AUGUST 24, 2015 ■■■■■■■■■■■ VOLUME 35 ■■■■■■■■■■■■ NUMBER 7-8

Around the SSMRC this month.

The Semaphore David N. Clinton, Editor-in-Chief CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Southeastern …………………. Paul Cutler, Jr. Paul Cutler III Cape Cod News………………………………….. Skip Burton Globe Reporter………………………. Brendan Sheehan Boston Herald Reporter……………………… Jim South Wall Street Journal Reporter....………………. Paul Bonanno Rhode Island News………………………………. Tony Donatelli Empire State News………………………………. Dick Kozlowski “ News”…………………………….….. . Russell Buck “The Chief’s Corner”…………………………. . Fred Lockhart

PRODUCTION STAFF Publication……………………………………….. Al Taylor Al Munn Web Page and photographer…………………... Joe Dumas Guest Contributors………………………………. Peter Palica

The Semaphore is the monthly (except July) newsletter of the South Shore Model Railway Club & Museum (SSMRC) and any opinions found herein are those of the authors thereof and of the Editors and do not necessarily reflect any policies of this organization. The SSMRC, as a non-profit organization, does not endorse any position. Your comments are welcome! Please address all correspondence regarding this publication to: The Semaphore, 11 Hancock Rd., Hingham, MA 02043. ©2015 E-mail: [email protected] Club phone: 781-740-2000. Web page: www.ssmrc.org

VOLUME 35 ■■■■■ NUMBER 8 ■■■■■ August 2015

CLUB OFFICERS

President………………….Jack Foley BILL OF LADING Vice-President…….. …..Dan Peterson Treasurer………………....Will Baker Annual Cookout…………..4 Secretary………………. ...Dave Clinton Chief’s Corner ...... ……….3 Chief Engineer………. .. .Fred Lockhart Directors……………… ....Bill Garvey (’16) Contests ...... ….. ..3, 20 ……………………….. .Bryan Miller (‘16) ……………………… .Mike Dolan (’17) Clinic……………………....6 ……………………… ….Roger St. Peter (’17) Editor’s Notes ...... ……….16 Election Results .... ………..4 Memories ...... ………..5 The Operator ...... ….……18 On the cover: Scenes on the Railroad, Photos Potpour ri ...... ……….7. by Savery Moore. 2

FORM 19 For the drawing in October, you will find a matching contest on the Whyte system of ORDERS Wheel Arrangement. Fredric M. Whyte devised a classification AUGUST B.O.D. MEETING system to identify locomotives by the Monday, August 31st 8 p.m. arrangement of the wheels. His system was DECODER & LOCO TUNE-UP CLINIC first reported in the American Engineer and Thursday, September 3rd 8 p.m. Railroad Journal in December of 1900, SEPTEMBER BUSINESS MEETING adopted by the American Locomotive Monday, September 14th 8 p.m. Company in 1903, and became the industry- NEWSLETTER DEADLINE wide system within the next few years. Puzzle Saturday, September 26th #15-10 can be found near the end of the SEPTEMBER B.O.D. MEETING newsletter. Please make sure to put your Monday, September 28th 8 p.m. name on the puzzle before leaving it in my mailbox. You can also email your completed puzzle to me at [email protected]. Extra CONTESTS puzzles available on top of the old wood display case inside the train room. Drawing will Congratulations to Dan Peterson on winning the be held at the October Business Meeting. July’s 50/50 raffle and to “Gunny” on winning this month’s!

Our RR Crossword Puzzle from Al Taylor was Fred Lockhart correctly completed by:

With Labor Day only two weeks away, this is the Jim Ferris Bob Farrenkropf time for “what did we do on our summer vacation?” Fred Lockhart Ron Clough but instead, I’ll tell you what we got done around Savery Coley the club since the last Semaphore was printed. Dan Peterson Doug Buchanan First, we finished the lift-out bridge between Cedar Hill freight and the passenger terminal; it Congratulations to Savery Moore for winning was used during the July Operations and adds the draw for the Atlas “Classic” RS3 decorated another operational component. Now it is simple to for the New Haven RR! change power for a passenger train or get to the turntable to turn an . The next thing that was completed was the installation of the Cedar Hill roundhouse base with

nine stalls. There was some discrepancy between the angles of the molded base segments of the floor with the alignment of the bridge on the turntable. However, with some fussing (bad words) and some false starts, we finally succeeded in getting it in place. We then added five more outside “garden“ tracks for a total of fifteen tracks. The other project that was completed: Bob England changed out some detection components and re-wired the panel that shows where your train

3 is on the hidden track; yes, when the lights are on now; your train is really there. That project kept him Bryan Miller was elected with 21 votes. under the benchwork for a couple weeks. Bob has also made up new control panels to manually throw Congratulations to Bryan and thanks to all who the double slip turnouts at the entrance to the were willing to serve their Club! arrival/departure yard at Cedar Hill. Instead of having to access the turnouts on your throttle, there will be toggles to select the direction in which you Annual Club Cookout & want to proceed; LEDs on the panel will show routing to confirm you have the correct alignment. Pool Party Chip and Stan have continued to move toggles for manual mainline sidings from their temporary location to new permanent locations on the fascia. They also have been adding “kill” switches at the same time and have marked the fascia with a letter K to show their location just behind the fascia. The Scenery Committee has continued with their work on “Corner City”, across the end of the peninsula where the lift up section is--going from the city itself into Chinatown, then to more run- down residential three-deckers to an industrial area. The area really looks great and gets a lot of complements from our visitors. th As I mentioned above, we had Operations in July On Tuesday, July 28 , 22 members and guest and then a week later our Summer Open House, attended this year’s festivities, held on a with the railroad running very good for both events, perfect summer day. With temps in the high I don’t remember any major hiccups. We do 80s, the 78º pool water was so refreshing. After continue to get caught with some control issues multiple dips in the pool and sampling of the with the duplex throttles, but they seem to be tasty “appetizers”, applicant Jim Fabyan caused by low battery voltage. So just keep in mind cooked up delicious burgers and dogs, along that if your throttle starts to act up, check the with steak tips and sausages. Host Jim South battery voltage: if it is eight volts or less, change it and assistant Ron Clough also helped serve up out. That’s the best suggestion I have for that. As we go into the fall, we will continue to work off the main courses. Lots of side dishes and the “punch list” I created last spring. One major desserts rounded out the menu. As darkness project that I have been working on has been the fell, the screen was set up and Al Taylor manual toggle panels for Cedar Hill freight and showed us some great slides from the 60s and Passenger terminal turnouts, I have decided on 70s of all different Eastern railroads, but locations and sizes. The toggles have been ordered especially including his, and my, favorite: the and as soon as they arrive we will start constructing Erie-Lackawanna. Dick Kozlowski brought a and installing them. DVD of a local “live steam” club’s open house; That’s it for this month, Kevin Linagen supplied pictures he had taken of the Fore River RR during the past winter’s Fred Lockhart woes and of the motive power under repair in Chief Engineer their shop. And Barry Doland brought a DVD program he had made of a trip taken last September by four SSMRC members on The

Vermonter to White River Jct. It was a great 42 members voted in the Special Election for the one-year term of Director, to fill the vacancy left by time and Mother Nature certainly cooperated. the death of Dennis Hart. Thanks, especially, to Jim and Alice for their

4 usual hospitality and for putting up with us Bill Purdie, famous master mechanic for “train geeks”, as their daughter calls us! Southern’s extensive steam excursions in 1960s Thanks to all who attended and to those who and 70s, passes away. brought “goodies” and entertainment…”a good NH officials “close to an agreement” to extend time was had by all!” Commuter Rail to Plaistow. AUGUST 2005 (10 years ago)

Fletcher Granite club car introduced. Acela Express trains out of service, due to brake SEMAPHORE problems. Digitrax announces their first sound decoder. MEMORIES Kadee introduces “Whisker” coupler.

