NOTE: The Lite Version is our electronic version which is available for free from this web site.  It has limited content but gives you a taste of what is offered in our Full Version.

The Full Version is our printed newsletter which is mailed to you.  It contains everything in the Lite Version along with many other reprinted pages from other NRHS newsletters, railroad publications, and flyers that contain photographs, drawings, and maps.  The full version is just another benefit of joining our chapter. 

THE TRANSFER TABLE
The Wilmington Chapter NRHS Official Newsletter
Internet Edition

Back To Wilmington Chapter Web Site

DECEMBER 5, 2004 MEETING NOTES

   President Phil Snyder called the "meeting" to order at approximately 5:30 PM. A motion to dispense with the customary meeting procedures was quickly passed allowing the 26 members and guests to fully enjoy the Chapter's Annual Holiday Dinner. Our thanks go to Ed Thornton and Mitchell's for their donations of door prizes. Due to their generosity and a light turnout, literally everyone got some kind of a prize this year! 

    After our buffet style dinner and an appropriately decorated cake for dessert, we settled in for a special slide program on Western Canadian Grain Elevators by Steve  Barry. We got to see places like Pense, Saskatchewan and Moose Jaw. There was snow in May and Canadian Pacific steam in the form of Hudson #2816. We glimpsed the Rocky Mountaineer, CN and CP freights, and even light rail in Calgary, Alberta. It was another great holiday show enjoyed by all.

NEWS BITS

•     The Kent County Public Library will host a lecture and discussion entitled Rails in Delaware on Monday, January 10 at 6:30 p.m. The library is located at 2319 S. Dupont Highway, Dover on Route 13 just north of the Route 10 (Camden) intersection and just south of the roller skating center. Call (302) 698-6440 for more information. Registration is requested for groups of 6 or more. The program is free and open to the public.

Rails in Delaware* - Michael Dixon
Monday, January 10 Ð 6:30 p.m.

    The railroad was once an important link to the outside world for many Delawareans. The local depot was the center of the community, a place to catch a train and learn the news of the day. As tracks spread downstate, growth followed the lines. This slide-illustrated program, presented by Michael Dixon traces the social history of trains in the First State, from the beginning of the railroad age to the present. Mr. Dixon is an historian with the Cecil County Historical Society. This program is sponsored by the Delaware Humanities Forum.[from Andrea Illig, Library Outreach, Kent County Public Library, (302)698-6440]

•     Canadian scientists announced that they believed they had found 4 rail tank cars that had vanished nearly 30 years ago into coastal waters near Vancouver. The 4 cars, all loaded with chlorine, were believed to have fallen overboard off a car float during the night of February 18, 1975. The scientists said that their findings were the result of newly available underwater detection equipment. They added that they would conduct further examinations to determine if the chlorine still posed a threat or if it had slowly leaked out and turned to bleach in the intervening years. [from Toronto Globe and Mail via Weekly Rail Review - Week Ending 4DEC2004  2004 via Dave Mears via Ed Mayover]
   
•     On December 11, 2004, your Editor went to Washington, DC via Amtrak. The group of tourists ahead of me in the ticket line took a few minutes to decide they didn't want to want an hour and a half for the next train to New York City. As a result, I got to the platform JUST as my train was pulling away. Returning to the ticket counter, I was lucky that the next southbound train was only about 40 minutes later. I ended up on long distance train The Carolinian due to depart at 9 AM. I knew there was something unusual and reddish at the tail of my train, but I didn't discover what it was until we reached Washington and I decided to document the consist: The Carolinian 11-Dec.-2004 = Amtrak loco #662, baggage #1264, business class coach #25016, café car #43380, four coaches (#82520, #82511, #82039, #82066) plus three cars in Tuscan Red = Juniata car #80000 "Little Juniata Ridge", Juniata #1157 the parlor car "Warrior Ridge", and Pennsylvania #120 platform observation.

