THE TRANSFER TABLE
The Wilmington Chapter NRHS Official Newsletter
Internet Edition

VOLUME 23 NO. 3 MAY  2001

Back To Wilmington Chapter Web Site

APRIL MEETING NOTES         

President Phil Snyder opened the meeting with a report on the March 16 Chapter Trip to New York City; including news of the PCC cars, the ferry trip, and PATH trains. The minutes were approved as read by Ron Cleaves and the Treasurer's report was approved as read by Ralph Stevens followed by a brief report by National Director Tom Posatko.

REQUEST FOR INFO: Chapter Member Richard Hall is seeking information and diagrams of the B&O in Cecil County, MD.

Frank Ferguson, who provided the ten opening slides for the evening, reported that the Acela train can be seen regularly on weekdays at 7:55 AM northbound through Newport, DE

The program for the evening was provided by guests Chris White, proprietor of Red Star Railways, [website: http://www.redstarrailways.com/] along with Peter Bergs on Russian Railways. We saw 5 foot (broad) gauge trains under 3000 VDC catenary over concrete ties and 75 cm gauge (~2 ft.) in Lithuania and Latvia. We also saw a peat processing operation using narrow gauge side dump cars in Estonia and the very rare and unusual "Latvian Bog Diggers". This was a very interesting and informative presentation that was enjoyed by all. Our special thanks to our special guests.

AND THESES NOTES FROM THE PRESENTERS: LITHUANIA -- the dual-gauge station was PANEVEZYS, on the line from Panevezys to ANYKSCIAI. This line closed on March 25, 2001. LATVIA -- the narrow gauge line runs from GULBENE to ALUKSNE (the latter about 10 miles from the land of the Russian Bear). The peat-hauling line was near MISA. ESTONIA -- the peat-hauling line and the narrow-gauge museum were near the little village of LAVASSAARE, in southwestern Estonia. The narrow-gauge diesels were built at KALUGA, about 13 miles south-southeast of Red Square in Moscow. The broad-gauge diesels (that looked like Alcos) were built at LUGANSK in Ukraine. The broad-gauge diesel railcar sets were made by RVZ in Riga, Latvia (which factory now is closed -- the Latvians pissed off the Russians, doubled their prices, and generally shot themselves in the foot).


MARCH MEETING NOTES         

After calling the meeting to order, President Phil Snyder had Secretary Dan Frederick read the minutes of the Feb. meeting and Treasurer Ralph Stevens give the Treasurer's report; both were approved as read. Following National Director Tom Posatko's report there was a discussion of the Chapter Picnic coinciding with the grand re-opening of the Wilmington & Western on May 19.

There was a discussion of the May 19 dedication in Fairmount Park by the PRRT&HS for the Philadelphia & Columbia RR. Dan Frederick reported on the use of AMTRAK helicopters to patrol the Northeast Corridor. Ralph Stevens corrected a note in the last issue's Chapter Events which should have read "Port Jefferson" (not "Jarvis"). John Iwasyk reported on an NS rebuild project from Atglen to Columbia (Columbia Low Grade line from Safe Harbor).

REQUEST FOR INFO: Chapter Member John Iwasyk is seeking information and diagrams on any and all abandoned rail lines in the state of Delaware.

Frank Ferguson, who provided the ten opening shots of local events followed by the evening's program entitled "Highlights from 2000". We got to see Binghamton, NY, Waverly, Syracuse, Newark, Reading, Newport, PA. and Aiken, MD. There were shots of CSX, Conrail, NS, BNSF, Susquehanna, EMD, LMX, Rail Link, KCS, GWWR, and UP. There was s section on Kansas including Topeka, Kansas City, and Sugar Creek, MO. Also seen were Belt Junction (Reading, PA), Pocopson, AMTRAK HHP and ACELA, British Columbia, CPR passenger in Fort McCloud, Lethbridge Tresle, Medicine Hat (Alberta), Swift Current (Saskatchewan), and Shirley, MT. This was another of Frank's exquisite presentations.


