRM. He also showed a video of the recent move of EP&SW engine #1 from the UTEP campus to Southwest Industrial Works for extensive but cosmetic restoration. The locomotive will be displayed near the El Paso, Texas, Union Depot, part of the Union Plaza project.

Upon returning to Colorado Springs, the bus stopped briefly for folks to freshen up and then proceeded to dinner at Giuseppe’s Old Depot restaurant where a

After the Royal Gorge tour, the bus proceeded to Manitou Springs for the ride to the top of Pikes Peak (14,100 feet) on the Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway. During the ride to Manitou Springs, a box lunch was provided The bus arrived early, giving the group a chance to see the Garden-of-the-Gods and visit the Garden-of-the-Gods Trading Post. Here, 1950’s style curios are still for sale.

The tour to the top of Pikes Peak departed the station at 2:40 PM. The ride to the top takes an hour and forty-five minutes. The Group enjoyed the vista from the top (luckily before the bad fires started). The bus departed Manitou Springs at 6:15 for the Wyndham Hotel

The R&LHS annual banquet was held at the Wyndham Hotel with a fabulous dinner known as the Colorado Mixed Grill with all the trimmings. Trimmings included a tin cup from the cog railway filled with fine chocolates from Patsy’s candies, a Colorado Springs confectioner. Mel McFarland, engineer on the Cog railway and Superintendent of the Colorado Midland Railway, was the guest speaker. He took the group on a photo tour of the Colorado Midland line from Colorado Springs to its terminus near Grand Junction, Colorado. The vintage photographs were from his collection. Mel wore an authentic Colorado Midland Conductor’s Uniform.

The annual meeting of the R&LHS was held on Sunday morning June 9. Attendees were treated to an old-fashioned railroader’s breakfast. President Bill Howes presented the status of the society and summarized the results of the board meeting. The membership assembled voted to elect the following as directors of the society (2002-2005 terms): John Goodwin, Bruce Heard, Bill Howes, Jim Larsen, Art Lloyd, Bill Withuhn, Mark Reutter and James Smith. Jon Buscemi, MD, presented his personal photographs of the excursion trip of N&W J-611 from Alexandria to Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1984. Jim Bistline, then manager of NS Steam excursion program, and Bill Howes, CSX, provided interesting insights on this particular excursion.

In anticipation of the 2003 NRHS/ R&LHS joint convention in Baltimore, Maryland, David Pfeiffer presented an overview of the B&O holdings at the national archives. As a final take away, there was a drawing for $40 gift certificates at Railroad Books. Owner, Chuck Macklin exhibited his books during the conference. The winners of the gift certificates were Jim Bistline, Don Hofsommer, Charles Zlatkovich, and Donald Morrison.

All that attended felt the Rails in the Rockies 2002 was well organized and administered. They felt that the events were entertaining, enlightening, informative, and appropriate to the aim of the Society: and they had a good time too!

The ”Excursion Train” at the Colorado Railroad Museum, headed by the Georgetown Loop Railroad’s #15, is ready for R&LHS members attending the Rails in the Rockies 2002 Annual Meeting. Photo by Corny Hauck.

President's Letter

If you missed the Annual Meeting of Members in Colorado Springs in early June, you missed a great show! Hats off to our secretary, Mike Walker, and his wife Sigi who planned and executed the events flawlessly. And they had a big hand from directors Ken and Ann Miller with last minute preparations.

Your Board of Directors met on June 7th. Although the Society remains financially strong, we incur a small operating deficit that needs to be controlled through a combination of new revenues and cost constraints. Happily, the Board concluded there is no need for an increase in the regular dues. We will, however, raise the "contributing" level in 2003 from $45 to $50, and, as in the recent past, will offer a gift item to those who renew at that level or above. While on the subject of dues, it has been decided that the 2003 renewal process will begin in late November this year and will be handled directly by the National Membership Secretary, Bill Lugg. Those of you who belong to one or more chapters will remit directly to Mr. Lugg and he will distribute the appropriate funds to the chapters.

