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

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

THE TRANSFER TABLE
The Wilmington Chapter NRHS Official Newsletter
Internet Edition

Back To Wilmington Chapter Web Site

September 18, 2008 MEETING NOTES

The minutes were read by acting Secretary Ron Cleaves and approved as read as was the report from acting Treasurer Dan Frederick. President Phil Snyder presented Editor Greg Ajamian with his 25-Year NRHS pin.

Owing to technical difficulties, Chris Novak's program was postponed for one month. Phil Snyder rushed home and back with his "25 Years Ago" slides. This installment featured Media, Philadelphia, Strasburg, and some very early views of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. We saw views of Reading PA, the Essex Railroad, CN, Enola, and Harper's Ferry. We also got to see the very early days of Steamtown in Scranton. So clearly, it turned out to be a great meeting after all for the 21 members and guests who were present.

Sadly, we have to report the passing of the wife of long time Chapter Member Jack Rathburn.

Mrs. Mathilda R. Rathburn, age 87, of Forwood Manor in Wilmington, DE, died on Wednesday, October 8, 2008, at her residence. Born in Louisville, KY on February 7, 1921, Mrs. Rathburn was the daughter of the late John F. Ramsier and Lydia Schneiter Ramsier. She was a talented homemaker throughout her life and a longtime member of Silverside Church, its choir, and its Ann Judson Society. She also bowled for many years with the Graylyn Crest Ladies Bowling League. She is survived by her husband of 65 years, John A. Rathburn; her son, Robert H. Rathburn of Reston, VA; 3 grandchildren, Kristin Caskey, Michelle Bloothoofd, and Jennifer Bloothoofd; and great grandchildren. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her daughter, Susan E. Rathburn. Friends may call 10 am to 10:30 am, on Saturday, October 11, at the Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home, 1000 N. DuPont Parkway, New Castle, DE. A graveside service will follow at 11 am, at Gracelawn Memorial Park, 2220 N. DuPont Parkway, New Castle, DE. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Forwood Manor Employee Appreciation Fund, 1912 Marsh Road, Wilmington, DE 19810 [from http://miva.delawareonline.com]

October 16, 2008 MEETING NOTES

The meeting was well underway before this reporter was able to get to the community center. Chris Novak was setting up the computer projector for the evening's presentations. We were treated to operations on the Belvedere & Delaware, live steam in the form of NYSO&W Chinese-built #142, Beldel NJ and Phillipsburg. Included were the mounting of three different chimes on the steamer = Southern Pacific six-chime, Pennsy three-chime, and Reading six-chime. We had enough time for a second presentation of double heading on the Wilmington & Western. It was another great video show from Chris.

Regarding DUES: Please do NOT send your membership renewals to Ralph Stevens' address despite what it says on the forms sent from National. After Ralph's sudden passing, we could not change the mailing that was already in the works. Please send your checks to our new Treasurer: Dave Warner301 W. Lea Blvd., Wilmington, DE 19802-1235

From The Editor

Newsletters have been delayed recently due to changes to my assignments at work and may be impacted by some business travel in the near future. Hopefully, there won't be too much more impact.

NOTICE: 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 the U.S. Northeast, the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train will embark on its journey November 26 in Rouses Point, New York finishing November 30 in Plattsburgh, New York where it continues on to Southern Ontario and the U.S. Midwest. Entertainers on this train include Shaun Verreault, best known as the virtuosic singer/guitarist/song-writer for blues-rockers and Canadian live favourites Wide Mouth Mason, and Juno award-winning singer and songwriter Melanie Doane. All times are approximate. Please check the arrival time prior to attending the event as this schedule is subject to change and plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early.

New York
Wed., Nov. 26 10:30 to 11:00 p.m., Rouses Point Station

Pennsylvania
Fri.,Nov. 28 Scranton 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. Steamtown Railroad Museum,

New York
Fri., Nov. 28 Binghamton 8:45 to 9:15 p.m. CP E.Binghamton Yard, Sat., Nov. 29

Oneonta 4:15 to 4:45 p.m. Gas Avenue Railroad Crossing.

Cobleskill 7:15 to 7:45 p.m. Cobleskill Fire Department, 610 Main St

Delanson 9:00 to 9:30 p.m. Main Street Railroad Crossing. Sun., Nov. 30 Saratoga Springs 12:45 to 1:15 p.m. Amtrak Station.

