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THE TRANSFER TABLE
The Wilmington Chapter NRHS Official Newsletter
Internet Edition

Back To Wilmington Chapter Web Site

SEPTEMBER 21, 2006 MEETING NOTES

After the meeting was called to order at 7 PM, the minutes were read by Vice President Ron Cleaves and approved as was the Treasurer's report by Ralph Steven's. National Director Tom Posatko reported on the National Convention in Ohio, mentioned the next Convention in 2007 in Chattanooga, and noted that there is no location yet for 2008.

Editor Greg Ajamian told the members that he had received word that long-time Chapter Member David R. English of Delmar, DE had passed away on September 7, 2006 after six days in the hospital after a lengthy stay in LifeCare at Lofland Park in Seaford, DE. David's cousin, Winfield Gray, indicated that "he loved his trains." Our condolences go out to his family and friends.

President Phil Snyder also reported on the July 2006 Convention, mentioned our August Trip, and started the sign-up sheet for the December 10th Holiday Dinner at Maximillian's. This year's Election Committee of Mike Burkhart and Frank Ferguson was officially named. After the break, Phil provided an excellent slide show with a wide variety of excellent images from "Ten Year's Ago."

From The Editor

With the start of the media bombardment of advertisements for our government's elected officials, it's time for YOU to consider becoming more active in your local NRHS Chapter by getting yourself onto OUR own ballot! Chapter elections will be coming up soon and this is your chance to make a real contribution to the Chapter. Consider becoming an officer!

Do you remember the photo of the SP loco in the last newsletter? That's OK, we'll wait while you go get it. The photo of SP 0-6-0 #842 on p.12 was taken by Tom Smith, who also provided the caption. From his e-mail, "One can imagine my surprise over 40 years ago at finding an SP loco in steam, and thinking I would never see another." He also mentioned that "the GN F7 pictured on p.2 was originally GN F7 274. Since then it became BN 810, then Seattle & North Coast 101. It then made its way to Doyle McCormack's collection in Portland, where it was repainted in GN colors."

Just before this issue went to press, we learned of the passing of another long-time Chapter Member Bill Folger on October 6, 2006. Bill was one of our more active members, often attending monthly meetings, sharing bits of information, and was even pictured in the last issue of the Transfer Table. He presented an excellent program (and shared some historic souvenirs) on the Red Arrow on June 17, 2004. We will all miss him greatly.

It looks like WHYY-TV 12 still refuses to air the series "Tracks Ahead." But, if you would like to see it, tune in to WYBE-TV 35 (Comcast 20) at 7 PM on Mondays and/or WNJS-TV 23 (Comcast11) at 9:30 PM on Fridays.

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TROLLEY TRIP

The Wilmington Chapter NRHS is pleased to announce the next in our streetcar charters series. CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TROLLEY TRIP December 9, 2006. This trip will depart Malvern Loop (63rd & Malvern) at 5:00 p.m. and travel over Route 15, making several stops for nighttime photography. Our PCC-2 streetcar will be decorated for the holidays for the first half of the trip, and we'll do some "undecorated" shots during the second half. We anticipate making a photo stop at the Callowhill car barn and other locations, especially if we find decorated buildings along the route. The trip will return to Malvern Loop at approximately 9:00 p.m.

Tickets on sale at $35 each. Credit cards accepted at http://www.daylightimages.com/streetcar. Checks can be made payable to "Wilmington Chapter NRHS" and sent to: Wilmington Chapter NRHS c/o Steve Barry117 High Street, Newton, NJ 07860. To take full advantage of the photo stops you'll need a tripod and cable release -- the Wilmington Chapter will provide high-powered flashes to illuminate the scenes. Digital shooters can probably get some great existing light shots of our decorated streetcar by simply using a monopod. This trip is limited to 30 participants -- order your tickets soon! Need more information? Visit the website or phone Steve Barry at 973/383-3355 between 9am and 5pm on weekdays.

