THE
TRANSFER TABLE
The Wilmington Chapter NRHS Official
Newsletter
Internet Edition
| VOLUME 23 NO. 1 | FEBRUARY 2001 |
Back To Wilmington Chapter Web Site
JANUARY MEETING NOTES
The first meeting of the
millennium was held on January 18, 2001 with 18 members (including our newest
member Kermit Geary, Jr.) and one guest. President Phil Snyder presented member
William J. Folger with his 50th Anniversary pin and National Director Tom
Posatko read a congratulatory letter from the National Office which will be
placed in the Chapter files. Bill then shared a few memories including his
earliest recollection of trains in Wildwood in 1929. He told how he got started
in railroad photography with the pinhole camera he made. Eventually, more
commercial equipment was acquired as he moved from stills, to movies, to video,
and now to digital.
After the regular business part of the meeting and a
delicious chocolate cake for Bill's anniversary, the evening's slides were
presented by Ernie Barry. The program was a modified version of a presentation
that he was asked to give to his local Rotary Club about "What Railfans
Do". He opened with slides of old photos that he had found of Millville, NJ
in 1900 including the local Pennsy B-6, an 0-6-0. We saw the last steam engine
in town in 1957. There were views of the #614 on Moodna Viaduct and the 1960
Reading Ramble to Tamaqua, PA where everyone walked up the street to the
football field. We got to see Wilmington & Western's #98 when it was at
Strasburg, PA, the Spiral Tunnels in the Canadian Rockies, and the last day of
operation of the Camas Prairie. We learned why talking track detectors give the
temperature (because trains have to slow down if it below 30 or above 90
degrees). There were many other great photos as well as clear proof of something
he had told the Rotary Club - although some of the people that live near him may
have never ventured more than few dozen miles from home, he told them that he
could show a slide of a train 2,000 miles away to a room full of railfans and
someone in the room would yell out the EXACT location!
From the Dec. 21, 2000 Officers' Meeting:
The special category for the 2001 Photo Contest will be "Scenery - East of
the Mississippi" with the scenery being 2/3rds of the photo and the train
NO MORE THAN one third of the photo. A possible Do-IT-Yourself trip is in the
works for March and/or one for September. The May picnic will probably be
somewhere OTHER THAN Strasburg this year.
Our special fund (which does NOT include ANY regular Chapter
dues) for sponsoring a teenage to Rail Camp is about 3/4ths of the way to the
necessary $550. If you would like to contribute or to suggest a worthy
recipient, please contact one of the Chapter officers.
December 2000 CHAPTER NOTES - submitted by Bruce Barry
The
Wilmington Chapter's annual Christmas dinner featured the presentation of a
plaque to Walt Robbins for his many years of service to the Chapter. This year
Walt stepped down as Secretary ending his many years as an officer of the club.
In previous years, Walt was President (1977-1994), Vice President (1995),
Secretary (1975-1976, 1996-2000), Treasurer (1973), auctioneer, and photo
contest emcee. We celebrated his 25 year in the NRHS in 1992 . In this Photo
President Phil Snyder presents Walt with the plaque. Walt is still active in the
club and continues to emcee our photo contests as well as brew the coffee for
the Chapter meetings.
As in past year's, former National Director Ed provided the
door prices and this year was no exception. Many thanks to Ed!!! The previous
day, Wilmington Chapter NRHS ran a night photo trip on Septa's light rail line.
Steve Barry coordinated this outing continuing a long string of successful
Chapter trolley trips. While attendance was light for the trip and rain was
present throughout the night, Steve, John Tully, Bill Monahan, and Ed Springer
executed photo stops throughout Philadelphia. On this trip, PCC was decorated
for Christmas with Christmas lights and decorations throughout the PCC.
From The Editor
...Corrections to the membership address list
which was published in the December 2000 issue:
Greg M. Ajamian >> sd40gma@aol.com
Steve Von Bonin >> Steve vonBonin
David English >> 9007 Bacons Rd.