Fort Edward 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. Amtrak Station.

Whitehall 4:00 to 4:30 p.m. Amtrak station.

Ticonderoga 5:45 to 6:15 p.m. Pell's Crossing, Amtrak Waiting Area, Route 74

Port Henry 7:15 to 7:45 p.m. Amtrak Station, West side stop.

Plattsburgh 10:00 to 10:30 p.m. Amtrak Station

[http://www8.cpr.ca/cms/English/General+Public/Holiday+Train/Schedules/US+North+East+schedule.htm via Ed Thornton]

• Today, 10-10-2008, marked the sad and bitter end of the Knox & Kane Railroad. The scrap vultures descended on Kane, PA to pick at the rotting carcasses of equipment. At least the two steam locomotives and the diesel will survive to hopefully run again for their new owners. The rest, unfortunately, will become razor blades. Prices were outrageous for the equipment...boxcars going for $3500, a ex-C&I 2-bay hopper for $4000.,TTX flats for $5250., the burned out wooden passenger car for $5250.00! Other passenger cars (ex-Long Island "ping pong's") were sold for scrap for $4-5000. The ex-Union RR Jordan Spreader was sold for scrap for $10,000! Track equipment, broken and decrepit, went for $2500 to $6000 per piece. [ from Kermit Geary, JR via Ed Thornton] H&BT 38...2-8-0.sold to Alan Maples (Everett RR) for $60,000K&K 1689...2-8-2.Chinese.sold to David Conrad (Valley RR) for $100,000K&K 39...EMD GP-9 (ex WM 39)...sold to Georges Creek RR for $35,000
   
• Railroad Industry Leaders Agree on Establishing Positive Train Control Interoperability Standards - October 8, 2008 Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP), Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (NYSE: BNI) and Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) today announced that they have reached an agreement on establishing interoperability standards for Positive Train Control (PTC), a critical component to safely implementing PTC technology across all rail systems. PTC is a predictive collision avoidance technology that can stop a train before an accident occurs. PTC is designed to keep a train within authorized limits on a track and under its maximum speed limit. To accomplish this, sophisticated technology and braking algorithms will automatically bring PTC-equipped passenger and heavy freight trains to a safe stop. This will help prevent train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments and casualties or injuries to the public and railway workers. Passed October 1, 2008, The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 requires all Class I railroads and passenger railroads to implement a PTC system by December 31, 2015 on all main line track where intercity passenger railroads and commuter railroads operate, as well as on lines carrying toxic-by-inhalation hazardous materials. Train signal systems such as Automatic Train Control (ATC) and Automatic Train Stop (ATS) are used across many rail networks today, but these are not PTC systems. ATC and ATS are reactive systems, which means they wait for train engineers to acknowledge alarms and would not prevent collisions under all circumstances. PTC involves robust, predictive technology that detects upcoming conditions and takes control of the train when needed. PTC's sophisticated computer systems, with safety-critical software, use GPS for determining train location. The requirements for data accuracy, availability and communications have been developing for more than a decade, requiring hundreds of millions in funding from the railroads, the government and suppliers. [NS Press Release]
   
• Government Oversight FRA issues final rule on ECP brakes. A federal rule on electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes now is written in stone. Yesterday, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced it issued a final rule on the brakes, which will lower the risk of derailments and provide locomotive engineers better control of trains, the agency said. ECP systems are designed to simultaneously and gradually apply and release brakes on all rail cars within a train. The technology results in shorter stopping distances, longer trains that can operate at faster speeds, improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions, the FRA said. The final rule doesn't mandate that railroads employ ECP brakes, but establishes performance requirements for the technology. The rule permits trains to travel up to 3,500 miles without stopping periodically for certain routine brake inspections more than double the current federal limit because ECP brake systems perform electronic self-diagnostic checks that show when maintenance is required. The final rule also requires that ECP brake systems fully comply with existing industry standards, and that certain railroad operating rules and training programs be modified to ensure workers have the proper knowledge and skills. Under FRA-approved waivers, Norfolk Southern Railway and BNSF Railway Co. already are operating several ECP-equipped coal trains. Union Pacific RR plans to begin operating ECP-equipped intermodal container trains later this fall. [From Progressive Railroading Daily News 10/16/08 via Ed Mayover]
   
