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THE TRANSFER TABLE
The Wilmington Chapter NRHS Official Newsletter
Internet Edition

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JANUARY 19, 2006 MEETING NOTES

     The meeting was called to order with 22 members present. The minutes were approved as read by Secretary Dan Frederick as was the Treasurer's report by Ralph Stevens. There was no National Director's report. After a short discussion of recent rail-related news we took our usual break. Next came a slide program by Allan Patterson on Steam Photo Charters. It started with images of a Carl Franz Steam Special on the Western Maryland in October 2004. There were, of course, views of Helmstetter's Curve and many other great shots along the line. We also saw the May 2005 specials at Cass, West Virginia. Next it was back to the Western Maryland in October 2005 for another Carl Franz Special. And, finally we got to see the East Broad Top operating in October 2005. For those of us that couldn't make the trips, it made you feel like you were there!

$$ DUES ARE DUE $$

Don't believe everything you read, especially if it is your dues notice from NRHS National office. The notices that National sent out were not only LATE but they were WRONG, too!

The correct amount for is:
National Dues are $22.
Chapter Dues add $12
For most people for 2006 = $34

National dues are:
$22 for primary chapter members
$11 for Student members
$4 for EACH Family member plus
$12 for our Chapter so a Chapter Member & Spouse would be $38

If you have not paid yet, please send the full amount to our Treasurer:
Ralph Stevens, Jr.
1432 Governor House Circle
Wilmington, DE 19809-2485

If you paid less than the correct amount, please send the remaining amount to Ralph ASAP.

If you would like to donate any additional funds to the Chapter, ANY amount would be welcomed at ANY time. If you would like to "Sponsor an Extra Once" for an issue of the newsletter (like Richard Hall did last year) please contact the Editor at any time and we will make certain that you get the proper recognition for your generosity.

IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER

    If our normal "THIRD THURSDAY" NRHS meeting is canceled due to inclement weather, it will be postponed and held on the FOURTH THURSDAY. If it must again be canceled, it will NOT be rescheduled. We will simply wait for the next month's normal "third Thursday" meeting. If the weather looks bad or is predicted to be bad, you may telephone the Claymont Community Center to see if it will be open that evening for our meeting.

   NEWS BITS   

• In a story carried in the December 10, 2005 edition of "The New York Times," columnist Matt Wald unveiled a game plan allegedly involving a powerful Congressman and behind the scenes efforts to force Amtrak to carry freight perishables behind its cross country passenger trains.

  The scheme, allegedly involving Congressman Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), an influential subcommittee chairman on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, would force the railroad to haul what is known as "premium" freight like perishables despite the fact that Amtrak considers such operations a perennial money loser. The language requiring Amtrak to haul perishables has been inserted into the recently passed funding bill. According to the "Times," it actually orders Amtrak to sharply INCREASE the number of carloads it hauls or forgo $8.3 million in federal funds.

  Now why would anyone in Congress want to force Amtrak to lose money? Well it turns out that there is only one company in the entire USA that supplies such rail cars. That company is known as ExpressTrak. Now here's the real kicker. ExpressTrak is owned by a one Anthony Soave who just happens to be a large campaign donor to guess who? You got it -- Congressman Joe Knollenberg.

  Columnist Wald notes that Mr. Knollenberg acknowledged that the order, known in Washington parlance as an "earmark," was likely to help the businessman and campaign donor but that the goal of inserting such language into the bill was to help the passenger railroad make money by hauling freight. But, after documents obtained by The New York Times raised questions about lobbying by ExpressTrak and its lawyers to obtain the $8.3 million for Amtrak, Mr. Knollenberg released a statement saying he would work to reverse the legislation.

  "I have decided to repeal the provision and rescind the funds in question," he said. But thus far, he hasn't. The plot thickens. It turns out that ExpressTrak is in bankruptcy and has been battling Amtrak in court for years over a 15 year contract they signed in 1999 requiring the railroad to haul the fruits and vegetables. But Amtrak says that ExpressTrak defaulted on its lease payments for the cars that the railroad provided. Amtrak went ahead and repossessed 55 cars in the lease payment dispute. Now get this. The $8.3 million is exactly the amount that ExpressTrak's lawyers have identified to settle the company's lawsuit against Amtrak. ExpressTrak's lawyer said that the two figures are "absolutely coincidental." How about that. Speaking of ExpressTrak's lawyers -- Foley & Lardner, they not only handle the ExpressTrak suit against Amtrak but, according to the Times, also lobbied for the $8.3 million "earmark." Another coincidence?

  For his part, Soaves is the owner of Soave Enterprises, a privately held conglomerate that not only includes ExpressTrak but many other businesses including car dealerships, taxi fleets and scrap-metal operations. The company posted a whopping $1.6 billion in revenues last year making it one of this nations largest private firms. And Soaves, his company and his employees have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican candidates and lesser amounts to Democrats as well. In the 1998 and 2000 elections alone, employees at Soave Enterprises were Congressman Knollenberg's second largest contributor, beating out giants like GM, according to the "Times." Amtrak says it loses millions of dollars a year on ExpressTrak because of expenses involving labor, fuel and maintenance and that its passenger trains, filled to capacity, have had to sit in yards waiting for the freight cars to be attached. Sound familiar? Recently fired Amtrak CEO David Gunn had just one word about the contract ... "outrageous!" [From a Friends Of Amtrak Update December 12, 2005 by "Craig O'Connell" via Ed Thornton]
   

• Public opportunity for Amtrak project review Feb. 17th, 12 NOON-1PM, 3rd Floor Conference Room, Louis L. Redding City/County Building - The public is invited to review the plans for the exterior rehabilitation of the Wilmington AMTRAK passenger station, located at Front and French Streets. The project architect Mr. William Holloway, of Bernardon Haber Holloway, and conservation consultant Carol Quigley of Frens and Frens will be present to talk briefly about the plans and to answer any questions. The plans for the interior renovation of the concourse and rehabilitation of historic spaces will be part of Phase II, and will be presented at a later date for public comment. The Phase I project includes: Roof and copper drain repairs, Masonry repointing and limited cleaning, Terracotta rehabilitation, Window rehabilitation and window replacement, Demolition of 1940's era canopies, Limited platform enclosure, Platform waterproofing and replacement.

