The Semaphore Newsletter of the Rochester NY Chapter, NRHS July 2004 P.O. Box 23326, Rochester, NY 14692-3326; Published Monthly Volume 46, No. 11 Program for July 15: MUSEUM MUSINGS help. Not only will you be helping the guests byi Dale Hartnett you greet, you will also make the load lighter Fun time at the Depot! for the volunteers who have been holding down the fort this year. Riding Our Own Railroad!! Did your mother ever tell you, “Many hands make light work”? It was true when Never been a Depot Guide? Session #2 you were growing up and it’s still true today. Here are a few things you might want to You are invited to come out on For years, Don Shilling used to ask every know: Thursday, July 15, anytime after 6 Chapter member to commit one Sunday to * Duty is Sundays, arriving by 10:45 PM, to the Industry Depot on NYS being a Depot Guide at our Museum. We AM. You can generally leave at 5 PM. Route 251 to enjoy the "fun"(work?) didn’t put it quite that way this year - until * We have materials to help you learn that our Chapter volunteers have now. perfected over the years! what to do and say. Frankly, we’ve had trouble staffing our Please invite your friends and neighbors * You can request to be scheduled with Museum for Sunday tours. Sometimes we an experienced Depot Guide, if you like. to join us. They may enjoy the only have had one person on duty. Other occasion and become interested in * You don’t have to be an expert at weekends, we’ve been dangerously close to joining the Chapter! We discourage everything. However, with a minimum of not being able to open at all. the presence of small children; if training plus what you probably already present, small children must be con- If you have been working as a Depot know, you will be far ahead of most of our stantly supervised. Guide on Sundays or for the many weekday guests. tour groups, thank you for your generous At the June meeting, there were about a * It’s a lot of fun and you get to hear dozen attendees from the Rochester help! Model RR Club and Genesee Society many interesting stories. (The experience is If you have not yet signed up, please frequently worth it just for the stories!) of Model Engineers. An invitation contact Dave Peet right now (586-8964 or Many hands make for light work. Would has been sent to other modeling [email protected]). We have many groups for the July meeting. you give us a hand? slots available and could really use your Future Programs by Harold Russell U&M Chapter to tour our museums on Saturday, July 17 August: Meeting will be had at the R&GV RR Museum's Depot in Industry. Pro- Utica & Mohawk Valley Chapter plans to About 3 PM they should arrive at NYMT gram will be what the Motive Power visit R&GVRM and NYMT Sat., July 17. for a tour and then track car rides to our Team will put together for our enjoyment. Chapter members will leave by bus from R&GV RR museum for the final event of the September 18: Pennsylvania Railroad's Utica Union Station at 6:30 PM. First they day. Elmira Branch by author Bill Caloroso. will go to Medina to tour the GVT Railroad, Let's extend a 'hearty welcome' to our October 21: A speaker from Utica and and the Medina Railroad Museum. fellow NRHS Chapter members. Maybe in Mohawk Valley NRHS. Around Noon, they will stop in LeRoy to not the too far future we can arrange a tour November 21: Oil Creek Railroad by Dick have lunch at D&R Depot Station restaurant to Utica and Syracuse Chapters and areas. Senges. (former BR&P, B&O, CSX depot). December 16: Railroads of the Southern Tier by Fred Trumbore President Jer- emy Tuke holds a Chapter Library quick membership meeting during the 11 May Street (by OMID Tracks) in June Chapter meet- Webster ing at the Diesel Hours: 7:00 to 9:30 PM Days meeting point. Monday, July 19, 2004 After the meeting, members were Library Phone: 872-4641 taken by track car Welcome - Come and to tour the NYMT which was open for the meeting. (Chris Hauf photo and caption) Page 2 July 2004 The Semaphore Track Car Operators riders, give them a little history of the Membership Report museums, tell them what to expect on their Janet Dittmer, Chairperson Weekend scheduling is done by Harold trip and most importantly assist them in Welcome to this new member: Russell, telephone 427-9159 or e-mail to: boarding and unboarding in a safe manner. Patrick Mruczek [email protected]. Check your calen- The Third Operator will relieve the other 2 Thorp St. dars now and see which dates you can track car operators. To assure fairness, the Batavia, NY 14020 operate. You will be contacted by him using Third Operator is expected to operate each 585-344-0269 track car third of the available