THE TRANSFER TABLE
The Wilmington Chapter NRHS Official Newsletter
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MEETING NOTES
At the February meeting, we heard the sad news that Chapter Member Lawrence Shelley had passed away in October 1997. Our belated condolences go out to his family and friends. President Phil Snyder announced that in the future, we would continue to meet in the Darley Room unless a sign is posted at the door to the Community Center. Tentative plans are being made for a possible Chapter trip from Trenton, NJ to Far Rockaway, NY, possibly May 2. Transportation Day in Wilmington might be canceled this year due to construction in the area. Phil also suggested taking railroad related photos of things with the number 2000 as a possible special category for the photo contest in two years.

Chapter Member John Iwasyk reported that the Wilmington & Western is seeking photos of the ticket agent's room for the reconstructed Greenbank Station. He also noted that the Delaware Historical Center has claimed ownership of the wheel from the Lincoln Funeral Train which came from the Bush & Lobdell Company locally and which has been in stored at Greenbank. John also reported the possibility of double-headed steam train on the W&W by the end of 1998.

Dan Frederick provided an update on Union Pacific and Illinois Central news from the Wall Street Journal. And it was reported that WNJN-TV 11 was airing the series "All Aboard" on Tuesday nights at 9 PM. Frank Ferguson's slide presentation entitled Fallen Flags provided images of many rare and long-departed logos, paint schemes, and equipment. Included in the show were NYC box motors, Pennsy sharks, yellow & blue Penn Central, L&HR, Reading, CNJ, Erie tug boats, Erie Lackawanna, Lehigh Valley, Rock Island C415, Nickel Plate, CGW, DT&I, GTW, CV, Ann Arbor, Chicago's pre-Metra RTA, Milwaukee Road, MN&S, GBW, GM&O, ICG, Chicago Central, WP, Sacramento Northern, MKT, CNW Krandel Units (with cabs added to B units), and Rio Grande. Returning east, we saw N&W, Southern, D&H, B&M, Maine Central, Monongahela, P&LE, Bessemer, Pittsburgh's PAT, L&N, Clinchfield, SCL, SCL/L&N Family Lines, RF&P, B&O, C&O, and WM. Another highlight were the surprise Bicentennial units in their various paint schemes sprinkled throughout. It was an outstanding program for the 22 members present.

A LOOK BACK by Historian Ron Cleaves

March 1975: The Wilmington Chapter was holding their monthly meetings at the DP&L Sportsman's Club off Chapman Road in Christiana, DE. Membership by now had swelled to close to 60 members with a little over $200 in the treasury. The March program was a presentation by Henry Dickinson on tokens and tickets used by various railroads and trolley lines around the United States. (He had this evening several samples from his collection to show). In local rail news, vintage MP 54 "owl-eyed" commuter trains, some operating in sets of up to 8 cars can be seen on the corridor line. Best place to see, and hear, them is at Claymont Station. They are presently only used during the morning and evening rush hours.

The Wilmington & Western needs your help to locate photos of the ticket agent's office in order to faithfully reconstruct the one at Greenbank Station. Contact John Iwasyk at 302-994-3623 Also, Chapter Members who would like to show off their railroadianna, photos, and artifacts related to railroading are urged to contact John about displaying them at the Greenbank Station Saturdays and Sundays, May through July, noon to 2:30 PM. for W&W riders to view and discuss while waiting for trains.

Ron Cleaves' Report on the November 1997 "Turkey Trot" Trolley Trip  On November 23, 1997, we covered most of the Route 23 Germantown Line operating out of the Germantown car barn aboard PCC #2732 in the green P.T.C. paint scheme. Numerous photo stops were made, including Temple University, a stop with the Reading Terminal in the background, Wayne Junction, Chestnut Hill-Chestnut Hill Loop, and area of old Mermaid Loop to name a few. At Germantown car barn, there was an opportunity to look at and photograph a motley collection of PCC's, snow sweepers, and St. Louis trolleys and old work cars, most in derelict condition. Although not quite a sell-out, around 39 passengers, the Chapter made a profit of $200 on the trip.