NEWS BITS

      U.P. Loads 100,000th PRB Coal Train - OMAHA, March 19 -- Union Pacific Railroad Saturday loaded its 100,000th coal train out of southeast Wyoming's Southern Powder River Basin (SPRB) coal field since Union Pacific and the former Chicago & North Western completed a 107-mile rail line to the region in August 1984. "Hitting the 100,000th train mark during the 16th year the line has been open proves the capital investment in our coal corridor across Nebraska into Kansas City continues to pay dividends," said Lance Fritz, Union Pacific's vice president and general manager -- energy.
Union Pacific's recent major capacity projects on the corridor included:
*     The completion of a four-year, $327 million construction of a third main line track between North Platte and Gibbon, Nebraska in 1999.
*     Last year's completion of a four-year, $157 million project constructing a second main line track between Gibbon and Marysville, Kansas
*     Also last year, UP began a nearly $60 million project to construct 37 miles of second main line track on its line between South Morrill, Nebraska and Shawnee, Wyoming. As part of the track construction, 24 bridges were built at various locations.
*     Union Pacific is spending $14.6 million on increasing capacity at its South Morrill rail yard and $4.2 million on a new bridge at South Bayard, Nebraska.
*     UP repurchased the 107-mile rail line between Upland, Kansas and St. Joseph Missouri from RailTex, Inc. in August 1998 to add additional capacity between Marysville and Kansas City. The line between Upland and Hiawatha, Kansas handles primarily westbound empty coal trains.
      Use of new high-horsepower locomotives and distributed power in coal trains have also helped increase efficiency of trains. The average number of daily loaded trains being moved out of the SPRB continues to improve. Union Pacific is currently averaging over 34 trains a day, two trains a day better than the all-time high of nearly 32 a day set during January 2001. A new two-day loading record of 78 trains was set on March 8 and 9, surpassing the old record of 76 trains set on July 12 and 13, 2000.
     Another reason for the improved coal train numbers is the success of the joint UP/Burlington Northern Santa Fe coal train dispatching area at BNSF's dispatching center in Ft. Worth, Texas. By having both railroads' train dispatchers in the same room, instead of hundreds of miles apart, train movements on shared track in Wyoming are better coordinated.
    Union Pacific Corporation is one of America's leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, is the largest railroad in North America, covering 23 states across the western two-thirds of the United States. It is the leading carrier of low-sulfur coal used in electrical power generation and has broad coverage of the large chemical-producing areas along the Gulf Coast. With competitive long-haul routes between all West Coast ports and eastern gateways and as the only railroad to serve all six major gateways to Mexico, Union Pacific has the premier rail franchise in North America. The corporation also owns Overnite Transportation, a nationwide less-than-truckload carrier, and Fenix, a group of technology companies. [from http://www.uprr.com/uprr/notes/corpcomm/375a.shtml ]

    How much faster is a trip on the Acela? the following are approx times shown as hours:minutes
miles reg train Metrolnr Acela Expr [from AMTRAK schedule]
Wash,DC 0 - - -
Wilm,DE 110 1:31 1:21 1:14
NYC 116 1:54 1:38 1:49
Boston 231 4:45 -:-- 3:28
avg speed(w/stops)DC-Wilm: regular = 73 mph, Acela Express = 88 mph
avg speed(w/stops)NYC-Boston: regular = 48 mph, Acela Express = 66 mph

    Bennett Levin says that he will/would make his former Conrail E unit diesel locomotive now painted PRR 5711 available for special trains and fan trips. He and his family want the locomotive to be seen by many. The locomotive has to be operated by Amtrak due to liability reasons. So far there are some trips being planned. One is definite, locomotive and the other locomotive that he is refurbishing will be attending the RAILROADERS MEMORIAL MUSEUM WEEKEND in Altoona in October pulling the Horseshoe Curve trips. The other trips are still in the planning stages. Those trips will probably be publicize when things are finalized.