    The return was at 7:25 PM an a regional train that used an Acela trainset: Regional Train # 182 = Acela loco #2019, Business Car #3218, Quiet Car #3559, coach #3548, café #3315, coaches # 3558 & #3416 and Acela loco #2014. Although the train was sitting there, they started boarding only a couple of minutes before we were scheduled to leave and then they only opened one door on the entire train which would occasionally close much to the surprise of the person boarding. There was no announcement about the Quiet Car so there were multiple cell phone tones and conversations until the conductor finally said something north of BWI. He didn't collect tickets in my car until we were north of Baltimore. The lighted message board in the car still had the text for a southbound run and indicated the next stop would be Newark, NJ - all the way from Washington to Wilmington. When I was waiting to get off, the conductor mentioned that this was his first trip with this equipment and that it came as a surprise to the crew.

•     After being in business in Jim Thorpe, PA. for 33 years, Rail Tours operated their final train ride on December 12, 2004. Their fate was sealed by the combined  actions of the Carbon County Commissioners (who terminated our ground lease agreement effective January 1, 2005) and the Carbon & Schuylkill Railroad Corporation (who terminated their operating agreement effective January 1, 2005).

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THE END OF AN ERA - In September, 1971, George M. Hart brought his steam locomotive and passenger equipment to Jim Thorpe. A month later, Rail Tours operated their very first train excursion from the Jim Thorpe train station over the Central Railroad of New Jersey tracks.
 

    I remember my very first trip to Jim Thorpe in November, 1971. I was immediately surprised to see so many vacant store fronts as my car traveled slowly down narrow Broadway towards the center of town. My first impression was that this was a town that time had just simply forgotten. Over the years, Rail Tours' trains continued to perform with little or no press coverage. George Hart, being a somewhat private person, basically preferred to stay out of the  spotlight.

    When our revenues from the sale of tickets did not cover our expenses, George simply dug into his "deep pockets" and subsidized our operation without any concern to his own personal wealth. As far as he was concerned, Rail Tours was never intended to become a major source of profit for him. His satisfaction came strictly from seeing all the happy faces of the many people riding our trains.

    As our train rides started to flourish, so did the business community in Jim Thorpe. Little by little, empty stores found new tenants and the downtown area of Jim Thorpe started to prosper again. Very little credit was ever given to Mr. Hart for his part in the revival of Jim Thorpe as a major tourist center.

    After 33 years of operating his trains in Jim Thorpe, George Hart sadly witnessed his last revenue carrying passenger train pull out of the Jim Thorpe train station at 2:45 p.m. on Sunday, December 12, 2004. This sad event was not covered by any newspaper reporters or TV crews. Instead, our train just simply vanished into obscurity without so much as a footnote in any of the local or regional newspapers. It was very disheartening for me to watch the tears swell up in the eyes of Mr. Hart, our loyal employees and faithful volunteers who watched in disbelief. I have worked for Rail Tours for over 40 years and I never thought that it would ever end like this.

    Andrew Muller, Jr., president of the Reading, Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad and other members of his management team have made a lot of claims about the superior passenger train service that they intend to operate from the Jim Thorpe train station beginning in 2005. Right now, we only have their word that they will do exactly what they have said they will do in the various newspaper accounts. Only time will tell. John Eline, Vice President, Rail Tours,  Incorporated [from http://www.railtours-inc.com/ via Kermit Geary]

•     New York City Subway Centennial 1904-2004 - 2004 marked the one-hundredth anniversary of the greatest subway system in the world. [from:  http://www.mta.info/nyct/cen/events.htm and http://www.mta.info/mta/museum/whatsnew.htm via American Rail Link for December 15, 2004 via Ed Mayover]

•     AMTRAK AWARDS TUNNEL CONTRACT TO SKANSKA: Skanska has been given a $127 million contract to renovate the ventilation and safety facilities at Amtrak's East River Tunnels in New York. Work will begin in January 2005 and is scheduled for completion within 48 months. The tunnels, which accommodate Long Island Rail Road trains as well as Amtrak, will remain in full operation with only brief outages during the construction period. The project is part of Amtrak's  program to improve safety of tracks and tunnels. The ventilation system will be replaced and new airshafts added to ensure air supply and smoke ventilation. The project will also improve access to and from the tunnels for emergency personnel. The project covers work from the surface to a depth of 30 meters. The work will be performed by Skanska USA Civil's unit, Slattery Skanska. Skanska is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. [From AAR News, 12/08 via George Read at:  americanraillink@twcny.rr.com American Rail Link for December 15, 2004 via Ed Mayover]
   