NEWS BITS   

METRO-NORTH TO COMMEMORATE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ELECTRIC TRAIN OPERATIONS: On Sept. 30, MTA Metro-North Railroad will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first electric train that ran on third-rail power from New York City's Grand Central Terminal to the Bronx. The agency will commemorate the event by offering a day-long excursion that includes presentations, tours and train trips. The day will begin at Grand Central Terminal, where Metro-North officials will give a presentation on the history of the 1906 New York Central Railroad Harlem and Hudson electrification system, and Metro-North's current electrification systems. Officials then will provide the first-ever general public tour of M-42, an underground facility that houses original rotary converters and control boards. Later, visitors will board a new M-7 electric train and travel to the largest original substation at Mott Haven Junction, followed by stops at Highbridge Yard, an original power plant in Glenwood, N.Y., and the Ossining substation. (from Progressive Railroading, 8/08 via American Rail Link for Aug. 16, 2006)

NJ TRANSIT TO BEGIN PORTAL BRIDGE REPLACEMENT EFFORT: Plans to eliminate a major chokepoint and source of delays on the Northeast Corridor are underway thanks to action taken today by the NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors to conduct environmental and related engineering work to rehabilitate or expand the 96-year-old Amtrak Portal Bridge. The Board awarded a $3.3 million contract to AKRF Inc., of New York City, to determine how best to increase rail capacity at the two-track swing bridge, which carries the Northeast Corridor (NEC) over the Hackensack River just west of Secaucus Junction. NJ TRANSIT will lead the project in a formal partnership with the Federal Railroad Administration, the Federal Transit Administration and Amtrak. "Enhancing our ability to move more trains over the Portal Bridge is especially important and will advance on a parallel track with the Trans-Hudson Express (THE) Tunnel project," said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director George D. Warrington. "In order to realize the full potential of THE Tunnel, we must also address the other major chokepoint on the Northeast Corridor: Portal Bridge." AKRF will prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement that examines several options for providing additional track capacity and improved reliability over the Hackensack River-including the possibility of replacing Portal Bridge with a new span to support up to twice as many trains-and determine the requirements for additional track capacity on the Northeast Corridor west of the bridge. In addition, the DEIS will consider elevating the span to reduce the number of openings for marine traffic and to reduce resulting train delays. Last month, a malfunction with the mechanism that locks Portal Bridge in place for train crossings resulted in the cancellation of 22 peak-period trains, demonstrating both the importance of the bridge and the need to improve its reliability. Under the contract, AKRF Inc., which has a regional office in Marlton, NJ, will create concept plans and designs, assess environmental impacts, make capital and operating cost estimates and conduct public hearings. It is anticipated that the DEIS will be completed by late 2007, followed by design and construction. The project is expected to be completed for the opening of THE Tunnel in 2016. (NJ Transit, 8/08 08 via American Rail Link for Aug. 16, 2006))

New Ellicott City Station Website Launched by B&O Museum. Visitors to the site can purchase admission, learn more about the Station's history, and discover the exciting exhibits and programs the Station has to offer at www.ecborail.org

Union Pacific will no longer allow photography of trains from Chicago commuter rail stations on UP lines. A UP spokesman said, "This stuff about UP not liking railfans is not true. But we have to be as safe and secure as we can." The policy contrasts somewhat with that of Chicago commuter rail operator Metra, whose spokesman said that "as long as photographers are in areas accessible to the public, are acting in a safe manner, and are willing to provide identification if asked by authorities, Metra has no problem with them taking photos." Legal experts suggested that UP might be on "shaky legal ground" if it attempts to enforce the ban. (from Trains via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 19AUG2006)

New Jersey Transit announced that it would expand its Morrisville, PA overnight train storage yard and light maintenance facility. The yard, which occupies part of a former Pennsylvania Railroad class yard, is used by NJT NEC trains operating to and from Trenton, NJ. A NJT spokesman said that the expansion project will add storage for another 130 commuter cars, as well as service and wheel truing facilities, and will allow NJT to consolidate storage and running repair functions now completed at two other facilities. (from NJT, Progressive Railroading via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 19AUG2006)