Walthers purchases Life Like Product’s Toy and Hobby Division. AUGUST 2010 (5 years ago) ”Downeast Scenic RR” proposed for portion of Trackwork progressing in Cedar Hill Yard. ex-MEC Calais Branch. Electro Motive Diesel considering closing Amtrak purchases 80 new auto carriers for London, Ontario plant and returning to LaGrange, AutoTrain service, increasing “minivan” and “SUV” IL. capacity. Lobato Trestle on famed C&TS narrow gauge in MBTA ridership hits lowest level in a decade. New Mexico damaged by fire. Bellows Falls tunnel on NECR gets $2 million WP&Y narrow gauge in Alaska proposing return renovation to improve clearances for autoracks of freight service. GE Transportation “sold out” for year of NS Corp. negotiates with Tennessee Valley production, with 850 loco deliveries, 2nd biggest Railroad Museum for operation of “21st Century year, compared to 900 delivered in 1999. Steam”. First time in 16 years NS considers steam Sountraxx forms “Blackstone Models”, new line of operation. R-T-R Hon3 locos and rolling stock. Crews begin work on $35 million upgrade of Guilford installs welded rail through Hoosac tracks for extension of to Brunswick, Tunnel, lifting 10 MPH speed restriction. . Third of UP’s “Heritage” diesels introduced: D&H’s Colonie, NY shops burn. Unused since SD70Ace in MKT livery. 1980s. Eight members and several guests, led by CN plans to hire up to $2,000 new employees Brendan Sheehan, enjoy a ride on “speeders” out annual for next five years. of Wolfeboro, NH. MM&A Railroad plans abandonment of 233 miles Kato introduces F40 locomotive in Amtrak and of track in Maine; State plans to purchase. RTA versions. MASSDOT B.O.D. approves contract with Motive Rich Herlihy joins SSMRC. Power Inc. of Boise, ID to supply 20 new diesel Ralph Weischedel joins SSMRC. electric locomotives for Commuter Rail service. First Greenbush Line tracks laid in Hingham. Downeast Scenic RR begins tourist train service ”” train moved from Claremont, NH over 9 miles of restored MEC Calais Branch track to the HOBO RR in Lincoln, NH. in Ellsworth. Trains have been gone since 1985. AUGUST 2000 (15 years ago) John P. Fishwick, president of N&W during Amtrak’s Adirondack, between Montreal and New merger with Southern, died. York, named one of the world’s best train trips by Amtrak places order for 130 new single-level cars National Geographic. from CAF USA, a Spanish company. Cars will be Amtrak introduces new corporate logo, replacing manufactured and assembled at factory in Elmira, the “pointless arrow”. NY. Atlas introduces first loco with decoder installed, Port of Davisville in RI doubles number of a GP38. automobiles being handled by P&W in autoracks to All mainline tracks between New Haven and 350,000/yr. Boston officially electrified.

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WW&F celebrates a milestone with first steam- Edaville RR owner proposes a “satellite” site in up, using loco #10 and traveling down the ¾-mile Maine, near Acadia National Park. “mainline”. AUGUST 1985 (30 Years Ago) Black, chain-link fencing installed along Front ”Project Filene’s” becomes 10’ X 16’ modular Street in Braintree, because of the “neighbors” of layout project. the Fore River RR. CV retires its Alco locomotives; becomes all-EMD Commuter Rail to Providence increased from five VIA Rail Canada reinstates six routes, including to eight round-trips daily. Atlantic from Montreal to Halifax through Maine. CNR and BNSF merger rebuffed by Surface N&W moves “A” class 2-6-6-4 #1218 from Transportation Board’s moratorium on mergers Roanoke Transportation Museum to its Birmingham First of seven rebuilt Turbo Trains delivered to shops for evaluation, in consideration of returning Amtrak from Super Steel Schenectady. to service for excursion service. Final MBTA report rules that Fall River/New UP buys MKT, “The Katy”. Bedford Commuter Rail service should go through State of MA considers station stop in Quincy for Stoughton, Easton, Raynham and Taunton. Old Colony Commuter Rail. Fourth track opens through Attleboro station. MBTA renames three stations: “Downtown Amherst Railway Society donates $1,000 to Crossing” (was Washington St.), “Kendall” (MIT), SSMRC “Building Fund”. and “Chinatown” (Essex). AUGUST 1995 (20 Years Ago) Travel agents now able to sell Amtrak tickets, Trains return through Crawford Notch, NH, for the using facilities of Airlines Reporting Corp. first time in 12 years. MBTA orders 34 MBB Commuter Rail coaches Burlington Northern and Santa Fe merger and cab cars, in preparation for reopening of approved. Needham Line service. Amtrak takes delivery of first “Viewliner” sleepers. New Haven station reopened after 13 years of Canadian government decides to privatize using tunnel under the tracks as the temporary Canadian National Railways. station. 80-yr-old Mount Royal Tunnel “motors” in B&M pacific #3713 moved from in front of the Montreal retired. Science Museum to Steamtown in Scranton, PA. CP Rail’s “Empress of Agincourt”, the only New England Southern wins bid to operate ex- RSD17 ever built (Alco), retired after 40 years of B&M line from Manchester, NH, to Concord, NH. service. Aroostook Valley RR in Maine goes out of business. DECODER & Amtrak builds three custom-made baggage cars ENGINE TUNE-UP for Vermonter trains. Gov. William Weld ready to scrap Greenbush CLINIC Commuter Rail for corridor, following same right-of-way. Largest cookout/pool party attendance-31. AUGUST 1990 (25 Years Ago) Nice turnout this month. Starting off was Guilford abandons MEC “. returning member from last month Joe Dumas, Passageway opens between Red Line and South who brought his “new” Kato GP35, dressed in Station; no longer need to go outside. SP freight colors. Obtained from the WET, this John Morrison, first “Operations Chairman”, dies. model was from the original run of this loco and Two Athearn Boxcars offered as Club Cars. did not include anything sophisticated, as far Chester, MA, ex-B&A station moved and as light board was concerned. Luckily, Digitrax restoration as museum begins. makes the perfect replacement board, but it is Four new bi-levels for Commuter Rail are still a “hard-wire” situation. Using the assembled in Pittsfield for testing purposes. South Attleboro Commuter Rail station finally DH165KO, the power wires are easily soldered opens. to the contact wires on the four corners of the

6 board. Lighting is another project. I have found Chris Barlow used the “Tune-Up” aspect of the best thing is to snip the plastic light “tubes” the Clinic to work on his BLI “’Sharknose” back and heat shrink a large 12-16v bulb or diesels. An A-B-A set in the beautiful Delaware L.E.D. to the end of the light tubes—both front & Hudson scheme had their couplers changed and back. The lighting contracts are very to Kadees and diaphragms installed. These accessible at each end of the board and if you units came with DCC and sound installed and use L.E.D.s, the + and – contacts are opposite are quite handsome, even though the Baldwin each other on the ends; this doesn’t matter if prototypes were nothing but trouble. Very few you use bulbs. Don’t forget the 1K-ohm were made. resistor for EACH L.E.D., if you go that way. The weight, which is removed, is for the spare Our next clinic will be Thursday, September parts box, as there is no room for it, after 3rd. Sign-up sheet on Bulletin Board. Everyone adding the decoder. is welcome!