There have been some recent changes in the editorial staff of Railroad History. John Gruber resigned as Managing Editor to take a new assignment advising the Board on a variety of issues concerning our publications. James N. J. Henwood resigned after 14 years of dedicated service as Book Review Editor, a position now filled by Dan Cupper.

Finally, be sure to take a look within these pages at the exciting news about Star Spangled Rails, our joint convention with the National Railway Historical Society in Baltimore in July 2003.               — Bill Howes, President

R&LHS Contact: Kevin Tankersley
[Deleted
information.]
June 30-July 6, 2003.

Annual Reports

CHICAGO CHAPTER

Activities for 2001-2002

The regular set of meetings was held each month from September 2001 through June 2002. Subjects were as follows:

September 2001 — Member Jim Bartke, who has one of the largest slide collections around, dipped into his collection to give us one of his “potpourri” programs, ranging from the East Coast to Alaska.

October — Harold Edmonson, whose search for steam operations takes him the world over, this year went to Mongolia’s recently built line over Jing Peng Pass, which was equipped with steam engines displaced from elsewhere in China and gave us a look at the action he photographed there.

November — John Dziobko gave members another chapter of his late 1950s odyssey, with his trip to the Canadian Maritimes to see Dominion Atlantic, Sydey & Louisburg, and the narrow gauge in Newfoundland.

December — Chapter Secretary Don Davis showed views of his most recent trip up and down the mountain railroads of Switzerland.

January 2002 — Chicagoan Bob Caflisch presented reels of his 16-mm color films of railroads from the 1950s to the 1970s in Canada and the Western United States.

February — Ted Schnepf grew up along the Illinois Central west of Fort Dodge, Iowa, and gave us an illustrated history of the west end of the IC’s Lines West.

March — Gene Glendenning, author of a new history of the Chicago & Alton, gave us a capsule history of the railroad.

April — Member Jim Neubauer, retired after 20 years with the Chicago & North Western (and with more time at the Rock Island) gave us a slide program on his experience working on the line.

May — Member Mike Blaszak toured the railroads of Alaska in the summer of 2001 — both of them — and gave us a pictorial review of his tour of the Alaska and White Pass & Yukon lines.

June — Member Dave Daruszka, an engineer for METRA, Chicago’s commuter rail system (previously with Wisconsin Central and C&NW) gave a slide program on his career as an “operating railfan.”

The Chapter reprinted this 150th year of the Rock Island Line’s first passenger train one of the line’s General Roster books of 1925, containing just about every bit of information about the line’s facilities that could be desired. Available for $20 + $2 postage, from Don Davis, Treas., Chicago Chapter, 2945 Everett St., Blue Island IL 60406.

LACKAWANNA CHAPTER

The year 2002 found the Chapter addressing one issue: The Delaware Water Gap Station.

The DWG Station is progressing with the complete removal of the debris both within the station itself and the freight house. The Chapter was awarded grants of $10,000.00 from Monroe County, The Rotary Club $1000.00 and Chris Barbieri (a chapter director and station committee chairman) $1000.00 to cover the costs involved in stabilizing the roofs with a false protective roof, This affords us time to raise the serious dollars necessary to have the historical restoration engineering done and then to apply for a “T-21” Federal Transportation Enhancement fund grant. This will give us the data to present to granters for money to fully restore the station that at one time was the “Gateway Station” to the famous Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area.

Our application for Historical Designation (this is our third submittal) is progressing to the point where we can now state that we have submitted our application and can therefore apply for grants requiring this designation. We are now able to meet inside the station itself with the assistance of a generator for light during the summer. We have electrical power to 5' of the station, and we will soon be applying to the electric company for metered service.

Some of the work can be viewed via the R&LHS web site under the chapter’s heading.

The “952” issue is proceeding VERY quietly. We are working with an attorney from Scranton Pa..

Membership stands at over 80 with various members attending both Model Railroad Shows and railroadiana shows to promote the chapter, the station restoration project, and to glean more members.

