August 2010 News.Pub
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WCRA NEWS AUGUST 2010 JUNE 30 A GRAND DAY! CN ROUNDHOUSE OPENS, CAR BRITISH COLUMBIA FIRST IN, THEN 2860 WCRA News, Page 3 GENERAL MEETING NOTICE The July General Meeting of the WCRA will be held at 1930 hours on Tuesday, July 27, 2010 at 1930k at Rainbow Creek Station in Burnaby, corner of Willingdon at Penzance. Entertainment will be announced at the meeting. ON THE COVER AND PAGE 2 Images from our great day, Wednesday June 30. On the cover, Royal Hudson 2860 steams onto the newly installed turntable at the Heritage Park to the delight of the more than 350 guests in attendance. (full story on page 12 ) Page 2—Top, CN Chairman David McLean presents the dedication bell for the new CN Roundhouse & Conference Centre bell as part of the June 30 opening ceremony. Lower, on July 2 both the business car British Columbia and Royal Hudson 2860 are in place. AUGUST CALENDAR • West Coast Railway Heritage Park open daily 1000 through 1700k • Saturday, August 7—Deadline for items to be included in the September 2010 News • Tuesday, August 10—WCRT’s Vancouver Island West Coast tour departs • August 12—17—Revelstoke Railway Days, Revelstoke, BC (see page 8 for details) • Sunday, August 15—Mini Rail Day at the Heritage Park, live steam and many guest engines will operate, 1000—1700 hours • Sunday August 15—Members Picnic, West Coast Railway Heritage Park, all members invited, no charge—RSVP Please to 604-484-2791 or 604-898-9336(see page 7 for more) • Saturday, August 21—WCRT’s Okanagan Steam Excursion tour departs • Tuesday, August 24—Tours Committee meets, Hastings Office, 1930 hours • Tuesday, August 31—WCRA General Meeting, Rainbow Creek Station, 1930k The West Coast Railway Association is an historical group dedicated to the preservation of British Columbia railway history. Membership is open to all people with an interest in railways past and present. We are a non-profit British Columbia society, registered as a Canadian charity. Membership prices are: Individual $50.00 ($56.00 with HST) , Family $60.00 ($67.20 with HST). E Members (electronic newsletter are $35 individual ($39.29 with HST) and $45 family ($50.40 with HST). (Outside Canada, please remit US $) Other categories are: - Junior Member (age 18 and under ) $ 25 ($28 with HST) - Sustaining Member $100 (tax receipt) plus membership type regular fee - Life Member (one time fee, HST included) $784 individual life / $1,3,44 family life All memberships include the monthly newsletter, Heritage Park admission (except Special Events), mini rail rides and discounts on food and merchandise. The Association holds a monthly meeting on the last Tuesday of the month at 1930 hours in Burnaby at Rainbow Creek Station in Confederation Park. Apply through www.wcra.org or mail to WCRA, PO Box 2790 Stn. Term., Vancouver, B.C., V6B 3X2. WCRA News, Page 4 EDITORIAL A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL Going to keep it simple this month—West Coast Railway Association has achieved several significant milestones in the past month, more than we ever may have wished to take on in such a period. Think about it, in June 2010 we: • Held a successful four days of Day Out With Thomas, hosting around 10,500 happy guests with hard work by all of our staff and more than 100 volunteers • Completed the centre driving axle rebuild on Royal Hudson 2860 in Vancouver and steamed the locomotive successfully back to Squamish • Moved the first piece of our collection, the 1890 CPR Business car 16 British Columbia, across the turntable and into the new CN Roundhouse and Conference Centre • Held the grand opening of the CN Roundhouse & Conference Centre event on June 30 That would be more than enough for any organization to take on in this kind of time period, yet all of these were accomplished. All I can say to you - our staff, our volunteers, our members and our supporters - is thank you for all you do. Don ASSOCIATION NEWS FROM THE JUNE GENERAL MEETING Chair Bill Johnston called meeting to order at 19:30k - 35 members and guests were present. Jeremy Davy was recording secretary. • Don Evans provided the President’s Report, noting the impending opening of the new CN Roundhouse & Conference Centre. Everyone was invited to attend. • Don also presented reports on behalf of the Heritage Park (with a focus on the recent successful Day Out With Thomas event) and on finance (on behalf of Jim Brown) noting a challenging time with fundraisers at the moment which has us behind in our finances • Bill Johnston provided a 374 Pavilion report • Bill also noted the need for an event coordinator and noted the two major fall events coming at us • Michael Batten provided