Rail car manufacturer Freight Car America announced that it would sell its Johnstown, PA "shell plant" to United Industrial Electro-Mechanical Services. A spokesman for United said that it would use the plant to increase its welding and fabrication facilities. FreightCar America said that it would continue to operate its other production facility in Johnstown, as well as plants in Danville, IL and Roanoke, VA. (from Progressive Railroading via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 19AUG2006)

LAST RUNNING BL2 CATCHES ON FIRE: On Thursday afternoon, August 16, the Stourbridge Line tourist train was returning from Hawley to Honesdale, Pa. when a fire erupted inside BL2 locomotive 54. Firefighters responded on board all terrain vehicles to a wooded area near White Mills to extinguish the blaze. Passengers returned to Honesdale on board a school bus. The BL2 unit, acquired by the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce in 1988 from the Bangor & Aroostook, is the last such locomotive known in service. It is not certain if this locomotive will return to service. (from Railpace Hot News, 8/20 via American Rail Link for August 23, 2006)

ROYAL HUDSON 2860 CLOSER TO OPERATION: Former Canadian Pacific "Royal Hudson" No. 2860 moved one step closer to returning to service last week when boiler work passed its final pressure test and was certified for operation, according to the West Coast Railway Association. The 4-6-4, owned by the Province of British Columbia in its post-CPR career, ran in excursion service between North Vancouver and Squamish, B.C., over the provincially owned British Columbia Railway from 1974 until 1999, becoming one of the Vancouver area's top tourist attractions. After completing the 1999 season, the locomotive was unable to pass inspections without major boiler work, and was put up for disposition in 2002. A joint proposal from the West Coast Railway Association and the District of Squamish, a town on the BCR, to lease and overhaul the locomotive was accepted, and No. 2860 was moved to the West Coast Railway Heritage Park in Squamish that year. The boiler repair project started in 2004. Now that the boiler work has been approved, the final step is to complete the reassembly of the locomotive, expected to take six to eight weeks. The total project will cost around $550,000. A viewing platform is available in the locomotive shop so visitors can watch work being performed on the 2860. Jim Brown, General Manager of the West Coast Railway Heritage Park, told Trains News Wire that new firebrick will be installed beginning Monday and that superheater units are being installed. If all goes well, the group is planning a steam-up in September for the media, tentatively planned for September 28. According to Brown, if restoration work continues on schedule and no major problems are encountered, the group hopes to operate an excursion with the locomotive out of Squamish this October. Excursions would be coordinated with Rocky Mountaineer Vacations, which operates the Rocky Mountaineer and Whistler Mountaineer tourist trains. The latter runs between Vancouver and Whistler, B.C., on the former BCR (later BC Rail), now operated by Canadian National. WCRA hopes to run three or four excursions with the 2860 in 2007 in coordination with Rocky Mountaineer Vacations. There also is a possibility the engine will operate some trips in 2010 in concert with the Winter Olympic Games, to be held in Vancouver. The term Royal Hudson refers to a group of semi-streamlined 4-6-4 Hudson type steam locomotives owned by Canadian Pacific and built by Montreal Locomotive Works. In 1939, King George VI allowed CPR to use the "Royal" term and to display Royal Crowns on the locomotive's running boards after one of the Hudsons transported the Royal Train across Canada. The 2860 was built by MLW in 1940, the first to be constructed as a Royal Hudson. (from Trains News Wire, 8/18 via American Rail Link for August 23, 2006)

For info on a talk on the Reading's Chester Valley Branch: see http://www.tehistory.org/news.html (from Ed Thornton)

The Girdletree, Maryland Historical Foundation has received a grant from the Worcester County Commissioners for restoration of the old freight house. The freight house was on the Delmarva Division of the PRR and located 135.8 miles from the Wilmington, DE passenger station according to Richard Hall.