Bryan Miller, also a returnee from last month, brought a very simple install in the Atlas “Trainman”-series GP38-2, dressed in POTPOURRI Providence & Worcester colors. This is a simple case of plugging in the DH126PS into the 8-pin receptacle on the factory board. Nothing else needed except, of course, to THE MASSACHUSETTS D.O.T. has completed change out the terrible crap-u-mate couplers, the acquisition of CSX’s 21-mile Framingham which is the case on ALL Atlas locos! Kadee Secondary between Framingham and Mansfield, “whiskers” work just fine. Mass. The purchase price was $23 million. The agency said purchase of the Framingham Eric Tedeschi brought his Athearn Genesis Secondary is a “strategic investment” that links the Framingham/Worcester, Needham, Franklin, and U.P. “Big Boy”, to make the headlight operable, the Attleboro/ commuter rail lines after adding a decoder previously. Problem is, together. The Framingham Secondary is also a we managed to blow up the headlight, as we major freight corridor between several key points in thought we were using the headlight wires but eastern Massachusetts, including Readville, turned out they were for the smoke unit…damn Milford, Franklin, Fall River, New Bedford, and you, unrealistic smoke from the Lionel days! Worcester. It is also used for passenger service to There is no obvious way to get at the bulb in and from New England Patriots home games at this articulated locomotive, so Eric was going in Foxborough. During the 2014- to research this on-line and come to the next 2015 season, 17,128 riders took the train to clinic with some ideas. Foxborough; 6,015 more riders came from Providence through Mansfield along the southern end of the Framingham Secondary. (BG) Al McCarty brought another simple install ●●●●●●● (there’s more and more of them these days), A SHRINKING SUPPLY of boxcars—once the with a Maine Central E7 from Proto2000. With ubiquitous symbols of U.S. railroads and a rolling an 8-pin receptacle on the board, all that was bellwether for the economy—is causing a freight- needed was the DZ125PS to fit and away he hauling crunch for the industries that continue to went. Luckily, the MEC did not use MARS use them. The number of boxcars in service in lights, so there were no “issues”, trying to make North America fell by 41% in the past decade to that work. just fewer than 125,000 last year, as 101,600 cars were scrapped and only about 13,800 replacements were added. That downsizing

7 accelerated a decades-long shift by railroads to where they are then taken south to Palmer, MA for more specialized railcars and intermodal carriers delivery to CSX, who moves them to Oswego, NY. that allow shipping containers to hop from trucks to (RRE) trains. (WSJ) ●●●●●●● ●●●●●●● SIX FORMER MONTREAL, Maine & Atlantic MASSACHUSETTS GOV. CHARLIE Baker and Lt. Railway employees, including the CEO of the now- Gov. Karyn Polito have committed the remaining defunct railroad, are facing new criminal charges funds necessary to reach the total goal required to related to the deadly 2013 Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, complete the redevelopment of Union Station in oil train derailment and fire. On Monday, Transport Springfield, Mass. The $12-million commitment is a Canada and Environment Canada announced they combined sum from the Executive Office of were filing charges against the employees and the Housing and Economic Development and the railroad itself for violating the Railway Safety Act Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Fisheries Act. The announcement comes (MassDOT) that brings the total amount of federal, just two weeks before the second anniversary of state and local funding to $88.5 million, the amount the wreck that leveled 30 buildings and killed 47 needed to achieve the complete station people. Among the employees that will be required redevelopment project. "With access to the east- to appear in court later this year are CEO Robert west and north-south interstate highways and Grindrod; locomotive engineer Thomas Harding, corresponding rail corridors, the city of Springfield who parked the doomed train just hours before it is strategically situated at the transportation exploded; operations manager Jean Demaitre; crossroads of New England," said Gov. Baker. "The assistant transportation director Mike Horan; safety funding we are pledging today will allow for the director Kenneth Strout; and general manager of redevelopment of Union Station to capitalize on transportation Lynne Labonté, according to the those connections and rebuild the station into a Globe and Mail. The MM&A and its Canadian regional transit hub that provides more options in a subsidiary have also been charged. If convicted of modernized building with space for new economic violating the safety act, the railroad could face a activity and growth." When complete, the revitalized fine of $1 million. Individuals could face a fine of Union Station will have 66,000 square feet of $50,000 and six months in jail. The new charges leasable commercial space, a 26-bay open-air bus come more than a year after provincial prosecutors terminal, a new six-level parking garage, a filed 47 counts of criminal negligence against completely renovated terminal building, a Harding, Demaitre, and train dispatcher Richard reactivated passenger tunnel and a new ADA- Labrie. The three men are expected to go to trial compliant rail boarding platform. The redeveloped later this year. (TN) Union Station is expected to support approximately ●●●●●●● 200 permanent jobs. (RA) IN JULY, work began to implement Massachusetts ●●●●●●● Bay Transportation Authority’s Winter Resiliency IF YOU’VE BEEN TO PALMER lately and seen Plan, an $83 million plan to make the agency’s gons loaded with huge pieces of granite, it’s and trains more resilient during extreme because Vermont Rail System’s Washington weather. The plan calls for investments this County Railroad Granite Division is seeing a summer and throughout the next five years in snow rebirth, as granite is again moved from the Rock of removal equipment, infrastructure, and operations Ages Quarry site for the Army Corps of Engineers. during harsh weather to improve service reliability. Trains make the trek from Graniteville to Montpelier The resiliency plan was developed based on Jct. for the first time since granite tailings were recommendations by an American Public hauled down the route’s 5% switchbacks in 2010. A Transportation Association peer review of the contract with the Corps to supply two classifications MBTA’s winter operations in April; while a special of granite for the repair of the breakwater on Lake panel appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker reviewed Ontario’s Oswego Harbor is the reason. Roughly and made recommendations to fix the MBTA’s 600 cars will be hauled this year, with about 14 cars structural, financial and operational problems. (TN) headed to Montpelier Jct. two or three days each ●●●●●●● week. VRS delivers the loads to NECR at the Jct.,