• Coming soon to The History Channel: "Extreme Trains," an eight-part series about the "biggest, most powerful and most awesome trains in history." The series will premier Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 10 p.m. (EST). Coal Trains In the premiere episode, Matt joins the coal train hauling a priceless cargo of coal through Pennsylvania from mine to power plant. Getting the train, which weighs 1,400 tons when full, over the Allegheny mountains can be quite a challenge. Matt pitches in with the crew as they load up the train and learns how the Nazis tried to blow the tracks during World War II. According to The History Channel, a coal train moving through Pennsylvania and the Allegheny Mountains, an intermodal train making its way from Los Angeles to Dallas/Fort Worth and Amtrak's Acela train running from Washington, D.C., to Boston fit the bill. Also making the network's grade are a Union Pacific Railroad refrigeration train, Ringling Bros. circus train, Amtrak's Empire Builder, and the "Transcontinental" and "Steam" trains. All eight will be featured in separate episodes. The series will be hosted by Pan Am Railways Conductor Matt Bown, a "genuine insider with an infectious enthusiasm for trains," according to the press release. He will show how the Extreme Trains played a key role in U.S. history from train robberies to World War II events and continue to be vital to the nation today. [ from Ed Mayover]

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH

Wyoming's Powder River Basin Is Coal Country

by Tom Smith

A recent BNSF press release announced a record 71 coal trains were dispatched in a single day from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming. That's a lot of trains, but it only tells part of the story. Union Pacific, co-owner of the PRB line, originates just about as many coal trains. And for every loaded train that goes out, an empty train comes in. So we're looking at about 200 trains per day. Sounds like a good place to watch trains, doesn't it? I thought so, and visited the area during the summer.

To gain a better understanding of PRB railroading, look at a pre-1970 Official Guide. On the map of the old CB&Q, you will see that the Burlington operated 2 separate routes which formed a loop to Billings, Montana through eastern and central Wyoming. One line, which we'll call the North line, went through Sheridan, while the southern line, ran via Casper. Other railroads in the region included C&NW's lonesome "Cowboy Line," across northern Nebraska and halfway across Wyoming ending at Lander. Union Pacific also had a branch from the North Platte area to South Torrington, Wyo. These lightly trafficked branches would soon see an unimaginable increase in tonnage. The reason was coal.

Environmental concerns in the 1970's forced many electric utilities, particularly in the midwest and south, to reduce emissions from their coal fired power plants. To accomplish these goals, they sought low sulphur coal. There was a lot of low sulphur coal in Wyoming. Rising demand for this coal could finally overcome the disadvantages of distance between the source and the power plants and a rail transportation system that was not up to handling the traffic.

The Powder River Basin coal fields lie in eastern Wyoming between the BNSF's North and South lines. It is an inhospitable area of dry rolling grasslands, fierce winds and few signs of habitation. Reaching the strip mines would require a new railroad. Between 1971 and 1979 Burlington Northern constructed a brand new 127 mile rail link between its northern and southern lines from a point just east of Gillette on the north to Orin, a few miles east of Douglas on the south.

C&NW wanted in on the action, too, but didn't have the money to upgrade the Cowboy line and lay new rail into the PRB. Rich Uncle Pete had the dough, which it advanced to and then swallowed the C&NW. The ICC saw no reason for two railroads to be spiking down iron in the region and suggested that the coal lines be jointly owned. The two rail giants could hardly refuse. The Orin line was quickly double tracked, then triple tracked, and in 2008 it was 4-tracked.

Active coal mines are all in the northernmost 72 miles of the Orin Line, with the biggest concentration of mines in the first 42 miles. Empty and loaded trains are staged at the mines or the Bill yard as they are scheduled for loading or dispatching.

UP trains do not operate on the north end. At Shawnee Jct., a few miles north of Orin, UP trains turn east onto the Cowboy Line, for a brief run before they turn south onto a newly built link to the South Torrington line and North Platte. The rest of the former C&NW has either been torn up (including all Wyoming trackage) or turned over to short lines.

BNSF trains operate over the entire Orin Line. Trains using the north end mostly turn east toward Alliance, (and a crew change at Edgemont, SD), to destinations in the midwest. A few trains go west via Gillette, Sheridan, and Billings to serve the few coal burning utilities in the Northwest. BN trains using the former CB&Q southern line operate east via Wendover to Alliance and Brush, then to Denver and the Joint line via Pueblo. Coal trains do not use the former Colorado & Southern line through Chugwater avoiding street running in Fort Collins. Nor do coal trains use the South line west of Orin and Casper.

