Vol. 16 April, 2009 No. 4

(photo by Mac Owen)

Fred Mayer presents the April program for the Blue Ridge Chapter, NRHS. He will be showing videos by Henry Griffiths, renowned railroad photagorapher of the 1950a and 60s. The show will include scenes of UP diesels, UP snowplowing, the 1969 Golden Spike centennial celebration at Promontory Point, SP cab-forwards, UP 8444, NP steam and Milwaukee electrics.

Secure the date! Wednesday, April 8. 6:00 p.m. Charley’s Restaurant. 707 Graves Mill Rd. Lynchburg, VA.

Blue Ridge Chapter, National Railway Historical Society Minutes of Meeting - March 11, 2009

President Rick Johnson called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. at Charley’s Restaurant and welcomed 22 members and 3 guests. Guests included Mollie Mayhew; Roy Evans; and Dale Rumsmoke’s daughter, Rebecca. Chris Schieck is still undergoing treatment in Houston and sends greetings to everyone. The February minutes were approved as distributed and there was no Treasurer’s report. Norris Deyerle reported briefly on the C&OHS Train Show in Clifton Forge, thanking Barry and Rite Moorefield for setting up on Saturday and Tom Ledford who helped on Sunday. The table sold $85.00 worth of chapter merchandise left from Lynchburg Rail Day. There were no other reports except a comment about the need to resolve the web page fees as soon as possible. Rick announced that Fred Mayer had the April program on W estern railroads and the Fun Meeting is scheduled on March 25. DVDs will be shown, Ed Fielding has one on Echo Canyon and Soldiers’ Summit. Kurt Reisweber had the evening’s program featuring his recent photos along the former N&W and SRR routes in the southeast. Before adjournment Lee Hawkins related his encounter with the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Department at Blue Ridge, Va. and warned members about heightened enforcement along the right of way there. Kurt Reisweber reported on what he knew about the recent developments on Kodak slide processing and Mollie Mayhew won the 50/50. Meeting adjourned at 7:55 pm.

Tom Ledford, Secretary

National Director’s Page By Norris Deyerle

W hen we can, Lee Hawkins and I go down to Kemper Street Station on Saturday nights to see our newsletter editor and friend Garland Harper and watch Train #19, “The ”, arrive. A little after 7:00 pm on Saturday April 4, 2009, I was talking with Lee over the phone about nothing of real importance. Lee wanted to know if I was “going down to the station”. I was trying to decide if I was going to bed, be a “Real Man” and watch Villanova vs. North Carolina in the second game of the “Final Four” basketball tournament or go by and pick up Lee and head to the station. I told Lee that I would think about it and call him before 9:00 p.m. Just before 9:00 p.m. I called Lee and told him that I would be by to pick him up a little after 9:00. W e headed to Kemper Street Station. I’ll paraphrase what my preacher Corey Ingold says. “Sometimes more important than getting all the facts straight is listening to the telling of the story”. Great stuff, isn’t it? I’ll continue with my story. W hen Lee and I arrived at the station, Garland was unusually busy. W hen he got a free moment, he told us that there was a private car on the rear of #19. It was the “Obama Car”. The “Georgia 300”. W ell, I knew then that I had made the correct decision to go to the station! I really would have loved to see the inauguration train when it was headed to W ashington, DC with Obama and Biden. At least, this was going to be my chance to see the that carried these famous gentlemen. W hen I was thinking about writing this story, I wanted to come up with a name for it. All that I could think of were titles that already had been used such as “Confessions of a Train Spotter” or “Train W atchers’ Diary”. Garland calls his railroad buddies “Buffs”. So, I decided to call this story “Observations of a Buff”. Observations of a Buff