  The station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and remains as one of the finest examples of the work of architect Frank Furness. The project is financed and overseen by the Federal Railroad Administration. As a federal project, the undertaking is subject to consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 et. seq. Public comment is an important part of Section 106 consultation. If you have an interest in this project, please plan to attend the workshop or contact Debra Martin (302-576-3107) or Joan Larrivee (302-736-7406) to make an appointment to view the material prior to the workshop. [from Debra Campagnari Martin, Preservation Planner, City of Wilmington, Department of Planning, Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 N. French Street, Wilmington, DE 19801, 302-576-3107 (thanks to Phil Toman)]
   

• The Administration's proposal of $900 million for Amtrak in Fiscal 2007 brings President Bush back to the levels he proposed two years ago and three years ago, except of course that inflation has eroded the value of $900 million. Hopefully, the Administration recognized that Congress soundly rejected last year's proposed zero, substituting $1.3 billion in its place, and the Administration is now expressing some flexibility to negotiate a more realistic budget.

  In any event, Amtrak cannot survive at $900 million. The Administration says it is designating $500 million for "capital needs and maintenance". The budget request shows zero for operating grants, evidently because the remaining $400 million will instead be called, in the words of DOT Secretary Norman Mineta, "'Efficiency Incentive Grants' to encourage reform..."

  But to actually support a $500 million federal grant for capital, Amtrak needs $1.3 billion in all. The Administration in effect is saying, "We're going to cut Amtrak's total funding by $400 million while cutting zero from capital." That is unrealistic. Here's the math:
  Fiscal 2006 appropriation
  $ 490.05 million for operations
  $ 772.2 million for capital and debt service
  $   31.38 million for efficiency incentive grants
  $1293.63 million total

  Fiscal 2007 Administration request:
  $ 500 million for capital plus
  $ 400 million for efficiency incentive grants and debt service
  $ 900 million total

  NARP Executive Director Ross B. Capon said, "It will also be important to see what the Administration means when it says 'Amtrak will need to better manage all its resources, including Federal and state contributions, ticket revenue, and other sources. To help ensure this occurs, the Budget proposes allowing DOT to target Federal subsidies based on Amtrak's progress making reforms.'"

  Capon noted, "The budget does not contain any request to fund a federal/state partnership to develop new routes and services - a program that the Administration, Congress and states all have said they support. It is critical that funding for the partnership be in addition to and not in place of funding needed to carry out Amtrak's strategic plan."

  Mineta said in a statement today, "In last year's budget, we demanded reform, and over the past year, both Amtrak and the Congress have responded. In recognition of this progress, and with the expectation that we will see much more by the end of the fiscal year, the President requests funds to help Amtrak make the transition to a new and better model of intercity passenger rail."

  Amtrak Acting President and CEO David Hughes issued a statement which avoided criticizing the Administration request. Hughes said, in part, "This is the first step in a nine-month process. Last year, Congress voted and the President signed an appropriation for Amtrak of $1.3 billion for FY06. This year, we again look forward to working with Congress and the Administration as we make the case for federal support."

  Capon said, "We urge the Administration to begin constructive negotiations with the Congress that will ultimately lead to a FY07 appropriation that will provide Amtrak with the resources it needs to maintain and improve its current services and that also provides new resources to fund the federal state partnership program for intercity rail development." [from a press release Feb. 6, 2006 - #06-01A Contacts: Ross Capon, David Johnson]
   

• From a program about Grand Central Terminal in New York City, here are some of the facts about this incredible facility. (Answers appear elsewhere in this newsletter).
  The subject: Grand Central Terminal
  1. - Why is it called a "Terminal" and not a station?
  2. - What world famous thoroughfare does the terminal building straddle? In fact the roadway passes through and around the building on its second floor. There is a massive sculpture crowning the building's south facing elevation. This dramatic piece of artwork contains three figures and a clock. It is 50-feet high and 60-feet wide and weighs 15 tons.
  3a. - What is the sculpture called? (The answer is right in front of you.)
  3b. - Who are the three figures? (There are two gods and one goddess.)
  3c. - What do they represent?
  3d. - The clock face is the largest of its kind in the world. What's it made of? (The store bearing the artisan's name is nearby.)
  4a. - What does the ceiling of the Grand Concourse represent?
  4b. - From who's point of view?
  5. - On average, how many people a day pass through Grand Central Terminal?
   
• Union Pacific State-of-the-art Track Inspection Vehicle - December 2005 The $8.5 million state-of-the-art track inspection vehicle, EC-5, that will continue to enhance track safety with technology. Union Pacific now owns two self-propelled track geometry inspection vehicles designed to perform a variety of electronic track inspections at speeds of up to 70 mph. A three-person crew operates the EC-5. It performs inspections six days a week. The vehicle even has a full-size kitchen so meals can be prepared while on the go. In a year, the two geometry vehicles will test miles of track equivalent to more than five times around the earth's equator. The EC-5 was built in Linz, Austria, by Plasser & Theurer. Ninety feet long, the vehicle has 11 computer systems that gather data from various types of lasers measuring track surface or level, rail wear and tunnel measurements. The on-board computers also use Global Positioning Satellite systems to accurately record and report the location of variances for accurate repairs. Track maintenance crews follow the inspection vehicle and make repairs as needed when a track defect is found. The real-time data recorded by the EC-5 also is used in scheduling track improvement projects. These two vehicles join the 22 UP-owned ultrasonic rail-flaw detection vehicles. The ultrasonic vehicles are designed to "look" inside rail to detect flaws unseen by the human eye. An internal flaw may be caused by a poor casting or metal mixture. [http://www.uprr.com/newsinfo/releases/capital_investment/2005/1216_ec5.shtml]
   