The existing BN, UP and C&NW lines which absorb Coal traffic off the Orin Line have become a bottleneck with their single track. BNSF and UP crews are working to correct this as they lay double track or build or extend sidings. Nevertheless, traffic often becomes clogged, and you might encounter several trains backed up. In addition to coal, both the northern and southern lines see at least one manifest freight train in each direction each day.

For my visit, I concentrated on the southern part of the Orin line, as that is where UP trains are found, and that is where the line is 4-tracked. I did not even turn my scanner on, wherever I went there were trains, frequently three at once. Since nearly all trains operate with 2 units on the head end and 2 distributed power units on the rear, you can get both coming and going shots of each train, unless the DP's are hooked up nose to nose. There's no variety here; it's all unit coal trains, and mostly GE and EMD's latest AC units. The GE C30-7's which BN acquired to open the PRB area are but a distant memory. The scenery is all endless vistas of rolling grassland, but by the same token there are no trees or trackside foliage to block your views. Big as the railroad is, the vast emptiness of the surroundings overwhelms the railroad. With 4 tracks in operation, it is possible for MofW forces to take one track out of service, or a train to set out a bad order without impeding traffic.

Although Wyoming highway 58 parallels the Orin Line between Douglas and Gillette, in many cases the railroad is out of sight, or access is limited. But where you can get trackside, there are some great shots available, such as the county road 43 overhead bridge and two overpasses at Bill. Turn off on Antelope Rd. and Hilight Rd. which are close to the tracks for a view of a horseshoe curve, a 4-track grade crossing with flashers and gates, and glimpses of the working mines. Generally, as you drive along, you will see an approaching train with time enough to get in position.

Take plenty of water, the hot dry wind will quickly dehydrate you. I often wondered where the people live who work in the mines, as I saw no evidence of human habitation. There is a large development called Wright near MP 42 which looks like a suburban development. It does have a mini-mall with a cafe and grocery store, where you can replenish your water supply. Between there and Douglas, the only outpost is at Bill where there is a 24-hour Penny's Diner. It, and the adjacent 122-room Oak Tree Inn, are open to the public, but they were built there for the sole purpose of accommodating UP train crews, who come and go at all hours of the day. There are motels in Douglas and Gillette, but you should confirm in advance as they often fill with construction workers. In Newcastle there are some motels with nice views of the tracks. It's about a 70-mile drive to the Orin line, but you will find plenty of trains on their way to Alliance in New Castle, and some nice shots in curvier and hillier country. You can get some nice shots around Edgemont, too, as trains pass the ruins of the abandoned Black Hills Ordnance Depot. And in Douglas be sure to visit the railroad museum run by the Chamber of Commerce in the C&NW depot. Their prize exhibit is CB&Q 4-8-4 5633, and they also have some passenger cars, all nicely displayed.

COMPANY SERVICE CARS - OF THE - PW&B, PB&W, AND PRR
By Richard E. Hall

Presents a wealth of information on car numbers and history with many drawings representing the work train, wreck train, cabin, and other company service equipment of the PW&B, PB&W, and PRR which were maintained at the Wilmington Shops and / or saw service in our general area, primarily on the PW&B, PB&W main line, Media Division (the old P&BC which later became the Octoraro Branch), Delaware Division, and the former Norfolk Division (NYP&N).

Detailed lists include: Car Numbers, Tools For Maintenance Of Way Tool Cars, Supplies For Camp Trains, Materials to Equip a Pay Car, Tools & Supplies for Cabin Cars, & more.

Drawings include: Pay Cars, Business Cars, Maintenance of Way Equipment, Dynamometer Cars, Cranes, Clearance Car, hand cars, & more.

