Railroad Days 2012 Is Ready to Roll
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Volume X, Number 1 Spring 2012 RAILROAD DAYS 2012 IS READY TO ROLL By Donna Johnson, Media The Grainger Foundation; He- & Community Relations roes Bar & Grill; McCoy Mills Chairman Ford, Fullerton; Morningside of Fullerton; The Old Spaghetti Community supporters and Factory; The Orange County regional railroads have stepped Register and The Wilson W. up in large numbers to create an Phelps Foundation. expansive Railroad Days 2012, And we have an all-star set for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 5 & 6 lineup of featured participants at the Fullerton Train Station. that will provide rail equip- The FREE event now in its ment for tours, including: Dis- 12th year will salute Fullerton’s neyland Railroad's Presidential historic rail connection with ex- Coach “Lilly Belle,” a narrow- tensive train exhibits and tours, gauge observation car named a scenic garden railroad and for Walt Disney’s wife, Lillian. more than 8,000 square feet of The elegant Victorian-décor car layouts created by 13 modular will be combined for the first groups in all scales -- Z to G -- time since 1974 with the Carol- to delight families and rail fans wood Pacific’s coach for pas- of all ages. sengers and baggage that was Area businesses and foun- designed by Disney Imagi- dations responded very posi- neers at Walt’s request. tively to the appeal of SCRPA Visitors may also tour a volunteers in recent months by modern BNSF freight locomo- helping to fund the return of tive, as well as vintage passen- Railroad Days to the mainline ger cars and cabooses. And the in Fullerton. California Fire Fighter Associa- The City Council is onboard tion’s 1902 steam fire engine for the event, proclaiming that will be on display, complete it commends the SCRPA for with a watchful Dalmatian. bringing “the railroad heritage “It’s going to be the best of the community to life for all one yet,” said Railroad Days to enjoy.” Chairman Jeff Schulze, noting that new this year, kids Sponsors this year include BridgeMasters; Coast Rail Services; Godfrey, Godfrey, Lamb & Ortega LLB; Continued on page 2 It’s all about trains at April Dinner Meeting Our spring Members’ Quarterly Dinner program will focus on last-minute plans and exhibits for Railroad Days 2012 in Fullerton. Chairman Jeff Schulze will present an overview, with details added by Railroad Days Committee Chairmen and sign-ups for volunteer commitments on May 5 & 6. We will meet on Wednesday, April 11, 2012, at the Sizzler restaurant in Fullerton. The evening will start with a mixer at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 and then the program and a brief meeting. Members and guests will again order and pay independently for their meals. Prices range from $7 to $23, plus beverages -- with daily specials and a senior discount available. No RSVPs are required. The Sizzler, 1401 N. Harbor Blvd. (north of Berkeley Avenue), also serves beer and wine. Menu nutrition and allergy information is listed by item at www.sizzler.com. The Fullerton Sizzler phone is: 714-738-5018. Continued from cover S C R P A ages 12 and younger may climb aboard a trackless outhern alifornia ailway laza ssn. train for a free ride on Santa Fe Avenue -- thanks to Our Vision Is The Old Spaghetti Factory Promotion of educational programs, activities, and ven- An expanded food court along Santa Fe will in- ues for people of all ages, dedicated to the preservation clude tented seating for enjoying treats purchased from food booths. Boy Scout Troop 292 will serve a of the rail heritage of Southern California. pancake breakfast at 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Our Mission Is Dozens of Amtrak passenger trains and Metrolink Education of the public, providing an historical insight in- commuter lines travel through Orange County each to the numerous contributions that railroads have made day, plus countless freight trains; and SCRPA also to the development and growth of Southern California aims to raise railroad safety awareness, especially for from the 19th century forward. children. Our annual Railroad Safety Poster Contest that is open to more than 12,000 students in kindergar- Our Goals Are ten through sixth grade will again have winning post- • Successful development of the Southern California ers displayed in the SCRPA booth. Railroad Experience Free parking is available throughout downtown • Production of the annual Railroad Days and Fullerton. Or better yet, you could climb aboard Children’s Rail Safety Poster Contest community Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner trains or ride Metrolink events commuter lines to the depot at 120 E. Santa Fe Avenue, • Sponsorship of historical research and modeling of east of Harbor Boulevard