Winter 2016 Museum Open Saturdays 10 A.M
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Issue Number 58 San Luis Obispo, California Winter 2016 www.slorrm.com Museum open Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; other times for groups by arrangement. Contact [email protected]. Holiday Schedule Semaphore Sign Installed • December 3 – Santa & Mrs. Claus arrive by midday Amtrak Surfliner. • December 10 – Regular open day, but will close at 3:00 to accommodate an event by another nonprofit organization. • December 13 – Board meeting, 6:00 p.m. – Model Railroad Superintendent Andrew Merriam’s presentation on the model railroad. • December 17 – Winner of winter Rain, rain, go that way. scene to be announced (see below). Member John Marchetti worked with the City of San Luis Obispo to Ludwick Grant Announced have new rain gutters installed at the Freighthouse along the platform. In October the Ludwick Family There were none since the building Foundation awarded the Museum was rehabilitated. The original gutter $100,000 for restoration of our 1926 sections (above) consisted of solid café-lounge car La Cuesta. Members redwood with a U shape milled out. Karl Hovanitz, Andrew Merriam, and The photo is from the city’s 2002 Dave Rohr prepared the application. “Historic Southern Pacific Railroad The funds will greatly accelerate this Freight Warehouse Rehabilitation major effort. Report.” According to the report, the gutters were “a significant character defining element.” In September In early October the Museum’s long Five Star Rain Gutter, Inc. installed awaited main identification sign was new gutters (below), under a city contract with Alejandro Hernandez installed next to the retaining wall coordinating. along Santa Barbara Avenue. Mem- bers Howard Amborn, Tom Cooper, Dan Manion, John Marchetti, and Ted Van Klaveren helped prepare the equipment and the site. Pierre Rade- maker Design and Ashley & Vance Engineering provided design and per- mitting services, with Southpaw Sign Company fabricating and attaching That relay cabinet base is heavy, and our logo. The Spring 2016 Coast Mail it had to be lined up with four bolts in had background on semaphore signals. a massive concrete footing. Photo by Diane Marchetti. Photo by Glen Matteson. Win a Winter Wonderland So, pilgrims, had enough Every paid Museum admission on December 3, 10, and 17, with a sugarplum fairies? completed visitor survey, will have a chance to win the winter Come to the Museum’s diorama shown below, with two tracks, trains, tunnels, trees, cabin, January 28 Movie After- and snow. It’s N scale, about 15 by 30 inches, and while the loco- noon to see a very young motives and cars can be moved it is not an operating model. The John Wayne in “The Hur- winner will be notified and need not be present to win. ricane Express,” preceded at 3:00 by a presentation on some local history: A Railroad That Never Was (but sought big-time in- vestors). Free with Mu- seum admission. SLORRM Coast Mail Issue Number 58 Winter 2016 Page 2 Preserving California’s Central Coast Railroad History The San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum is a non-profit educational institution. Founded to preserve and present California Central Coast rail- road history by collecting, restoring, displaying, and operating relevant railroad artifacts, photographs, models, and documents, its goal is to facilitate a better understanding of railroads’ im- pact on our area's social, cultural, and economic history. Board of Directors Karl Hovanitz ………..…...….….. President Gary See .............................. Vice President Don’t let the train leave without you. Photo by Glen Matteson Glen Matteson ……….....……..… Secretary Member benefits include free admission to the Museum and access to Members David Rohr …..…..........…..……. Treasurer Brad LaRose, John Marchetti, Only features of the website, including current whole issues of Coast Mail. Andrew Merriam, Duane Powell Become a member Renew your membership Crew List Membership provides opportunities The Museum exists thanks to con- Museum Manager …….... Diane Marchetti for anyone interested in railroad hist- Assistant Manager …. Stephanie Hovanitz ory or current activity, train travel, or tinued member support. All annual Curator ……………….………. Brad LaRose model railroading to learn and exper- memberships expire December 31. If Archivist, Newsletter Editor ..Glen Matteson ience more, and to share with others. you have not already renewed, please ([email protected]) provide your payment and any changes Annual memberships are $36 for Editor Emeritus ………….…….. Bill Pyper to your contact information. (The Librarian ………..…...………….Chris Hurd individuals, $60 for families, and $100 Webmaster ………..………….. Jamie Foster for sustaining members. Application Museum never shares your contact Operations Manager ………..…… Gary See forms can be downloaded from the information.) Checks may be mailed to Events Coordinator: ..