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A CELEBRATION WAS HELD at the Kingston (RI) the bidding process is open to any prospective Station to celebrate high-speed rail work expected operator. (TN) to start this summer. Work on a $41-million project ●●●●●●● to build an additional section of track and higher RUMORS HAVE BEEN CIRCULATING for weeks platforms is expected to begin in July, DOT that the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge and spokesman Charles St. Martin said on Monday. the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic railroads were talking Completion is anticipated by summer 2017. The about trading locomotives. On July 1, the two extra track will allow one train to pass another that’s tourist railroads made it official. The two "are stopped in the station for passengers to disembark continuing to discuss possibilities of trading — for example, an Acela could pass a stopped locomotives,” according to a joint press release. regional train so that the high-speed train doesn’t “However, no formal agreement has been lose travel time, Amtrak spokesman Craig Schulz reached." The two locomotives are C&TS 2-8-2 No. said. The higher platforms will be at the correct 483, now out of service at Chama, N.M., and height for arriving trains so that passengers don’t D&SNG 2-8-2 No. 478, stored at Durango with need to climb any stairs to board the train — and is some parts removed for safekeeping. No. 478 is especially helpful for passengers in wheelchairs so one of three surviving K-28 class engines on the they don’t need a mechanical lift to board the train, D&S. While No. 478, a 1923 Alco product, and its Schulz said. (AN) companion engines were used for many years on ●●●●●●● the Durango to Silverton run, the railroad needs the CapeFlyer train to the Cape on weekends now larger K-36 engines to handle its longer trains. No. stops at Brockton station to pick-up and discharge 478 would be used primarily in helper service on passengers. Mayor Bill Carpenter said: “Transit- the C&TS, as well as on shorter and lighter trains. oriented developments are the lifeblood of a city No. 483, a class K-36 built by Baldwin in 1925, was trying to reinvent itself. Access to transportation is used on the C&TS until the 1970s, and the C&TS linked to access to economic development.” (PL) has no plans to restore it. Four other K-36 engines ●●●●●●● are on the C&TS, along with one of two surviving K- STEAMTOWN NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE may 27 engines and a K-37 currently out of service. A soon operate a steam locomotive again. Officials powerful puller, it would join four other K-36s on the hope to have 0-6-0 No. D&S roster. This is not the first trade between the 26 fully operational and powering the park’s yard two scenic railroads, both of which operate on shuttles by Aug. 25. The date marks the 99th portions of the same Denver & Rio Grande Western anniversary of the National Park Service’s founding narrow gauge route that dates to the 1880's and and the kickoff of the agency’s centennial abandoned in 1968. K-37 No. 497 and K-36 No. celebration, the Scranton Times-Tribune reported. 482 were traded between the two in 1991. Since It will be the first steam locomotive operating there is no rail connection between the two, the regularly at Steamtown since late 2012. (TN) engines would have to be transported by heavy- ●●●●●●● haul highway rigs. Durango & Silverton puts 45,000 PROSPECTIVE OPERATORS for the former miles per year on its locomotives, and its owner, Maine Central will have a chance American Heritage Railways, has announced plans to inspect the state-owned rail line next week. The to invest $500,000 annually for the next 10 years in inspection trips, expected to take place on July 14 its steam locomotives, especially the K-36 and 15, are part of the state's request for proposals locomotives, to extend their service lives. The from rail companies interested in operating the 56- Cumbres & Toltec Scenic, by contrast, puts about mile railroad along Maine's rockbound coast 18,000 miles per year on its locomotives. As C&TS between Brunswick and Rockland. The rail line is President John Bush said, “The mission of the now operated by the Maine Eastern Railroad, a Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad has always subsidiary of New Jersey's Morristown & Erie, and been to preserve the history and heritage of sources close to the short line tell Trains News railroading in the West, and this engine swap will Wire that they are currently putting together a accomplish that by giving us a K-28 locomotive, proposal to continue operating the line. However, which we currently do not have.” (TN) ●●●●●●●

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THE MAINE NARROW GAUGE Railroad & Vermont Comprehensive Energy Plan, which seeks Museum has released plans for a multi-million- to quadruple inter-city passenger rail ridership in dollar museum expected to open in May 2017. As the state to 400,000 by 2030. A core proposal is the many as six buildings will occupy the location long-planned extension of the Ethan Allen Express where the museum plans to build a 2-mile from Rutland to the state's largest city Burlington, demonstration railroad. The centerpiece of the site providing direct links to and stations on will be a 13,500-square-foot structure that would the Northeast Corridor. This would require the house administrative offices, event space, archives, upgrading of the Rutland - Burlington line for and library, in addition to a full-size replica of the 95km/h operation, and while $18.5m is committed Kennebec Central's Randolph station, according to for improvements to the Rutland - Leicester section, Donnell Carroll, museum executive director. The the plan anticipates a further $US 26.4m would be entire project may cost up to $12 million. Plans required to complete the project. Annual operating include a 5,000 square-foot restoration shop, a subsidies for the service would also need to carbarn to store up to 15 cars, and a six-stall increase by around $US 1m. Another key proposal roundhouse. The site will support a 2-mile railroad is the extension of the Vermonter from St Albans to to be built on the adjacent right-of-way of the former Montreal, a route which has been without Portland-Lewiston Railroad, which was passenger trains since the withdrawal of the abandoned in 1933. The Central Maine Power Co., overnight Montrealer in 1995. The plan suggests which had owned the grade, donated it to the that reinstating passenger services on this line will museum last year. The museum is currently along be made easier thanks to an agreement signed by the waterfront in Portland, about 25 miles away and the US and Canadian governments in March this intends to move to Gray as soon as funds are year which clarifies border crossing and customs raised for track and building construction, according procedures for cross-border trains. (IRJ) to Carroll. Its current site is on land leased from the ●●●●●●● city and private investors who want to develop the THE VIRGINIA RAILWAY EXPRESS (VRE) has property. Carroll says the museum has sought exercised its option to extend its contract with funding support from about 30 potential sources, Keolis for an additional five years to operate the though little money has been forthcoming. At the VRE commuter rail trains which serve Washington least, he says, the railroad will be built and D.C.’s Northern Virginia suburbs (RA) operating by May 2017, with the buildings to come ●●●●●●● as funding is secured. The Maine Narrow Gauge THE NEARLY century-old Apache Railway Railroad includes equipment from three of Maine's survived the Depression and more recently the loss five 2-foot gauge railroads, which flourished from of its main client, but leaders in the small Arizona 1879-1943. The equipment was rescued by Ellis D. town of Snowflake are worried the railroad is Atwood just before World War II and taken to his approaching the end of the line. The railroad, while Edaville Railroad in Massachusetts. Edaville sold profitable, was put into bankruptcy protection in the equipment to Maine Narrow Gauge in 1992. May, after town leaders failed to find funding to (PPH) Nice dreams!-Ed. repay a $7.2 million loan owed to an investor group, ●●●●●●● that gave them a three-hear reprieve. The town A MAJOR expansion of passenger rail services in officials are trying to persuade a bankruptcy judge Vermont is proposed as part of the state's new rail to keep lenders from foreclosing on the railroad— plan, which identifies capital investment priorities the region’s economic lifeline. The railroad is “worth for the next 20 years. Vermont is currently served more dead than alive”. (WSJ) by two state-sponsored Amtrak services, the ●●●●●●● Vermonter from New York to St Albans and the A COALITION of business people and rail Ethan Allen Express from Washington DC to advocates, as well as the Sierra Club, is pushing Rutland. New York is the key destination for for expanded passenger rail service in Maine, passengers on these services, accounting for specifically extending service to the Auburn- around three quarters of ridership in 2013. Vermont Lewiston area from Portland. (470) Transportation Agency's rail plan - the first since ●●●●●●● 2006 - aims to support the goal set out in the 2011