and north of the 91 Freeway. significant sites and structures, publication of the Hot Rail! newsletter, and presentation of quarterly See MORE ABOUT RAILROAD DAYS 2012 dinners and speakers on topics of member interest on pages 6 and 7 The SCRX Vision Is To be the premier destination for presenting the spirit of PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Southern California through its railroad heritage. Are you ready? With Railroad Days fast approach- The SCRX Mission Is ing, your participation is needed. At the April Quarter- To provide, through our ideas, exhibitions, and pro- ly Dinner, Railroad Days Chairman Jeff Schulze will ask that you sign up for as much time as you can, to as- grams, engaging educational and entertaining experienc- sist with the daily duties that are required to make the es to Southern California residents and visitors. event the most successful one to date. We are looking The SCRX Goals Are forward to your commitment for May 5 & 6, 2012. To fulfill the Vision and Mission by developing and pre- Also, we are going to place orders for shirts and senting programs that capture the spirit of Southern Cal- hats for the SCRPA membership. The shirts will have a ifornia through its railroad heritage and by partnering BNSF logo and SCRPA wording. The hats will have with governmental and private entities to create an ex- “Southern California Railway Plaza Association” periential destination. above the brim and possibly, Railroad Days in Fuller- ton, on the side. The cost of the shirts will be $25, as in past years and the hats will be $15. They will be avail- BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR able prior to Railroad Days. We’ll be taking orders and pre-payment at the dinner. RAILROAD DAYS 2012 NEWS! On a sad note, we have lost two of our members, Paul Gerhardt passed away on January 3, 2012, after We have advertisements and press release informa- being diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. Paul was a tion being printed in newspapers, magazines and in devoted member and was involved with many aspects online sites in the coming weeks. of the History & Modeling Committee’s functions and Look for notices or ads in Westways, AAA’s maga- projects. As an active modeler, he had many acquain- zine; in the Fullerton Observer, and in our official me- tances from the hobby industry. He will be missed. dia sponsor, The Orange County Register. You can al- I have also received word that Liz Gerhardt, Paul’s so see articles in the Metrolink Matters newsletter and wife, passed away on March 3, 2012, from complica- its website, plus calendar listings on the Kalmbach tions with pneumonia. She also will be missed. train-related websites. Several members assisted with the removal of an In addition, watch for the 8-page Railroad Days HO scale model railroad that Paul had built at his 2012 Program that will be distributed in The Register home. We also acquired his Railroad Magazine collec- and Los Angeles Times to specific north Orange Coun- tion, Model Railroader and Railroad Model Craftsman, ty ZIP codes, as well as direct mail deliveries to certain from 1993 through 2011. If you are interested in any of ZIP codes. It’s a terrific guide to all the activities and the issues, let me know and you are welcome to take participants, including a map to help you locate every- them for your collection or reading. They are at my thing. home and can be picked up any time. Please let me AND you too can help us spread the word! Tell know. your friends and neighbors about our great event on And BIG thanks to Kathy and Dave Norris for step- May 5 & 6 at the Train Station in Fullerton – then come ping up to fill two SCRPA positions: Kathy as chair- join the fun! man of the 16th annual Railroad Safety Poster Contest, CORRECTION: The Hot Rail delivered in early Jan- and Dave as program chairman for the Quarterly Din- uary was the Winter 2011 edition, not the Winter ner Meetings. 2012 as the pages were labeled. Our online ver- The April 11 Dinner is an all-hands-on-deck night, sion in the Hot Rail archives has the correct edi- and we’ll have lots of great news about our 12th Rail- tion information. There was a mix-up over the road Days. See you there! publication date, which was December 31, 2011. Harold Benash 2 VOL. X O. 1 - SPRIG 2012 H&MC SPRING REPORT: trains run through a town, across a mountain, and over a spindly wood trestle. PREPARING FOR RAILROAD DAYS The track, wiring and scenery have been carefully checked and updated and will feature hand-held con- By Dennis White, H&MC Secretary and Editor trols, so visiting children will have the opportunity to Great news! Railroad Days is coming back to the actually operate the trains on this typical small, home Fullerton Transportation Center the first weekend in layout.