Rail Report March 2005 No
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ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAIL REPORT MARCH 2005 NO. 546 ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAILROAD CLUB • ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAILROAD HISTORICAL FOUNDATION South African Garretts Presented by Bill Botkin 2005 RMRRC Events Schedule March 8, 2005 • 7:30 PM March 19 Trip Ski Train to Winter Join Bill for a South African adventure. Bill Botkin is one of the foremost railroad Park photographers in Colorado. Bill began photographing railroad subjects at age 10 using a April Event Platte Valley fixed focus Kodak Brownie camera. During the next few years, he graduated to 35mm Trolley Ride and and 2-1/4 inch formats, shooting both slides and black & white. This dual passion for Picnic railroads and photography has taken him across the United States and to 20 countries on 5 continents, including 7 trips to South Africa to photograph steam. Though Bill’s first April 12 Meeting Joe McMillan’s love is steam, he does photograph diesel and electric locomotives on occasion. Santa Fe Years 1964 to 1995 Please come join us for an enjoyable, educational evening at Christ Episcopal Church at 2950 South University Boulevard, University at Bates, where there is plenty of off street April Tour Uhrich Locomotive Works parking at the rear of the complex. Enter into Barnes Hall, where we hold the monthly & Comanche meetings, through the mid-south side doors. Please bring a guest. All programs are Crossing intended to provide an educational experience on railroading. The general public is welcome to attend. There is no charge for this meeting. May 7 Tour Cheyenne Shops Dues Renewal Reminder May 10 Meeting Slide Potpourri Is Your Address Label In Color? May 20 Tour Utah Junction If you received a color address label on your newsletter this month, that means we do June Tour Burnham Shops not have a record of receiving your dues payment for 2005. Renewals were due by January 1, 2005. Please mail your renewals as soon as possible. You will not receive a June 14 Meeting To Be Announced newsletter after April until you are paid in full. Please contact Dave Goss at 303-693-9933 or [email protected] with questions. June Trip Royal Gorge July Trip Summer Ski Train Mark Your Calendar For These Club Trips July 12 Meeting To Be Announced Ski Train Winter Park Trip – March 19th July Event Nixon Power Plant A ride to Winter Park on the Ski Train with a possible snow cat trip to Rollins Pass. For & Pueblo Depot trip information, times, reservations and tickets, call Don Hulse, Trip Leader, at 303-373-5531 and leave a message after March 1st. The deadline for items to be included in Cheyenne Shops & Depot Museum Tour – May 7th the April Rail Report is 3/21/05. After a bus ride to Cheyenne, we will tour the UP shops. After lunch, those interested Steve Cross at Colorado Railroad Graphics may tour the museum in the refurbished Cheyenne station then return by bus to Denver. (303-699-9174) provided the drawing of There is a limit of 50 attendees. Watch the next Rail Report for tour information and club engine number 20 for the Rail Report ticket ordering information. cover. Other railroad artwork is available. ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAIL REPORT • MARCH 2005 • PAGE 1 From The President – The Club History Project Update Publishers Statement By Jimmy A. Blouch Rocky Mountain Rail Report The Rocky Mountain Rail Report (ISSN The manuscript for the Club history recommendation due to the financial 1040-9223) is published by the Rocky project was recently submitted to a printer. constraints of the Club. When the Club Mountain Railroad Club and the Rocky They have produced a proof and it is receives the completed books, each Mountain Railroad Historical Foundation. under review by the Club’s publications member will receive a letter detailing First class postage paid at Denver, Colorado. committee. The book, Journeys To distribution plans and the procedure to Postmaster: Send address changes to the Yesteryear, should be in the process of follow for requesting their copy. Rocky Mountain Rail Report, PO Box 2391, being printed by the time you read this. Denver, CO 80201-2391 As you know, this project has been in the Club Information works for quite some time. Rocky Mountain Railroad Club PO Box 2391 During January 2003 initial plans were Denver, CO 80201-2391 approved for a small publication to be Club Phone: 303-979-2806 distributed exclusively to Rocky Mountain Website: http://www.rockymtnrrclub.org Railroad Club members. At that time, the projected cost was approximately Membership Information $5,500.00. As work progressed, more Membership in the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club may be obtained by sending the annual material and more photographs were dues to the club address listed above. added to the point that the publication Regular membership dues are $35.00. evolved from a small booklet to a full Overseas regular membership dues are book size. The final product will have $45.00. Contributing membership is $50.00. 