NO 765 TRIPS FOR NOW: The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society had hoped to operate the 765 this fall in conjunction with activities celebrating Lima, Ohio  "s, 175th anniversary. We had anticipated operating a series of one-hour round trips originating from Lincoln Park, where Nickel Plate 779 is housed, on the Indiana & Ohio (I&O) railroad. The deadhead route from Fort Wayne would take us down the Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern into Lima where we could connect to the I&O. An important part of planning any steam locomotive excursion is checking with the railroad  "s engineering department to ensure that the clearances, weight limits and curves will accommodate the 765. Unfortunately, several weeks into the planning process, we discovered that the connecting track between the two railroads in Lima was too sharp for us to negotiate. Unfortunately we have been unable to come up with a cost- effective alternative routing within the time window of passenger car availability and still have sufficient time to market the trip and sell tickets. This is certainly a disappointment but we will continue to pursue operating possibilities. It is important to recognize that all parties involved worked hard, including the railroads, to make these trips a reality, but we simply ran out of time. Society volunteers, members and supporters are involved because we care deeply about not only preserving our railroad heritage, but having it operate as well. Unfortunately, sometimes business realities intervene and cause us to change our plans. We  "re viewing this not as a cancellation but simply as a delay and look forward to 2007. These operations take lots of time and effort and financial support to organize and we appreciate your continued support as we work to bring the 765 to you. One thing is for sure: The 765 is ready for the road! (from Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, via American Rail Link for September 20, 2006)

On Tuesday, September 26, SEPTA R2 Train Service in Delaware was disrupted due to a derailment of an Amtrak train just north of Wilmington early this morning, SEPTA R2 train service is experiencing delays and disruptions. DART First State was operating shuttle buses between Wilmington and Claymont to bypass the portion of track blocked by the accident. Passengers experienced delays of up to 30 minutes. SEPTA trains were still operating between Claymont and Center City Philadelphia, but passengers on those trains could also expect delays of up to 30 minutes. (from DelDOT Public Relations via Ed Thornton)

BNSF Railway Company is recruiting rail fans to help keep BNSF properties safe by reporting suspicious activities and to help prevent possible security breaches.   "Keeping America  "s rail transportation network safe from crime and terrorist activity is a high priority for the railroad industry," says William Heileman, BNSF general director, Police and Protection Solutions. "Every day across the country, rail fans photograph and watch trains as they pass through communities. It seems natural to harness their interest to help keep America  "s rail system safe." Rail fans can register for the program by going to the Citizens United for Rail Security (CRS) Web site (http://newdomino.bnsf.com/website/crs.nsf/request?open). CRS participants will receive an official identification card along with access to news and information on the BNSF CRS Web site. To report suspicious activity, CRS members and the public can call (800) 832-5452. The information will be taken by a BNSF representative and routed for appropriate response.

A study noted that, since 2000, voters have approved transportation-related ballot measures at more than double the rate of other measures. The study, entitled "Transportation Finance At The Ballot Box" and released by the Center For Transportation Excellence, said that voters in 33 states approved 70 percent of proposed measures, which in turn generated more than $70 billion in funding. The study analyzed more than 200 state and local transportation-related ballot measures proposed since 2000. (from Progressive Railroading via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 12AUG2006)

Officials of the Vermont Department of Transportation briefed lawmakers on proposed plans to run Amtrak's state-subsidized "Vermonter" train with new diesel multiple unit (DMU) cars. "Amtrak came to us and said we'd like to try something to see what the DMUs can do on intercity routes," said a Vermont DOT spokesman. Under the proposed three-year demonstration, the Federal Railroad Administration would loan the state $17.5 million to buy five DMUs and Amtrak would provide the state $2 million for expenses including transition costs, retooling a maintenance facility and marketing. The DMUs would operate between St. Albans, VT and New Haven, CT, with passengers transferring to Northeast Corridor trains at New Haven. (from Burlington Free Press via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 12AUG2006)

Federal Railroad Administration reported that Amtrak has been able to restore 24 stored Amfleet 1 coach cars and will position them in New Orleans, LA in case the city requires them for evacuation. A FRA spokesman said that the cars have been restored thanks to $700,000 in special federal funding, which also includes the costs of deadheading them to New Orleans. The spokesman added that the cars will likely be returned to storage at the Amtrak Passenger Car Shops in Bear, DE after the hurricane season ends. (from Cox Newspapers, NARP, Trains via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 26AUG2006)

