railway museum quarterly TRAINLINE Number 3 Published cooperatively by the Tourist Railway Association Winter 2011 and the Association of Railway Museums Twin ex-Toronto PCC cars line up in front of the National Capital Trolley Museum’s new visitor center in Colesville, Maryland. Relocated by freeway construction, NCTM opened its handsome new museum buildings in October 2010 and shortly thereafter hosted ARM’s 2010 Conference. Aaron Isaacs photo Address Service Requested Service Address PERMIT NO. 1096 NO. PERMIT MINNEAPOLIS, MN MINNEAPOLIS, PAID Conyers, GA 30012 GA Conyers, U.S.POSTAGE 1016 Rosser Street Rosser 1016 PRSRT. STD. PRSRT. ARM 2 3 ASSOCIATION OF RAILWAY MUSEUMS TOURIST RAILWAY ASSOCIATION The purpose of the Association of Railway Museums is to The Tourist Railway Association, Inc. is a non-profit lead in the advancement of railway heritage through corporation chartered to foster the development and education and advocacy, guided by the principles set forth in "Recommended Practices for Railway Museums" and operation of tourist railways and museums. incorporated in other best practices generally accepted in the wider museum community. TRAIN Membership ARM Membership Membership is open to all railway museums, tourist Membership in the Association of Railway Museums is open to railroads, excursion operators, private car owners, railroad nonprofit organizations preserving and displaying at least one related publishers, industry suppliers and other interested piece of railway or street railway rolling stock to the public on a persons and organizations. TRAIN, Inc. is the only trade regularly scheduled basis. Other organizations, businesses and association created to represent the broad spectrum of individuals interested in the work of the Association are invited to become affiliates. For more details, or to report address what is called “creative railroading”. changes, please contact the Association of Railway Museums, 1016 Rosser St., Conyers, GA 30012, or email to OFFICERS [email protected]. President: Rick Burchett, Chehalis-Centralia RR Call us at (770) 278-0088 or visit our Web site: (360) 570-9191 (home/office) www.railwaymuseums.org. Vice President: Linn Moedinger, Strasburg Rail Road Directors (717) 687-8421 Richard Anderson, Northwest Railway Museum, Secretary: Syl Keller, Monticello Railway Museum, [email protected] Monticello, IL (309) 376-3361 (home) Scott Becker, Pennsylvania Trolley Museum Treasurer: Alan Barnett: Indiana Railway Museum [email protected] Bob LaPrelle, Museum of the American Railroad, (812) 936-2405 [email protected] Peter Murphy, Exporail, DIRECTORS [email protected] John E. Bush: Roaring Camp Railroads G. Mark Ray, Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, (831) 335-4484 Ext. 138 [email protected] Ken Rucker, National Capital Trolley Museum, Steven M. Butler: San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad [email protected] (262) 853-9662 (cel) Jim Schantz, Seashore Trolley Museum, Jeffery D. Jackson: American Heritage Railroads [email protected] (970) 259-6505 Eric Sitiko, Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society, Craig H. Lacey: Heber Valley Railway (435) 654-5601 [email protected] Kyle Wyatt, California State Railroad Museum, Richard N. Noonan: California State RR Museum [email protected] (916) 445-3145 G. Mark Ray: Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum Officers (423) 240-1480 President: Bob LaPrelle Vice President: Scott Becker Fenner Stevenson: Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad Secretary: Ellen Fishburn, (515) 432-4249 [email protected] Meg Warder: Black Hills Central Railroad (605) 574-2222 Treasurer: Ken Rucker, 1313 Bonifant Road, Silver Spring, MD 20905-5961, Erv White: Grand Canyon Railway. 928-607-1493 [email protected] Frankie Wiseman: Middletown & Hummelstown RR (717) 944-4435 X-18 Committees Renewal Parts: Rod Fishburn, Chair, [email protected] STAFF Executive Director: Suzanne Grace (770) 278-0088 Staff Suzanne Grace, Executive Director, 1016 Rosser St., [email protected] Conyers, GA 30012 [email protected] Editor: Aaron Isaacs (612) 929-7066, [email protected] Legal Counsel: Frank McKenna (703) 683-4420 Aaron Isaacs, Editor, 3816 Vincent Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55410, [email protected] Webmaster: Bob Harbison (253) 833-2068 Web site: http://www.traininc.org The Association of Railway Museums is a Professional Affiliate Member of the American Association of Museums. To advertise in Railway Museum Quarterly/Trainline, contact Aaron Isaacs at [email protected]. To download an advertising rate sheet, go to www.railwaymuseums.org 4 5 no objections, and believe we are FRA DEVELOPMENTS ADVERTISE IN representing the membership's wishes by moving forward. We will be visiting By Bob Opal RMQ/TRAINLINE more formally with both ARM and TRAIN members at the joint Note: Bob retired in 2008 from the If you serve the rail museum convention next November in Union Pacific Legal Department, where Chattanooga. he was General Commerce & FRA and tourist railway industry, Board elections were