   May 3-5 is the PRR T & HS annual convention in Camp Hill Pa. which is west of Harrisburg. June 2-3 is PENNSY DAYS at the Railroad museum in Strasburg where many things are being planned. There will be a banquet there on Saturday night to help celebrate the 25 anniversary of the Philadelphia Chapter of the PRR T & HS. Saturday, May 19 will be a dedication of a state historical marker a dedication of a marker of the Philadelphia & Columbia Railroad (PENNSY PREDECESSOR). The Ceremony will be in West Philadelphia, in Fairmont Park at Edgely & Belmont Aves. where there are SLEEPER STONES (pre wooden ties) remanning after the ceremony maps will be made available for people to check out other PRR related relics between Philadelphia and the PAOLI area. Then there will be a late afternoon reception at the Wayne Train Station open to all. The local PBS TV station here will be showing a show on the PRR and its employees to be seen sometime in late June. Saturday, June 9 will be the second 50 anniversary of the second batch of RDC'S that were delivered to the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL). The cars were delivered to the railroad at the end of May and the begging of June. The West Jersey Chapter NRHS and the Cape May Seashore Lines are again co SPONSORING the event. Plans are still being finalized at this time. Might want to check their web site and the West Jersey NRHS web site from time to time to find out further details and information. [from HDBtrains]

    Temporary Empire Service Schedules During Metro North Track Work Program April 1, 2001 to July 8, 2001. Amtrak is changing its schedule Metro North will begin major track work bridge rehabilitation at New Hamburg,NY (south of Poughkeepsie ) on April 1,2001. The program will disrupt service for 10 weeks. All Amtrak and Metro North trains in both directions must operate on one single track in an 11-mile segment between Beacon and Poughkeepsie. On weekends, the single track segment will be 14 miles long. The revised schedule is a compromise. On weekdays, 38 Metro North and 26 Amtrak trains operate over the line. There is insufficient capacity on the one remaining track to handle all Metro North and all Amtrak trains without some delays. A delay to any particular train will impact successive trains. Even though schedules have been lengthened, some delays are inevitable. This section of the Empire Corridor is operated and controlled by Metro North. They have worked with Amtrak to develop a joint schedule to accommodate both Amtrak guests and Metro North customers. However, final decisions on construction and operating practices rest with Metro North.
SERVICE IMPACTS Between New York and Albany:
* Trip times between New York to Albany will be 10 to 15 minutes longer than normal.
* From Albany, most trains will leave EARLIER-in some cases by as much as 25 minutes.
* Some trains will be temporarily canceled from April 29 until July 8:
* Several trains that normally operate seven days a week on the same schedule will have different timings on Saturday and on Sunday.
Service to Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo and Niagara Falls:
* Trip times will be slightly longer due to lengthened schedules between New York and Albany. Some eastbound trains will wait in Albany Station longer than usual holding for a slot through the construction zone.
* Generally, departure times are EARLIER for both eastbound and westbound trains.
The Adirondack:
* Trip times will be slightly longer due to lengthened schedules between New York and Albany.
* Current Trains 68/69 will operate weekdays only close to normal schedules. On weekends, Trains 70/71 will operate between New York and Montreal approximately 30 minutes later than weekdays.
The Ethan Allen:
* General - Time that had been added to Rutland schedules due to track conditions between Whitehall and Rutland will be removed. Slow orders have been addressed.
plus many more detailed schedule changes [from Amtrak Customer Service Center via HDBtrains]

     Dover rail station reveals a historical whistle-stop
Discovery presents a peek at Delaware's past By J.L. MILLER Dover Bureau reporter 03/21/2001
Workers renovating the old Pennsylvania Rail Road Station in Dover have discovered a long-forgotten cache of documents detailing the operation of the railroad in its heyday. Tuesday, workers from the Delaware Public Archives donned dust masks and ventured into a formerly sealed attic where the records had languished for about 70 years. They lowered the yellowing documents by a bucket attached to a rope, examining them briefly before packing them into boxes for the short trip to the archives building. "There's waybills, receipts from passenger tickets, all kinds of railroad activities," said Joanne A. Mattern, manager of records services for the archives.
    They reflect the activities of the railroad at a period when it really was at its peak, Mattern said. The documents, some of them dating to World War I and possibly earlier, detail the comings and goings of Delawareans, their belongings and the goods they produced.
    One receipt detailed an April 30, 1917, shipment from Felton Creamery Co. to Dover's Sanitary Dairy. Even a receipt that documented the shipping of a 55-pound dog was saved and eventually tucked away in the attic of the railroad station at the foot of Loockerman Street, on the east side of the tracks. The station, built in 1910, served as a passenger and freight depot on the busy rail line that ran from northern Delaware to the tip of the Delmarva Peninsula at Cape Charles, Va. After World War II passenger and freight service began to decline. By 1958 the Pennsylvania Rail Road operated just one daily passenger train from Delmar to Wilmington, and it ended that service in 1965. The Pennsylvania Rail Road, which later became the Penn Central, shuttered the station and went bankrupt. The state acquired the station -- and the tucked-away records with it. The station housed Magistrate Courts 7 and 16 until 1999, when the courts moved to new quarters on West Street. Late last week, contractors working on the $1.2 million project to convert the station into state office space stumbled across the old records and informed state officials. Archives workers removed about 100 cubic feet of documents and hauled them to the archives building. "We'll clean them up and find them a home," Mattern said. Because the mission of the archives is to preserve public records, the railroad papers will end up in another public institution, possibly a museum. Reach J.L. Miller at 678-4271 [from http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/local/2001/03/21doverrail.html]