176 pages, hundreds of black and white Sustaining membership is $70.00. Patron photographs, an eight page full color membership is $100.00. Golden membership section, a color cover and the interior will is $500.00. An associate membership for be printed in two colors. We plan to print spouses and children is $25.00 additional. 1,000 copies. While the final costs have Members joining after April may send a payment of $3.00 for each month remaining yet to be determined it is estimated that in the year. Members of the Rocky Mountain production, printing and other related Railroad Club are also members in the Rocky costs will bring the total to approximately Mountain Railroad Historical Foundation, $l5,000.00, nearly triple the original the non-profit arm of the Rocky Mountain estimate. Railroad Club. During November 2003 members were Club Officers informed they would receive a copy of this President Jimmy Blouch publication at no cost to them. This was Vice President - Projects Darrell Arndt Vice President - Programs Don Hulse done with the best of intentions, however, Secretary Roger Sherman at the time this information was released, Treasurer Dave Goss the manuscript had not been finalized and was not ready for submission to a printer. Board Meetings As a result an accurate final estimate for Members are always welcome to attend any cost could not be determined. Due to this board of directors meeting. They are held on distribution commitment, projected the first Tuesday of the month. Please call proceeds from donations and book sales the Club’s telephone Information Line at will not equal publication cost and 303-979-2806 or contact any Club officer for the date, time and location. expenses. Newsletter Contributions The officers and board of directors realize Dick Kindig recently celebrated his 89th Newsletter contributions and items for there is a commitment to honor the offer birthday. Club members Al Chione and publication should be sent to: of copies at no cost to members. Jim Ehernberger arranged for a small However, they strongly recommend and gathering of Club members and friends at Bruce Nall, Editor Dick’s favorite watering hole. Dick hope that each member who receives a Rocky Mountain Rail Report thoroughly enjoyed this occasion. He PO Box 620579 copy at no cost will make a fair holds membership card #1 and is a charter contribution to help offset the loss the club Littleton, CO 80162-0579 member of our Club which had its Fax: 303-978-0402 will incur on the publication of this book. beginnings 67 years ago this month. E-mail: [email protected] Unfortunately they are forced into this – Photo © Jimmy Blouch. ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAIL REPORT • MARCH 2005 • PAGE 2 January Foundation Donors By Jean Gross While the list of names is not long, generosity still abounds. We have reached the $9,000 level on our way to $14,000. Much is being accomplished on No.25 because of the tremendous volunteer effort that includes some new faces. Let us continue to support the project and the people that have donated many long hours of planning, materials and labor to get to this advanced stage. As the weather improves and the days get longer, work will increase. The electrical systems are still a big hurdle to overcome financially and in engineering. Your donations are Union Pacific Burnham Tour imperative to keep this going. Thank you By Director Barry Smith, Photo © Tom Peyton to the following donors: The Burnham Locomotive shop tour in shaft. The three-phase controllers pick off Mr. Robert L. Bartholic, Mr. Peter Ford, January was blessed by mother nature current twice for every engine rotation. Bruce Nall - Select Image and with 70 degree weather. We were The electrical controls bay behind the cab Donald Zielesch. fortunate to have the shop superintendent is 8 by 8 by 10 feet in size, made of as a knowledgeable guide who was quite stainless steel to block interference with No. 25 Happenings generous with his information. Fifteen the microprocessor controls. Each traction Club members weaved our way in and out motor costs about $90,000 and weighs 20 By Darrell Arndt of the buildings including the original tons. brick D&RG building. Recent work on No. 25 has focused on the Some locomotive models are still 600 volt wiring from the roof down into Other than requesting that the group classified as “tunnel units” with low air the car body. An extensive amount of refrain from photography, we were shown intakes. We watched as they moved a thought has gone into this aspect of the about all there is to see. An interesting locomotive without starting the engine restoration, anticipating the environment fact is that the shop operations are leased using the battery and one axle motor.