Ron Cleaves' Report on the January 1998 "Super Saturday Streetcar Special V" Leaving Elmwood car barn on January 24, 1998, at 10:00 AM under clear skies and mild-for-late-January temperatures, over 50 passengers and a sold out trip enjoyed a ride aboard Peter Witt trolley #8534. As with Steve Barry's trips in the past, numerous photo stops were made, including the M.A.B. paint factory on Elmwood Avenue, Gerard College, Chestnut Hill, Germantown car barn (for a rest stop), and never-done-before photo stop on the Gerard Avenue bridge over the Schuylkill River, to name a few. During the trip, there were some tense moments as 8534 literally inched past vehicles parked along the edge of the trolley line on some streets we covered. Those vehicles with extended rear-view mirrors had to have them turned inward so that we could proceed past, with in some cases, less than an inch clearance. A couple of vehicles, including a van, while enroute back to Elmwood had to be "rocked". Rocked, as in volunteering trolley passengers rocking the vehicle to inch it away from the edge of the trolley line right-of-way. (This was done when the vehicle was too heavy to lift to the side of the trolley line.) As with past trolley trips, everybody seemed to enjoy the trip and the chances to photograph vintage trolleys in various parts of the city. (Stay tuned to the Transfer Table for information on a possible upcoming trolley trip in either September or October aboard a Kawasaki trolley to operate to Germantown and possibly Chestnut-Hill.) The Chapter made a profit of $578 on this trip. Special thanks to Steve Barry and all SEPTA personnel who help make these trips possible and a success.

NEWS BITS

On January 29, Conrail bulldozed the former Lehigh Valley R.R. tower in Easton, PA. Built in 1926, the brick structure controlled traffic on the Lehigh Valley mainline until it was closed in the late 1970's. Conrail also has removed the former CNJ coal tower and roundhouse in Bethlehem, PA. [from Jersey Central News]

1998 Steamtown prices will increase to $10 for excursions when the first train leaves Friday, May 22 at 2PM with Erie Business Car #3. May 23-25 trains at noon & 3 PM. Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays May 29-June 28 at 2 PM only, see other listings in Schedule Notes.[Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley's Laurel Lines]

Canadian National Railway announced a deal to acquire Illinois Central creating the fifth largest railroad in North America. The combined company will form a giant "Y" reaching from Vancouver and Halifax to the Gulf of Mexico. Since this is really an "end-to-end" merger, there should be less integration problems than with the UP-SP merger or the split-up of Conrail to CSX and NS. [from The Wall Street Journal 2/11/98 pg. A4]