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell suggested that the state's proposed "Schuykill Valley Metro" commuter rail service was no longer a possibility. "Schuykill Valley Metro isn't going to happen," said Mr. Rendell. "We'll never get the funding." The service was proposed between Reading, PA and Philadelphia. The governor went on to suggest that the project likely won't materialize due to its $2.1 billion estimated cost, which involved building and electrifying a passenger-only track adjacent to Norfolk Southern tracks on the 62-mile route between Reading and Philadelphia. (from Philadelphia Inquirer via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 26AUG2006)

A Mexican conglomerate proposed construction of a new $150 million, 62-mile rail line linking the U.S. and Mexico though the Laredo gateway. "Railroad traffic through Laredo is very saturated," said a spokesman for Grupo Poreza, the parent company of Toyota supplier Metalsa. The spokesman noted that about 30 percent of the freight moving through the Laredo gateway moves by rail and that such traffic is growing at a rate of approximately 9 percent annually. (from The Express News via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 26AUG2006)

New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority said that census data had revealed that ridership on its buses, subways and commuter trains had been growing more rapidly than the population of New York City and its suburbs. A MTA spokesman said that, from 1995 to 2005, ridership on city buses and subways grew by 36 percent, compared with a population gain for the city of 7 percent. The spokesman added that ridership on Long Island Rail Road and Metro North Railroad commuter trains grew by 14 percent, compared with a suburban population gain of 6 percent. (from New York Times via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 26AUG2006)

Today 75% of ethanol moves by rail, 20% by truck, 5% by water. Pipelines are right out as the stuff cannot be co-mingled with other commodities in a pipeline. Consequently rail volumes are way up with UP hauling 1.6 billion gallons and BNSF half that. This is almost all unit train business and BNSF is quite insistent about terminal capacity to unload 95-car trains in 24 hours. UP seems to be more flexible, operating   "sweeper trains" in some areas. Some shortlines are looking into the RRIF loan program to meet the unit train requirements. (Railroad Week In Review - AUG 25, 2006 via Ed Mayover)

LIRR LINK THROUGH SUNNYSIDE ON TRACK: The East Side Access project, the ambitious plan to bring the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Station with a stop in Sunnyside, is moving ahead, with a scheduled completion date of 2013. The project will link the existing branch of the Long Island Rail Road under the Sunnyside railyards, through the existing 63rd Street tunnel and under Park Avenue to Grand Central Station. Currently, the LIRR runs only to Penn Station, on Manhattan  "s West Side. Work has been under way since 2001, but this summer, a bid was accepted for a company to dig the 3.5 miles of Manhattan tunnels needed to bring the LIRR deep under Grand Central Station, according to Beverly Dolinsky, executive director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Some work in Queens is already under way as well: Upgrades are being made to the tracks near Woodside Avenue and 65th Street, and a large shaft completed in 2003 will be expanded underneath Northern Boulevard by the Sunnyside Railyards, according to the MTA. The project has been in the works since the 1960s, running into obstacles including arguments over environmental remediation with Amtrak, which owns the land underneath the Sunnyside yards, and objections to a planned ventilation building from high profile neighbors on 50th Street in Manhattan. Funding for the $6.3 billion project is still not completely secured. The MTA said in February it expected to reach a full funding agreement with the federal government in a matter of months. Dolinsky anticipated it could be reached as early as October. Despite the numerous setbacks, the project is currently on track-the Manhattan tunneling bid came in at millions less than expected-and is moving forward with strong political support. The Bush administration ranked it as a high priority for funding.   "It has a lot of momentum behind it," added Ellen Shannon, transportation planner for the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee, which serves as a watchdog group of the MTA. An LIRR link directly to Grand Central Station is expected to ease congestion at Penn Station as well as cut down the commute time for Eastern Queens and Long Island residents who work on the East Side. The MTA estimates the new line will serve over 160,000 passengers each day and attract 35,000 new customers to public transit. In Queens, it could mean a transformation of the Sunnyside Railyards into an intermodal center. The Sunnyside yards and the adjacent Harold Interlocking service several commuter lines including the LIRR, Amtrak, New Jersey Transit and Metro North. The new station, to be located under the Queens Boulevard bridge, could also link the commuter rails with subways, buses and taxis. Speculation has also been raised that a platform could be built over the yards to support thousands of apartments. (from Queens Chronicle, 9/1 via American Rail Link for September 6, 2006)