held. Linn Counsel. reach your target market by Moedinger of the Strasburg Railroad returned for another term. Joining the I. INTRODUCTION advertising in RMQ/Trainline. board for the first time were Erv White This article summarizes FRA of the Grand Canyon Railway and Meg rulemakings and other developments Warder of the Black Hills Central. A during 2010 which could affect tourist, big THANK YOU goes out to retiring historic or scenic or excursion For more info, contact Aaron long time board member Bob Warder of operations and railroads (“tourist Isaacs at 612-929-7066 or the Black Hills Central. Fortunately his operations” or “tourist railroads” will be wisdom will not be lost, as he will still used as shorthand for all of these [email protected] be active and his daughter is now on the operations). board. Alan Barnett has stepped aside Let’s start with an overview of TRAIN PRESIDENT’S as an elected board member to serve as FRA’s regulation of tourist operations. Treasurer. Julius Caesar once wrote that all Gaul COLUMN TRAIN Executive Director Dan was divided into three parts. So, too, is Ranger has stepped down, accompanied FRA’s regulation of tourist operations. By Rick Burchett by wife Karen Ranger, who has served FRA’s “three parts” are as follows: as Administrative Assistant. I'd like to General System Tourist Operations Another operating season has – This category includes all tourist ended, followed by an excellent TRAIN recognize Dan and Karen for their excellent efforts on behalf of TRAIN, operations conducted on trackage which convention in Alamosa, hosted by the is part of the general railroad system of San Luis & Rio Grande and its Rio particularly bringing back Trainline and building it into a fine publication transportation (i.e., the national network Grande Scenic Railroad. of standard gauge trackage used for Congratulations to Ed Ellis and his crew funded entirely by ad revenues. They have continued to keep the office open freight, intercity passenger and/or for a job well done. There was a pre- commuter passenger service). “General convention trip to the Manitou & Pikes until the transition to Lagniappe Associates is done and have been very system” tourist operations include Peak and the Royal Gorge Railroad. We tourist operations run by general system rode behind steam to Antonito, helpful in the process. Many thanks, Dan and Karen. railroads themselves, and tourist transferred to the Cumbres & Toltec for operations run by other entities over a turn to Sublette, then returned to I'd like to close with a personal note from a proud father. My daughter, general system trackage. With a few Alamosa behind steam. The highlight exceptions, FRA rules generally apply was a steam powered round trip over La Rikki, has grown up firing steam locomotives on the Chehalis-Centralia to this category of tourist operations the Veta Pass, now the highest standard same as they do to freight railroads, gauge mainline in North America and Railroad. Now age 24, she attended the convention and was invited to fire Rio AMTRAK and commuter railroads, one of the great unheralded train rides. Non-General System, Non-Insular Between the trips were informative Grande Scenic Railroad 2-8-0 #18 on its 2.5 percent assault on La Veta Pass. Tourist Operations (“non-insular” for seminars, multiple TRAIN Board short) – This category includes tourist meetings and, of course, plenty of That's her in the cab during a photo runby. operations which do not operate over opportunities to renew old friendships any general system trackage, but use and make new ones. The conventions trackage which includes any of the have always offered plenty of schmooze following features: (i) a public rail- time and this year was no exception. highway grade crossing; (ii) a rail-rail Our cooperative efforts with the crossing at grade, (iii) a bridge over a Association of Railway Museums public road or navigable waterway, or continue. The Board approved the (iii) a common corridor with another three-way agreement with ARM and railroad (ie., its operations are within 30 editor Aaron Isaacs to produce feet of another railroad). This category Trainline/Railway Museum Quarterly. includes most tourist operations. Non- The Board authorized representatives to insular operations are subject to a more negotiate with Suzanne Grace to have limited set of FRA rules than general her company Lagniappe Associates system operations, and FRA often provide management services to excludes them entirely from new TRAIN. Over the winter, the rulemakings. TRAIN/ARM Organization Team will Non-General System, Insular hold conference calls to resolve as Tourist Operations (“insular” for short) many issues as possible before the joint - This category includes tourist Spring meeting at French Lick, Indiana operations which do not operate over next March 25-26. general system trackage AND do NOT Although it has been called a include any of the features which would merger, it is more correct to say we are make them “non-insular” as described headed toward the dissolution of both in the preceding paragraph.