MEETING NOTES
At the April meeting, President Phil Snyder announced that Dave Watterson is our new Publicity Director. John Iwasyk reported on the new Wilmington & Western Railroad Station and that the B&O Railroad Station in Aberdeen, MD will be demolished soon (go get your photos quick!).  Roy Meinzer reported that the Panama Railroad, originally built in 1850, looked to be in good condition but was not operating.  National Director Ed Thornton reported on the Director's Meeting in Roanoke, VA and that volunteers are needed to help out at the NRHS Headquarters in Philadelphia.  The Conrail Operation Lifesaver locomotive was reported to be working at Edgemoore, DE and parks overnight at Chrysler Yard in Newark, DE.

The evening's slide show was presented by John Iwasyk beginning when he joined the Historic Red Clay Valley (Wilmington & Western Railroad) in 1961. We saw a shot with Tom Marshall in 1971, Bill Frank, and Henry Dickinson. We saw the Auburn Valley (live steam) railroad in the 1960's, Erie-Lackawanna cars from 1914-15, ex-B&O caboose, and the original Yorklyn (DE) Station. There was #92 at the engine house in 1964 and the first run in 1966 (they had 35,000 riders that first year!). We learned that #98's firebox was deemed too worn out to run, we saw #58, #425 that went to the Blue Mountain & Reading, Royal Hudson #2839, and even C&O #614 in Wilsmere. It was an excellent trip back in time and a great program.

A LOOK BACK: May 1991
by Historian Ron Cleaves

The May 16, 1991 Chapter Meeting held at the Claymont Community Center was attended by 18 members and 2 guests. Highlights of the meeting were Steve Barry's report of the successful May 11 PCC trolley trip which about 17 Chapter members participated on. Other highlight was annual Chapter photo contest with Bruce Barry having the best slide award and Ron Cleaves with the best print award.  In local railnews that month, member Ed Thornton invited members to come to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds (where Ed is an instructor) on May 18 to ride a special MARC train to operate over Proving Ground trackage. Also, Greg Ajamian reported that member Tom Marshall's Yorklyn mansion would be open to the public featuring his miniature railroad. This would be the first time in several years that the Marshall estate would be open to the public.

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.

Saturday, May 16, 1998 Lancaster County "Trains Are Us" Spring Fling Train Meet 9 AM-3 PM, Paradise Fire Co., Rt 30 & Leacock Rd., Paradise, PA

Saturday & Sunday, May 16-17,1998 Steamtown Armed Forces Weekend trips to Tobyhanna (PA) Army Supply Depot from Steamtown, Scranton, PA

Saturday & Sunday, May 16-17,1998 Railroad / TRANSPO Heritage Days Hagerstown MD Roundhouse,Lining Bar Gang, Miniature Steam rides, antique trucks & fire engines, info 301-739-4665

Friday, May 22, 1998 Steamtown Excursion, Scranton, PA at 2 PM only

Saturday, May 23, 1998 Spring Pocono Train and Collectable Show 9 AM - 2 PM, Pocono Mts. Chapter NRHS, Stroudsburg Area High School (I-80, Exit #48), Stroudsburg, PA

Saturday, May 23, 1998 PICNICRAIL '98 1 PM - ?, Steve Barry slide show, Maier's Grove, Blandon, PA, $9, order tickets by May 16 from HMRS, c/o Philip Reppert, 17 Adele Ave., Blandon, PA 19510

Saturday, Sunday, & Monday, May 23-May 25, Steamtown Veterans Remembrance Weekend noon & 3 PM excursions, Steamtown, Scranton, PA

Saturday & Sunday, May 30-31, 1998 All Aboard Days: Caboose Weekend B&O Museum 10 AM - 5 PM, special caboose rides, films, living history presentations

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

Saturday & Sunday, June 6-7, 1998 Pennsy Days @ Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Railroad art, exhibits, lectures, info 717-687-8628