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THE OLD GRAND TRUNK station in Lewiston, Transportation (MassDOT) Secretary Stephanie built in 1874, has finally re-opened as a restaurant, Pollack. "Board members will be meeting on called “Rails”. It was put on the “National Register Tuesday, along with the expanded MassDOT of Historic Places” in 1979. The GT ceased Board, for briefings that will help them quickly begin operations to the station in the 1960s. (470) their work to get the MBTA back on track." (RA) ●●●●●●● ●●●●●●● THE N.A.S.A. RAILROAD has reached the end of “THOMAS LAND”, the $25 million Thomas the its line. The Florida East Coast Railway recently Tank Engine theme park opened on August 15th at pulled their two locomotives from the Kennedy Edaville USA Railroad. The Carver location will be Space Center. The railroad cost $41.3 million a the largest Thomas Land in the world; others are in year to operate, and only contemplated two moves the United Kingdom and Japan. About 11 of a year in the future. (470) Edaville’s 250 acres will be transformed into the ●●●●●●● mystical Island of Sodom, where Thomas and his A MASSIVE COPPER THEFT occurred to NY’s friends shunt cars and haul freight. (PL) Metropolitan Transit system, causing major ●●●●●●● disruptions in service along the entire length of the THE AMERICAN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION A & C Lines. At least 500 feet of cable was stolen Association says an aging population will drive from 12 locations. (470) more demand for public transportation in the U.S. in ●●●●●●● the coming years. The group says that by 2030, MASSACHUSETTS GOV. CHARLIE Baker one-fifth of the population will be age 65 or older. appointed the five-member Massachusetts Bay That number represents an increase of 69 percent Transportation Authority's (MBTA) Fiscal from 2013. “It is essential that our leaders and Management and Control Board (FMCB) and policy makers address the needs of older citizens, designated Joe Aiello as chair immediately after a demographic that is expected to increase to signing into law the Fiscal Year 2016 budget. A nearly 74 million by 2030,” says APTA President reform recommended by the Governor's MBTA and CEO Michael Melaniphy. “As increasing Special Panel following unprecedented winter numbers of Americans age, Americans will not only weather that crippled service at the MBTA, the want, but also need, public transportation services FMCB is set to begin working immediately, holding in their local communities to maintain their lifestyle. its first meeting on July 21. "Fixing the MBTA will (TN) be a complex task, but moving forward with a ●●●●●●● FMCB dedicated solely to the T's operations and THE OWNER of the Fore River Railroad (MWRA) finances is an important step toward delivering has received a $500,000 grant to realign a 750-foot accountability for taxpayers and riders," said Gov. stretch of tracks to improve safety and rail capacity Baker. "I want to thank the legislature for putting in the former shipyard. The railroad was originally this board in place with other measures that will built in 1902 by Thomas Watson, the assistant to allow us to begin fixing the T. I especially want to telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell, to haul thank the five talented individuals who have agreed supplies to his shipyard on Quincy Point. The to serve in this crucial capacity and who bring section of track is currently an “S” curve, which will decades of combined experience and different but be straightened out, lowering the chances of cars complementary perspectives as they get to work tipping over. Total cost of the project is $995,000. fixing the status quo at the MBTA and begin the (PL) process of delivering a world-class public transit ●●●●●●● system that the people of Massachusetts can be RTR TECHNOLOGIES INC., developer and proud of and deserve." "By signing this bill into law manufacturer of cold-weather mitigation technology we now have two crucial tools to begin fixing the for freight and mass transit authorities nationwide, MBTA, a dedicated group focused solely on the T has been awarded a $6.5 million contract to and new tools that will allow the MBTA to operate modernize control systems for contact rail heat and more reliable services, repair critical infrastructure switch heaters throughout the entire Massachusetts and explore more efficient ways to serve our Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) system. In riders," said Massachusetts Department of development by MBTA for the past two years, the

11 project will replace outdated controllers with conducted by RBN Energy LLC. “Bakken crude-by- enhanced heating technology and data telemetry. rail (CBR) volumes are down this year and pipeline The improvements will reduce costly service shipments are increasing as production levels off in interruptions and improve safety for personal and the wake of last year's price crash,” says RBN’s passengers during cold weather conditions, RTR Rusty Braziel. “The trend is encouraged by lower says. In addition, the new equipment supports price differentials between domestic and MBTA’s efforts to reduce overall energy international crude as well as new pipelines coming consumption through more efficient, sustainable online. Since 2012 a combination of rail and technology. MBTA is the single largest energy pipeline has given Bakken producers ample crude consumer in the state of Massachusetts, RTR takeaway capacity but pipelines alone have not had adds. (RA) sufficient capacity on their own. However, with ●●●●●●● production slowing down, pipeline capacity is THE STRASBURG RAIL ROAD is introducing a catching up, and by 2017 there should be enough new attraction – a car filled with vintage pinball pipelines to carry all North Dakota's crude to machines. It offers a new challenge for players as market.” (RA) the train tilts back and forth as it moves down the ●●●●●●● track. The railroad dubs the attraction the Pinball ANOTHER PIECE OF OHIO railroad history is Pendolino Train. The train's "Pendolino" name is saved for future generations. The Great Stone Italian for "tilting train." A restored wooden Viaduct Historical Education Society has reached will feature 12 vintage pinball an agreement with CSX Transportation for the machines. Each player will have access to one purchase of a portion of the abandoned "Great machine throughout the duration of the 45-minute trip with seating available for one guest to accompany the player. Capacity on the Pinball Car is limited to 24. (TN) So much for watching the beautiful Pennsylvania Dutch countryside go by your window on the train!-Ed. ●●●●●●● DOMINO’S PIZZA INC. has begun experimenting with delivering pizzas—to trains in India. The company offers delivery of pizzas on more than 200 train services and plans to roll out ordering for dozens of new routes in the coming months. The service, the first of its kind for Domino’s, works like this: deliverymen hop on board when trains stop at selected stations to pick up passengers. The fast- food chain has identified 41 such train stations, from Delhi to Agra to Jalandhar, which are located Stone Viaduct" in Bellaire. The contract, which took near its branches. Customers can place orders about 18 months complete, covers the purchase of online, over the phone, or through text messages at a 20-arch portion of the bridge and 5.5 acres of least two hours before the train pulls up to the associated real estate for $83,000. The arches platform. (WSJ) intended to be acquired will stretch from the west ●●●●●●● side of Guernsey Street to the bridge abutment at MUNICH, GERMANY-BASED Siemens and Hamilton Street. The remainder of the structure, Montreal, Canada-based Bombardier are engaging about 23 more arches, remains in use by the in preliminary talks to merge their rail businesses, Wheeling & Lake Erie as part of its crossing of the according to a report in the July 29, 2015 edition of Ohio River between Bellaire and Benwood, W.Va. The Wall Street Journal. (RA) The portion to be purchased was last used by CSX ●●●●●●● in 1996. The Great Stone Viaduct, from which the BAKKEN CRUDE OIL hauled in unit trains may Society takes its name, was placed upon the disappear by 2017, according to an analysis National Register of Historic Structures in June