•     NJ TRANSIT, AMTRAK, AND THE COAST GUARD AGREE TO ADDITIONAL PORTAL DRAWBRIDGE OPENINGS: In response to a joint request by NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak, the U.S. Coast Guard has agreed to a second 90-day period of limited rush hour openings of the Portal Draw Bridge. The agreement comes at an important time for travelers and shippers as river traffic peaks during the winter months. The Portal Draw Bridge spans the Hackensack River about six miles west of New York Penn Station on the Northeast Corridor, providing a critical link between New Jersey and New York City. On a typical weekday, the bridge supports136,000 NJ TRANSIT customer trips on MidTOWN DIRECT, Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line trains. Amtrak trains provide an additional 19,000 trips over the bridge each day. The U.S. Coast Guard first tested limited Portal Bridge openings with great success last March, thanks to the support of Amtrak, the U.S. Coast Guard and shippers such as Amerada Hess, the Bergen County Utility Authority, Hornbeck Offshore and Moran Towing. During the first 90- ay test period, the number of bridge openings decreased from 13 to one, or 92 percent, and the length of train delays decreased from 20 hours to 54 minutes, or 96 percent, compared to the same period in 2003. "Limiting the number of bridge openings improves our performance and reduces delays that to our customers,'' said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director George D. Warrington. "On a typical weekday, 230 NJ TRANSIT trains cross the bridge during peak periods when nearly 70 percent of our customers travel." On December 13, 2004, the U.S. Coast Guard initiated the second 90-day test to reduce the number of bridge openings between the weekday peak hours of 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. and between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Under current federal regulations, the bridge is not opened on weekdays between the hours of 7:20 a.m. and 9:20 a.m. and between 4:30 p.m. and 6:50 p.m. During the extended hours of the test, bridge openings will be limited to commercial vessels that face tidal conditions or other conditions affecting safety. [From NJ Transit, 12/15 via George Read at: americanraillink@twcny.rr.com American Rail Link for December 22, 2004 via Ed Mayover]
   
•     AMTRAK DECLARES NEW YORK TURBOLINER DEAL DEAD: A plan for high-speed passenger trains between Albany and New York City was built on so many false assumptions that a contract between the state and Amtrak is worthless, Amtrak officials contend in new court papers, according to a story by Cathy Woodruff in yesterday's Albany Times-Union. Amtrak made the allegation in the latest round of filings in a federal lawsuit brought in August by the state, which wants the railroad to put the mothballed Turboliners back in service and make track improvements or pay the state $477.3 million. Amtrak contends that it had the right to terminate  the contract, already has done so, and is asking the court to declare it legally dead.

    The high-speed rail program, which was to shave 20 minutes from the 2-hour, 20-minute travel time from Rensselaer (across the Hudson River from downtown Albany) to New York City's Penn Station, was announced in 1998 by Gov. George Pataki. Seven rebuilt 1970s-era Turboliners were to be the workhorses of the route, with extensive trackwork completed to enable speeds as fast as  125 mph. But the project ran into problems almost from the start. Refurbishing the equipment was complicated by the discovery of asbestos in the cars and other mechanical and engineering issues. Only three of the trainsets, rebuilt at Super Steel Schenectady's plant in Glenville, N.Y., were delivered to Amtrak. None of the trackwork was done. Amtrak idled the trains last summer, citing faulty air conditioning and other concerns. They're now parked at an Amtrak facility in  Delaware.

    In papers filed Friday in U.S. District Court, Amtrak argues the contract with New York was so vague and dependent on future developments that it is unenforceable, ill-considered and "illusory." "Amtrak further contends that the parties were mistaken about fundamental facts upon which their bargain was based," including the condition of the Turboliners, the costs and technical feasibility of upgrading them and "the capability of the contractor" hired by the state to rebuild the trains, the papers allege.

    New York state Department of Transportation spokeswoman Jennifer K. Post declined to comment, citing continuing litigation. Bill Carr of Super Steel Schenectady said it would be inappropriate to comment since his company was not specifically named in the papers. He said other contractors also were involved in the project. In their own filings on Friday, the state's lawyers repeated their charge that Amtrak failed to complete any of the promised trackwork, didn't do its part in rebuilding the trains, and misled state officials about their intentions. Until mid-July, the state's papers allege, Amtrak "continued to misrepresent to (the state) that it intended to fulfill its contractual obligations."