• GE engineers are designing a Hybrid diesel-electric locomotive that will capture the energy dissipated during braking and store it in a series of sophisticated batteries. That stored energy can be used by the crew on demand reducing fuel consumption and emissions by up to 15 percent when compared to our own industry leading GE Evolution series locomotive. The energy dissipated in braking a 207-ton locomotive during the course of one year is enough to power 160 households for that year. The hybrid locomotive will capture that dynamic energy and use it to produce more horsepower and reduce emissions and fuel use. GE's hybrid locomotive's lead-free rechargeable batteries will be able to provide superior performance by allowing operators to draw an additional 2000 horsepower when needed. Compared to a locomotive manufactured in 2004 (meeting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Tier 1 emission requirements for railroad locomotives), GE's hybrid locomotive is being designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions over its lifetime as much as taking 2,600 cars off the road for a year. GE's hybrid locomotive is being designed to emit half as much nitrogen oxide as locomotives built 20 years ago. [from Kermit Geary and https://www.getransportation.com/general/locomotives/hybrid/hybrid_default.asp?SMSESSION=NO]
   
• The following is an UNCONFIRMED report of a letter from George Warrington, Executive Director of NJ Transit dated Dec 31, 2005 regarding NJ Transit's proposed amendments to NJAC 16:83, Conduct and Safety of the Public in the Use of NJ Transit Equipment and Facilities, published in the New Jersey Register as PRN 2005-156. Since he concluded that the proposed rule changes were impractical, he has directed that the proposed rule amendments be withdrawn. Like the majority of Transit Systems around the country, NJ Transit will not require permits for non-commercial photography at this time. Effective immediately, he indicated that NJ Transit would return to their historic practice, which enables hobbyists and other non-commercial photographers to take pictures in public areas throughout the NJ Transit system without obtaining permission or providing prior notice. There will also continue to be no restrictions on journalists in public areas of the system.

  While you are on the NJ Transit system, he encourages supporting their police department by calling the hotline-1-888-TIPS-NJT if you see any suspicious behavior. Also, be advised that NJ Transit police, as well as local law enforcement, have a responsibility to provide for the safety and security of customers, employees, and assets. If an officer receives a complaint or observes circumstances that warrant further investigation, he or she may approach you. Please cooperate fully with the officer, understanding that he or she is concerned both for your safety and the security of 800,000 commuters who ride the system every day.
   

• A little bit of history regarding the West Chester, PA station that was just beside the Red Arrow trolley stop at Gay and High Streets from http://wcjim.com/history/histarc1.htm thanks to Ed Thornton: From 1836 to 1903, a train station stood on E. Gay Street at the present site of the Susquehanna Bank, just east of the Greentree Building. No photographs of the building are know to exist, but details are available from the 1874 "Bird's Eye View of West Chester," Sanborn fire insurance maps of the late 19th century, and accounts of fires and demolition.

  In 1836, the board voted to extend the WCRR tracks into the center of town and build a frame railroad station on Gay Street. They chose a 32' wide lot donated by local businessmen and a design by Thomas U. Walter, architect of First Presbyterian Church on W. Miner Street, the Chester County Courthouse, several other buildings in downtown West Chester, and parts of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington DC. The station was completed in less than a year for about $31,500. After almost going bankrupt in the early 1840s, the WCRR began to lease land around the station in 1847. In 1857, they expanded the station in an effort to compete with the new WC&PRR by constructing a new frame building with a brick facade at the end nearest Gay Street. A second proposal to expand the station was shelved at the outbreak of the Civil War. Instead, the two railroads were consolidated and the new management shifted all passenger operations to Market Street in 1864. Downtown merchants continued to rely on the Gay Street station for freight deliveries until the PRR took it over in 1879. In 1880, Uriah Painter, owner of a nearby lumber and ice business, purchased the station. Although he publicized several plans to develop the property, the station was used mostly as a warehouse and to receive occasional shipments for Painter's business. Neglect, accidents and fires gradually reduced the station to ruins and at the end of 1903, the Chester County Trust Company bought the property. In 1904 they demolished the station and built the structure that stands there today. (Website also has photos, diagrams, & maps!)
   

• The Lincoln University, PA Railroad station is back on the market and was listed at $74,900. However, the price is probably negotiable for an interested train enthusiast willing to preserve the structure. [from Ed Thornton]
   
• Near the German town of Weimar, thieves dismantled and carted away some 5 kms (3 miles) of disused rail track according to Deutsche Bahn. The thieves probably planned to sell the track as scrap metal with the damage amounting to at least 200,000 euros ($241,500). Deutsche Bahn noticed the missing track after the mayor of a town alongside the railway line telephoned to ask if the dismantling was planned. [from http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060203/od_nm/germany_rail_dc
   
• Highlighting 175 Years of Railroading, Norfolk Southern Museum Opened Dec. 5, 2005 - NORFOLK, VA - Early rail, clothing, tools, locomotive parts, signage, photographs and advertisements are a few of the artifacts that will be on display when the Norfolk Southern Museum opened Dec. 5. The opening marks Norfolk Southern Corporation's 175th anniversary and reflects the company's partnership with Norfolk and communities across the rail system. "Norfolk Southern has a great story to tell," said Chairman David R. Goode. "Our 175-year history parallels the economic and social growth of America, and now we are playing a growing role in the global movement of 21st century goods. We've been around a long time, but our history is just beginning. "The museum illustrates the contributions of our company in the growth of this area and the nation. We hope it will be a resource for educators and students as well as an interesting attraction for visitors," Goode said.

  Norfolk Southern traces its origin to 1830. Since those earliest days of American railroading, hundreds of smaller roads combined, reorganized and consolidated to form the Norfolk and Western and Southern railways, which joined in 1982 to create Norfolk Southern. A portion of Conrail was added in 1999, resulting in today's system covering the eastern United States. The History Factory, of Chantilly, Va., designed and built the 1,600-square-foot museum, which includes artifacts contributed by employees, customers and suppliers, as well as by historical associations and museums. The railroad's effect on American culture, and the diversity of the people who built it, are highlighted. Exhibits bring visitors up to the present, explaining the railroad's role in modern-day logistics.