time. E-mail or US mail. Change of Address: Dave Soble does the weekday scheduling. All weekend operators should arrive at Ralph Wulff He will contact the operators who are NYMT by 10:00 AM. This will allow you to 327 Walker Drive available weekdays by telephone. thoroughly inspect the track car, make any Canandaigua, NY 14424-2373 switching moves, and make a safety run to This year we will schedule three opera- New e-mail address: Industry before the first revenue run at 11:30 tors for weekend operation. Two operators E. Wayne Turnblom AM. In some cases the first revenue run may will be assigned to a specific track car each. [email protected] be at 11:00 AM. When this occurs you will We would like three operators on Diesel be advised to start one-half hour earlier than Days. Membership Contact: usual. The third operator will serve two very Janet Dittmer, Membership Chair Have a fun day and remember that important functions. He/she will welcome the 983 N. Winton Rd. Rochester, NY 14609-6824 Track Car Operator's Schedule (thorough Aug. 8) <[email protected]> (All Sunday dates, except where noted) Date TC-3 TC-1 Third Operator Membership Rates: July 11 Ed Van Horne Gale Smith Ryan Kane National + Chapter membership: . $40 July 17 * Harold Russell Gale Smith Above as Family membership .... $52 July 18 Bob Achilles Phil McCabe Steve Huse Local* .................................. $20 Local as Family* ..................... $29 July 25 Joe Werner Mike Roque' Jessie Stallone (* Holds National membership August 1 Harold Russell Greg Harris Phil McCabe elsewhere) August 8 Bob Mader National only .......................... $20 * A Saturday PM date to accommodate visiting Utica & Mohawk Chapter visitors. National as Family only ............. $23 Subscriptions only: ....................$8 I have opportunities open of August 8, 15 and 29. I think you might want to grab these before they are gone. Upcoming Anniversaries by Rand Warner 75th Anniversaries of Abandonment of Depot Guides Schedule Rochester area Interurban Lines: Guides are urgently needed for all Sundays in July -- and ? Rochester & Eastern: July 30, 2005 other Sundays up through October. Please contact Dave Peet at 586-8964, or e-mail to [email protected]. ? Rochester Lockport & Buffalo: April 30, 2006 ? Rochester & Syracuse: June 28, 2006 2004 Special Events Chris Hauf talks to Syracuse 50th Anniversary of Closing of Rochester Subway for Passenger Service: June 30, July 18 (Sun.) - "Worlds in Miniature" * Chapter. 2006. August 21-22 (Sat. and Sun.) - "Diesel Chris Hauf presented a slide program to We have some time here to plan some Days" the Central New York Chapter in May. In attendance were four members of the Utica significant and appropriate recognition October 10 - RIT Day and Mohawk Chapter. events & Celebrations!! *Demonstrations/displays at New York Reports in both chapter newsletters were Museum of Transportation. appreciative of the presentation and accom- David Gunn spoke at CERA plishments completed by our chapter. meeting Contributors to this issue Thanks Chris for "spreading the word" Amtrak's President, David Gunn spoke Ron Aberger, Harold Crouch, Janet what can be done, and IS DONE, by our before a meeting of the Central Electric Dittmer, Dale Hartnett, Chris Hauf, Kevin dedicated volunteers! Klees, Dave Luca, Dave Peet, John Redden, Railfans' Association in Chicago on June 25. Harold Russell, Norm Shaddick, John Since electric railroads are the special inter- Stewart, Rand Warner. est of CERA, Mr. Dunn's talk will center Diesel Days around the electrified portions of the rail August 21-22 The Semaphore July 2004 Page 3 Managers Railroad: (Motive, Rolling stock, MOW, ROW) Chris Hauf: 381-8583; [email protected] Infrastructure: (Buildings, grounds, shops, construction, communications, signals & power, heavy equipment) Dave Luca: 288-0318; [email protected] Visitor Experience: (Visitor, Train & Track Car operations, 4-Q Vision, Special events) Dale Hartnett: 243-0139; [email protected] Reserve time for "Diesel Excursion Car Fleet Work Library Report Days" by Dave Luca Charles Robinson, Chairman Diesel Days, Saturday and Sunday, Au- Although Wednesdays from noon until The next session at the library for gust 21 and 22 will soon be upon us! 9:00 pm and most Saturdays from 9:00 am ordinary use is Monday evening July 19 Last year we handled nearly 1,200 visi- till ? are the scheduled work days, anyone between 7:00 and 9:30 PM. The air tors during Diesel Days—our second highest wishing to become more involved with the conditioning is working so keep cool at the attendance of all time! This year, we're restoration and maintenance of the cars and library.