According to records in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Union Pacific railroad officer P.T. Bender stopped 54-year-old Harry Wise from carrying his bicycle across the Brooklyn rail yard in Southeast Portland on June 19. Ignoring Wise's protest that the signs around the yard were illegible, Bender handed the warehouse laborer a citation for trespassing, according to the police report. When Wise showed up at court on Aug. 4-without a lawyer-he found himself on the docket for first-degree criminal trespass, a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of $6,250. If Wise had picked any other property for his shortcut that day, the charge would have been second-degree trespass, the equivalent of a speeding ticket, says Barry Engle, a Portland criminal defense lawyer who is not involved in the case. But railroads enjoy special legal privileges dating back to the 19th century. For one, railroad companies are authorized to hire their own police officers. And trespassing on any yard, bridge, line or tunnel belonging to the railroads is automatically considered first-degree criminal trespass, Engle says. Neither law enforcement nor transportation agencies at the state level have jurisdiction over UP cops, and the company is notoriously tight-lipped about internal matters. Joe Arbona, spokesman for Union Pacific, says the company has "zero tolerance for trespassing," but would not disclose how often its officers cite trespassers. Court records show 142 people were cited for criminal trespass by Union Pacific cops last year, a marked increase from the 38 tickets handed out in 2000. (The Willamette Week 1 via American Rail Link for September 6, 2006)

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.

Second Sunday each month from April to Nov. Chesapeake & Allegheny Steam Preservation Society from 11:00am to 3:30pm, Leakin Park, Baltimore, MD, http://calslivesteam.org/ The rides are free and there are picnic tables nearby for those who wish to make a day of it.

During October 2006 FALL FOLIAGE TRAINS - Pioneer Lines, Gettysburg, PA, October at 1 p.m. (running on most Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays in the month of October)Fare: $16.50 adults, $9.00 children (4-12 yrs), children 3 and under ride for free http://www.gettysburgrail.com

October 14, 2006 Second Annual OcTrolleyFestA Celebration of Transportation Heritage and Community. For nearly 150 years, streetcars and trolleys have connected our communities with the wider world and with each other. We are celebrating this heritage with trolley rides through three hundred years of history in Darby, Yeadon, Colwyn and Southwest Philadelphia and hope you will participate. This year's celebration will be especially exciting because it is taking place on the same day as the dedication of a historic marker to the 1925 World Champion Hilldales of the Negro Baseball Leagues at Yeadon Plaza, the site of Hilldale Park. OcTrolleyFest 2006 is sponsored by the Darby Free Library (believed to be our nation's oldest public library, chartered in 1743), Sharon Bank, the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, Sovereign Bank, the OcTrolleyFest Committee of the Darby Borough Historical Commission, and other individuals and organizations. John Haigis, Coordinator; www.darbyhistory.com, www.PastTimesPresent.com, www.OcTrolleyFest.org

October 14-15, 2006 First World War Living History Weekend11-5 Saturday, 1-5 Sunday, Ma & Pa Railroad Heritage Village, Muddy Forks, PA

October 14-15, 2006 25th Anniversary Great Scale Model Train Show - Timonium9-4 Saturday, 10-4 Sunday, at the Cow Palace, Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD. 25,000 square feet of operating layouts, 700 tables of vendors and exhibitors, admission $7 (free return on Sunday)

October 15, 2006 Sand, Railways, & Movies2 PM, Easttown Library & Information Center, Berwyn, PA

October 22-23, 2006 Rockhill Trolley Museum Pumpkin Patch TrolleyTheir second run of the Pumpkin Patch Trolley operating this event over two days. Children can choose their own pumpkin at the patch and then decorate the pumpkin under the pavilion with supplies that are provided. Check out their website special events http://www.rockhilltrolley.org/p/events.php for more information.