  The museum is located on the ground floor of the company's office building at Three Commercial Place in Norfolk. Beginning Dec. 5, hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The museum will be open to the public free of charge. [from a Press Release, Norfolk Southern Corporation http://www.nscorp.com]
   

• University of Delaware Library Post Card Collection of Delaware - This site was listed in Friday, December 02, 2005, Wilmington News Journal. A great deal of historical material including railroad & trolley shots. Be sure to read the messages on the back of some of the cards! - http://www.lib.udel.edu/digital/dpc/index.htm [from Russ Fox]
   
• Answers to the trivia test:

1. The tracks end or terminate in Grand Central. In a station, the tracks continue through on to other destinations.
2. Park Avenue
3a. Transportation
3b. Hercules to the left. Mercury in the center. Minerva on the right.
3c. Hercules represents strength Mercury represents speed. Minerva represents wisdom.
3d. 24k gold and Tiffany Glass.
4a. The Zodiac as it appears in the October sky.
4b. God's (Not long after Grand Central Terminal opened to the public, a college student, who was studying astrology, noticed that the images of the Zodiac were in the reverse as though they were seen from space instead of Earth. Mr. Vanderbilt decided it would take too much time and cost too much money to redo the ceiling, so he announced that the ceiling was correct as it was the sky as seen from God's perspective.)
5. 750,000
 

• New Orleans on Sunday, December 18th resumed its streetcar service which had been out of commission since Hurricane Katrina wiped out the utility poles and metal tracks used to propel the city's trade mark mode of transportation. Car number 930, adorned with holiday garland and red ribbon, was the first to roll out from the French Market post at 7 am. [from AP, 12/19 via American Rail Link for December 21, 1005 - George Read via Ed Mayover]
   
• HOLIDAY TRAIN HELPS FEED THE NEEDY: Despite bitterly cold weather, hundreds of people gathered to welcome Santa and the 2005 Holiday Train to the Sturtevant Amtrak Depot and, in the process, significantly boosted the amount of money and food collected. And even though Santa Claus was delayed by almost an hour, a good number of those folks stayed to enjoy live performances and view a locomotive wrapped in hundreds of thousands of Christmas lights. The Holiday Train, sponsored by Canadian Pacific Railway to raise money and food for local food banks, travels through several states and across Canada. The visit Dec. 9 was the third year the train had stopped in Sturtevant. It is precisely this type of giving at this time of year that Sturtevant Village President Steve Jansen says matters to the community. "This has been a rough year for everyone," he said. "But even through all the hardships and all the generosity our residents have been asked to give, they still come out to enjoy the event and give more." Dan Taivalkoski, executive director of the Racine County Food Bank, said there was a 58% increase in the amount of cash received and a 68% increase in the amount of food received. This year's totals were 2,939 pounds of food and more than $1,700 in cash collected. "I was pretty surprised that so many people turned out since it was so cold," he said. "But these are the same people who have turned out in the rain the last two years, so I'm grateful they came out this year, too." The Belle City Brass Ensemble performed before the train's arrival, and volunteers from Bombardier helped distribute hot chocolate and coffee to the crowd. With the addition of donations received from the Holiday Train visit and from local businesses that held food drives among their employees, Taivalkoski said, the food bank has enough to feed needy families through February. But the need is always there, especially for a list of items termed the "Super 6." Canned meat, including tuna, and other canned goods such as pasta with meat, beef stew, and fruit and peanut butter are needed to help provide nutritionally balanced meals, he said. Taivalkoski said a quick glance through the items brought in recently showed area residents are responding to this request. It probably helps, too, that the products have been on sale at local grocery stores in recent weeks. While a can of pasta with meat will sell for $1, Taivalkoski can stretch a $1 donation further. The food bank distributes about 50,000 pounds of food a month. According to Taivalkoski, the bank is supported by several sources, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, other federal and state grants, and private donations from residents and corporations. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/19 via American Rail Link for December 21, 1005 - George Read via Ed Mayover]
   
• TRACKS AHEAD! The PBS program "Tracks Ahead" begins its sixth season in January 2006. Produced by Milwaukee Public Television and under written by Kalmbach Publishing Company, publishers of "Trains Magazine." The weekly program looks at the railroad industry and the hobby. This newest 14-installment series covers topics from Alco's PA diesel to the "Pioneer Zephyr" display at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry to Oregon's restored Sumpter Valley Railroad. Check your local PBS listings for show times. [via American Rail Link for December 21, 1005 - George Read via Ed Mayover]
   
• ROCHESTER CHAPTER N.R.H.S. ESCORTED AMTRAK CALIFORNIA COAST AND TEXAS RAIL JOURNEY: Depart Rochester or Syracuse NY, Sunday evening May 7, 2006 and return to Rochester/Syracuse Thursday morning May 25, 2006. We travel to Chicago, change trains, travel through Denver, the Rocky Mountains and stop in Glenwood Springs Colorado for an overnight. We continue the next day through the desert, Reno, Serria Nevada Mountains to San Francisco. We will be in San Francisco for 3 nights and includes dinner on the famous Wine Train in the Napa Valley. We then travel in a deluxe motor coach to Monterey/Carmel along the California Coast for an overnight, then onto the Hearst Castle for a tour and an overnight. We then travel by motor coach to Santa Barbara for 2 nights including a tour. We will be staying in a 3 diamond ocean front hotel. That concludes our bussing for the entire trip. We then travel by train to Los Angeles for an overnight and a stay at a 4-diamond hotel in Beverly Hills. The next day we have a tour of the movie stars homes before re-boarding the train in Los Angeles for San Antonio Texas. We have 3 nights in San Antonio, our hotel is on the Riverwalk. We have a city tour of San Antonio while we are there. We then board our train for Chicago (1 Night), change trains and onto Rochester/Syracuse arriving Thursday May 25, 2005. The escorted rail trip includes all rail fare, 6 nights in sleeping cars, tours, baggage handling, transfers, tips except for sleeping car attendants and tips for meals on trains which are included. Approximately 60% of the meals on the trip are included. All hotels are AAA 3 diamond properties. The cost for the entire trip of 18 days double occupancy in standard sleeping rooms on the train is $2975.00 per person. For additional information and reservations please telephone Jim East, Tour Guide, Rochester Chapter N.R.H.S. at 585-377-5389 or raileast@rochester.rr.com [from American Rail Link for December 28, 2005 - George Read via ]
   