My thanks to Tom Smith for the two articles that he recently sent and the VERY
old one that I found in the files. Thanks also to Henry Dickinson for another
one found in the files. And, of course, thanks to Dick Hall for the one in the
file and the FIVE NEW ONES!!! I hope to get some of these (or at least a first
installment of a longer article) into a newsletter in the near future. Please be
patient, things at the office have been VERY busy lately.
NEWS BITS
Union Pacific estimated that Firestone tire problems have caused the loss of up to 1000 carloads of tires per month, and the shutdown of Ford's Explorer and SUV assembly lines in order to free up tires has caused the loss of up to 2000 vehicle carloads by November 2000 [from The Overland via Old Dominion Chapter's Highball]
The future of the Royal Hudson #2860 remains uncertain as discussions continue over when or if the steam engine will be repaired. The classic steam engine had hauled the Squamish excursion train for 25 years now awaits a decision at the North Vancouver steam shop. The locomotive requires a boiler and firebox rebuild that could cost up to a million dollars. Al Broadfoot, the locomotive's custodian, says the logical thing would be to have the boiler rebuild follow the current one being completed for SPR #2816. [from West Coast Railway News, Aug 2000, via Pacific Northwest Chapter's The Trainmaster]
A short time ago the MTA
announced plans to enhance its Metro Subway system (see www.mtamaryland.com/news/newlook_metro/metromove.html).
Already the reconstruction of the Milford Mill and Old Court stations is nearing
an end and the escalator rehabilitation is underway at the Upton Metro Station.
Recently, Metro unveiled the first two cars from its
fleet-wide railcar rehabilitation project. The two cars (Car Nos. 144 & 145)
are currently in service feature new, tan floors bearing the MTA and Metro
logos, in addition to new comfy blue seats. These are just some of the planned
railcar improvements which will also feature onboard LED destination signs and
an automatic voice announcement system. Railcars showcasing all of the new
features will begin appearing this summer.
The MTA wants to hear from our customers to find out what you
think of these two new rail cars. The cars will be mixed into regular service.
When the opportunity presents itself, take a ride in the new cars and email us
back with your comments. Please be sure to include your home address in the
email and we will send you a token gift of our appreciation. [from HDBtrains]
The Sunday News Journal ran a front page story about possible rail improvements in the state. As a Delaware citizen, you can request a copy of the "Delaware Freight Rail Plan" (issued December 2000) from DelDOT. Among the highlights is a proposal to spend $60-70 million to build another track between Perryville and Newark for freight and commuter use. Up to $20 million might be required to rebuild the Shellpot branch, out-of-service bridge and all. It's approx. 90 pages with maps/graphs/charts [reported by Ed Thornton]
Recently a CSX conductor who
occasionally passes through Wilmington, said he saw two USAF military
locomotives at the Elsmere Yard in Wilmington, DE. Their numbers are USAF 8547
and 8583. Judging by their numbers, both are WWII-era former Army locomotives,
probably GE centercabs. Tim Moriarty, Editor, High Green and US Army Reserve
Locomotive Engineer asked (via E-mail) if we knew exactly where they are, where
they can be viewed, and who owns them now, since all 8xxx-series locomotives are
long gone from the inventory.
John Iwasyk reported that the two Air Force 44 ton
locomotives used to be stored on #1 track next to the WWRR engine house. However
the Wilmington & Western RR needed the storage space for their standby cars
after they restored the third caboose and the open car. They were moved to the
Elsmere yards. They are owned by a private individual who wishes to remain
anonymous. The engines are on a siding next to the Maintenance of Way buildings.
Tim later provided the following two notes; Note 1 that the
Chesapeake Railway (Bill Bartosh) had two USAF 80+ tonners, center cabs, sitting
down on the interchange in Clayton, DE. These were spotted in Wilmington itself
by a CSX conductor. The two in Clayton have been there since the lease ran out
on the CHRR in late October 1998 and are now thoroughly vandalized. (Some buffs
may have had a hand in it since the automatic and independent brake valves were
missing from both.) Also, those are ex-USN locomotives, not USAF. The two in
Wilmington have 85xx-series numbers and USAF markings, but the ex-CHRR
locomotives don't have any military markings left.