2 Just after Garland announced that “Amtrak Train #19, ‘The Crescent’, would be arriving in the station in just a few minutes and for the passengers to make their way to the north end of the platform to board”. A black man and his daughter walked up to the counter to purchase a ticket. Garland politely asked them if they were buying a ticket for the train that was now arriving in the station. They told him no. He told them that he had to go help the passengers that were getting off of the train and would be back shortly. Soon Amtrak locos #207 and #12 pulled “The Crescent” to a stop right in front of us. Garland performed his duties and I noticed he was talking with the man and his daughter that had walked out on the platform as the passenger train was pulling out of the station. Garland told them that the car that President Obama rode in on the Saturday prior to the inauguration was on the rear of the train. At that point, they were obviously more interested in the train. I noticed how their eyes were fixed on the “Georgia 300” as it went by. It made me happy that I was sitting there on the bench watching what was going on in front of me. By not having a camera with me that night, I could really see what was happening around me. Fortunately, Garland did have his camera with him and the grab shot he made as #19 sped away from the station is reproduced in the “Sightings” section below. The last time I saw O. Winston Link speak was at a Roanoke Chapter, NRHS, Christmas Banquet. He started reading from his personal diary. As tears started running down his checks, he read the names of the people that he got to know that were in his famous photos along with the dates and places. The people were obviously more important to him than his famous photographs. I never saw him tear up when he showed his awesome photographs or played his recordings. He was a people person. That’s what made Winston a great railroad historian as well as one of the best railroad photographers of all time. Then I started thinking of all of the African-Americans that had worked for the at the formerly Jim Crow segregated that I was at. I thought about the cooks, porters and crewmen that worked on the Southern Crescent during the so named “Glory Days of Railroading”. I’ll never forget the story and photos that our Chapter President Rick Johnson shared with us about the Southern Crescent wreck at Elma, Va. on Sunday December 3, 1978. That’s the passenger train wreck where the 37 year old black cook, Ned Haynes of Atlanta, was severely burned when the hot stove trapped him in the dining car. It’s truly amazing what you’ll think about when you seeing history, both past and present, all around you. As the black man and his daughter turned around towards Lee and me, I could see that they were smiling. The young lady went back into the station’s waiting room with Garland to purchase the ticket for her dad. As the observation car “Georgia 300” went by, Lee was singing “Georgia”. He and the man were talking about who sang that song. Lee asked him if Ray Charles sang it. The man told him yes, but it wasn’t about a train car. He said it was about a woman and Ray Charles liked women very much. We all were laughing. When I got home I heard on the late night news that April 4, 2009, was the 41st anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. {January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968}. Hearing that, with what I had just seen at the station inspired me to share this story with you. Dr. King would have been 80 years old if he was alive today. I think his wish for equality for all peoples is closer to becoming a reality than ever. We’ve still got a way to go. Remember to treat others as you would want to be treated. Thank God, racial equality both on the railroad, our schools, in government, etc. has improved. Who knows, it may have even been a black engineer, male or female, in the cab. At least today it could have been. My biggest regret is that I didn’t ask the man his name. Winston would have. Hope to see many of you at this month’s meeting. Fred Mayer is presenting our show. I’ll also give you an update on Lynchburg Rail Day 2009. Thanks for letting me share my thoughts with you. Moo

Governor Kaine on board with Lynchburg rail agreement By Ray Reed, Lynchburg News & Advance. Published: April 1, 2009

A who’s-who list of political leaders and executives filled a tent at the Kemper Street Station in Lynchburg on W ednesday to watch Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and Norfolk Southern Chairman W ick Moorman sign ’s first agreement to support passenger trains. “W e are entering a new era” in passenger rail service, Kaine said, adding that $8.4 billion in federal stimulus money will boost rail transit nationwide.