    Mountain Rail Extravaganza
Cass Scenic Railroad and Three Excursions
THREE-DAY TOUR: Fri., June 1, to Sun., June 3
    As new sections of historic rail line are re-opened for excursions through West Virginia's mountain scenery, this popular tour becomes even more spectacular. Led by railroad historian Joe Nevin, this year's trip includes Cass Scenic Railroad's legendary journey to the top of the second-highest point in West Virginia behind a geared steam locomotive, and extensive new sections of rail line on two of the three other excursions. These include a chartered trip along the Greenbrier River, a ride through the Cheat River wilderness, and first-class accommodations aboard the extended New Tygart Flyer.
Friday's travel is down the scenic Shenandoah Valley before turning west into the region known as Virginia's Switzerland. After lunch at the Highland Inn in the charming village of Monterey, the group continues westward to Cass for a tour of the historic lumber-town buildings and remnants of the great mills that once filled the valley.
    Continuing to Durbin, the group takes a 10-mile, chartered trip along the Greenbrier River in an open observation car and wooden caboose of the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad.
Accommodations for the night are at the newly renovated Hermitage Motel in Bartow. Dinner and breakfast the next morning are provided in its restaurant.
    Saturday begins with a shop tour at Cass, where participants learn about the railroad's collection of restored locomotives, including seven Shays, a Climax, and a Heisler. A bag lunch is provided during the four-and-a-half hour roundtrip ride to the top of 4,842-foot Bald Knob. During this trip the train traverses grades as steep as 11 percent, passes through two switchbacks, and stops at Whittaker Station to see an authentically recreated logging camp, and at a spring where the train takes on water. At the top of the mountain a large viewing platform offers panoramic views into two states.
During the return trip, the group leaves the Cass train at Spruce Siding to board the chartered Cheat Mountain Salamander, a self-propelled rail car. In a 49-mile excursion, the Salamander passes the ghost town of Spruce, goes through the "Big Cut" on the west slope of Cheat Mountain, passes the High Falls of the Cheat, and follows Shaver's Fork to Bowden, where a barbecue dinner is served at scenic Revelle's Campground.
    Saturday accommodations are at the Elkins Motor Lodge, where a buffet breakfast is provided on Sunday prior to a driving tour that highlights Elkins railroad history. At noon the group boards the New Tygart Flyer's Mardi Gras observation/lounge car for a 50-mile excursion that includes a cold buffet lunch. The train climbs from the Shaver's Fork Valley and passes through the unique S-curved Cheat Mountain Tunnel and the rugged Tygart River Valley to Belington.
Fri., June 1, 8 a.m., to Sun., June 3, 7:30 p.m., by bus from the Mayflower Hotel, Connecticut Ave. and DeSales St., N.W., with a stop at the Vienna Metro south-side Kiss and Ride at about 8:25 a.m.
Singles registering at the double-room rate are paired (on a nonsmoking basis) if possible, but must pay the single-room supplement if not. Detailed information is mailed to registrants. The new phone number for Resident Associate Program overnight-tour registration is (202) 357-3030.
Mountain Rail Extravaganza CODE: USW-VR1 Fri., June 1, to Sun., June 3
TICKET TYPE: General Admission Resident Associate Member Single Room Add
TICKET PRICE: $ 519.00 $ 389.00 $ 48.00