    Amtrak does not deny its agreement to the $185 million high-speed rail  contract in question, but it now argues that the contract is invalid and unenforceable for a number of reasons. Among the reasons for the program's collapse, according to Amtrak, is that sufficient state and federal funding to improve tracks, signals, and bridges was not provided. In addition, Amtrak contends, "the state materially breached its obligations under the contract" by failing to properly manage the train upgrades. A state comptroller's audit released in June 2003 concluded that state DOT embarked on the high-speed rail project without proper expertise or experience and failed to effectively monitor the design, remanufacturing, and financial accounting for the project. At the time, auditors reported the estimated cost of rebuilding the trains, originally pegged at $53 million, had grown to more than $74 million. [From Trains News Wire, 12/16 via George Read at: americanraillink@twcny.rr.com American Rail Link for December 22, 2004 via Ed Mayover]
   

•     AMTRAK, NORFOLK SOUTHERN TRAINS DERAIL AT SAME INDIANA SPOT: Two trains, Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited and a Norfolk Southern freight train, derailed within 24 hours of each other at the same NS location west of LaPorte, Ind., according to a story in the Gary Post-Tribune and other news sources. LaPorte is 70 miles east of Chicago. On Sunday, Amtrak train 49, the westbound Lake Shore from New York to Chicago, derailed a single passenger car in the middle of its consist at 8:18 a.m., according to Amtrak spokeswoman Tracy Connell. There were no injuries to passengers or crew. One hundred of the 232 passengers were bused to their destinations, while the remainder were moved to cars ahead of the derailed coach - the diner, crew car, and dormitory car - and continued by train into Chicago. Rerailing the car began at 3:20 p.m. and was completed by 6:05. At 7 a.m. Monday, 13 cars of a 104-car Norfolk Southern freight train hauling steel slabs from Elkhart to Burns Harbor, Ind., derailed at the same spot. The derailed cars did not tip over, but they did block both mainline tracks. The line was reopened  Monday evening. [From Trains News Wire, 12/21 via George Read at: americanraillink@twcny.rr.com American Rail Link for December 22, 2004 via Ed Mayover]
   
•     BNSF HAULS ONE BILLIONTH TON OF BLACK THUNDER COAL: Burlington Northern Santa Fe moved Arch Coal's one-billionth-ton coal shipment from its Black Thunder Mine in Wyoming on Friday, Dec17, 27 years after the mineÕs first coal shipment on Dec14, 1977. Today, Black Thunder produces nearly 10 percent of the U.S. coal supply. ThatÕs enough coal to provide electricity to 5.8 million American households. On average, Black Thunder produces nearly three  tons of clean-burning, low-sulfur coal per second, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. During the life of the mine, roughly 71,428 trains, or 9.3 million cars, have been loaded with coal. Stretched end-to-end, the railcars would circle the equator more than three times. Black ThunderÕs low-sulfur coal is shipped to more than 23 states and two foreign countries. Nearly all of Black ThunderÕs customers use the coal to generate electricity, including more than 100 U.S. coal-fired units. [From BNSF Today via George Read at: americanraillink@twcny.rr.com American Rail Link for December 29, 2004 via Ed Mayover]
   
•     SOUTHERN TIER LEASE: Effective December 31 the Central New York Railroad Company will be leasing Norfolk Southern's Southern Tier Line between  Port Jervis, N.Y. (milepost 89.9) and Binghamton, N.Y. (milepost 213.0). It will also be responsible for all maintenance. The Central New York will provide all local freight service, while Norfolk Southern will retain overhead trackage rights. Also, the NYS&W will continue to retain trackage rights. The NS is allowing the Central New York Railroad to remove lineside signals. This is dependent upon Federal Railroad Administration approval. Also, the NS will allow the Central New York  Railroad 
  to remove the second main track, between mileposts 178 and 190. The Central New York will establish an interchange with NS at Binghamton, N.Y. The railroad's president is Gerard McKenna . [ From Railpace Hot News, 12/24 via George Read at: americanraillink@twcny.rr.com American Rail Link for December 29, 2004 via Ed Mayover]
   
•     The EPRY had filed for control of the Octoraro Railroad from MP 27.51 (Chadd's Ford Jct.) to MP 54.49 (Sylmar). EPRY was named interim operator as of 11/19/04, sale of line by SEPTA to EPRY was to be final on 12/19/04. The line has been out of service since the 9/29/04 washouts.
   