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1976. It was also recognized by the Ohio Historical The vehicle was given a traditional bagpipe parade Society in 2008 with a Historical Marker. The with a police and fire escort to the trolley museum. viaduct is a sandstone structure consisting of 43 The route was lined with emergency service separate arches which traverse the downtown personnel from East Haven and Branford along business district of Bellaire along 31st Street. It with other area departments. Following the serves as the Ohio land approach to the railroad procession, a brief speaking program was held at bridge constructed in 1868-1871 to cross the Ohio the entrance of the museum which, in addition to River, and its appearance is reminiscent of a Mayor Maturo and the officials of the Trolley Roman Aqueduct. (TN) Museum, was attended by local and state officials ●●●●●●● and representatives of PATH. The car exhibit MIKADO-TYPE locomotives (2-8-2) were one of opened the next day. (TN) the most popular types in the 20th century. During ●●●●●●● WWII, there was a movement to rename the type CONSTRUCTION OF A SECOND track for the “MacArthur”. (B&O RR Museum) expanded rail line from New Haven to Springfield ●●●●●●● has begun. Commuters will be bused along this ANDREW JACKSON was the first U.S. President route for the next year. The project will increase rail to ride a train while in office. (B&O RR Museum) trips between the two cities from six daily round- ●●●●●●● trips to 17 south of Hartford and 12 north of AMTRAK HAS REPLACED its weekday north- Hartford. The Vermonter will not be affected and south shuttle service from Springfield, will not be bused during this time. (PL) Massachusetts, to New Haven with buses in order ●●●●●●● to accommodate track construction in Connecticut. THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION Train traffic won't return until July 2016, Amtrak sent its Status of Positive Train Control said. But the interruption doesn't impact the Implementation report to Congress showing that Vermonter through-train that passes along the after seven years and significant assistance from same route and continues north through Holyoke, FRA, most railroads will miss the December 31, Northampton and Greenfield into Vermont, 2015 positive train control (PTC) implementation according to an advisory from Amtrak. (TN) deadline that Congress established in 2008. The ●●●●●●● report, which was mandated by the House of PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA has nominated Representatives Appropriations Committee, was Beverly Scott, the former general manager of sent to Congress on August 7. “Positive Train Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, to join Control is the most significant advancement in rail the National Transportation Safety Board. safety technology in more than a century. Simply The nomination, which was announced on July 28, put: it prevents accidents and saves lives, which is follows the departure of Member Mark Rosekind, exactly what we seek to do at The Department of who is nominated to lead the National Highway Transportation every single day. We will continue to Traffic Safety Administration. Scott, who led the do everything in our power to help railroads install Boston-area transit agency through the tough this technology,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary winter of 2014-2015, tendered her resignation in Anthony Foxx. The National Transportation Safety February following numerous weather-related Board (NTSB) began calling for train control service disruptions. (TN) systems like PTC in 1969, and FRA was involved in ●●●●●●● establishing PTC standards with stakeholders for IN CEREMONIES on August 6th, the Shore Line more than a decade before the 2008 mandate. Trolley Museum received Port Authority Trans- Three years before Congress passed the PTC Hudson Car No. 745, which was parked in the mandate, FRA issued its final rule that established PATH station under the World Trade Center on the uniform PTC standards for railroads willing to morning of Sept. 11, 2001, and survived the voluntarily install the technology, FRA says. PTC tragedy intact. The museum is accepting the car as prevents train-to-train collisions, over-speed part of an agreement with the Port Authority of New derailments, incursions into established work zone York and New Jersey. The museum and East limits and a train going to the wrong track because Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr. welcomed the car. a switch was left in the wrong position. In 2008,

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Congress passed the Rail Safety Improvement Act miles. The company already has a memorandum of (RSIA), requiring all Class I railroads transporting understanding with the P&W. Vincent Bono, CEO poisonous-by-inhalation hazardous (PIH) or toxic- of the Boston Surface Railroad, says it will take $3 by-inhalation hazardous (TIH) materials and all to $5 million to get the project off the ground. Much railroads providing passenger service to implement of that money will go toward building a new passing Positive Train Control by Dec. 31, 2015. (WSJ) siding and a new passenger platform in Worcester. ●●●●●●● Bono says the new operation will rely on CSX TRANSPORTATION will recognize its rich refurbished equipment, including three used history with commemorative predecessor logos locomotives and 12 former Amtrak passenger cars. applied to locomotives beginning this year. Last He says the project will be able to get off the week, photos from the railroad’s Waycross, Ga., ground with no public funds. (TN) Dreaming!-Ed. locomotive shops showed freshly painted GE ●●●●●●● AC44CW No. 256 displaying a Seaboard Coast THE MASSACHUSETTS Fiscal and Management Line emblem on the locomotive's engineer's side Control Board has endorsed the Massachusetts nose. The locomotive had just emerged from the Bay Transportation Authority’s service improvement railroad’s paint booth wearing CSX’s YN3b plan with Keolis Commuter Services. Areas of scheme. CSX spokesperson Kristin Seay tells focus include on-time performance, staffing, Trains News Wire that CSX plans to feature at least operations, equipment maintenance, customer 10 individual predecessor logos, but a final number service, fare collection, and winter weather has not yet been determined. (TN) resiliency plans. “We can, and will, do better,” says ●●●●●●● MassDOT Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack. ONE OF NEW ENGLAND’S independent shortline “I’m pleased that Keolis has agreed in writing to railroads is about to become part of the Genesee & work harder to achieve our shared goal of providing Wyoming empire. G&W subsidiary New England the level of service Commuter Rail customers Central filed notice with the Surface Transportation expect and deserve.” (TN) We’ll see what happens Board that it had reached an agreement with the next winter!-Ed. owners of the Claremont Concord to purchase its ●●●●●●● route around Claremont and its operations on a ABOUT 600 WINDOWS have been installed on the state-owned line in West Lebanon, the Valley News upper floors of the Michigan Central Station in reports. A spokesperson for G&W confirmed to the Detroit after years of neglect, the Detroit Free press newspaper that the purchase was happening but reports. More than 1,000 windows were broken declined to give any details until the deal is final. during the years the structure was abandoned. Although freight service on its lines around Detroit businessman Manuel "Matty" Moroun owns Claremont has been minimal in recent years, the the empty station. Ken Carter, a superintendent of Claremont Concord has stayed busy switching the project for Moroun’s Detroit International Bridge industries in the West Lebanon and White River Co., says he expects all the windows – nearly Junction, Vt., area. The railroad dates back to 1,100 – to be installed by the end of the year. 1848. The railroad was at one point part of the Replacing the windows was one requirement in the Boston & Maine and was later a part of the Pinsly recent deal with Mayor Mike Duggan to improve Railroad Co. family of short lines. (TN) Riverside Park by swapping land there for a parcel ●●●●●●● Moroun needs to build a replacement span next to A PRIVATE COMPANY hopes to establish the privately-owned Ambassador Bridge linking commuter rail service between Providence and Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. “We’ve been in Worcester, Mass., starting in 2017, the Associated Detroit a long time,” Carter says. “We employ a Press reports. The Massachusetts-based Boston great number of people, and I think it’s important Surface Railroad Co. would be the first private that we help redevelop this structure.” Carter says passenger rail company in the U.S. since 1983. the cleanup and restoration of the century-old The company recently completed a feasibility study landmark station — which became a persistent that proposes the operation of daily commuter symbol around the world of Detroit’s decline – have trains on the Providence & Worcester Railroad cost about $12 million, so far, including restoring between its two namesake cities, a distance of 45 electricity to the station and installing a $4 million