ANNUAL DOUG WEAVER MEMORIAL PHOTO CONTEST

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:

  1. STEAM - Photos with a steam locomotive as the primary subject.
  2. DIESEL - Photos with a diesel locomotive as the primary subject.
    This category also includes gas-electrics, Doodlebugs, RDCs, and FL9s north of Harmon, and the like.
  3. HEAVY ELECTRIC - Electric power on big railroads.
  4. TRACTION - Trolleys and light rail including streetcars, PATCO, Metro, all subways, etc.
  5. GENERAL - Any photo that does NOT include one of the above as the primary subject. Passenger and freight cars, stations, signals, railfans, and the like go here.
  6. VINTAGE - Any railroad-related subject photographed 15 or more years ago.
  7. SPECIAL CATEGORY for 2001 = any photo that is mostly scenery (2/3rd of frame) taken in the United States EAST of the Mississippi River AND within the last 2 years.

 


Crossing The Susquehanna
By Richard E. Hall NTXBOSQR.BRG © 2000 R.E. Hall
    This is not another story about building, or rebuilding, the railroad bridges crossing the Susquehanna River. This is a little story regarding my father-in-law, the late Ralph Winant, when he was a machinist's helper at the once busy B&O roundhouse in Wilsmere Yard. The roundhouse not only serviced B&O locomotives, but back then, there were some Reading Co. and CNJ freight trains that ran to Wilsmere and "turned", with some engine servicing being done there. When the B&O revised their operating practice and closed the Wilsmere Roundhouse, he chose to stay in Wilmington and be furloughed rather than accept the offer of transferring his family to Brunswick, Md., at the other end of the division.
    The incident being related here took place back in the late 1920's, not too long before the Wilsmere roundhouse was closed. At that time there was a quarry operated by the Standard Lime And Stone Co. located between the west end of the B&O's Susquehanna River Bridge, MP 59.4, and the Havre de Grace Station at MP 60.2. The quarry was listed as being at MP 59.9, the same MP location as "BG" Tower. As the story was told to me, "BG" Tower was still active at that time. The stone company had a contract with the B&O to maintain or repair their small steam locomotives used for switching the cars in the quarry.
    I know where the quarry was located and have been past it on a fan trip over the old Susquehanna Power Co./Philadelphia Electric Co. railroad that ran from Conowingo Dam to Havre de Grace. As I recall, that out of the way fan trip was run by the Baltimore Chapter, NRHS. For that trip, the PRR had provided two steel 52 foot PRR gondolas for the passengers to ride in. They were about all that the electric company's little gas mechanical drive Plymouth locomotive could handle on the way back up to Conowingo.
    I do not know how many locomotives the quarry company had there back in the 1920's, but I can remember seeing the smoke and steam from them, and perhaps from some steam shovels. It was quite visible from the wharf at Uncle Walton Campbell's Warehouse at Port Deposit, back in the early 1930's. Back then, as today, the quarry also shipped stone out by barge, but loading the barges has changed. I wonder if the small rails of the quarry's narrow gauge track crossing of the power company's standard gauge track is still embedded in the cement slab near the quarry's wharf?
    One afternoon in the late 1920's, the roundhouse foreman at Wilsmere was instructed to send a machinist and his helper down to the quarry at Havre de Grace to make a minor repair to one of the quarry locomotives. The grates would not operate to shake the ashes from the firebox down into the ash pan. A passenger train would be ordered to stop at Wilsmere for the mechanics to board with their tools and it was to stop at the quarry to let then off. That was to be done at the end of the day shift so as not to interfere with the regular work in the roundhouse. When they had finished their work, an eastbound train was to be stopped for them to return to Wilsmere.
    The train that was to stop for them may have been #7 or #27 since they were to be dropped off at "BG" Tower. Wilsmere was a daily except Sunday 7:04 PM flag stop for #49, but that train only went as far as Aikin, on the wrong side of the river. [The B&O had changed the spelling for that station from Aikin to Aiken in 1904, but was still using Aikin in the 1930's.] My father-in-law and a machinist named Armour, who lived down on Elk Neck and who's first name I have forgotten, boarded the passenger train with their tools. Most of the Armours from down in the Elk Neck area were railroaders back then, but the ones that I remember from the 1930's had a Hudson-Terraplane dealership and garage and a fish wharf.
    The sky had been overcast, and now the clouds were getting heavy by the time that the passenger train made another extra stop at "BG" Tower, just long enough for them to get off with their tools. They were shown the quarry locomotive needing repair and started to check it out to find out just what the problem was. That did not take very long. They soon found that the problem was such a minor one that the quarry's own locomotive crew could easily have corrected it.
