September 2014
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WHEEL CLICKS SEPTEMBER 2014 LET'S GET ON BOARD THE NATIONAL FORUM you have helped work on the car, when you are on the National by MARTI ANN DRAPER, EXCURSION DIRECTOR Forum at speed in a real Amtrak train, you will experience a As you all know, PRS owns several railroad cars. Many of you thrill that is like no other. People who work on the car will be remember the high point of private car operation by PRS, which afforded the chance to work on the excursions using the occurred in 1977 when we operated seven cars on a special train National Forum. Unlike most private car owners, you don't have through Mexico. PRS was one of the founding members of to carry the whole burden of maintenance on your own AAPRCO, the American Association of Private Car Owners. I shoulders. You can have complete pride of ownership and have always felt extremely proud that in spite of continual and craftsmanship by working side by side with your fellow railfans. increasing challenges, PRS has remained as one of the very few You can also involve your family and friends who are interested non-profit membership organizations which has maintained and in historic passenger equipment. Contact me today! operated its own cars. The standards for operating private cars have become more CALTRAIN NEWS by MIKE GONDRON and more stringent, so that now PRS has only two cars which On July 21, Caltrain began upgrading the public address have the required modifications to be used in Amtrak service. In systems at its San Francisco 22nd Street, South San Francisco, recent years, the always small number of PRS volunteers who Sunnyvale, and San Jose Diridon stations. In addition, it is have turned out to regularly work on our cars at Saunders Yard installing Visual Message Signs at the 22nd Street station. The has dwindled to one or two a week. In face of this lack of work began at the 22nd Street station and will take about six support, enthusiasm of the Rolling Stock Committee is at its months to complete, finishing at San Jose Diridon. lowest ebb. Those four stations were chosen for the upgrade because their We have one car, the National Forum, which we have current public address systems were identified as unreliable and continued to maintain in accordance with Amtrak's standards so inadequate in a 2009 report. The upgraded systems will provide it can be used on excursions. As your Excursion Director, I am clearer messages to riders regarding service and safety eager to continue to use this historically important car on information. excursions so that we and younger generations can experience On August 2, the first event was held at the San Francisco what it was like to ride in a typical sleeping car of the 1950's. 49ers new Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. Instead of a football This is not impossible; other private owners operate vintage cars, game, it was a soccer match between the San Jose Earthquakes and right now Amtrak is willing to cooperate with them so it is and Seattle Sounders. The stadium is located adjacent to the still possible to have the experience of riding historic equipment Capitol Corridor/ACE Great America station and not directly on on the high iron. the Caltrain line. However, Caltrain ran two special trains for the In light of this, the PRS Board has vested the Excursion event anyway. The trains left San Francisco at 4:35 p.m. and Committee with the responsibility for keeping the National 4:55 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. start time. Fans got off Caltrain at Forum running. Mountain View and transferred to Valley Transit Authority light This means that the Excursion Committee now has to rally rail trains to the stadium. For the return trip, the first special those who agree that the National Forum should continue departed Mountain View 40 minutes after the match ended. The operating on Amtrak so that we can undertake necessary periodic second train left one hour after the match ended. maintenance and all of the various jobs which have to be done On October 5, Caltrain will issue a new time table to address when a car goes on the road. today's operational challenges, including a 25% increase in PRS needs you! Whether you have a particular mechanical ridership over the past two years, as well as upcoming skill, don't mind doing a dirty job now and again, or would like construction projects. Changes being considered include adding to participate in some hands-on historic preservation, now is the time to all trains, adding time to the busiest trains, re-scheduling time to make yourself known! We will be putting together work some mid-day trains up to ten minutes earlier, and adding a 22nd parties at Amtrak's facilities in Los Angeles during the next Street stop to five trains. The new timetable will be available on couple of months with the aim of operating the Forum again as line in early September. soon as possible. Wonder what kinds of work are needed? The Caltrain Board recently honored Arthur Lloyd who retired Contact me at prsexcursion corn or at (626) 570-0033 and from the Board in March after a railroad career of over 60 years. I'll invite you down at a time that's convenient for you to be at The Board passed a resolution thanking him for his service and the car. You don't have to commit to any regular schedule for presented him with a plaque. vonr narticination. We will work with you. I promise that after Page 2 PRS MEMBER MEETINGS September 1, PRM Open Monday, 12:00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m. 8, 15, 22, 29 210 W. Bonita Ave,. San Dimas. CA 91773 September 3, PRM Open Wednesday. 12:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 10, 17, 24 210 W. Bonita Ave., San Dimas, CA 91773 September 5 PRS Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m. Valencia Room Friday Joslyn Center, 210 W. Chapel Ave., Alhambra September 6, PRM Open Saturday. 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. 13, 20, 27 210 W. Bonita Ave.. San Dimas, CA 91773 September 6, Saunders Yard Open Saturday, 8:30 a.in. – '? 13, 20, 27 Noakes St. & Herbert Ave.. Commerce September 12 PRS Membership Meeting. 7:00 p.m.. Alhambra WHEEL CLICKS Friday Joslyn Center, 210 W. Chapel Ave., Alhambra VOLUME 78, NO. 9 September 24 October Wheel Clicks Mailing, 10:00 a.m. SEPTEMBER 2014 Wednesday 1240 Dominion Ave., Pasadena. 626-794-0783 DICK FINLEY EDITOR PROGRAM by Russ DAVIES CHARLES VARNES TECHNICAL EDITOR September 12: Southern Pacific Steam night! On this evening JOHN STALLKAMP MAILER we"11 see two outstanding 'Store Bought (Commercial) Opinions expressed in unsigned articles are those of the editorial board, and videos from the PRS Collection, selected by your Museum do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Society, its officers or Committee. Be there, and bring Digital briefs! directors. Opinions in signed articles are those of the author only. All rights reserved. ISSN: 0043-4744. FOUR METRO RAIL PROJECTS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION Published monthly by PACIFIC RAILROAD SOCIETY, INC. Address and telephone are the same as for Pacific Railroad Museum. There are now four Metro Rail projects currently under construction after the Metro earlier this week gave its contractors PARTICIPATING MEMBER $45.00 per year — the Regional Connector Constructors. Joint Venture — the SUSTAINING MEMBER $60.00 per year official "notice to proceed" on building the line. Until recently. CORPORATE MEMBER $110.00 per year LIFE MEMBER $500.00 Metro never had more than two rail projects underway at the same time. PACIFIC RAILROAD MUSEUM is operated by Pacific Railroad Society at 210 The Regional Connector will be a 1.9-mile underground light W. Bonita Ave. , San Dimas, CA 91773. Telephone: (909) 394-0616. Museum rail line that will connect the Gold Line to the Blue Line and e-mail: [email protected] Open Mondays: 12-5 p.m.; Wednesdays: 12-5 p.m.; Saturdays: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Expo Line in downtown Los Angeles. With a scheduled opening MUSEUM CURATOR DAVID HOUSH of 2020, the Regional Connector will allow trains to run directly EXCURSION DIRECTOR MARTI ANN DRAPER between Santa Monica and East Los Angeles on an east-west WEBMASTER RUSSELL HOMAN line and between Azusa and Long Beach on a north-south line. INTERNET Home Page: http://www. pacificrailroadsociety.org That should pass along several benefits to Metro Rail riders: Pacific Railroad Society, Inc. is a non-profit 501 (e)(3) social organization faster and more frequent trains through downtown Los Angeles; staffed by volunteers. The Society supports rail car preservation and restoration; fewer transfers for most riders: three new stations in Little railroad excursions; a museum which preserves and displays railroad literature, photos, artifacts and a resource library; railroad related education; social events;; Tokyo, Civic Center and 2nd/Hope, and; eliminating the need to and publications. The public is welcome to participate in the Society's events, turn around every Blue Line and Expo Line train at 7th/Metro operations, and facilities. The Society is funded by membership, donations, Center, where both lines currently dead end. wants, and fundraising activities. Utility relocations and other advance work on the project BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF PACIFIC RAILROAD SOCIETY, INC. began last year. PRESIDENT VIRGINIA GRUPP The three other Metro Rail lines under construction are a VICE-PRESIDENT WILL WALTERS 6-mile extension of the Expo Line between Culver City and SECRETARY RICK REYES downtown Santa Monica, an 11.5-mile extension of the Gold TREASURER RICHARD WEIGLE Line between eastern Pasadena and the Azusa/Glendora border DIRECTOR (2012-2015) DAVID ABBOTT DIRECTOR (2014-2017) STEVE CRISE and the 8.5-mile Crenshaw/LAX Line that will run between the DIRECTOR (2012-2015) MARTI ANN DRAPER Expo Line and connect to the Green Line south of the airport.