Rocky Mountain Rail Report December 2001 No
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ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAIL REPORT DECEMBER 2001 NO. 507 ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAILROAD CLUB California Dreaming 2002 Events Schedule By Chip Sherman December 11, 2001 • 7:30 PM January 8 Meeting: Fumes Over Sherman Visits to California in the mid-1980s yielded a vast variety of trains. Check out Union Pacific Centennials at Sullivan’s Curve. US Marine switcher at Yermo. Missouri February 12 Meeting: The Old C&S Narrow Gauge Pacific GP-38s doing street running. All this and more when we go California and Engine #9 Dreaming with Chip Sherman. You’ll never believe it until you see for yourself where Rio Grande tunnel motors once strutted their stuff with unit coal trains. March 12 Meeting: Great Trains in the Winter We will meet in the southwest wing of Christ Episcopal Church in Barnes Hall, 2950 South University Boulevard at Bates Avenue. Off-street parking is available at the rear April 9 Meeting: To be announced of the building, east of the meeting hall. Please use the building’s south entrance. May 14 Meeting: Slide Potpourri ANNUAL MEETING NOTICE May Tour: Cheyenne Shops Tour In accordance with the club’s bylaws, the Annual Meeting of the members will be held on Tuesday, December 11, 2001, at the time and location specified herein for the regular June 11 Meeting: To be announced monthly (December) meeting of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club. This meeting is June Event: BBQ at Colorado called for the purpose of electing officers and directors of the Rocky Mountain Railroad RR Museum Club, who will also serve as Trustees (plus at least two non-board members will be elected) for the Rocky Mountain Railroad Historical Foundation; and any other business July 9 Meeting: To be announced as may properly come before this meeting will be handled. July Trip: 3985 Steam to The nominating committee will recommend to the membership that the following Cheyenne persons serve in the Club positions indicated: August 13 Meeting: RMRRC 1984 President - Mike Gailus Directors and trustees for the Foundation: Chicago Tour Vice President - Steve Mason Secretary - Frend John Miner Bruce Eller (2002 - 2003) September 10 Meeting: To be announced Treasurer - Fran Minnich Dave Henker (2002 - 2004) Director - Barry Smith (2002 - 2004) Richard Eaton (2002 - 2005) October 12 Event: Annual Banquet Director - Bob Wilson (2002 - 2004) November 12 Meeting: Video Potpourri Director - Roger Sherman (2002 - 2004) December 10 Meeting: To be announced Membership Renewals Are Due No Later Than January 1, 2002 The deadline for items to be included in A renewal notice was included in the October issue of the Rail Report. Please note that the January Rail Report is 12/13/01. you can now charge your membership dues on MasterCard or Visa. ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAIL REPORT • DECEMBER 2001 • PAGE 1 From The President Publishers Statement By Dave Goss Rocky Mountain Rail Report I’ve recently been working on a of the Club newsletters. The Rocky Mountain Rail Report (ISSN chronological history of the Club and its Also, separate mailings were sent to 1040-9223) is published by the Rocky activities. I’ve gone through almost all the members announcing trips and special Mountain Railroad Club. records we have at Club Headquarters, and events, which preceded the newsletters. First class postage paid at Denver, Colorado. clearly our archives are not very complete. Many of the mailings have been lost, but Postmaster: Send address changes to the I visited the Colorado Railroad Museum we’d love to find any that survive. In the Rocky Mountain Rail Report, PO Box 2391, and because of members like Dick Kindig, 1950s, Club presidents and officers would Denver, CO 80201-2391 Jack Thode, Everett Roher, Irv August, occasionally mail out letters announcing Club Information Mac Poor, Jim Ehernberger and Ed the upcoming events for a whole year or Gerlits, many pieces of the early history of special actions taken by the Board of Rocky Mountain Railroad Club the Club have been saved. These Directors. Many of these are also missing. PO Box 2391 individuals, and others, have donated Denver, CO 80201-2391 personal items to the Museum such as trip If members would be willing to donate tickets, flyers, certificates, brochures, their old tickets, newsletters, flyers, Club Phone: 303-979-2806 newsletters, etc. meeting notices, publication announcements, etc., especially for the Club Website: However, there may be members who period from 1938 to 1960, we would be http://www.rockymtnrrclub.org have other club items which are simply most grateful. The Club would copy these Membership Information collecting dust. We are particularly items and either return them to the interested in any Club material from the member or place them at the Colorado Membership in the Rocky Mountain Railroad 1940s, 1950s and 1960s to include in our Railroad Museum for future historians. If Club may be obtained by sending the annual historical chronology. Specifically, we you are interested, please call me directly dues to the attention of the membership would like to complete a set of the 3 by 5 at 303-693-9933 so we can