•     As a former military railroader, Tim Moriarty read with interest the story "The Odyssey of a 2-6-0" in the last Transfer Table. He was kind enough to pass along these updates/corrections:- There was no "829th U.S. Air Force Base" (page 18, right side). The site in question was known during WW II as AAF Specialized Depot #829. (AAF stood for Army Air Forces. The Air Force was under the Army until 1947.) It was later renamed Gadsden Air Force Station (not Gladsen), it closed in 1961, and it's now an industrial park. The unused tracks have remained in place.- An Air Force Station is an facility without operational runways for use by  aircraft, although in recent years some installations without runways have been designated Air Force Bases.- Air Force Bases have names, not numbers (i.e., Andrews AFB, Bolling AFB, etc.).- For details on the site, check: www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/gadsden.htm

PHILADELPHIA AND HARRISBURG CHAPTER TRIP

Some members of the Philadelphia and Harrisburg Chapters are going on an informal DO-IT-YOURSELF ROUND TRIP ACROSS CANADA on VIA trains 1 and 2 "The  Canadian" starting 2/22/05. Wilmington Chapter members are invited to join the group. The trip includes plenty of winter scenery, a great dining car , a dome observation car , all Budd built for the original CPR "Canadian". Off season fares and a favorable exchange rate make the trip affordable in sleepers with meals included. A round trip requires a night in Toronto before and after the trip. This will be six nights on the train (R/T) with a short day in Vancouver for rail fanning, etc. If interested contact Joe Heffron, Harrisburg Chapter Director at 717-737-4213 for details and options.

CHAPTER ARCHIVES - Trivia Contest Answers & Still Requesting

TRIVIA CONTEST -
1. When was the first issue of the Chapter's Newsletter to be called "The Transfer Table" ? October 1978
2. What was it called before that? The Official Guide of the Wilmington Chapter N.R.H.S.
3. When was the previous title first used? Sept 1972 (= the earliest edition of any Chapter Newsletter I can find)
4. And what was it called before that? Trick Question, as far as I know, that WAS the first name. It appears on the Sept 1972 issue, but didn't appear again until December 1975. In between, we just used the round NRHS logo and no title for the newsletter.

REQUEST - And now the request, the "unofficial archives" is still missing a few issues. If you have any of the following, please send them (or a photocopy) to me as soon as possible.  Thanx.

BACK ISSUES OF CHAPTER NEWSLETTER NEEDED FOR THE ARCHIVES

Anything prior to December 1973
Apr-74 Dec-85 Mar-92
Jun-74 Oct-87 Feb-93
Sep-74 Dec-88 Mar-93
Aug-76 Sep-89 May-93
Mar-77 Oct-89 Jul-93
Jun-77 Dec-89 Sep-93
Aug-77 Feb-91 Oct-93 Dec-93

My special thanks to Burton Eisenberg, Library Volunteer at the NRHS Philadelphia Headquarters, who not only read the last newsletter, but who took the time to go through the files and to send me copies of six of the missing issues on my previous list and to Lynn Burshtin, Office Manager, who facilitated the E-mail communications.

UPCOMING WILMINGTON CHAPTER NRHS STREETCAR TRIPS

Super Saturday Streetcar Special XII February 5, 2005
A Wilmington Chapter tradition! Super Saturday Streetcar Special XII sponsored by the Wilmington Chapter NRHS. Rare opportunity to ride and photograph a newly-rebuilt PCC-2 on southwest Philadelphia trackage (these cars will be assigned to Girard Avenue when Route 15 opens). Numerous quality photo stops. Trip departs Elmwood car house (near I-95) at 10:00 a.m., returns approximately 3:30 p.m. Fare $35 from Wilmington Chapter NRHS, c/o Steve Barry, 117 High Street, Newton, NJ  07860; MC/VISA accepted at www.daylightimages.com/streetcar; information phone 973/383-3355 (9am-6pm ET).