Ever wonder when you might expect to see a train on the CSX tracks in Delaware or what the train numbers meant when you heard them on your scanner? According to the latest issue of The Bull Sheet  CSXT Manifest Freight Schedules: Key to symbols is as follows:   Q100's = Intermodal [TOFC = trailer on flat car; includes COFC = container on flat car] Q200's = Automotive [usually bi- and tri-level enclosed autoracks] Q300's = Northern east-west corridors Q400's = Eastern north-south corridors Q500's = Western north-south corridors Q600's = Cross corridors L-trains = Alternate schedule of Q trains, S-trains = Second sections; odd numbered trains are headed west (south) through Delaware and even numbers headed east (north) (except for the locals). Q135 daily Philadelphia 0130 Bay View, MD 0510 TOFC Q136 daily Bay View 0330 Philadelphia 0630 TOFC Q173 Tue-Sun Philadelphia 0710 Bay View 0955 TOFC L173 Monday Philadelphia 0815 Bay View 1030 TOFC Q174 Mon-Sat Bay View 1225 Philadelphia 1445 TOFC L174 Sunday Bay View 1430 Philadelphia 1735 TOFC Q175 Tue-Sun Philadelphia 0830 Bay View 1115 TOFC Q176 Mon-Sat Bay View 2015 Philadelphia 2315 TOFC Q216 daily Bay View 0315 Twin Oaks, PA 0600 automobile Q217 daily Twin Oaks 0100 Wilmington, DE 0115 automobile Wilmington 0130 Bay View 0330 automobile Q276 Tue-Sat Belcamp, MD 0830 Wilmington 1030 automobile Wilmington 1200 Philadelphia 1300 automobile Q286 Mon-Sat Bay View 0001 Wilmington 0145 automobile Wilmington 0430 Bay View 0615 automobile Q375 Sun-Fri Philadelphia 2100 Wilmington 2145 mixed freight Wilmington 2300 Belcamp 0230 mixed freight Q402 daily W.Baltimore 1850 Wilmington 2200 CP/D&H run-thru Wilmington 2245 Philadelphia 2330 CP/D&H run-thru Q403 daily Philadelphia 1600 Wilmington 1845 CP/D&H run-thru Wilmington 1930 W.Baltimore 2100 CP/D&H run-thru Q405 Sun-Fri Philadelphia 1800 Wilmington 1830 mixed freight Wilmington 2000 Leslie, MD 2045 mixed freight L405 Sat Philadelphia 1730 Wilmington 1830 mixed freight Wilmington 1900 Leslie, MD 1945 mixed freight Q406 daily Bay View 1945 Wilmington 0045 mixed freight Wilmington 0215 Philadelphia 0400 mixed freight [Editor's note: This list does not include trains like K200 = Conrail acid train, D775 & D776 local freights, T847 & U822 coal trains, R191 & R192 TOFC, and the Tropicana (orange) juice train.] 

Regional Transit Authority of New Orleans has received 7 new streetcars which are replicas of 1923 Perley Thomas 900 Series cars currently running on the St. Charles Line. "The Ladies in Red" have trucks from the Czech Republic. [from Railway Age]

On February 4, Conrail inspection train OCS-101 took representatives of CSX, NS, Metro-North, NJ Transit, and NYS&W on a tour of northern NJ. Morristown & Erie C424 #18 and NYS&W B40-8 #4004 provided the power while the consist was made up of former PRR observation car Mountain View and NYS&W's diner #507 and dome-observation #509. The route was from Port Jarvis via Conrail, through Bergen County, NJT's Raritan River Line, then Conrail to West Trenton, and then back to Passaic Junction Yard via Trenton & Lehigh Lines. [from Jersey Central News]

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. 

through March, 1998 Mt. Clare Express weekend excursions 12:30 & 2:30 only due to construction, B&O Museum, Baltimore, info 410-752-2490 beginning April 1998, return to normal schedule of 11:30 AM, 12:30, 2:30, and 3:30 PM=diesel+2 coaches

Feb. 12 through May 1, 1998 Art for the Chessies 12 works commissioned by the C&O in the 1940's, B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore, info 410-752-2490 

Sunday, March 8, 1998 Prime-Mover Train Show 9 AM - 2 PM, Aetna Hall, Rt. 273, Newark, DE for info call Tom @ 610-255-4785

Saturday, March 14, 1998 Hillendale Train Meet 9-2 Saturday, Hillendale Rd. (1.5 miles north of Mendenhall Inn) Elementary School, Chadds Ford, PA

Sunday, March 22, 1998 NORDEL Spring Train Show 10 AM - 3 PM, Cranston Heights Fire Co., Route 2, $4.00, Wilmington, DE info = 302-454-8972 Keith

Saturday & Sunday, April 4-5, 1998 Great Scale Model Train Show, Timonium, MD. 9-4 Saturday, 10-4 Sunday, Maryland State Fairgrounds

Sunday, April 26, 1998 Lancaster/ Strasburg Train and Toy Sale 9 AM-2 PM, Historic Strasburg Inn, Rt. 896, Strasburg, PA 

Sunday, April 26, 1998 Bethel Township Hose Co. #1 Train Meet 9 AM-3 PM, Rt. 261 (Foulk Rd) near Naamans Rd., Bethel Fire Co, Boothwyn PA info=610-494-0899 Ext. 8

Saturday, May 2, 1998 The Delmarva Special Rare (440) mileage excursion hosted by Washington, DC Chapter leaving Union Station (DC) to Salisbury (Dogwood Festival) & Pocomoke City, MD, via Newark, DE Coach $84, first class $189 with some intermediate destination fares. Contact the Chapter at 703-273-8440.