………..Tom Mitchell Museum’s website and mailed with the Museum, or you can pay by credit Model RR Superintendent ..Andrew Merriam payment. See mailing and web addres- card in person. Membership Chairman .… John Marchetti ses below left). Timely renewal bonus: Individuals Contact providing payment by December 31 get Telephone (message) 805 548-1894 TIMETABLE a one-time free-admission guest pass; e-mail: [email protected] The Museum Board of Directors meets family and sustaining memberships Website: www.slorrm.com on the second Tuesday of each month paid by year end will receive two passes. Mail: 1940 Santa Barbara Avenue at 6:00 p.m., at 1940 Santa Barbara San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Avenue, San Luis Obispo. Membership News Dec. 13 - Public presentation meeting Since the last issue there have been: DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE (model railroad) four new individual memberships; Members may access or receive a January 10 - Board action meeting three new families; seven individual copy of the Museum’s By-laws or February 14 - Board action meeting renewals; three family renewals; and Collections Policy on the website above or by sending a #10, self- For committee meetings, contact the one sustaining renewal. The Museum addressed, stamped envelope to the Museum (number and email at left). now has 217 memberships. address above. Also in This Issue Museum Store On paper: Art for a practical purpose …….…......7 To raise funds, the Museum offers Recognizing Richard Alberts ….…….. 3 Diagrams, photos worth sharing …...... 8 several items for sale. T-shirts, base- Bridge before ridge .…..….…….…….. 3 Artifacts: robot bugs? ……….………. 11 ball caps, belt buckles, mugs, enam- A good year for Pacific Coast Rwy...... 4 Updating the Museum’s plan ...……. 11 eled pins, embroidered patches, en- Mystery photo & contest …..…….….. 4 All work and no pay …………….…….12 gineeer hats, and videos are available Little railroad, big art ……..….….….. 4 Big CalTrain news ………………...… 12 through the Museum website: Crew test answer ………..….….…..… 4 Freight for fun ……………..…..….… 13 www.slorrm.com Online: Freight like old times …....……....…. 14 Click on Company Store. Coastal railway guns (part 1)..…....… 5 Environmental progress ………...…. 14 SLORRM Coast Mail Issue Number 58 Winter 2016 Page 3 How did you get interested in trains? Richard Alberts Richard is a quiet and modest member who has helped the Museum at critical times, such as when volunteers were working under a deadline to move the truly heavyweight Pull- man car La Cuesta to the display track and the services of a house mover were needed. Richard was not a house mover, but his financial support made the move possible. He says no one thing sparked his interest in trains and railroad history. But, pardon Mr. Alberts has also helped the S.L.O. County Land Conservancy, an the pun, living in Southern California he organization that protects some of the most beautiful landscapes in the was a rider and fan of the Pacific Electric world, once traversed by the Coast Daylight, which many called “the most Railway. The PE, often referred to as “the beautiful train in the world.” This is the UPRR in Edna Valley June Red Cars” for an obvious reason, was one of 2016, from near the Highway 227 bridge. Photo by Glen Matteson. the world’s most extensive interurban rail- ways. It was a subsidiary of the Southern The Biggest of the Smallest Pacific for most of its existence. It reached from Long Beach and Santa Monica to down- On September 17 Museum member Bernd Schumacher displayed town Los Angeles, into the San Fernando some of his Z scale equipment (1/220th full size, below), aiming for his Valley, and east to San Bernardino. It had collection to be recognized by the Guinness organization as the world’s plans to build to Santa Barbara but never largest. He began collecting in 1992 and focuses on European items. got that far. Photos by Gary See. Richard has lived in San Luis Obispo for many years, working for the Post Office, the National Guard, and the California Depar- tment of Corrections. Now retired, he often comes by the Freighthouse and display track, keeping an eye on things and checking pro- gress whether or not it’s an open day. Richard says he often daydreams of what might have been. For example, if the Pacific Coast Railway line from Port San Luis to San Luis Obispo had been saved so visitors and beachgoers could ride it in restored or replica trolleys. He’s also interested in expansion of conventional rail service along the coast. You Can Help Build a Bridge to the Future In the full-size world the landscape usually happens before the man-made structures. But on the Museum’s display layout modelers want to make sure the structure fits and the track works before adding all the rocks, soil, grass, brush, trees, livestock, and wildlife. Here is Stenner Creek Trestle on San Luis Obispo Train Day in May. Pausing in La Cuesta lounge car’s colorful Donations to the Museum in the form of time, funds, and interior, Mr. Alberts recalls earlier travels. items such as books or models that are suitable for sale all help Photo by Glen Matteson.