Can't order via Internet? Make checks payable to Wilmington Chapter NRHS and mail your order to:Wilmington Chapter NRHS Trips, c/o Steve Barry, 117 High Street Newton, NJ 07860

 "CAB RIDES" - by Phil Toman

    I would wager that if most of the members of our Chapter were polled about taking a train ride and asked where they would like to be on the train, the vast majority would respond "In the cab!" Probably the only better ride would be in the engineers seat operating the train. Well now at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania we can do just that, well almost that.

    Imagine having the opportunity to run a freight train from Lancaster to Harrisburg. No, the Museum has not purchased the Keystone Corridor from Amtrak, but has the next best thing. Thanks to the North American Railway Foundation, the Norfolk Southern Corporation and Amtrak, an interactive cab simulator has taken its place among the historic locomotives and railroad cars in the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania's 100,000 square foot Rolling Stock Hall. The cab of Norfolk Southern No. 2598, an EMD (Electro-Motive Division of General Motors) GP-38 built in 1969 for Penn Central and subsequently operating under Conrail, has been equipped with a new flat-screen monitor and computer hardware. The Railroad Museum's own restoration crew has made the now wheelchair accessible cab look as good as it did the day it left the factory. You can take the throttle on a simulated run, complete with signals, grade crossings and radio transmissions. The North American Railway Foundation granted the Railroad Museum $36,000 for the completion of this project. Norfolk Southern donated the actual cab, the seats, the stencils, the lettering, the control stand, railings and a number of other appurtenances. Father and son Bennett Levin and Eric Levin of Philadelphia donated stanchion and railing parts and brake stand levers. Amtrak provided the cab ride to shoot the actual video footage for the simulator. Not only do I think this will be a great visit for NRHS Chapter members, it is a grand opportunity to become a "hero" to children and grandchildren in your family. The youngsters who have had the opportunity to "drive a train" relished the event.

    The use of the simulator is included with the regular admission price. The ticket also grants you full access to all of the displays and the huge collection at the museum. For more information on the Museum's collections, events or operations, call (717)687-8628 or visit the Railroad Museum's web site at www.rrmuseumpa.org.

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.

NOW THROUGH JANUARY 2005, HAGLEY MUSEUM'S exhibition on the history of NYC's Penn Station.  This HO-gauge scale model is complete with operating trains.

NOW THROUGH JANUARY 2005 CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION New York Transit Museum, Brooklyn Heights; Corner of Boerum Place & Schermerhorn St.; 718-694- 1600. [$5 Adults; $3 Seniors (over 62) and Children (3 to 17)] Exhibition commemorating the 1904 opening of IRT and key moments in the subway's 100 year history. Unique and exceptional artifacts & archival treasures from the subway system. Highlights include sections of recently renovated vault lights from City Hall, the flagship station of the IRT, and the silver Tiffany ceremonial shovel used to break ground for the subway in 1900. Works from the collections of the New York Transit Museum, Museum of the City of New York, The New-York Historical Society, & private collections. Centennial Celebration sponsored by Vollmer Associates & Parsons Brinckerhoff.  NOW THROUGH April 10, 2005, Famous Eastern Passenger Trains of the 20th Century at the RR Museum of PA Tuesday through Sat., 9:00 am. to 5:00 pm. and Sunday, 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm

NOW THROUGH JANUARY 17, 2005 GRAND CENTRAL HOLIDAY TRAIN SHOW New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex, Grand Central Terminal, Shuttle Passage, Manhattan; 212-878-0106. Free admission In celebration of the 100th anniversary of NY's first subway, show features a model train layout with MTA NYC Transit trains, Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road commuter trains operating on multiple levels. Created by M.T.H. Electric Trains, layout features famous landmarks, including Grand Central Terminal and Chrysler Building. Selection of vintage NYC subway model trains, too!

NOW THROUGH SPRING 2005 THE CITY BENEATH US: BUILDING THE NY SUBWAY New York Transit Museum, Brooklyn Heights; Corner of Boerum Place and  Schermerhorn St.; 718-694-1600. [ $5 adults; $3 Seniors (over 62) and children (3 to 17) ] Exhibition of early subway construction photographs from the Museum's collection, many on display for first time, illustrating one of the greatest achievements of the 20th Century: building the New York City subway. A book of the same title published by W.W. Norton and available at the New York Transit Museum Stores accompanies the exhibition.