COMPANY SERVICE CARS OF THE PW&B, PB&W, AND PRR @ $26.00 each

Please makes checks payable to:
Greg Ajamian
P.O. Box 1136
Hockessin, DE 19707-5136

Your Name: ______________________________

Street Address: ____________________________

City, State, Zip: ____________________________

BOTH STILL ONLY $26.00 each postage paid [includes shipping & handling]
Proceeds support the Wilmington Chapter of NRHS

LOCOMOTIVES AND EQUIPMENT OF THE WILMINGTON & WESTERN RAILROAD
Motive Power Gems Of The Diamond State By Richard E. Hall

175 pages with over a hundred illustrations, photos, maps, tables, and much more about the ORIGINAL W&W RR (NOTE: this book is NOT about the current tourist line's equipment)

Chapter I Misconceptions, Facts & Figures
Chapter II W&W - DWRR - B&PRR Locos
Chapter III W&W - DWRR - B&PRR Rolling Stock
Chapter IV B&O Locos Used
Chapter V Delaware Western Ran to Pomeroy
Chapter VI Market St. & Car Floats
Chapter VII Misc. Notes & Photos-

LOCOMOTIVES AND EQUIPMENT OF THE WILMINGTON & WESTERN RR @ $26.00 each

Please makes checks payable to: Greg Ajamian
P.O. Box 1136
Hockessin, DE 19707-5136

Your Name: ______________________________

Street Address: ____________________________

City, State, Zip: ____________________________

SCHEDULE NOTES

Notices, announcements, schedules, etc. are provided here as a service to the members. The Chapter has no affiliation with any commercial operation, museum, or tourist line.

Now through end of the year Wilmington & Western Railroad Special Trains, In addition to normal trains, many require reservations, see schedule at http://www.wwrr.com or call 302.998.1930

April 12, 2008 to January 10, 2009: READING RAILROAD EXHIBITION OPEN Celebrate the 175th Anniversary of the Reading Company by visiting the exhibit titled "All Aboard." From "mother hubbards" to the Rambles, this exhibit is a comprehensive history of what was once the biggest company in the world. Renowned local historian, Benjamin Bernhart is our guest curator. The exhibit will close January 10, 2009. This exhibit is sponsored by the Norfolk Southern Corp. and Mogel, Speidel, Bobb, & Kershner Law Firm. At the Historical Society of Berks County, 940 Centre Avenue, Reading, Pennsylvania 19601 , Phone 610 375-4375 from http://www.berkshistory.org/histsoc.html via Ed Thornton

Norfolk Southern Exhibit Car to Tour 23 Cities. The Norfolk Southern Exhibit Car tour schedule includes:- Dec. 5-7: Strasburg, Pa., Thomas the Tank Engine at Strasburg Railroad

Sat-Sun, November 8-9, 2008 Veterans Day Weekend at the B&O Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Salute the military and veterans at the B&O! Join us for special living history presentations by members of the 4th Infantry Division Military Police Unit and on our WWII Troop Sleeper. Vintage military vehicles will also be on display. The B&O Railroad Museum will grant free admission to the museum with the presentation of a valid ID or proof of service Saturday, November 8th through Tuesday, November 11th.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008 EXTREME TRAINS 10pm ET on the History Channel, hosted by real-life train conductor Matt Bown, reveals the incredible inner workings and past lives of the amazing locomotives that haul huge loads across the nation and deliver passengers to their destinations. The series shows the huge part these trains have played in shaping American history--and how vital trains are to American life today. PREMIERE EPISODE = Coal Trains Premieres. In the premiere episode, Matt joins the coal train hauling a priceless cargo of coal through Pennsylvania from mine to power plant. Getting the train, which weighs 1,400 tons when full, over the Allegheny mountains can be quite a challenge. Matt pitches in with the crew as they load up the train and learns how the Nazis tried to blow the tracks during World War II. [from http://www.history.com/genericContent.do?id=60696 via Ed Thornton]