Note 2 that a gentleman in Virginia reported two "locos
owned by the Navy Historical Center". Those two yellow GE 80-tons were
formerly operated within the confines of Naval Base Norfolk. They're sitting
just outside the base, very beat up by local vandals. The owner can't do
anything with them but display them, which isn't a very profitable venture for
either a shortline or a museum operation. AND: The CHRR 80-tons are Whitcombs,
while those in Wilmington are GEs, and probably smaller (i.e. 45-ton).
PRRT&HS Chapter member Dudley Lighty is completing final discussions and arrangements with the Fairmount Park Commission to erect a State Historical Marker at the last known location of the Philadelphia and Columbia's right-of-way that still contains stone sleepers in their original location. The Marker has already been manufactured and contains the following text: "PHILADELPHIA & COLUMBIA RAILROAD - One of America's earliest railroads, authorized by the state legislature in 1828 and completed in 1834. Stretching 82 miles west to the Susquehanna, it was powered first by horses, later by steam. Part of a state owned transportation system, including the Pennsylvania Canal, built in response to intense competition from adjacent states. Acquired by the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. in 1857. Stone blocks placed for the original track have remained visible here." The dedication date has tentatively been scheduled for April/May 2001. [to subscribe to their electronic newsletters, contact PRRTHSe-NEWS@egroups.com]
January 23, 2001 NORFOLK, VA -
The Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) announced a restructuring designed
to reduce costs and improve financial performance. "The dividend reduction
was a difficult decision but a necessary component of our restructuring, which
is part of a series of planned actions that Norfolk Southern is taking in
response to the economic slowdown and changes in our transportation
markets," said David R. Goode, Norfolk Southern chairman, president and
chief executive officer. "These actions further align our company with
changing economic realities, and they sharpen our focus on improving financial
performance for our investors while maintaining our commitment to safety and
customer service."
The restructuring includes:
* a work force reduction of 1,000 to 2,000 employees over the next 12 months,
which will be in addition to programs announced in 2000;
* disposition of 12,000 surplus freight cars;
* a line rationalization program targeting 3,000 to 4,000 underutilized or
duplicate track miles over the next 24 months;
* consolidation or disposition of up to 10 underutilized or redundant
facilities; and
* a redesign of Norfolk Southern's service network with the assistance of
MultiModal Applied Systems, a railroad consulting firm with a successful track
record of helping railroads reduce operating costs while improving service
levels.
Norfolk Southern Corporation, a Virginia-based holding company with headquarters
in Norfolk, owns a major freight railroad, Norfolk Southern Railway Company,
which operates approximately 21,800 miles of road in 22 states, the District of
Columbia and the Province of Ontario. [from Norfolk Southern Corporation http://www.nscorp.com]
Wednesday, January 31, 2001
'He was trying to document an era' Photographer Link dead at 86 The man who
captured images for rail enthusiasts died en route to the hospital in New York.
(By ZEKE BARLOW, The Roanoke Times) [from http://www.roanoke.com/roatimes/news/story106529.html
]
A day after the historic Virginian Railroad passenger station
burned down, a much bigger blow was dealt to rail enthusiasts: Photographer O.
Winston Link died of a heart attack. He was 86.
Link chronicled railroad life in the 1950s and became not
only an international name in photography, but also captured the last days of
the American steam locomotive.
He had been sick for some time when he drove himself to the
hospital in Mount Kisco, N.Y., on Tuesday afternoon and suffered a heart attack
en route, said his publicist, Tom Garver. Link died before he got to the
hospital, Garver said.
There has been recent talk of creating an O. Winston Link
museum in the old Norfolk and Western passenger station in downtown Roanoke.
Link was lobbying to have the No. 1218 steam locomotive on display and had said
he wouldn't cooperate with the museum project unless the train he described as
"the most beautiful engine in the world" was part of it.
For many, Link not only captured the last days of the steam
engine, but also froze an innocent time of the world in his camera lens. Besides
the engines billowing steam, Link's photos showed such scenes as folks sitting
around a wood stove sharing a story or a young boy waving to the engineers as a
train chugged by.