a collection update, with a focus on some repairs needed to S-3 #6503 at the moment rendering it unserviceable until repaired. Don Evans reported on the return of the 2860 to Squamish and the coming opening of the Troop Sleeper 722 exhibit on July 16 in the new roundhouse. • Mattias Christianson updated us re tours and noted that sales are quite slow this year, some ads are now being run and have covered their cost in increased sales • Keith Anderson provided a report on the recent Haida Gwaii tour which was very successful (story, page 24) WCRA News, Page 5 • Jeremy Davy noted the upcoming Mini Rail day on August 15, and also the member picnic that happens the same day. Everyone is invited (see page 7) • Ryan Cruickshank and Bill Marchant provided their Trackside Reports • The 50 / 50 was held, calendar reviewed and guests welcomed • Entertainment was a video of British Steam provided by Jeremy Davy WCRA TRIVIA #258 & 259 - by Ryan Cruickshank #258 Identify the following abbreviations:1.BRT 2. CTC 3. TOFC 4. ORC 5. ABS 6. SBU #259 What is the earliest patent for a vehicle designed to run on one rail? (for answers see page 37) MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS Memberships dated 06/30/2010 have now expired, and if your membership expired 04/30/2010, this will be your last issue. Please check the label on your newsletter and renew today. Remember that renewals are being accepted for memberships with the E–Newsletter—check page 2 for current membership rates. Is your email address current???? It is particularly important that those of you who have registered for access to the Members Only area keep your email address current in the Server. Each time a new issue is posted the Server sends a notice to the email address you supplied when you requested access. If you have changed your email address, or think the one we have is out of date because you do not receive notices, please send your current email address to Jeremy at [email protected] and the server will be updated as required. (J.D.) NEW MEMBERS The WCRA welcomes new members Rob & Helen Croza-Neaga & family of Squamish, Shawn Cruickshanks & family of Garibaldi Highlands, Trudy Helenes & family of Bowen Island, Angelica Marshall & family of Squamish, Greg & Diana Naus & family of Vancouver, Kirsten Price & family of Squamish, and Scott Ruhan & Erica Halvorsen & family of Vancouver. We welcome back Don & Gina Fieldhouse & family of Garibaldi Highlands, Wolf & Kethy Roering & family of Surrey, Jennifer Thompson & family of Garibaldi Highlands. MEMBER NEWS We are sad to report on the passing of WCRA member Don Behrner on June 22, 2010. Don lived in Squamish and was also a founding member of the Squamish Historical Society. He was keenly interested in the history of the Squamish community and contributed to it in many ways. Our sympathies are extended to his wife Retta and the family. (S.S.) WCRA News, Page 6 HST NOW ADDED TO MEMBERSHIP FEES Please note that as of July 1, 2010 all membership fees will have the new 12% HST added. Please note that the good news is that there will be no increase in membership rates for any WCRA membership categories. The value of membership got even better July 1, when admission fees to the West Coast Railway Heritage Park rose as the new CN Roundhouse exhibit hall opened. Your membership will continue to get you full access to the Heritage Park at no increase in rate. For total prices with the HST added see bottom of Page 3. STAFF CHANGES AS WE MOVE INTO FALL A couple of significant staff changes are occurring at WCRA as two of our senior staff people are departing the Lower Mainland for other parts of the Province. Susan Steen will be moving on, back to the Okanagan where she has accepted a new role as Executive Director of a Hospice Society. Susan has been of great assistance to WCRA in her role as Vice President—Squamish, and has very ably built our team of both staff and volunteers there. She has shouldered a heavy load very capably and we will all miss her. She leaves us at the end of July 2010. Work is currently underway on a replacement for the leadership of the Heritage Park, and there will be some responsibility realignment as well. More to come next month as plans and changes are put in place. Jim Brown will be moving to Vancouver Island to be closer to family this fall. He has given notice that he will conclude his role as Manager - WCRA Operations (office and finance) at the end of August, 2010. We wish Jim well and thank him for him years of dedicated service to WCRA both as a volunteer and in his more recent staff roles. WCRA is seeking candidates now for a new Manager—Finance and Administration to replace Jim in his staff position by fall.