• Railway Age released survey results indicating the extent of the North American passenger railcar market. The survey indicated that builders delivered 1,212 new or substantially rebuilt passenger railcars in 2005 for intercity rail, commuter rail, light rail or subway operations. The survey also indicated that, in 2005, building were working on an undelivered backlog of 3,002 cars and, in 2006, approximately 1,289 cars were expected to be purchased. The survey noted that the principal suppliers of North American passenger railcars were Alstom of France, Bombardier of Canada, AnsaldoBreda of Italy, CAF of Spain, Siemens of Germany, and the Japanese contractors Kawasaki, Kinkisharyo-Mitsui and Nippon Sharyo. (from Railway Age via Weekly Rail Review - Week Ending 7JAN2006 - Dave Mears via Ed Mayover)
   
• AMTRAK Delays - A Virginia Railway Express commuter train derailed 3 cars on CSX tracks near Quantico, VA. The derailment, which resulted in minor injuries to a handful of passengers, curtailed VRE services for the day and also resulted in 14 Amtrak trains being either terminated on route or canceled before their departure from their origination points. On Friday, another mudslide on BNSF tracks, this time on the line between Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC, resulted in the cancellation of Amtrak Cascade train services between the two cities through Saturday evening, with bus service substituted. (from Amtrak via Weekly Rail Review - Week Ending 7JAN2006 - Dave Mears via Ed Mayover)
   
• President Bush reappointed Floyd Hall and Enrique Sosa to the Amtrak Board of Directors. The reappointments were made without U.S. Senate confirmation, as is allowed when the Senate is in recess. Mr. Hall was first appointed to the Board in July, 2004 and Mr. Sosa the following month during an earlier Senate recess. Their appointment maintains the four-member quorum needed for the board to carry out Amtrak business. The other members are David Laney, who was confirmed, and Jeffrey Rosen, the Transportation Department's general counsel who represents the agency. The board has three other vacancies that Bush has not sought to fill. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said in a statement that Hall and Sosa have ``worked tirelessly'' on Amtrak issues, lending their business expertise. Hall is a former Kmart chairman and Sosa, a former president of BP Amoco Chemicals. (from Railway Age via Weekly Rail Review - Week Ending 7JAN2006 - Dave Mears and Rueters via American Rail Link for January 11, 2006 via Ed Mayover)
   
• Amtrak announced that it will start replacing its 87-year-old Thames River Bridge on its Northeast Corridor Line between New London, CT and Groton, CT. The project, which will cost $76 million, will replace the existing bascule hinge-type bridge with a vertical lift bridge. The project's final stages will include busing train passengers around bridge replacement work for 4 days in Fall, 2007. The bridge is considered one of the weakest links in the Northeast Corridor rail infrastructure, frequently becoming stuck in the open or closed position. (from Amtrak and wire services via Weekly Rail Review - Week Ending 14JAN2006 - Dave Mears via Ed Mayover)
   
• Washington, DC area bus and subway operator METRO said that it would build a new $22 million system control center in Landover, MD. A METRO spokesman said that the present system control center, located in METRO's Washington, DC headquarters, would thereafter be used as a backup. The spokesman added that it would also spend $4 million to upgrade its underground radio system, including installing a backup antenna for the DC fire department radio system, and replacing aging signal equipment and tunnel amplifiers. (from Progressive Railroading via Weekly Rail Review - Week Ending 14JAN2006 - Dave Mears via Ed Mayover)
   
• NJ Transit's grand plan to build a new $6 billion Hudson River rail tunnel to New York has flaws that could cause delays on the Jersey side, a group of New Jersey rail advocates said. The plan, known as the Trans Hudson Express Tunnel, or THE Tunnel for short, will enter the preliminary design phase this year. It calls for replacing the 96-year-old Portal River Drawbridge and building four tracks over that bridge, five tracks through Secaucus Transfer station and the second Hudson River tunnel, parallel to the existing 100-year-old tube to Manhattan. Al Papp Jr., a director of the New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers, criticized the project's plans for only three, not four, tracks between Penn Station, Newark and Kearny Junction, on the Northeast Corridor line. Papp contends that will create a potential bottleneck. That busy section of railroad is also used by Amtrak and North Jersey Coast Line trains, and after the THE Tunnel is built, Raritan Valley Line trains would be added. The association also criticized plans to build a loop track between the Morris and Essex Lines and the Northeast Corridor, which would be used by 19 M&E Midtown Direct trains during the morning rush, if the Portal Bridge isn't replaced in time. Officials said the loop also would be used as a detour for other trains, if there is a problem elsewhere on the Corridor line. 9from Asbury Park Press, 1/16 via American Rail Link for January 18, 2006 via Ed Mayover)
   
• Fire destroyed a 780-foot wooden trestle on Union Pacific's Sunset Route. The trestle bridged the Fortuna Wash gully near Yuma, AZ. A UP spokesman said that a temporary "shoofly" track was being built that would allow service on the line to be restored by Tuesday and that a replacement bridge would likely be completed by the end of the week. The spokesman added that UP freight trains were being held or detoured, and that Amtrak's "Sunset Limited" passenger train was being turned at Tucson, AZ. (from Trains via Weekly Rail Review - Week Ending 21JAN2006 - Dave Mears via Ed Mayover)
   
• This item from Richard Hall from the Rising Sun Herald (week of January 16, 2006) to help. Pat Stetina, Director of the Perryville Chapter of the NRHS is working to restore a 1920's railway cart to be displayed at the town's railroad museum. The cart was donated years ago and has deteriorated in the local DPW's garage. Volunteers have signed on to restore it, but to keep it in its original state, they need some specially treated red or white oak. If you happen to have some appropriate wood you would like to donate or contribute the restoration, call 410-939-0546
   