November 19, 2006 Auburn Heights Hunters Moon Trains, Museum & Grounds Open6:30 - 9:00pm Auburn Heights, Yorklyn, DE, http://www.auburnheights.org

November 24-30, 2006 Holiday Festival of Trains at the B&O Museum Baltimore, MD Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Holiday celebration of toy trains and model railroading layouts beginning with the arrival of Santa by locomotive on Friday, November 24, 2006. The festival features many different layouts including the Museum's "HO" model train layout in the C&O #725 passenger car and the outdoor "G" scale layout. Children can visit with Santa on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the Festival. Museum closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. http://www.borail.org/

December 9, 2006 Christmas Lights Charter Trip Night photo trip = PCC-II through city streets w/ many night photo stops, http://www.daylightimages.com/streetcar/

December 10, 2006 - Sunday - Annual Chapter Holiday Dinner. Cocktails at 5:00 PM. Location same as last year: Maximillian's Buffet available 5:30-8 PM followed by a Special Program by Steve Barry

February 2007 Super Saturday Streetcar Special XIV Trip Our annual pre-Super Bowl trip on the Saturday before the Big Game, http://www.daylightimages.com/streetcar/

CHAPTER EVENTS  

Thursday Oct. 19, 2006 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Chris Kovacs entitled "Rail Camp 2006"

Thursday Nov. 16, 2006 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Frank Ferguson entitled "???"

Saturday Dec. 9, 2006 The Wilmington Chapter NRHS is pleased to announce the next in our streetcar charters series. CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TROLLEY TRIP December 9, 2006. This trip will depart Malvern Loop (63rd & Malvern) at 5:00 p.m. and travel over Route 15, making several stops for nighttime photography. Our PCC-2 streetcar will be decorated for the holidays for the first half of the trip, and we'll do some "undecorated" shots during the second half. We anticipate making a photo stop at the Callowhill car barn and other locations, especially if we find decorated buildings along the route. The trip will return to Malvern Loop at approximately 9:00 p.m.

Tickets on sale at $35 each. Credit cards accepted at http://www.daylightimages.com/streetcar. Checks can be made payable to "Wilmington Chapter NRHS" and sent to: Wilmington Chapter NRHS c/o Steve Barry117 High Street, Newton, NJ 07860. To take full advantage of the photo stops you'll need a tripod and cable release -- the Wilmington Chapter will provide high-powered flashes to illuminate the scenes. Digital shooters can probably get some great existing light shots of our decorated streetcar by simply using a monopod. This trip is limited to 30 participants -- order your tickets soon! Need more information? Visit the website or phone Steve Barry at 973/383-3355 between 9am and 5pm on weekdays.

Sunday Dec. 10, 2006 Sunday - Annual Chapter Holiday Dinner. Cocktails at 5:00 PM. Location same as last year: Maximillian's Buffet available 5:30-8 PM followed by a Special Program by Steve Barry

The Wilmington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) meets at 7:00 PM on the third Thursday of each month [except August & December] in the Darley Room at the Claymont Community Center on Green Street in Claymont, Delaware.  Visitors are always welcome. Admission to regular meetings is free. Check out our 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 OfficersPresident: Phil SnyderVice President & Historian: Ron CleavesTreasurer: Ralph Stevens, Jr.Secretary: Dan FrederickNational Director: Tom Posatko Editor: Greg AjamianEducation Fund: Ed ThorntonPublic Relations: Frank Ferguson, Jr.Trip Director: Ralph Stevens, Jr.Event Photographer:  Ron CleavesWeb Master: Russ Foxe-News Contributor: Ed Mayover

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