    A cotter pin had come out of the rocker bar pin and the rocker pin had worked out of position in the rocker bar, but the pin was still hanging in the hole in the shaker bar yoke. In only a few minutes, they had driven the rocker bar pin back in place and installed a new flat washer and cotter pin. Their repair job was completed in minutes. As soon as they could have a train stop for them, they would be heading home after earning some rather easy overtime. Or so they thought.
    By then it was after dark and it had also started to rain during the short time that they had been working. They picked up their tools and went over to "BG" Tower and asked the operator to call the dispatcher and request that he order a train to stop at "BG" Tower to pick them up and return them to Wilsmere Yard. As soon as they could get back and report to the roundhouse, they could go home to a good meal. The operator relayed their request to the dispatcher, but the response was a surprise, not quite what had been anticipated. The dispatcher flatly refused to issue an order for any eastward train to stop at "BG" Tower that night so that anyone could board it. The operator was sympathetic, but he could not display a signal to stop a train without the proper authority. It probably would have had to be a freight train anyway, but I am not sure if they were too late for #36, the last eastward passenger train for the day.
    It was still raining, the night was starting to get chilly and they were starting to get hungry. There was no point in walking to the passenger station because it was closed and locked by that hour of the evening. Although they were railroad employees, and they were still on duty, the company rules did not permit them in the tower at "BG" except to ask the operator to send their message to the dispatcher. The only place that they could think of to get inside for some protection from the rain, without leaving the railroad's property, was across the Susquehanna River at Aikin.
    They knew that there were passenger coaches at Aikin for trains #48 that departed Aikin eastward to Philadelphia at 6:30 AM and #61 that departed Aikin westward at 6:50 AM for Camden Station, Baltimore, both ran daily except Sunday. Train #48 was scheduled to stop at Singerly, Elk Mills and Newark and was scheduled to arrive at Wilsmere, a flag stop, at 7:21. Except for the three stations mentioned above, Wilmington and Darby were the only other scheduled stops between Aikin and Philadelphia, all other stations were flag stops. Except for the old timetable schedule listings, I know little about the operation of these trains other than there is mention in the 1933 Employee Timetable of a telephone located at the engine track on the Perryville branch.
    It would require walking across the long, high Susquehanna River Bridge in the rain and darkness, but those coaches at Aikin would provide protection from the weather and a place to get some sleep. So they picked up their tools and started walking across the B&O's Susquehanna River Bridge in the rain and darkness. They had only the dim light of their kerosene lantern which was to have provided them with light to work on the quarry locomotive. The lantern provided some light to see the bridges narrow, wet and slippery wooden walkway so they could watch their footing and try to keep their balance while carrying their tools. A misstep or slipping on the wet walkway could have meant a long fall down into the waters of the Susquehanna River, or to the hard ground on Garrett's Island, or at least losing their tools.
    Luck was with them that night. They reached the east end of the bridge without any mishap and went to the coaches for train #48 and were able to get in. Making themselves as comfortable as possible under the circumstances, they were able to get some sleep. They rode train #48 back to Wilsmere the next morning and immediately reported to the roundhouse office with their tale of the previous evenings events.
    As you might well imagine, when the roundhouse foreman saw them, he "went through the roof" because they had been on overtime since they had left the Wilsmere Roundhouse the previous afternoon. They told their story about going to "BG" Tower and the operator requesting the dispatcher have a train stop for them, and the dispatchers refusal. Some checking with Baltimore, and a phone call to the night operator that had been on duty at "BG" Tower confirmed their story about the dispatcher refusing to stop a train for them to return to Wilsmere. With that, they were in the clear, but you may rest assured that the B&O's night trick dispatcher sure heard about it!
    The dispatcher got an ear full and then some. The quarry company was only responsible for paying for the time that was used by the two men in traveling to and from Havre de Grace and in actually repairing the quarry locomotive. My father-in-law and Mr. Armour never learned the full story of how the dispatcher was disciplined, which is understandable. But it was well known that the B&O's management was most unhappy with his action that night.
    That dispatcher had done something that was unthinkable. It was enough to give a company auditor an ulcer, if by some strange chance he did not already have one. The dispatcher had caused the railroad to have to pay two men for several hours of overtime while they were sleeping in the coach at Aikin! © 2000 R.E. Hall