• To all members of the Wilmington Chapter of the NRHS: At Arcadia Publishing, one of the things we're known for is our Images of Rail series, which chronicles the history of railroading in a specific area. Each book contains approximately 200 vintage, historic images with accompanying captions. You may have seen these books before--they're available in local bookstores throughout the United States, and each one has a sepia-toned cover. I am very interested in acquiring a new title about railroading in your area, and would love to work with you on a book. If this is something that you might be interested in, please contact me at the number below or at this email address at your earliest convenience. Also, please peruse our website to see some books that might be of interest to you on railroading in your area (www.arcadiapublishing.com) If interested, contact: Kathryn E. Korfonta, Acquisitions Editor, Arcadia Publishing, 420 Wando Park Boulevard, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 Telephone: 843.853.2070, ext. 132
   
• PEW GIVES UP ON RENAMING 30th STREET STATION: The Pew Charitable Trusts, the philanthropic organization, launched an effort to rename the station in honor of Benjamin Franklin for this year's celebration o f his 300th birthday. They said they were abandoning the campaign. Pew's two-paragraph statement gave no reason for its change of mind, and a spokesperson at the trust declined to elaborate. There were many public objections since The Inquirer revealed the plan in December. Most noted that there were plenty of things named after Franklin in the area.
   

Various Messages from the President or Headquarters for National Railway Historical Society

National Railway Bulletin Status - Message from President [http://www.nrhs.com/chapter_services/update_on_bulletin_status.htm]

As of 3:00 PM EST, January 18, 2006, here is the status of the Bulletin. Here is where things stand with the Bulletin as of January 17, 2006.

The 2004 Yearbook is in final preparation. We rejected the first set of proofs because of some quality concerns. Corrected proofs should be ready within the next week. If these proofs are acceptable, the issue will be ready to mail in about a month. A Yearbook (formerly the Annual Activities Issue) takes longer to print and assemble because it uses perfect binding. This is the first Bulletin of the 2005 issue year. This Bulletin will be mailed to all members with stop dates of 2005 or later.

Bulletin No. 5 for 2004, the last issue of the 2004 Bulletins, is in final proofreading, and photo scans are in process. Assuming there are no problems with the proofs, the probable publication date is in February. This Bulletin will be mailed to all members with stop dates of 2004 or later.

Both the 2004 Yearbook and No. 5 had been targeted for release in December. However, we had to pull resources away from these publications to work on 2006 dues bills and the new information systems. In addition, our volunteer staff had to deal with peak work demands from their paying jobs, illnesses, and other personal life issues. Due to continuing staff shortages, most of our people have no backups who could step in when real life intervenes.

Because of the delays in the next two issues, we have accumulated significant NRHS News content that has time value. We plan to mail the News directly to members in the next couple weeks. The exact schedule is still being worked. This mailing will go to all members with stop dates of 2004 or later.

In addition to dealing with the shortage of volunteer staff, we continue to work through the details of format changes and the new Yearbook product. While these changes are consuming extra time and effort now, both promise substantial improvements in the future. The Bulletin is a publication of historical record and not of current events. Because of this, we will continue to emphasize quality of the product over adherence to a strict timetable.

Work has started on several other Bulletin issues. Our staff is wrapping up the design changes needed to move to the larger format. Bulletin No. 1 of 2005, with a feature article on Conrail, is currently targeted for printing in March. Additional content for later issues is also in various stages of production for publication later in 2006.

We have recognized, however, that our current editorial system is capable of producing only one year's worth of Bulletins in a year. At that pace, we will never catch up on our current one-year backlog. In an effort to break this logjam, Editor Jeff Smith has recruited three guest editors to produce four additional Bulletins in 2006. These editors are NRHS members who have not been part of the Bulletin staff. Specific names and issue subjects will be announced at a later time. Since much of this work will be done in parallel, we are targeting for several Bulletin issues in late summer and early fall.

We have not made a final decision as to which Bulletin issues will carry any particular number. It is quite likely, however, that some 2006 Bulletins will be published before the last 2005 Bulletin hits the press. Any Bulletin with a 2005 cover date will be sent to all members with stop dates of 2005 or later. After April 1, however, any Bulletin with a 2006 cover date will be distributed to only those members who have paid dues for 2006.

Please note also that even though the 2004 Yearbook has not yet been mailed, we have started work on the 2005 Yearbook. Instructions and deadlines for submitting 2005 chapter reports are posted on the NRHS website and are printed in the January edition of the NRHS News Extra.

2006 Dues Renewal Bills - January 18 Message from President http://www.nrhs.com/chapter_services/update_on_2006_renewal_bills-6.htm

As of 3:00 PM EDT, January 18, 2006, here is the status of the 2006 dues bills. This is an additional update about the chapter dues bills mailing as of January 18. It has come to our attention that thirty-nine (39) chapter bills packages were shipped to incorrect addresses. We are attempting to contact each of those chapters with information as to where the packages were sent. To the best of our knowledge, here is what happened.

Our current database is bloated with numerous obsolete data fields and incomplete scripts. These have been left behind as the database has been handed from manager to manager, without any documentation of what they are or why they are there. Because so much of the system is interlocked, we cannot delete any scripts or obsolete fields without doing a thorough investigation, for which we have neither the staffing nor the money.

Because of deaths, illnesses and resignations, we often can't go back to the sources if the programming with questions. In this case, we were searching for the shipping address field and found what appeared to be exactly what we were looking for. It was called the bill shipping address data, there was a listing for every chapter, and everything was formatted correctly.

The data looked current on a spot inspection. For reasons we cannot explain, the data was correct for 135 chapters and about three years obsolete for 39. We have now located the correct data in the database, but it wasn't apparent at the time. We apologize for the problems that this has caused, and we are working with the affected chapters to locate their shipments. Our first priority will remain replacing of the entire database with a new and reliable system.

NRHS Rumor Mill - Message from President http://www.nrhs.com/chapter_services/rumor_squash.htm

As of 7:00 PM EDT, February 7, 2006, here is a message from the President. NRHS Rumors

Over the last couple weeks, a number of rumors have apparently been making the rounds of the Society. We have encountered these rumors in newsletters, e-mails and verbal conversations. Since they are inaccurate and could lead people to take misguided actions, we believe it is important to get out the correct information.