NOW THROUGH April 10, 2005, Famous Eastern Passenger Trains of the 20th Century at the RR Museum of PA Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 am. to 5:00 pm. and Sunday, 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm

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Friday, January 21, 2005, 50th anniversary of first shot in LinkÕs N&W project In celebration of this date, the O. Winston Link Museum is recreating the photo of the Waynesboro station. The shoot will begin at 8 p.m. when Norfolk Southern (successor to the N&W) will stop a diesel locomotive pulling the NS Business Car Train at the site of the former station. On January 21, 1955, O. Winston Link drove his Buick convertible to Waynesboro, Virginia to photograph Norfolk and Western RailwayÕs Train No. 2, Class K2a steam locomotive, making a stop on its way to New York City. The photo taken this night, Train No. 2 Arrives at the Waynesboro Station (NW1), began LinkÕs five-year project of documenting the last days of steam on the Norfolk and Western Railway through more than 2,400 images of cities and rural communities, employees, and steam locomotives. Bruce Wingo, Resident Vice President for Norfolk Southern, will be standing in for the station agent captured in the original photograph. OSRAM SYLVANIA will provide lighting, allowing interested persons to take photos of the event. The O. Winston Link Museum and the City of Waynesboro are planning a reception and lecture for 6:30 p.m. Friday evening at the Basic United Methodist Fellowship Hall. Tickets for the reception are $20 and include access to the  enclosed photo shoot area. Tickets are $20. For information, phone (540) 982-5465 or e-mail programs@linkmuseum.org . [O Winston Link Museum, 12/20 via George Read at: americanraillink@twcny.rr.com American Rail Link for December 22, 2004 via Ed Mayover]

Saturday & Sunday, January 29 and 30th BIG 2005 RAILROAD HOBBY SHOW Saturday 9 am to 5 pm, Sunday 10 am to 5 pm. Eastern States Exposition Grounds, 1305 Memorial Avenue, West Springfield, MA. Admission: $8 adults, $1 Children under 12. Eastern States Exposition parking: $5.00. Sponsored by: Amherst Railway  Society. Info: www.amherstrail.org

Sunday, January 9 100 YEARS OF ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN IN THE NYC SUBWAY 2 PM Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street. Suggested contribution: $7 Adults, $5 Seniors, Students, and Children, $15 Adults with Children. For information: 212-534-1672 or www.mcny.org Conceived over a century ago as a great public work, the subway system melded innovative engineering with stylish architecture and interior design. Today, the subway is such an essential part of city life that it is easy to overlook its design features. Meet the team behind two new publications by the New York Transit Museum: Subway Style: 100 Years of Architecture and Design in the New York City Subway (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2004) and The City Beneath Us (W.W. Norton, 2004). Gabrielle Shubert, Director of the New York Transit Museum is joined by Carissa Amash, project manager for the Subway Style book and exhibition, Vivian Heller co-author of The City Beneath Us, and Charles L. Sachs, Senior Curator of the New York Transit Museum, in an illustrated presentation and book signing.

May 30, 2005 Grand Reopening Celebration At Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum. Museum will unveil new state of the art restoration facility and open the historic North Passenger Car Shop to the public. Info <http://www.borail.org/tickets/grandreopeningcelebration.asp> or call (410) 752-2490

CHAPTER EVENTS  

Thursday Jan. 20, 2005 7 PM, Chapter Meeting, program by Allan Patterson entitled "Colorado Narrow Gauge"

Saturday Feb. 5, 2005 10 AM, Chapter Trip, Super Saturday Streetcar Special XII = Phila.

Thursday Feb.17, 2005 7 PM, Chapter Meeting, program by Dan Frederick

Thursday March 17, 2005 7 PM, Chapter Meeting, program by Frank Ferguson

Thursday April 21, 2005 7 PM, Chapter Meeting, program by Special Guest Larry Goolsby on the Atlanta, Birmingham, & Coast (AB&C) RR (the original owner of W&W's #58)  before it became the AB&A

Thursday May 19, 2005 7 PM, Chapter Meeting, Annual Doug Weaver Memorial Photo Contest 2005 special category: Trackwork (primary subject matter = multiple tracks, turnouts, or diamonds, etc.)

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 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
    Education Fund:   Ed Thornton
    Public Relations:    Frank Ferguson, Jr.
    Trip Director & Event Photographer:  Bruce Barry
    Web Master:   Russ Fox

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