Saturday, November 15, 2008 150th anniversary of the "Media Branch to West Chester"West Chester Railroad Heritage Association, which operates a tourist railroad between West Chester and Glen Mills on the unused part of SEPTA's R-3 line. On November 15, we will host an all-day event with the Chester County Historical Society to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the line. One hundred and fifty years after the first train reached West Chester, Pennsylvania from the south, members of the West Chester Railroad Heritage Association, which operates a weekly tourist train to Glen Mills, have joined with the Chester County Historical Society to celebrate the sesquicentennial of rail operations on Saturday, November 15, 2008. The day will include presentations by speakers from the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, West Chester University and the Heritage Association, plus walking tours of West Chester's railroad sites, a change to visit the Historical Society's exhibit on "Railroads in West Chester," and a guided rail excursion over 7.2 miles of the line to Glen Mills and back. West Chester has a long history of railroading, starting with a horse-drawn which opened in 1832, a year ahead of the Main Line of Public Works. Dissatisfaction with the state-run railroad led to the construction of the West Chester & Philadelphia Railroad, which ran its first train into the Borough on November 11, 1858. The new company eventually acquired its older rival and operated both until they were absorbed by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1881. West Chester remained a division point and boasted a rich collection of freight yards, turntables, stations and engine houses until the Media branch was electrified in 1928. Within fifteen years, all passenger service to Philadelphia was routed via Media until it ended in 1986, although the older line remained open for freight until 1969.One hundred and fifty years after the first train reached West Chester, Pennsylvania from the south, members of the West Chester Railroad Heritage Association, which operates a weekly tourist train to Glen Mills, have joined with the Chester County Historical Society to celebrate the sesquicentennial of rail operations on Saturday, November 15, 2008. The day will include presentations by speakers from the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, West Chester University and the Heritage Association, plus walking tours of West Chester's railroad sites, a chance to visit the Historical Society's exhibit on "Railroads in West Chester," and a guided rail excursion over 9.7 miles of the line to Glen Mills and back. Tickets are available at $30 ($20 for 12 and under) from the West Chester Railroad's Market Street Station ticket office, the Chester County Historical Society, or by calling 610-430-2233. For more information about the West Chester Railroad, visit http://www.westchesterrr.net Registration starts at 8:30 am; Presentations run between 9 am to 11 am; Walking tours with Jim Jones will be between 11 am and 2 pm; Train rides will be from 2 pm to 4 pm. Admission: $30 ($20 for children under the age of 12) Registration Yes - please call 610-692-4800[from http://www.cchs-pa.org/events.php#sep and Jim Jones of WCCRHS via Ed Thornton] Tickets for the event cost $30 ($20 for young people 12 and under), and are available at the Market Street station (234 E. Market St.) on Sundays between 11:30am and 12:30pm, at the Historical Society Museum Shop (225 N. High St.) during regular and Saturday business hours, or by calling 610-430-2233. In addition to admission to the presentations, exhibits and train ride, each ticket holder will receive a souvenir envelope featuring a reproduction of the 1858 photograph of the first train plus a commemorative postage stamp created specifically for the 2008 event. [from http://westchesterrr.net/WCRR150th.shtml ]8:30 AM to 9:00 AM Registration9:00 AM to 11:00 AM Presentations: "Railroading in Southeastern Pennsylvania" -by Pat Morrison, Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania "Railroading in West Chester" -by Dr. Jim Jones, West Chester University "Running the Modern WCRR" -by Glenn Schwass, West Chester RR Heritage Association11:00AM to 2:00 PM Time for lunch, a visit to the exhibit "The Railroad: West Chester's Gateway to the World" at the Chester County Historical Society, and a walking tour of West Chester's railroad heritage sites. Walking tours last about an hour and leave from the Historical Society at 11:00 AM and 12:30 PM.2:00 PM to 4:00 PM Round-trip guided rail excursion between West Chester and Glen Mills.

Wednesday, Nov. 19,2008 Stewartstown RR and New Park & Fawn Grove RR [from Ed Thornton]7 PM, program by Stewartstown Historical Society, Stewartstown Presbyterian Church, 14 College Ave, Stewartstown, PA 17363

Friday & Saturday, November 28-29, 2008 Steamin' Days at Auburn Heights1:00pm - 4:30pm, Museum & Grounds Open, Operating steam cars, Steam railroad, Electric Car rides, Demonstrations! Adults: $10, Children (2-12 Years Old): $7 http://www.auburnheights.org/

November 28 through December 30, 2008 Holiday Festival of Trains at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum Nov. 28 10 a.m. 5 p.m., Nov. 29, 10 a.m. 5 p.m. , Nov. 30, 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 28, 2008. 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.

November 28, 2008 - January 25, 2009 Holiday Festival of Trains Ellicott City Station Wednesdays Sundays, 11 a.m. 4 p.m. Holiday celebration of toy trains and model railroading including this year's new O-gauge layout in the car house, Museum's permanent HO-gauge layout in the freight house, an N-gauge layout, & Thomas the Tank Engine!

Dec. 5-7, 2008 Norfolk Southern Exhibit Car to Tour 23 Cities. The Norfolk Southern Exhibit Car tour schedule includes: Dec. 5-7: Strasburg, Pa., Thomas the Tank Engine at Strasburg Railroad

CHAPTER EVENTS