make chairperson at the club address listed above. postcards that were mailed to Club arrangements. Thanks for your Regular membership dues are $25.00. members before the formal establishment consideration of this request. Overseas regular membership dues are $40.00. A sustaining membership is available by adding $15.00 to any No. 20 In The Hall Of Fame Locomotive No. 20, Caboose 0578 membership category. An associate By Dave Goss And D&IM Car 25 Featured In membership for spouses and children is also Historically Jeffco available for $12.00 per year. Members joining after April may send a payment of On November 17, Locomotive No. 20 was By Dave Goss $2.00 for each month remaining in the year. inducted into the Jefferson County Historical Commission Hall of Fame. This Locomotive Number 20 was recently Club Officers honor was accorded because of the recognized by Jefferson County for its locomotive’s designation on the National President Dave Goss historical importance. In the Fall 2001 Vice President Mike Gailus Register of Historic Places and since it issue of the publication Historically resides in Jefferson County itself. A heavy Secretary Frend John Miner Jeffco, three separate articles illustrated Treasurer Fran Minnich brass plaque was also presented, which with photographs discuss No. 20, Caboose states: 0578 and Car 25. Newsletter Contributions This Property has been placed on The article on Car 25, written by Milly Newsletter contributions and items for the National Register of Historic Roeder, contains a map and four nicely publication should be sent to: Places by the United States reproduced photos. One photo Department of the Interior. Bruce Nall, Editor accompanies each of the articles on No. 20 Rocky Mountain Rail Report and Caboose 0578. Several Club members PO Box 620579 All recipients of these awards are helped review these articles. identified in a notebook located in each Littleton, CO 80162-0579 public library in Jefferson County. The Members can purchase this booklet for Fax: 303-978-0402 page accompanying the recognition of $5.00, plus $2.00 postage, by sending E-mail: [email protected] Number 20 is reproduced on page 3 (with a request to the Club at: the permission of the Jefferson County PO Box, 2391 Steve Cross at Colorado Railroad Graphics Historical Commission). Club member Denver, CO, 80201-2391 (303-699-9174) provided the drawing of club Ruth Koons did the sketch and Bob Tully Please indicate you’d like Issue 22, 2001 engine number 20 for the Rail Report cover. Other railroad artwork is available. prepared the narrative. of Historically Jeffco. ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAIL REPORT • DECEMBER 2001 • PAGE 2 ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAIL REPORT • DECEMBER 2001 • PAGE 3 OS Colorado Current Railroad Happenings By Chip Sherman “OS” are the initials for On the Sheets, a reference to what station agents did to notify the train dispatcher that a train had passed his/her station and been noted on the train register. OS Colorado is a joint effort to note the rail activities occurring in and around Colorado. Building a High-Speed Passenger Locomotive U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater in 1999 announced the award of $7 million in federal funding to continue the partnership between the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Bombardier Transit Corporation in producing a prototype non-electric high- speed locomotive by the year 2000. “High-speed rail is an important part of President Clinton’s transportation vision for America in the 21st century,” said Secretary Slater. “This successful public- private partnership is developing the technology which will enable safe and efficient high-speed rail passenger service.” The FRA and Bombardier are currently constructing a 5,000-horsepower, self- propelled locomotive that will permit high-speed rail passenger service without requiring installation of overhead electrical wires to provide power to the train. Bombardier, Inc., an international company, is headquartered in Saint-Bruno, Québec. The prototype was assembled in The Union Pacific (UP) Railroad, former Southern Pacific business car UPP 140 Bombardier Transportation’s Plattsburgh, STANFORD at Denver Union Station in late October 2001. The STANFORD was on the NY, plant. rear of Amtrak’s California Zephyr on 11/1/01. – Photo © Chip. “This high-tech 21st century locomotive is the 69-foot-long locomotive will be fiscal year 1998 brings the total federal taking shape, a product of our partnership capable of traveling at speeds up to 150 investment to $10 million. Bombardier with Bombardier,” said FRA m.p.h. In the future, the prototype also has contributed $10 million. Administrator Jolene M. Molitoris. “The locomotive’s acceleration capability will high-speed non-electric locomotive will be augmented by integrating a flywheel Currently, Alabama, California, Florida, greatly advance the introduction of high- energy storage system being developed in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, speed rail services in many parts of the a FRA-funded project at the Center for Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, country.” Electromechanics at the University of Missouri, North Carolina, New York, Texas at Austin.