Rumor No. 1: The 2006 dues bills were produced with the new NRHS information system, and it caused all the errors as well as the delays. Not true. The new information system is still in design, following delays caused by staffing shortages. The bills were produced using the old system. The delays and errors were the result of an unstable system, no documentation, and a staffing resignation that required new people to take over the system on an emergency basis. The delays were aggravated by a supplier going out of business at a critical time. The new NRHS information system remains our long-term solution to these problems, not the cause of them.

Rumor No. 2: The national management withheld news of the 2006 dues increase for Family members from the chapters until it appeared on the dues bills. Not true. The 2006 dues increase was fully covered in the minutes of the summer Board of Directors meeting and announced in the NRHS News Extra. One or more officers at every chapter receive these publications.

Rumor No. 3: Jeff Smith is the only national officer doing any real work, and the other officers are either not supporting him or undermining his efforts. Not true. All of the national officers have different duties and responsibilities, but they are working together as a management team. The national officers collectively are operating more cohesively today than at any time over the last several years. Mr. Smith is part of that management team and is doing a lot of good work. So is everybody else.

Rumor No. 4: Larry Eastwood has been fired from or substantially downgraded in his responsibilities managing the RailCamp program at Steamtown. Not true. Mr. Eastwood continues to manage the RailCamp program at Steamtown, which is now part of a larger program involving two locations and expanded participation. Mr. Eastwood's role was not announced earlier because discussions about his continued participation in the Steamtown program were deferred until mid-January at Mr. Eastwood's request.

Rumor No. 5: The national officers do not support the RailCamp program. Not true. The national officers consider RailCamp to be a very important program. They are working with management at both the Steamtown National Historic Site and the Nevada Northern Railway Museum to improve and expand the program offerings.

Rumor No. 6: Because of late delivery of dues bills, chapters can delay remitting national dues for several months without repercussions. Not true. Memberships expired at the end of 2005. We are currently operating in the 90-day grace period specified in the NRHS Bylaws. After the last week in March, members who have not renewed for 2006 must be suspended from membership. They will receive the 2005 Bulletins they are owed, but not any 2006 Bulletins also planned for issue this year. They will be eligible to attend the national convention only as a member of the general public. Chapters that have not submitted the required minimum number of renewals shall be declared inactive and their representatives may not participate on the Board of Directors.

If you have questions about these or other rumors you may encounter, please contact the management through the NRHS national office.

NRHS Staff Realignment - Message from President http://www.nrhs.com/chapter_services/realignment.htm

As of 7:00 PM EDT, February 7, 2006, here is a message from the President. Recent NRHS Staffing Changes This is an update on recent NRHS staffing changes. Because these changes were not finalized until after issues had gone to press, they are not covered in the NRHS News Extra or the NRHS News currently being distributed. Meeting in late January, the NRHS national officers realigned the duties and responsibilities of several officer and staff positions. This realignment was done for several reasons, including:
To allow people to better focus their efforts on the Society's most urgent needs,
To more fully utilize people in new staff positions, and
To clarify some responsibilities affected by staff resignations in mid-2005.

Bob Ernst has taken over responsibility for Membership Records. To save time, all questions regarding MR should be addressed to both Bob (membership@nrhs.com) and the national office (info@nrhs.com). The old AOLe-mail address for MR should no longer be used. Bob's responsibilities include managing the current MR database to meet short-term needs until it is replaced by the new NRHS information system. President Greg Molloy will provide officer oversight and support for the MR operation.

Vice President Jeff Smith will concentrate on his two primary duties - the Bulletin and the new NRHS information system. The Society has made substantial progress on both of these areas, and we expect to release additional contracts for purchased services shortly. Details will be announced after commercial negotiations are completed. Jeff will limit his involvement with the current Membership Records database to ensuring that short-term changes are compatible with the new information system.

Doug White has taken over his new duties as Secretary. In addition to his corporate duties, Doug will head special projects to improve scheduling, coordination and documentation of NRHS operations.

General Counsel John Fiorilla takes over officer responsibility for operation of the national office. Senior Vice President Barry Smith and Vice President Jeff Smith will continue to manage certain projects to improve the office facility and equipment as we continue to reduce a substantial backlog of overdue work in this area. President Greg Molloy takes over responsibility for the NRHS libraries on an interim basis while we define and recruit for additional staffing needs.

Joe Maloney's formal takeover of the Membership Awards position has been deferred until March while he recovers from recent surgery. In the interim, Membership Awards inquiries should be sent to the national office (info@nrhs.com).

More details on some of these changes and on overall management responsibilities will be shared in the future.

URGENT MESSAGE FROM NRHS NATIONAL: Caution - Dues Bills Contain Errors

This is an update on the 2006 membership renewal bills as of January 17, 2006. All 2006 dues bills have been shipped. There was at least one major processing error, and most chapter dues bills are incorrect. Chapters should inspect every bill and make necessary corrections before distributing these bills. The national organization will not issue corrected bills.

The current NRHS database is obsolete and unreliable. We are working on a replacement, but for the time being, we're stuck with what we have. We already had more work than we have people to handle it. Recent staff departures have left us critically short-handed in the membership data area. They also meant that people were working with a complex system that was totally lacking documentation. The volunteers who are now working on this system all have paying jobs with demanding and irregular hours and travel schedules. All of them are also managing other critical products and projects within the Society. Although we believed that we had a workable plan to retrieve and transfer the required data, there was a serious quality control problem that was not caught until it was too late.

Up until this point, our focus has been on schedule. The 2006 bills were initially delayed because we had difficulty locating and extracting the right data from a very bloated system. Information that should have been conveyed to vendors in early September was not completely developed until the end of October. Because we were dealing with outside suppliers, we no longer had the option of producing bills in multiple runs to bypass problem areas. Then in early November, the subcontractor that was producing the membership cards went out of business suddenly, just before starting our job. A new subcontractor was located, but the search and additional proofs added another month to the schedule. Then production ran into the holidays.

We now know about one problem that is almost universal. On most chapter bills, the invoice omitted the chapter component for each primary chapter member. Chapter dues are included for members paying the Student and Family rates. This problem does not affect bills for At-Large members.