14 elevator capable of carrying freight and Executive Director] Nick Kallas contacted me in passengers. The window project by itself is mid-2010 to see if 4601 was available,” “We made expected to cost about $3 million. "This building an agreement for IRM to acquire the unit in touches many people," Carter says. "We think it's September 2010. Changes in collection focus at very important to bring it back." Opened in 1913, RMNE made 4601 surplus to our organization.” the ornate station with its massive waiting room and General Electric built the 11,000-volt, six-axle adjacent office tower served as a hub for Detroit locomotive in 1956 for coal-hauler Virginian travelers for decades. The huge station was Railway. The motor saw five Class I railroad expensive for the few trains Amtrak operated, and owners in its 23-year freight-hauling career, and its final trains left on Jan. 6, 1988. Vandals and carried three different model designations during strippers then turned the station into the city’s most that time. No. 4601 began life in October 1956 as notorious eyesore with every window broken. The Virginian Railway “EL-C” No. 131. It was conveyed Moroun family obtained control of the station in the to the Norfolk & Western with its acquisition of the mid-1990s but only in the past few years has there Virginian in 1959. Deemed surplus, the locomotive been work to clean it up and ready it for and 11 mates were sold to the bankrupt New redevelopment, although there is still no new use Haven Railroad in 1963, carrying No. 300 and an planned. The building is of the Beaux-Arts Classical “EF-4” model designation on the New England style of architecture, and was designed by the road’s roster. The motors then went to Penn Warren & Wetmore and Reed & Stem firms who Central in the 4600-series with the final E33 model also designed New York’s Grand Central Terminal. designation, a classification they kept upon the (TN) creation of in 1976. (TN) ●●●●●●● THE STATE OF WISCONSIN will pay Spanish train builder Talgo Inc. $9.7 million in a settlement agreement between the parties, the Journal-Sentinel reports. Additionally, the company will retain title to the two trainsets built for the state under contract that was later voided by Gov. Scott Walker. The November 2012 lawsuit named Gov. Walker and Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb. In May 2014, a state arbitration board rejected Talgo's financial claims against the state. "The state signed contracts with Talgo and then absolutely walked away from that," Lester Pines, an attorney for Talgo, says. "(Talgo) didn't like this litigation and it's happy it's over. They're not in the business of suing people." In 2009, the state, under the leadership of then-Gov. Jim Doyle, signed a no- bid contract with Talgo for the trains, designated for use on the Milwaukee-Chicago Amtrak Hiawatha corridor. The contract also included an option for two more trains to be purchased when the state completed federally-funded upgrades to extend A Detroit, Toledo & Ironton train passes Michigan Central station in passenger service to Madison. The two completed Detroit in 1978. trains are now in storage at Amtrak's Beech Grove, ●●●●●●● Ind., heavy maintenance facility. (TN) THE RAILWAY MUSEUM will acquire a ●●●●●●● piece of railroad history from the east: former I ENJOYED THESE ARTICLES in this month’s Conrail E33 electric No. 4601. Railroad Museum of RR magazines and can suggest them to you: New England Chairman Howard Pincus confirms the transaction. “[ Museum

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JULY donation to the Club---just enjoy a meal TRAINS out with friends and family. I figured that Canyon Solitude we spent over $600 at the restaurant, so Roaming Locomotives it’s a “win-win” for both parties. We’ll Map of the Month: Moving Freight in Chicago probably make this an annual “outing”, if the rest of you like the idea. Reading 4-8-4 T-1 on the Move 2. If you take pictures of our RR, maybe MODEL RAILROADER with your models, or models you Tips for Improving Turnouts particularly like, we are always looking Editorial: 200 Letters and Counting for interesting cover shots and would Rules for the Identification of Hazardous Loads like to see your work. Witness this RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN month’s cover! Thanks to Savery for Tracking Your DCC this good idea. Always looking for Bicentennial Scheme something new to do in the newsletter! Photographic Backdrops 3. It’s hard to believe that the summer has CLASSIC TRAINS (Summer) gone by…faster every year. Hope you Nickel-Plated Glory had a good one and look forward to seeing everyone back next month. Amtrak’s GG1 That Might Have Been There has been good progress on the What’s in a Photo? El Capitan on Raton RR, even during the summer months. The Malfunctioning Mallet Come on out and join the fun and Items from Railroad History feeling of accomplishment! 4. Rules for using our new paint booth AUGUST are printed below. Copies are also on TRAINS the entrance bulletin board and in the Last Man Standing? paint booth room. For those with 611 Reborn experience, please feel free to use the Empire Builder Tries to Get Better booth. For those interested in learning Weathering the Storm how to spray paint models, please see John Sheridan, or myself, for training. RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN You must supply your own airbrush, and Railroad Prototype Modelers Meet we can assist you in that regard, with Look Both Ways suggestions of ones we prefer. Dynamometer Car

………………..David N. Clinton News sources: Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Amtrak “News”, Trains Newswire, Railway Age, Railpace Newsmagazine, RRE “Callboy”, “The 470”, Patriot Ledger, Wall Street Journal, MEMBER NEWS Portland Press-Herald, International Railway Journal. It was nice to see Honorary Member Ross Kudlick at the Cookout—his first time. So, EDITOR’S NOTES along with our usual attendee Dick Kozlowski, 1. Nice picture in this month’s RMC of two Honorary Members blessed us with their presence! Long trips to be with us. 1. Our “Dining for a Cause” at the 99 rd Restaurant on Monday, August 3 Speaking of Dick Kozlowski, check out page netted us $90.76 in “free” money. No 45 of this month’s RMC and you’ll see a nice work needed on our part to get this picture of his “kit-bashed” model of D&H RS3

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#1508. This unique Phase III version has quite RULES FOR USING a history, involving the the B&M and the D&H’s Adirondack. THE PAINT BOOTH

Bill Garvey is back with us, but still struggling 1. Sign in on Booth Log. with some problems. He has a great attitude, 2. Bring cleaning material into booth area BEFORE so please encourage him when you see him. starting to paint. Upbeat words always go a long way to helping 3. Close door to booth when spraying. others. So glad to see you around the Club, 4. Exhaust Fan must be used when spraying. Bill! You mean a lot to this place and your 5. Suggest wearing of paint mask with filter. friends here! 6. Suggest using Safety Glasses. Birthday Celebrations 7. Make sure booth lined with paper, including sides and bottom. The following members have made it through 8. Spray within the booth only—never outside the another year and deserve congratulations: booth sides. 9. Cleanup th Jack Foley ...... September 13 a. Immediately clean spray brush with Rick Sutton ...... September 21st Ralph Weischedel ...... September 27th appropriate solvent. b. Turn off booth fan c. If paper lining damaged or soaked, replace for next user. d. Make sure paint bottles are tightly led. Globe 8/5/15

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THE OPERATOR May 18 & 21/15 ECL OPERATING DEPARTMENT NO. 165