3 General Assembly members from Charlottesville, Roanoke and Lynchburg, plus most of Lynchburg’s City Council, and Amtrak executives were among approximately 90 people who gathered on a rainy afternoon for a glimpse of what a new train to W ashington will look like. A shiny brown NS executive coach sat on the tracks where a new daily Amtrak train is to depart each morning starting in October. (ed. Note: I dashed off an e-mail to Ray advising him that any railfan worth his salt would know the car is painted TUSCAN RED!) One Amtrak train per day already serves the route. “W e think the Commonwealth of Virginia sets the pace in terms of all the states we deal with in thinking about rail issues, both freight and passenger, in a very proactive way,” Moorman said. The memorandum of understanding between NS and the state includes $18.5 million in state funds to operate two daily Amtrak trains for three years. Those funds come from a 2007 state tax dedicated to rail projects, and not federal stimulus dollars. One train will go from Lynchburg to W ashington, and the other from Richmond to W ashington. About $1 million in improvements to Kemper Street Station are included. Del. Shannon Valentine, D-Lynchburg, said in introductory remarks that “we owe so much of this to the vision and leadership of Governor Kaine.” Kaine complimented Valentine for persistently following the project’s progress with the state Department of Rail and Public Transportation. Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, said Valentine has “never given up” on the new train. Newman also thanked state Sen. W illiam W ampler, R-Bristol, for helping bring the train to Lynchburg as the first leg of a statewide passenger service that rail advocates call the TransDominion Express. Its goal is to create passenger service from Bristol to Richmond, via Roanoke and Lynchburg. Newman worked with W ampler behind the scenes during this year’s General Assembly session to keep the TDX on track. “W e are not going to let that dream die,” Kaine said. Newman said the train would help Lynchburg economically. “There are companies in this area that will benefit greatly,” including the Areva nuclear company, he said. Also speaking briefly at the signing were Del. David Toscano, D-Charlottesville, Sen. John Edwards, D- Roanoke, Del. W illiam Fralin, R-Roanoke, and Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath County. Deeds is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor.

Pictured here is a souvenir passed out to certain individuals that were in attendance at Kemper Street station on April 1. Lynchburg agent Tommy Gilbert was on hand in an official capacity to witness the goings-on as were several Blue Ridge Chapter members, including Dale Rumsmoke, John Collins, Charlie Long and Herb Edwards. Assuming the new train begins in October, 2009, it will mark the first time in thirty years that more than one passenger train has stopped in Lynchburg. On Sept. 30, 1979, Amtrak’s oddly-routed and lightly- used “Hilltopper” was discontinued, leaving only the “Crescent” remaining. From what I gather, the new train, after arrival at Kemper Street station, will be turned on the wye at Montview and would then return to Kemper Street where it would back into the office car track at the station. There it would be cleaned and serviced for the trip north the next morning. Tentative schedule has it leaving LYH about 7:45 a.m. and leaving W ashington about 5:00 p.m. Running time to D.C. is 3 ½ hours, but from what I understand the train will continue on to New York, and possibly even all the way to . Train length could reach eight cars!

4 SIGHTINGS

Feb. 16 – Ringling Bros. Red Unit seen passing through town en route from Greensboro, NC, to Richmond, VA. Train seen here eastbound on Cotton Mill trestle. (Dale Rumsmoke, Rick Johnson-2, G. Harper)

Feb 23 – Ringling Bros. Red Unit seen again westbound this time on the ex-N&W making the “jump” from Richmond, VA, to Huntsville, AL. (G. Harper A. Wiley)

Mar. 16 – Ringling Bros. Blue Unit spotted drifting past Kemper Street Station northbound about 9:30 p.m. Train spent 30 minutes at Rivermont waiting for Amtrak #19 to pass. FYI – next appearance of the circus train here should be April 20 as it makes its way from the Washington, DC, area to Charleston, WV. (G. Harper, A. Wiley)

Mar. 28 – UP AC44CWs 6451 and 6773 seen eastbound on the CSX at the Reusens dam on sulphur train K88826. Foreign power seems to have gotten rather scarce since the economy took a downturn. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1545007 (G. Harper)

Apr. 2 – Norfolk Southern’s FPs and office car train spotted in the fog and mist in Charlottesville southbound about 7:15 p.m. Train was en route to Augusta, GA and the Master’s golf tournament. Ought to return April 13 following the tournament. (G. Harper, G. Wright)

Apr. 4 – Private car “Georgia 300” seen bringing up the rear of Amtrak #19 leaving Kemper Street Station. This same car brought up the rear of the , pre- inaugural train on Jan. 17. Click link below. http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=267757 (Lee Hawkins, N. Deyerle, G. Harper

5 2009 BRC, NRHS Calendar Of Events 51st Anniversary of the Blue Ridge Chapter Compiled by Norris Deyerle