The current database does not store a member's dues data in a simple and reviewable table. Production of each bill requires the execution of complex scripts hundreds of lines long. It appears that one of those hundreds of lines was truncated by 14 characters, and we didn't catch it in time.

There may be additional problems, and we continue to urge everyone to review each bill carefully. One chapter reported today that the invoice charged a Student member the full adult national dues, and the local portion of dues charged to Family members was inconsistent. This is new information, and we have not yet fully investigated the problem. We do not yet know the cause or how widespread this problem may be.

For information when reviewing bills, the national dues are:
$22 for primary chapter members,
$11 for Student members,
$ 4 for EACH Family member.

Here is what we plan to do from this point forward:

• We still need to hear from chapters about any problems additional to the primary member chapter dues. If we can detect any patterns, we will issue further advisories. We also need to keep the current system in operation as a backup for another year, and we need to know what has to be done to it so it can back up the 2007 bill production in less than nine months.
• WE DO NOT PLAN TO ISSUE NEW OR CORRECTED DUES BILLS. Chapters will need to mark corrections on bills or include a note pointing out the chapter dues error. We do not take this step lightly. Everybody who was working on this project was taking time away from other critical NRHS work. The money is spent. It is unlikely that any replacement bills run could have been distributed before late February.
• We have not yet determined whether we will produce Final Notices this year or when that will happen. We will make additional announcements when we have more data and can reach a decision.
• We are not planning any action against NRHS volunteers or suppliers. The volunteers who were handling this project were doing extra duty under very difficult circumstances. The suppliers who were late were dealing with issues largely beyond their control and data that we supplied.
• Our focus must now shift to fixing the underlying problems with the NRHS information systems, maintaining the data needed for current business functions, and guaranteeing that the 2007 dues bills experience none of the schedule and quality problems we had this year.
• The Society apologizes for the delays, inconvenience and additional work that the 2006 dues bills have caused the chapters. We ask for your continued support as we continue to fix these problems.

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 thru Monday, April 10, 2006 EXHIBIT -- CATASTROPHE ON THE RAILS: TRAIN WRECKS OF THE NORTHEAST UNITED STATES The face of railroading changed in 1853, when President-elect Franklin Pierce lost his son in a train derailment, a tragedy that generated international publicity and shocked the nation. This exhibit will explore why wrecks occurred, display photographs of some of the most infamous disasters and include artifacts related to accidents. Also featured will be examples of important safety equipment and government regulations introduced as a result, making railroads today one of the safest modes of travel. Included in regular Museum admission.

Sat. & Sun., Feb. 25-26, 2006 Allentown Spring Thaw, Fairgrounds Agricultural Hall, Allentown, PA.

Sunday, March 5, 2006 Nur Temple Spring Train Meet, Routes 13 & 40, New Castle, DE.

Sat. & Sun., March 18-19, 2006 Greenberg Train Expo, Expo Center, Ft. Washington, PA

Saturday, March 25, 2006 Hartly Fire Hall, Hartly, DE.

Thursday, May 18th, 2006 - Annual Doug Weaver Memorial Photo Contest

Here are the guidelines for entering images in this year's contest:

• As usual, there will be two separate contests; one for prints and one for slides. Each contest will have the same SEVEN categories. Prizes will be awarded for winners in each category (that is fourteen winners in all), plus additional awards for the best print and the best slide in the show.
• Each member can have up to three entries per category (that's 42 total photos if you are really ambitious: up to 21 total slides and 21 total prints!).
• Photos for the five normal, standard, REGULAR CATEGORIES #1-#5, as always in the past, must have been taken within the LAST FIVE (5) YEARS (anywhere on this planet).
• For the VINTAGE CATEGORY #6 ONLY, the photos can be of any railroad related subject but must have been taken 15 OR MORE YEARS AGO, that is before May 1, 1991. As voted on at the January 1998 meeting, the time frame was changed from "more than 25 years old" to "more than 15 years old".
• For SPECIAL CATEGORY #7 ONLY, designed to get people out to take new pictures; photos must have been taken in the LAST TWO (2) YEARS; that is, between May 1, 2004 and May 18, 2006 and must be a photo of "Railroad Bridge With Railroad Equipment On It".

CATEGORIES: [note timeframes]

1. STEAM - Photos with a steam locomotive as the primary subject within the last 5 years.
2. DIESEL - Photos with a diesel locomotive as the primary subject within the last 5 years. This category also includes gas-electrics, Doodlebugs, RDCs, and FL9s north of Harmon, and the like.
3. HEAVY ELECTRIC - Electric power on big railroads within the last 5 years.
4. TRACTION - Trolleys & light rail including streetcars, all subways, etc. within the last 5 years.
5. GENERAL - Any photo that does NOT include one of the above as the primary subject within the last 5 years. 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 2006 = RR Bridge w/RR Equip and taken within the last two (2) years.

July 2-9, 2006 Independence Junction 2006 Philadelphia, PA NMRA Convention The convention will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in center city Philadelphia. An entrance to the center is the beautiful Headhouse of the ex Reading Railroads' Center City Passenger Terminal.

July 18-23, 2006 Buckeye Rails New Philadelphia, Ohio 2006 NRHS Convention - NRHS annual convention will be held in New Philadelphia, OH. Info on www.buckeyerails2006.org

CHAPTER EVENTS  

Thursday Mar. 16, 2006, 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Frank Ferguson entitled "2005 Review"

Thursday Apr. 20, 2006, 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Mike Burkhart entitled "Final Days of Conrail"

Thursday May 18, 2006, 7 PM Chapter Meeting Annual Doug Weaver Memorial Photo Contest, 2006 special category: RR Bridge w/RR Equipment

Thursday June 15, 2006, 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Dan Frederick entitled either "Two Ring You Rope" -or- "Touring Europe"

Thursday July 20, 2006, 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Dave Warner

Thursday Aug. 17, 2006, 7 PM Chapter Trip in lieu of normal meeting. Probably SEPTA Trip to Bryn Mawr

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 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: Ralph Stevens, Jr.
Event Photographer:  Ron Cleaves
Web Master: Russ Fox

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