"He was trying to document an era," said longtime
friend Joan Thomas, who markets videos for the British Broadcasting Corp. made
about Link. "He knew that not only the steam engines were going but also a
way a life."
An internationally known photographer, Link was featured in
the January issue of Vanity Fair, which featured photographers of the 20th
century. His photos would take days to construct sometimes, complete with
numerous flashes and wires galore. N&W would work with Link on his photos,
manipulating the trains to his liking.
"It was an impossibly beautiful relationship," Link
said recently.
Many people over the years have said how much Link's works contributed to the
history of the American railroad.
"It's a huge loss," Thomas said.
Staff writer Mike Allen contributed to this report. For a selection of Link's
photos, go to http://www.lightfactory.org/link/nw1998.html
Wall
Street Journal 1-31-2001: Canadian National to buy Wisconsin Central, shed WC's
foreign owned lines in England and Australia. [ reported by Dan Frederick]
SCHEDULE NOTES
Notices, announcements, schedules, etc. are provided here as a service to the
members. The Chapter has no affiliation with any commercial operation, museum,
or tourist line.
Saturday, February 24, 2001 East Rail 2001
tickets $10 by mail, $12 at door send SSAE to: EastRail 2001, c/o URHS,
P.O. Box 711, Clark, NJ 07066-0711
Saturday & Sunday, February 24-25, 2001 Brass Expo
Baltimore & Ohio Museum, Baltimore, MD.
Sunday, March 4, 2001 Railroad Show & Collectors Market
9 - 3, Zembo Temple, 3rd & Division Sts, Harrisburg, PA
Sunday, March 18, 2001 NORDEL X-mas Train Show
10 AM - 3 PM, Cranston Heights Fire Co. Prices Corner, Kirkwood Highway (Rt.
2), Wilmington, DE
Saturday & Sunday, March 24-25, 2001 Cornell Railroad Historical Society
2001 Railfair
Tompkins County Armory, Hanshaw Road (past the airport), Ithaca, NY
Thursday-Sunday, March 29-April 1, 2001 NMRA Mid-East Region Convention
Sheraton Great Valley, US Route 30, Frazer (West Chester/Exton), PA, info at
www.kj2001.com or write to P.O. Box 378,
Devon, PA 19333
Saturday & Sunday, April 7-8, 2001 Great Scale Model Train Show
9-4 Saturday, 10-4 Sunday, Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD.
Saturday, MAY 12, 2001 Railfan Day on Cape May Seashore
Lines
with matching ex-PRSL RDC's on ex-PRSL trackage between Cape May
Court House and Cape May City, New Jersey. Two complete round trips with
numerous photo stops, lunch break in Cape May, night photo session after dinner.
Trip departs the Fairgrounds Station at Cape May Court House at 10:00 a.m.
(directions sent with ticket order). Fare $30 ($25 for chapter members and their
guests) includes both round trips and the night photo session. Order tickets
from Wilmington Chapter NRHS, c/o Steve Barry, 117 High Street, Newton, NJ
07860. Information phone 973/383-3355 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), e-mail steve@daylightimages.com
or visit www.daylightimages.com/capemay.html
.
June 18-23, 2001 NRHS National
Convention to be hosted by St. Louis Chapter
Saturday & Sunday, June 23-24, 2001 Great Scale Model Train Show
9-4 Saturday, 10-4 Sunday, Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD.
July 22-28, 2001 NRHS Basic Rail Camp 2001
Steamtown National Historic Site, $550 per teenager
August 12-18, 2001 NRHS Basic Rail Camp 2001
Steamtown National Historic Site, $550 per teenager
Saturday & Sunday, October 6-7, 2001 Great Scale Model Train Show
9-4 Saturday, 10-4 Sunday, Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD.
Reminder: RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP
if you haven't already.
Send your 2001 membership dues to Treasurer Ralph Stevens, Jr.
(address on next page). If your membership lapses,
this could be your last issue of The Transfer Table.