NEW YORK CHAPTER

During the calendar year 2001 the New York Chapter held nine meetings at our regular meeting place, Williamson Library, Grand Central Terminal, New York City. A tenth meeting, scheduled for September 14, was cancelled because of the World Trade Center tragedy which occurred earlier that week.

The programs presented at these meetings covered the following subjects: New York Central electric locomotives; New York Central diesel locomotives; Civil War railroading in the Confederacy, Manhattan elevated lines; slides of the Bangor & Aroostook, New Haven and New York Central; The Railroad Navies of New York Harbor; slides of the Panama Canal, Florida Central and Jacksonville annual meeting; Association of American Railroads Mechanical Division, and Metro-North and predecessor railroads.

We note with sadness the passing of Chapter Director Richard P. Papish and our former Chapter Secretary (1938-1943), Paul R. Brustman.

During the year we published eleven newsletters. Since our membership is roughly six times our meeting attendance, we believe it is these publications which hold our Chapter together. At year’s end our membership was 82.

We invite you to attend our meetings which are held the second Friday of each month, September through June. For further information please contact our Chapter Secretary, Peter Conovich, at (718) 921-9593.

We wish to acknowledge the assistance of the Chapter officers and directors, and that of President Bill Howes and Membership Secretary Bill Lugg. Their support has been invaluable.

SOUTHEAST CHAPTER

Our Chapter continues to sell a reprint of R&LHS Bulletin #86, The Story of the Florida Railroads by George W. Pettengill, Jr. It covers Florida's railroad history from its beginning in 1834 through 1903. At only $13.95 it is a real bargain.

Our monthly general membership meetings include

 programs describing historical and contemporary railroad topics. Some of our recent meeting programs have been Paul Reistrup (CSXT Vice President Passenger Integration and former Amtrak President) who recounted his railroad career and outlined recent passenger rail developments and Bill Howes (R&LHS President) who described the end of B&O/C&O passenger service. In addition to our monthly meetings, we also host an annual banquet and an annual photo contest and organize field trips to railroad sites throughout the Southeast.

In June, 2001, the Southeast Chapter successfully hosted the annual R&LHS convention and board of directors meeting. The convention featured tours of the NASA Railroad at Kennedy Space Center and the Florida East Coast Railway shops at New Smyrna Beach. The NASA Railroad tour included access to restricted areas inside the Vehicle Assembly Building and launch pad complexes which support NASA’s space shuttle operations. Another convention highlight was a day of panel discussions involving industry and historical representatives who analyzed current passenger service and short line issues. The featured convention banquet speaker was Don Phillips of the Washington Post who shared his perspective on the future of the rail transportation industry, specifically passenger rail service. The Convention Committee’s hard work paid off with many convention participants offering very favorable comments.

GOLD SPIKE CHAPTER
PACIFIC COAST CHAPTER
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER
SOUTHWEST CHAPTER
[No reports submitted]

Newsletter Notes

Next summer’s convention will be a whole week long as the railroads of America celebrate the 175 years of its existence in Baltimore, Maryland, where it all began. With the able assistance of the National Railroad Historical Society and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, this is sure to be a historic event of your life. Don’t miss it! Please use the preregistration form (or a copy), and then register promptly to insure you have a chance to attend popular events.

Trading Post

Submissions should be made to the Newsletter editor to arrive by April 1,2002, for inclusion in the next issue. All items subject to available space and editorial decisions as to content. Logos and photographs are limited to 7/8 inches high if space permits. New Trading Post items are posted every week on our WebSite.
<http://www.RLHS.ORG>

FOR SALE - Steam builder's and number plates. Wide range of builders. Also some diesel and electric items. List from Alan Miller, PO Box 910049, San Diego CA 92191-0049.