Saturday & Sunday, June 20-21, 1998 Great Scale Model Train Show, Timonium, MD. 9-4 Saturday, 10-4 Sunday, Maryland State Fairgrounds, $5

Sunday, June 21, 1998 The Old & New Train Show 8 AM - 3 PM, Tamaqua's Heritage Day, Senior Citizens Center, Tamaqua Anthracite Model RR Club

Saturday & Sunday, June 27-28, 1998 All Aboard Days: Hobos, Hay Rides, & Boxcars 10 AM - 5 PM, hobo life, boxcar rides, antique auto show June 28th, B&O Museum 410-752-2490

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

Friday - Sunday, July 3-5, 1998 Reading Railroad Days @ Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Operating layout, exhibits, oral history presentations, info 717-687-8628

July 8-12, 1998 NRHS National Convention, Syracuse, NY Saturday & Sunday, July 18-19, 1998 Photo Special Steam Freight/MixedTrain sponsored by Carl Franz on Western Maryland RR, Baldwin 2-8-0, 5+ freight cars + caboose + combine 20+ runbys, possible night photo session, info 301-942-6197

Saturday, July 25, 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.

Thursday - Sunday, August 13-16, 1998 Railroad Circus Days @ Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Miniature models and exhibits presented by Circus Model Builders International, info 717-687-8628

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

Friday - Monday, Sept 4-7,1998 Steamtown Rail Expo displays by AMTRAK and other railroads, special trips, Steamtown, Scranton, PA

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

Friday - Sunday, September 25-27, 250th Anniversary of City of Reading, PA 25th: AMTRAK Special from 30th St Philadelphia to Reading via ex-Reading Harrisburg Line (bus rtn) $99 26th: Reading to Penn Station, NYC via Allentown, round-trip $125 27th: Reading to Wash., DC via Phila (bus rtn), $99; Hist Society of Berks County, 610-236-0488

Saturday, September 26, 1998 Hillendale Train Meet 9-2 Saturday, Hillendale Rd. (1.5 miles north of Mendenhall Inn) Elementary School, Chadds Ford, PA

Friday - Sunday, Oct. 2-4, 1998 Grand Canyon 3rd Annual Railfan Weekend Grand Canyon NRHS Chapter hosting special activities at Williams, AZ, info 1-800-843-8723

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

Saturday, October ?, 1998 Annual Transportation Day (postponed due to area construction) 10 AM to 4 PM at the Wilmington Amtrak Station, locomotive and rolling stock displays, SEPTA rides

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, Newark, DE for info call Tom @ 610-255-4785

1999 - June 18-27 Central Coast Chapter's Railfair '99 w/ California State Railroad Museum, Sacramento 1999 - June 21-26 NRHS National Convention in Sacramento, CA

Tom Smith's article, "The Wilmington Chapter Is Born", as it originally appeared in the November 1992 Transfer Table, is available on the Internet at http://www.foxcity.com/nrhs/wilm/story1.htm

CSX transported 51 Rembrandt etchings in a very special movement called "The Rembrandt Express" Jan. 25-27, 1998 from the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh to the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens in Jacksonville, FL. CSX GP40-2 #6215 and Dash 8-40B #5935 pulled 3 old heavyweight CSX passenger cars. [from Old Dominion Div. RRE's The Virginia Creeper via Baltimore Chapter's Interchange]

Much of the New York City Post Office will be converted to a new Pennsylvania Station. Beginning shortly, the $315 million project will take 5 years. The original Pennsylvania Station, built in 1910, was demolished in 1963 to make room for an office tower and Madison Square Garden. [from Washington Post via Baltimore Chapter's Interchange]

After 90 years of service, Washington (DC) Terminal's K Tower will be getting some much needed upgrades in 4 phases over 18 months. The tower handles daily movement of 200 AMTRAK, MARC, and VRE trains, 45 of which are cleaned, serviced, turned on the "Y", and returned to the station and handles 350 blue flag requests a day. [from AMTRAK INK]