Donations Sought For
Rail Camp Scholarship Fund
Last summer, the Wilmington Chapter sponsored a student for the NRHS
Rail Camp Program. It is time, once again, to identify a candidate for Rail Camp
2001. At this time, Tom Posatko, John Iwasyk, and Ed Thornton are developing
criteria to identify a student candidate. Letters will go out to school
counselors in the surrounding community alerting them of this NRHS program.
We now wish to solicit donations from our members and friends
to create a "Rail Camp Scholarship Fund". Approximately $550 will be
needed to send one student to camp. This amount covers tuition, room and board.
Transportation cost is usually borne by the student.
We feel that this is a worthy project. Make checks payable to
"Wilmington Chapter, NRHS" and let Ralph know that the donation is for
the "Rail Camp Scholarship Fund".. Please send donations to Ralph
Stevens, 8 Colony Blvd., Apartment #315 Wilmington, DE 19802-1459
Make your gift count twice! You may be able to double the
value of your gift if you or your spouse are employed by one of the many area
businesses that generously match employee contributions. Please check with your
employer to see if they have such a program.
We hope that you will want to support this project and we
much appreciate your kindness!
The National Railway
Historical Society's Wilmington Chapter's Annual Doug Weaver Memorial Photo
Contest
will be held at the regular Chapter meeting on Thursday, May 20th.
Here are the guidelines for entering images in this year's contest:
CHAPTER EVENTS
Thursday Feb. 15, 2001 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Bruce Barry
on the Monongahila and Boston & Albany
Thursday March 15, 2001 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Frank Ferguson, Jr.
entitled "The Year (2000) in Review"
Thursday April 19, 2001 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Chris White
(proprietor of Red Star Railways, from Cheswold, DE. )[his website: http://www.redstarrailways.com/]
on Russian Railways (75 cm gauge in Panevezys, Lithuania and Gulbene, Latvia)
Saturday May 12, 2001 10 AM Chapter Trip Railfan Day on
Cape May Seashore Lines
Thursday May 17, 2001 7 PM Chapter Meeting Annual Doug Weaver Memorial
Photo Contest
2001 special category: Scenery (2/3 of shot) - East of the Mississippi since May
1999
our annual do-it-yourself transport, bring your own food & chair, summer
extravaganza!
Saturday May 19?, 2001 ? AM Chapter Picnic ? details
not known at this time
Thursday June 21, 2001 7 PM Chapter Meeting program not known at this time
Thursday July 19, 2001 7 PM Chapter Meeting Do - It - Yourself Program
Thursday Aug. ??, 2001 ? ? Chapter Outing ? details not known at this time
Thursday Sept. 20, 2001 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Greg Ajamian
program not known at this time (but will undoubtedly include some unusual
freight cars!)
The Wilmington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) meets at 7:00 PM on the third Thursday of each month [except August & December] in the Darley Room at the Claymont Community Center on Green Street in Claymont, Delaware. Visitors are always welcome. Admission to regular meetings is free. Check out our >>NEW Website <<<, thanks to Russ Fox at: http://www.WilmingtonNRHS.com
The Transfer Table
The Transfer Table is published six to ten times per year as the
newsletter of the Wilmington Chapter of the National Railway Historical
Society. Items in this publication do not represent the official position
of either Officers or Members of the Wilmington Chapter or the Editor of this
publication.
Permission to reprint articles and news items appearing
herein is granted to NRHS Chapters and other newsletters provided appropriate
credit is given. Contributions are always welcome and should be sent
to the editor at SD40GMA@aol.com or send
to: P.O. Box 1136, Hockessin, DE 19707-5136. Deadline for entries is the 25th of
the month.
Chapter Officers
President Phil Snyder
Vice President & Historian Ron Cleaves
Treasurer Ralph Stevens, Jr.
Secretary Dan Frederick
National Director Tom Posatko
Editor Greg Ajamian
Public Relations Frank Ferguson, Jr.
Event Photographer Bruce Barry
>>> check out our NEW website >>> http://www.WilmingtonNRHS.com