APRIL 2009 04-08-09: BRC Regular Monthly Meeting, Fred Mayer, video 04-18-09: “A Day In Doswell”, Open House at the Doswell Train Station {the current headquarters for the Buckingham Branch Railroad} The railroad will also have a locomotive available for touring. This event is part of The 76tth. Annual Historic Garden Week, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm., $10.00 per person, Contact the following and specify that you are only interested in touring the depot and the locomotive: The Ashland Garden Club, Mrs. Robert Bickford, P.O.Box 922, Ashland, Va. 23005 {Robin Shavers} 04-23-25-09: Eastern Division-TCA York Meet, York, Pa., You must either be a TCA member to attend or attend with a TCA member as a one time guest. Info: www.easterntca.org MAY 2009 05-03-09: Shenandoah Valley Railroad Club Model Train Show, Sunday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Rockingham Country Fairgrounds, Harrisonburg, Va. Admission $4.00, Children under 12 Free when accompanied by an adult. 05-09-09: “Celebration At The Station”, OWLM, Roanoke, Va. N&W Class A 1218, NS Business Cars, 1/8 scale train rides, etc. Info: www.linkmuseum.org 05-09-09: Second Annual National Train Day at Amtrak stations in Philadelphia, Washington, DC, etc. Info: www.amtrak.com, {Lancaster Dispatcher} 05-09 & 16 & 30-09: “The James River Rambler”, Dillwyn, Va. Info:www.odcnrhs.org {Robin Shavers} 05-13-09: BRC Regular Monthly Meeting, Rick-2 Johnson, slides 05-16-09: “Photographers' Special” Steam powered excursion over the former B&O r-o-w of the Wilmington & Western Railroad from Greenbank to Hockessin, DE. B&O Caboose hop with W&W 0- 6-0 #58, Ticket sales are limited to 40 seats! Baltimore Chapter, NRHS, Info: www.nrhsbalto.org 05-16-09: “Steaming the Rails”, Excursion between Tunkhannock and Jim Thorpe, Pa. Featuring Reading & Northern Baldwin Pacific No. 425. Info: www.wyomingcountyunitedway.org/Order%/20form.htm {Lancaster Dispatcher} 05-16-17-09: “The Great Lehigh Valley Train Meet”, Merchants Square Mall, 1901 South 12th. St., Allentown, Pa., Info: www.valleygoto.com/train.html {Lancaster Dispatcher} 05-16-09 Through 12-31-09: “Trains in Motion Pictures”, The Railroad Museum Of Pa., Info: www.rrmuseumpa.org {Lancaster Dispatcher} 05-19-09: Old Dominion Chapter, NRHS, Annual “BBQ By The Tracks” in Ashland, Va. Bring your own chair! Info and Tickets: Bill Todd, 804-746-5735, www.odcnrhs.org {Robin Shavers} 05-23-24-09: Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway, Season opens featuring a 16-mile round trip ride between Jim Thorpe and Old Penn Haven, Pa. Adults - $12.00, Child 3-12 - $9.00 Info: wwwlgsry.com {Lancaster Dispatcher} 05-27-09: BRC “Fun Meeting” 05-29-31-09: “Conrail Days”, The Railroad Museum Of Pa. Info: www.rrmuseumpa.org {Lancaster Dispatcher} JUNE 2009 06-05-07-09: “Pennsy” Days, The Railroad Museum Of Pa. Info: www.rrmuseumpa.org {Lancaster Dispatcher}