Wilmington Chapter NRHS
Membership Questionnaire - May 2001

1. Name (Optional) ___________________________

2. Age (Not Optional) ________

3. What prompted you to join the Wilmington Chapter of the NRHS ?

_____________________________________________________________________

4. What are your favorite Wilmington Chapter activities ? [ number from 1 to x , with 1 = you like most]
_____ Chapter Meetings (news, etc.) _____ Formal, chapter trips (pay up front)
_____ Slide programs (members) _____ Do-It-Yourself trips (just show up)
_____ Slide programs (guests) _____ Picnic (do-it-yourself)
_____ Do-It-Yourself slide night _____ Picnic (prepared, barbecue, box lunch)
_____ Guest Speaker talks _____ Share-your-other-hobby night
_____ Photo Contest _____ Railroadianna Auction
____________________ Other (please be specific)

5. I would like to see our Chapter:
DO MORE of: ________________________________________
DO LESS of: ________________________________________
DO SAME AMOUNT of: ________________________________________

6. I would like to see our NEWSLETTER:
HAVE MORE of: ________________________________________
HAVE LESS of: ________________________________________
ELIMINATE: ________________________________________
HAVE SAME AMOUNT of: ________________________________________
ADD (that it doesn't have now): _______________________________________

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________


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, May 5, 2001 Middletown & Hummelstown Railfan's Day
9 AM - Night Photo Session, Middletown, PA, fare $32 + $10 for caboose, for info: 908-233-3603

Friday-Sunday, May 11-13, 2001 Cass Spring Photo Special
Carl Franz's annual photographer's weekend, fare = $185, call evenings or weekends 301-942-6197

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 .

Saturday May 19, 2001 Grand ReOpening of Wilmington & Western Railroad
11 AM, Greenbank Station, first train to Hockessin 12:30 PM, to Mt. Cuba 1 PM, hourly Doodlebug

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 - Timonium
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, August 25-26, 2001 Great Scale Model Train Show - Gettsyburg
Gettsyburg, PA [NOT Maryland !] check their web-site www.GSMTS.com for info

Saturday & Sunday, October 6-7, 2001 Great Scale Model Train Show - Timonium
9-4 Saturday, 10-4 Sunday, Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD. [NOTE DATE WAS CHANGED !]

Saturday & Sunday, October 6-7, 2001 350th Anniversary of New Castle Delaware
10-5 Saturday, noon-4 Sunday, New Castle, Delaware


CHAPTER EVENTS  

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 
unofficial Chapter Picnic at Wilmington & Western Grand Re-Opening

Saturday June 9, 2001 ? AM Chapter Outing Father's Day NYC-LIRR-Port Jarvis
details not known at this time


Thursday June 21, 2001 7 PM Chapter Meeting Do - It - Yourself Program

Thursday July 19, 2001 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Kerry Ann Hannah from Wilmington's AMTRAK office (and member Robert O'Connor's daughter) entitled "AMTRAK War Stories"

Thursday Aug. 16, 2001 7 PM Chapter Meeting Do - It - Yourself Program

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!)

Thursday Oct. 18, 2001 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Ken Berg
entitled "Great Lakes Tour"

Thursday Nov. 15, 2001 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Kermit Geary
program not known at this time

Sunday Dec. 9, 2001 5 PM Holiday Dinner in lieu of normal monthly meeting
Program by Steve Barry


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

  Back To Wilmington Chapter Web Site