SEARCHING - (Memorandum Specs) Locomotive Specifications for Baldwin Electric, Diesel-Electric and Steam (1930 to 1951). General Electric order numbers for Electric and Diesel-Electrics. Alan Wayne Hegler, 2214 Arden Way #233, Sacramento CA 95825-3302, (916) 492-1500. <AlanWH@Earthlink.net >

FOR SALE - New York Central’s Canadian Streamliners by Douglas N. W. Smith covering the history of passenger service in the New York-Detroit-Chicago corridor from 4-4-0s and Wagner sleeping cars to E-8s pulling all-Pullman streamliners. Detailed text and many photos in 72 page softcover book. $15.95 US plus $2.50 S&H. Trackside Canada, Box 1369, Station B, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1P 5R4 <www.tracksidecanada.on.ca.>

WANTED - 3" x 5" CNW-UP-SP Name Train brochure Treasure Island Special 14 pages, 1940. Will buy or trade for similar brochures Los Angeles Ltd 11-26, ’49er 1940 & Columbine 1930. Kim Ady, 6448 South 1680 East, Salt Lake City UT 84121-2570.

WANTED - Negatives, slides, movies, old original photographs, transfer, tickets, and any other items from Street Railways of Scranton, PA. Charles Wrobleski, 206 Green St., Clarks Green PA 18411-1212. FOR SALE - Railroad Books (Fiction & Nonfiction), Western Railroaders and other magazines, Videos for Sale. Send

Name and address to David Graeber, 7840 Antelope Rd. #112, Citrus Heights CA 95610 or ddgraeber@cs.com for list.

SEEKING - Information, builder’s photos, photos and other information on industrialist/railroad builder John D. Spreckels’s private business car “Carriso Gorge” No. 060 for major restoration. Car built originally by Pullman in 1910 to Plan 2115-B as buffet/smoker/observation car #1733. It was purchased by Spreckels in 1919 for his new San Diego & Arizona Railway and converted to a business car. Now owned by the San Diego Railroad Museum and on display at its Campo, CA, Living History & Train Operations Center. Especially photos of the car as #050 on the SD&A and as #1733, photos of Mr. Spreckels on the car, also as SP. #101, “Tucson” or as SP Medical Examination Car #135. San Diego Railroad Museum, R. E. Pennick, 1050 Kettner Blvd. #5, San Diego CA 92101.

FOR SALE - The Philadelphia and Erie Railway by Rosenberger. Long out of print, it is available again in limited quantity. The original 1975 printing, 748 pages, hardcover with dust jacket. Mint condition. Anyone interested in this company, the PRR or Pennsylvania railroad history in general will be interested in this well researched reference work. Price is $36 and that price includes postage. Dan Allen, PO Box 917, Marlton, NJ 08053-0917. (609) 953 1387. <njsouthrr@aol.com>

NEEDED - R&LHS Bulletins #2-20 and #117 for museum collection. Dr. Jim Brown, The Little Falls Railroad & Doll Museum, PO Box 177, Cataract WI 54620-0177. <raildoll@centurytel.net>

WANTED - Photo/slides of GE 70 ton Diesels. Jeff Schumaker, 401 S. Patterson St., Gibsonburg OH 43431-1234.

The 7th Michigan Railroad History Conference will be held at the Eberhard Center, Grand Valley State University downtown Grand Rapids campus on Saturday, October 26, 2002. For more information contact Carl Bajema, 940 Shawmut Court NW, Grand Rapids MI 49504, (616) 791-9010.
<BajemaCarl@attbi.com>

New RR Books

Press releases for new railroad oriented books appear here. They are not paid advertisements and carry no endorsement by the R&LHS. All items subject to available space and editorial decisions as to content. Photographs are limited to 7/8 inches maximum size.

Ed Fagan, one of the foremost authorities on the subject, provides the very first book on The Engine’s Moan - American Steam Whistles. With chapters on history, uses, manufactures, collections, restoration, blowing and operation followed by a glossary, list of patents, end notes and index. A joy to read and profusely illustrated. 277 pages, 8½ x 11 soft cover. $39.95. The Astragal Press, PO Box 239, Mendham NJ 07945, (866) 543-3045.

A comprehensive history of North American railroad electrification, William D. Middleton’s When the Steam Railroads Electrified is a new, updated second edition, with a new final chapter, appendixes, bibliography and index. For most of the first half of the twentieth century the United States led the world in railroad electrification. Then, what impeded this US electrification? A simple answer was: the diesel-electric. 468 pages, 791 photos, 8 ½ x 11, cloth bound, $65.00. Indiana University Press, 601 North Morton Street, Bloomington IN 47404-3797. (812) 855-8817. Web: iupress.indiana.edu.