6 06-10-09: BRC Regular Monthly Meeting, Dr. Charlie Driscoll, M.D., “Dressed in Scarlet- The Ambulatory Hospital”, Slides shown as a PowerPoint presentation on how the railroads were used to transport wounded during the Civil War. 06-13-14-09: N.C. Transportation Museum. Rail-Days, Spencer, N.C. { Winston-Salem Chapter, NRHS “The Rail” } 06-13-21-09: “Day Out With Thomas”, Strasburg Railroad, Strasburg, Pa. Info: www.strasburgrailroad.com, {Lancaster Dispatcher} 06-27-09: 6th. North Carolina Rail Fair, Saturday, Metrolina Expo Center, Building 1, Charlotte, NC Info:www.gserr.com 06-27-28-09: GSMTS, Timonium, Md. Info: www.gsmts.com JULY 2009 07-01-05-09: “Reading Railroad Days”, The Railroad Museum Of Pa. Info: www.rrmuseumpa.org {Lancaster Dispatcher} 07-08-09: BRC Regular Monthly Meeting 07-8-12-09: N&WHS “Roanoke-2009” Convention, Roanoke, Va. Info: www.nwhs.org 07-22-09: BRC “Fun Meeting” 07-29-08-02-09: C&OHS Annual Conference, Huntington, WV. Info: www.cohs.org AUGUST 2009 08-01-02-09: Greenberg's Train and Toy Show, Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, Md. Info: www.trainshow.org 08-08-09: Lynchburg Rail Day 2009, Blue Ridge Chapter, NRHS, Boonsboro Ruritan Club, Lynchburg, Va., Contact Train Show Coordinators Norris Deyerle at [email protected] or Barry Moorefield at [email protected] 08-09-09: Virginia Train Collectors, Inc. Train Meet, More details to follow. 08-10-16-09: NRHS 2009 Annual Convention, Duluth, Minnesota, E-mail, [email protected] 08-12-09: BRC Regular Monthly Meeting 08-22-23-09: Greenberg's Train and Toy Show, Dulles Expo Center, Chantilly, Va. Info: www.trainshow.org SEPTEMBER 2009 09-09-09: BRC Regular Monthly Meeting 09-20-09: BRC Annual Picnic, English Park, Altavista, Va. Noon-4:00 pm., Please bring a covered dish or dessert to share with others. Your Chapter will supply the entrees and drinks. 09-23-09: BRC “Fun Meeting” OCTOBER 2009 10-10-11-09: GSMTS, Timonium, Md. Info: www.gsmts.com 10-14-09: BRC Regular Monthly Meeting 10-15-17-09: Eastern Division-TCA York Meet, York, Pa. You must either be a TCA member to attend or attend with a TCA member as a one time guest. Info: www.easterntca.org 10-15-18-09: Mid-Eastern Region, NMRA Annual Fall Convention, Hagerstown, MD. NOVEMBER 2009 11-01-09: 32nd. Gaithersburg Railroadiana Show, Sunday, Montgomery County Fairgrounds, Gaithersburg, Md. Info: www.gserr.com 11-11-09: BRC Regular Monthly Meeting, Kurt Reisweber 11-25-09: Attention: No BRC “Fun Meeting” DECEMBER 2009 12-05-09: BRC Annual Christmas Banquet, Former Southern Railway Station, Altavista, Va. 12-09-09: BRC Regular Monthly Meeting 12-19-09: BRC, NRHS Annual Holiday Gathering, Kemper Street Station, Lynchburg, Va. Hours: 9.00 pm until Amtrak Train #19 arrival? 7 CHAPTER OFFICERS AND STAFF

President Rick Johnson, 104 Mowry Ln. Lynchburg, VA 24502 434-239-6159 [email protected] Vice President Charlie Long, 106 Pacos St., Lynchburg, VA 24502 434-239-3521 [email protected] Secretary Tom Ledford, 18 W. Princeton Cir. #18, Lynchburg, VA 24503 434-847-4025 [email protected] Treasurer John Tanner, 209 Pocahontas Dr., Forest, VA 24551-1235 434-525-1318 flytrains@ verizon.net National Director E. Norris Deyerle, Jr. 744 Chinook Pl., Lynchburg, VA 24502 434-237-4912 [email protected] Editor Garland R. Harper, 3920 Harbor St. Lynchburg, VA 24503 434-384-7210 [email protected] Historian Rick Johnson, 104 Mowry Ln. Lynchburg, VA 24502 434-239-6159 [email protected] Webmaster John Siegle 1225 Krise Cir. Lynchburg, VA 24503 434-384-6951 [email protected]

The BLUE RIDGE DISPATCHER is published by the Blue Ridge Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. Opinions expressed are those of the editor and contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Blue Ridge Chapter or the National Railway Historical Society unless otherwise stated.

Blue Ridge Chapter, NRHS P. O. Box 11731 Lynchburg, VA 24506-1731 www.blueridgenrhs.org [email protected]

LYNCHBURG RAIL DAY 2009: Sat., Aug. 8, 2009. Boonsboro Ruritan Club. Coffee Rd.

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