OPERATIONS REVIEW since completely failed and needs a new “brain”). His other by Paul A. Cutler III point was that he had cars “going to storage” but no assigned place to put them. He made it up the spot…which is what he Okay, so it’s been a while. I got caught last issue was supposed to do, so good job! He did get most of the pick- ups done. writing a review of the Decal Clinic and then the Semaphore Engineer Ed Sisk and Fireman Bob Farrenkopf ran took the Summer off. Here is May’s Operation only 3 months three trains together: ML-1, 43, and 510. Neither reported any late (hey, better than Amtrak, right?). This review will be problems. somewhat brief due to the time elapsed. Barry Doland ran 6 trains, four of them from (or to?) “Hell”. He had a small problem with LM-4 coming in to Operations Review – Monday, May 18th Middleton. The Yardmaster rejected his arrival and told him to keep on going. “Oops!” John. BS-5 first uncoupled then Dispatching was a dual concern for once, with Will derailed. MB-4 derailed in Middleton. 524 first tried to leave Baker running Boston Div. and yours truly running the out of the wrong end of the yard, then derailed at the elevator Mountain Div. We had 17 total operators. on Leg 3. His last two trains (thankfully) ran fine. Chris Barlow and Nine (NINE!) train engineer Dave Clinton had a Larry Stumpf ran HX-2, busy, busy night. He complained each for the first time. It’s about the UP 4-8-4 not being fast a complicated job, and enough to keep it on the advertised wasn’t exactly the best (and that would be true). The elevator choice for a pair of rookies. caused some more derailments as well. But they got the Steel Mill Lastly, on MH-3, the Middleton switched after they figured Yardmaster tried to send Dave out on things out. the wrong division. Instead of routing Jack Foley ran 5 trains, four commuters and a him to Cedar Hill, he was on his way freight. His only issue was with “The Comet”, which had a to Great Lakes. “Oops!” John. decoder problem. Up in Cedar Hill, Fred Lockhart only had one on- Another engineer was Bill Garvey. He ran #101, time train, HX-2. The rest were all late, with no other major HB-6 and a couple commuters, including the Club’s ECL problems. Doodlebug (twice!). On the passenger side of Cedar Hill, Savery Moore In Middleton Yard, John Sheridan was got into the action by working on the new passenger switching “volunteered” to be Yardmaster. At first he was kind of bored plan. The schedule went out the window pretty much right and asked to do some local switching moves. That lasted from the start. Everything was very late. The best one of the about 5 minutes before the first of 20 train movements in and night was Train 101 with Bill Garvey. Seems Bill drove his out of the yard came up. He didn’t get any industries B&M 4-6-2 right off the end of the track at the REA building. switched, but he did get LM-4 turned around as MS-9 “Oops!” Bill. Fortunately Savery was able to tow the loco (although it took him a real hour to do it). backwards and all the wheels went right back on. Over in Larson, Bob England and his Conductor, Trainmaster Paul Pando tried out the dual radio plan Bryan Miller, got all their switching done. They were merely with one radio tuned to the engineers and the other tuned to a waiting for permission to go separate channel right to the tower. Not all trains were run. back to Cedar Hill by the end Three were annulled: BH-1, MS-9, & LM-2. This was due to of the night. At one time, they a lack of engineers causing massive delays all night long. had a 5-man crew with several Will Baker jumped into the Boston Div. hot seat, and observers helping them out.  suffered through a lot of radio channel static. Eventually we Bill Roach was got into a rhythm and he was able to cover for me when I had working the Cedar Hill local to run down the stairs to fix something. HX-4. He had problems with As for me, things were pretty frustrating. The radio the transfer table (which has static and bleed over caused many problems between Will and

18 me, but the main thing was the lack of engineers at the right investigation, it was found to have the wrong DCC address. time causing many delays. We only had three engineers to “Oops!” me. begin with, but when the first train took an extra 3 hours it left Down the Larson Branch, Bob England was only two engineers for about 25% of the total operation. This switching out HX-3 after finishing HX-1 from Monday. He led to 100% of the trains being late. was still switching HX-3 out during the critique so he must have been having fun.  Operations Review – Thursday, May 21st HX-4 in Cedar Hill was worked on by Al Taylor. He This time, I was flying solo in the tower as the Chief reports there’s a dead spot going Dispatcher. We had 14 operators. towards King Mill Enterprises. He Larry Strumpf was both a brakie and a train also had trouble with the transfer engineer. He and Chris Barlow finished up HX-2, which table (which still needs a new involved some acrobatics on Larry’s part as he had to climb brain). Al completed all switching, into the benchwork to couple a car on the back leg of the wye. and said that next time it will go I then screwed up their work at White River Jct. by throwing a faster for him. switch under their cars not knowing they were there (I need First time MX-2 engineer my cameras!). They did finish HX-2 eventually. Larry was Paul Agnew took out the club’s pulled off the local crew to run SB-6 due to a lack of ancient GP7, ECL #2003 (my first DCC install in 1999). Paul engineers. He complained that the locos were not MU’d to has never run MX-2, nor ever operated Essex or Richmond begin with. “Oops!” Set-up Crew. Chris would like some Mills. But he got 23 cars out of Middleton to Essex, and uncoupling magnets along the HX-2 route. dropped off a dozen for JX-2. Other than that, he got 9 pick- Middleton was Yardmastered by Jack Foley. It went ups/set-outs done before time expired, but that’s what you get fairly smooth, he says with all when you leave 9 hours late.  trains run. One train, a TOFC job, Chief Engineer Fred Lockhart decided to become a ran into E-10 at high speed when it two-fisted clipboard holder, being both Cedar Hill Yardmaster was left thrown by persons and Cedar Hill Stationmaster. Said he, “Well, I can tell ya, unknown. Late in the night, he manual toggles and the CTC board are gonna go to the top of jumped out of the yard to run ML-3 the to-do list.” E-361 has a rough spot with trains bouncing and LM-2, again due to a lack of over it. Fred’s saving grace was that the freights and the engineers. Jack said he got the passenger trains both leave and arrive at different times. best of both worlds. Trainmaster Paul Pando handed out all Train Orders Doug Buchanan ran a and all trains were run. bunch of commuter trains (and one Yours truly was getting a little nervous at one point freight) with new Fireman Jim Fabian. Doug did an where we only had one active excellent job training Jim, letting him take some turns on the engineer towards the end. throttle and showing him the ropes. Fortunately, Doug ran one more train, Larry ran one train and Jack ran two. It was a near thing, as otherwise we’d have annulled 4 trains. Still, a lot of trains ran on time. This night was actually very nice, compared to the horror show on Monday. Radio communication was good, with little overlap. It was a lot less frustrating and a whole lot more fun! Which is, after Will Baker got #100, which is always a fun train to all, the point. Right?  run…at least when the loco runs properly. The club’s ECL Pacific was not up to the task and derailed at Minot Jct. Three train engineer Bill Garvey did pretty well. My only comment is that his voice was very soft on the radio. Engineer Ed Sisk and Fireman Bob Farrenkopf ran a couple trains together again. I had the same problem with them as with Bill with a soft radio voice coming through to my ears. Otherwise, they had no problems. Dave Clinton ran seven trains that all ran great. One train that had my NH I-5 4-6-4 just would not run. After some

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The Whyte System of Classifying Steam Locomotives 0-6-0 _____F A. UNION 2-6-0 ______B. PRAIRIE 4-4-0 ______C. CHALLENGER 4-6-4 ______D. ATLANTIC 2-6-2 ______E. BERKSHIRE 2-8-0 ______F. SIX-COUPLED 2-8-8-0 ______G. TEXAS 2-8-2 ______H. TRIPLEX 2-8-8-4 ______I. CONSOLIDATION 2-8-8-8-2 ______J. BULL MOOSE 2-10-0 ______K. TEN WHEELER 4-6-2 ______L. TWELVE WHEELER 4-8-2 ______M. MOUNTAIN 4-10-0 ______N. SANTA FE 4-8-0 ______O. ALLEGHANY 4-8-4 ______P. HUDSON 4-6-6-4 ______Q. PACIFIC 4-8-8-4 ______R. NORTHERN 2-10-4 ______S. BIG BOY 0-10-2 ______T. MIKADO 2-8-4 ______U. MOGUL 2-10-2 ______V. YELLOWSTONE 4-4-2 ______W. DECAPOD 4-6-0 ______X. AMERICAN 2-6-6-6 ______Y. NIAGARA Z. MASTADON

Contest 15-10 to be drawn at October Business Meeting.

Your name:______

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