The self-proclaimed "Hoosier Line," the Monon, was Indiana's own, serving Indiana cooking in the dining cars and offering homespun service. Monon: The Hoosier Line: Second, Revised Edition by Gary W. Dolzall and Stephen F. Dolzall is the history of this magnificent railroad. 216 pages, 370 B&W and 27 color photos, map, index, 8½ x 11, Cloth, $49.95. Indiana University Press, 601 North Morton Street, Bloomington IN 47404-3797. (812) 855-8817. <iupress.indiana.edu>

THE FINE PRINT

Preregistration fee is $35 for the member, their spouse, children, or other household members living at the same address; it is nonrefundable.
Preregistration fee entitles member household to one registration package.
Preregistration forms must be postmarked by January 31, 2003. After that date, the member registration is $45.
One address only per form please.
Preregistrants will receive the registration package for ticket ordering in advance of all other registrants.
Preregistered members may only purchase tickets for those persons listed with their registration.
Hotel reservation information for discounted convention rates, will be sent with the registration packages.
Convention events are not yet finalized and subject to change.
A $35 fee will be assessed for checks returned by the bank for insufficient funds.

Mail completed form to: Star Spangled Rails P.O. Box 441668 Ft. Washington, MD 20749-1668

MONDAY, JUNE 30 to SUNDAY, JULY 6, 2003

Come celebrate the 175th Anniversary of Railroading in the United States, and our nation’s 227th Independence Day in Baltimore, Maryland. For your enjoyment, we have planned—
A special multiple day pass package to the B&O Railroad Museum and the Fair of the Iron Horse Festival in Baltimore’s Carroll Park (ticket purchase required),
A grandstand seat available for every convention attendee for the B&O Museum’s Fair of the Iron Horse Pageant parade (ticket purchase required),
Coach and first class main line excursions behind vintage and modern locomotives,
Night photo session led by Railfan and Railroad’s Steve Barry,
Fun regional and local railroad historical and rail fan tours,
Educational seminars on railroads and their history; a railroadiana show,
An annual banquet along with national board and membershimeetings,
Sightseeing tours to the area’s historic mansions, monuments, and more,
Convention accommodations at the fabulous Wyndham Inner Harbor Hotel
And a grand 4th of July fireworks display over Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
Star Spangled Rails is a joint convention of the National Railway Historical Society and the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, sponsored by the Washington DC Chapter, NRHS and the R&LHS. We look forward to welcoming you to Baltimore!
More info: www.starspangledrails.org or info@starspangledrails.org

STAR SPANGLED RAILS, BALTIMORE 2003 PREREGISTRATION
Name: __________________________________
Address:_________________________________
City, State, Zip: _________________Country: _________________
Phone: Day: ________________________Evening: __________________
E-mail address: ______________________________
MEMBER   NRHS; Member Number: ___________________
OF:           Associate or Home chapter: ____________________________
                 R&LHS; chapter, if any: ______________________
                 Both (list chapters and NRHS Member Number above)
PAYMENT Check for $35 payable to ‘Baltimore Rail Convention 2003’
METHOD:  Charge the $35 fee to my VISA MasterCard
Name on Credit Card:_____________________________________
Credit Card #: _____________________________Exp. Date: _____________
Signature: _______________________________________
OFFICE USE ONLY: ID # ___________PR # ____________CCA # ___________

ADDITIONAL REGISTRANTS attending with member (Spouse, children or other household members living at the same address):
1.______________________________
2.______________________________
3.______________________________
4.______________________________
5.______________________________
No, I don’t wish to preregister; mail me the registration package when available. Note for this option per NRHS & R&LHS policy:
-registration packages will be sent not less than 15 days after being mailed to preregistrants;
-ticket orders will not be filled until 30 days after preregistrant mailing;
-full member registration fee of $45 is required with order.