The Philadelphia Chapter of the NRHS is selling its spare Reading FP7 #900 to the Reading Company Technical & Historical Society which has been leasing the unit for the past 5 years. Restoration to some (yet undetermined) degree is planned for the unit stored in Leesport, PA. [from Philadelphia Chapter's Cinders]

Republic of Panama has granted a 50-year concession to the Kansas City Southern Railroad to operate the state owned railroad. KCS plans to invest $70 million to upgrade the Panamanian Railroad. [from Western Maryland Chapter's The Automatic Block]

The director of the Wilmington 2000 group unveiled plans for a 1.25 mile long electric trolley system supported by a $70,000 study by a Denver consultant. Needed would be up to $2million for an engineering an environmental impact study followed by hopefully federal start-up funds. [from Wilmington News Journal]

The Northern Central Railway will take over operations of the Gettsyburg Passenger Railway according to the Chesapeake Division of Railroad Enthusiasts' High Green.]

The 15-year old Chesapeake Railroad Company, which took over the Maryland & Delaware Railroad in 1983, has not moved any freight in nine months and is now in danger of extinction. Chartered in 1854, the line became the Oxford Branch of the PRR, with 44.9 miles of track from Clayton, DE to Easton, MD (with and 8.8 mile spur from Queen Anne to Denton, MD). Its owner says $9.6 million would provide upgrades necessary to carry heavy freight, state of Maryland says its more like $18.7 million. [from Wilmington News Journal]

Bombardier's La Pocati?re, Canada plant is building 18 tilt-body, 150-mph, electrified trainsets each consisting of two power cars, four business-class coaches, a cafe car, and a first-class car. Final assembly of 108 passenger cars at their plant in Barre, VT and 36 power cars are being built at Plattsburg, NY. Northeast Direct is also building 15 new 125-mph electric locomotives. The prototype is planned to enter revenue service in October 1999 (and the rest by July 2000). The high-speed train project calls for:

+ Installing 335,000 Rocla concrete ties with 4 Pandrol Fastclips each on 140 miles of track

+ Realignment of 127 curves (110 completed by last March)

+ Undercutting, raising, or eliminating 146 bridges (95 completed by last March) which includes rebuilding 57 bridges and replacing 2 draw bridges

+ Installing 14,000 catenary poles (9000 completed by last March)with 1500 miles of constant-tension catenary wire (120 installed) no plans to replace existing variable-tension catenary in the southern portion (which dates back to the Pennsylvania Railroad installation in the 1930s) which would cost another $450 million [from Railway Age]

Baltimore & Ohio's 1855 steam locomotive 4-4-0 "William Mason" has been shipped by flat car to Strasburg Rail Road shop for boiler , flue, and wheel work before going to going west for a part in the new "Wild, Wild West" movie. [from Potomac Chapter via Philadelphia Chapter's Cinders]

AMTRAK officially opened its Consolidated National Operations Center (CNOC) on March 30, 1998 adjacent to Riverfront Park and the Wilmington Amtrak Station. The old Pusey & Jones shipbuilding warehouse now houses 230 Amtrak employees for the 24-hour operation. Plans to improve the station include rebuilding the center platform for high-speed trains with new lighting and signs. [from Out & About]

CHAPTER EVENTS

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

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

Thursday July 16, 1998 7 PM Chapter Meeting Program by Paul Fortin

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

Thursday August 20, 1998 7 PM Chapter Meeting Do- It- Yourself Program

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

The Wilmington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) meets at 7:00 PM on the third Thursday of each month [except 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.

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

This material may be reprinted without permission as long as it appears as shown above and is not changed in any way. Credit must be given to the Wilmington Chapter NRHS and it's Internet Web Site at: http://foxcity.com/nrhs/wilm/wilm.htm.
Mail: Wilmington Chapter - NRHS, P.O. Box 1261, Wilmington, DE 19899-1261, USA
E-mail: edthorn@bellatlantic.net
Webmaster: fis@foxcity.com
Copyright © 1997, 1998 Wilmington Chapter NRHS/Fox Information Services, Inc.