Sunday, May 3, 1998 Great Winslow Junction Scale Train & Railroadiana Meet 10 AM - 3 PM, Winslow Fire Hall, Hall & Hay Sts., Winslow, NJ, info 609-728-1327

Saturday & Sunday, May 9-10, 1998 Carl Franz Cass Scenic Railroad Spring Photo Specials Friday buffet, 3 train race, double-header, multiple runbys, adults $65, Cass, W.VA, info 301-942-6197

Saturday, May 16, 1998 Annual Transportation Day (maybe) 10 AM to 4 PM at the Wilmington Amtrak Station, locomotive and rolling stock displays, SEPTA rides   Friday, May 22, Steamtown Excursion, Scranton, PA at 2 PM only

Saturday, Sunday, & Monday, May 23-May 25, Steamtown Excursions, Scranton, PA at noon & 3 PM 

Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays, May 29-June 28, Steamtown Excursions, Scranton, PA at 2 PM only 

Saturday & Sunday, June 20-21, 1998 Great Scale Model Train Show, Timonium, MD. 9-4

Saturday, 10-4 Sunday, Maryland State Fairgrounds 

Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun, Holidays, July 2-Sept 7, Steamtown Excursions, Scranton, PA at noon & 3PM 

July 8-12, 1998 NRHS National Convention, Syracuse, NY

Saturday, July 23, 1998 Annual Rail to the Fair Departs Philadelphia 9 AM, Claymont 9:21, Wilmington 9:45, Newark 10:01; Harrington 12:37, returns Claymont 8:30 PM, prices $22.50-67.50 includes admission to the fair.

Saturday, August 15, 1998 Semi-Official Quasi-Annual Chapter Picnic at Strasburg do-it-yourself transport, meet at the railroad station, bring your own provisions, 10 AM photo line at Gap,PA

Sunday, August 23, 1998 23rd Annual Train Meet 9 AM - 3 PM, South Gate Plaza, Rt. 405, Milton, PA, Central PA NRHS, info 717-286-1915

Saturdays & Sundays, September 12-22, Steamtown Excursions, Scranton, PA at noon & 3 PM 

Fri, Sat, Sun, Holidays, Oct. 2-Nov. 1, Steamtown Excursions, Scranton, PA at noon & 3 PM 

Saturday & Sunday, October 17-18, 1998 Great Scale Model Train Show, Timonium, MD. 9-4

Saturday, 10-4 Sunday, Maryland State Fairgrounds

Sunday, November 22, 1998 Prime-Mover Train Show 9 AM - 2 PM, Aetna Hall, Rt. 273, Newark, DE for info call Tom @ 610-255-4785

CHAPTER EVENTS

Thursday Mar. 19, 1998 7 PM Chapter Meeting Program by Ken Berg program unknown at this time.

Thursday April 16, 1998 7 PM Chapter Meeting Program by Paul Fortin program unknown at this time

Saturday May 16, 1998 ? AM Chapter Event Annual Transportation Day (maybe) Wilmington Train Station

Thursday May 21, 1998 7 PM Chapter Meeting Annual Photo Contest

Thursday June 18, 1998 7 PM Chapter Meeting Program by ? program unknown at this time

Thursday July 16, 1998 7 PM Chapter Meeting Program by ?

Saturday August 15, 1998 Chapter Outing Annual Picnic @ Strasburg RR

Chapter Officers
President Phil Snyder
Vice President & Historian Ron Cleaves
Treasurer Ralph Stevens, Jr.
Secretary Walt Robbins
National Director Ed Thornton
Editor Greg Ajamian
Public Relations Ken Berg
Event Photographer Bruce Barry

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