APRIL 24, 2017 ■■■■■■■■■■■ VOLUME 37 ■■■■■■■■■■ NUMBER 4 A Club in Transition 2 The Semaphore David N. Clinton, Editor-in-Chief CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Southeastern Massachusetts…………………. Paul Cutler, Jr. “The Operator”………………………………… Paul Cutler III Cape Cod News………………………………….Skip Burton Boston Globe Reporter………………………. Brendan Sheehan Boston Herald Reporter……………………… Jim South Wall Street Journal Reporter....………………. Paul Bonanno, Jack Foley Rhode Island News…………………………… Tony Donatelli Empire State News…………………………… Dick Kozlowski Amtrak News……………………………. .. Rick Sutton, Russell Buck “The Chief’s Corner”……………………… . Fred Lockhart PRODUCTION STAFF Publication………………………………… ….. Al Taylor Al Munn Jim Ferris Web Page …………………..…………………… Savery Moore Club Photographer……………………………….Joe Dumas The Semaphore is the monthly (except July) newsletter of the South Shore Model Railway Club & Museum (SSMRC) and any opinions found herein are those of the authors thereof and of the Editors and do not necessarily reflect any policies of this organization. The SSMRC, as a non-profit organization, does not endorse any position. Your comments are welcome! Please address all correspondence regarding this publication to: The Semaphore, 11 Hancock Rd., Hingham, MA 02043. ©2017 E-mail: [email protected] Club phone: 781-740-2000. Web page: www.ssmrc.org VOLUME 37 ■■■■■ NUMBER 4 ■■■■■ APRIL 2017 CLUB OFFICERS BILL OF LADING President………………….Jack Foley Vice-President…….. …..Dan Peterson Chief’s Corner ...... …….….3 Treasurer………………....Will Baker A Club in Transition……...10 Secretary……………….....Dave Clinton Contests ................ ………..3 Chief Engineer……….. .Fred Lockhart Directors……………… ...Bill Garvey (’18) Clinic……………..….…….5 ……………………….. .Bryan Miller (‘18) ……………………… ….Roger St. Peter (’17) Editor’s Notes. ….…....… .11 …………………………...Rick Sutton (‘17) Members .............. ….…....11 Memories ............. .………..4 The Operator……………...12 Potpourri .............. ..……….5 ON THE COVER: Top row shows the building as we took it over, then Running Extra ...... ………..11 with new roof installed by Phil Wood and interior before starting any work. Other pictures show sheet-rocking, framing and ceiling installation. Last picture shows Bill Garvey checking one of the recently -installed light switches, to make sure he and Doug Buchanan hadn’t wired it backwards! (Unknown photographers) 2 FORM 19 Fred Lockhart ORDERS The last few weeks at the club APRIL B.O.D. MEETING have been quiet on the railroad, as MondayApril 24th 8 p.m. most of the work that has been done has been on the building; pulling MAY BUSINESS MEETING st cables for the new security cameras, Monday, May 1 8 p.m. new telephone lines, loco net for the DECODER & LOCO TUNE-UP CLINIC th new “fast clocks”, Installing cameras, Thursday, May 4 8 p.m. installing tracks for future track MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE lighting for when the railroad expands Monday, May 15th 8 p.m. and changing out the room lights to LED bulbs. It is DOWNEASTER TRIP DEADLINE good that this work is getting done now as we Monday, May 15th aren’t getting any younger! NEWSLETTER DEADLINE The Scenery Committee has continued with their Saturday, May 20th work in the Cedar Hill engine terminal area. They OFFICIAL OPERATIONS will be there for quite a while, as there is a lot of work to do in that area. I noticed the swamp at Monday, May 22nd & Thursday, May 25th West Middleton has had water poured in the “wet MAY B.O.D. MEETING st areas”. I also noticed the new rolling mill in the steel Thursday, June 1 8 p.m. mill area has lights in it, which shows off the interior detail nicely. If you have held off getting involved in scenery work because you feel you might not have CONTESTS the talent, check with Savery, as I’m sure he has some work that a novice could try, such as painting Congratulations to Al McCarty on winning this rail or ties, for example. The Electrical and the month’s 50/50 Raffle! Benchwork Committees teamed up to install new fast clocks on the outside wall facing Middleton Yard, which should make the work for the Contest question for the May meeting: Middleton crews easier. Some of the future work on the existing railroad Amtrak’s P42 “Genesis” locomotives are 25 years includes: altering the existing sub-roadbed for the old, and wearing out. A new locomotive by Siemens trolley line extension; building and installing new is being tested and purchased for use in several turnouts on the Trolley line; relocating the western states and Florida. It is testing now in beginning of the Larson Branch from its present Washington State. What is this locomotive called location to the new location in Cedar Hill; installing (hint: like a “MOPAR”) and its designation? Good the permanent power supplies for Larson, trolley luck and don’t forget to put your name on the and the Narrow gauge areas; Installing Plexiglas answer sheets. All those who enter with a correct between Bryant City and the end of Cedar Hill yard; answer will get a prize! We shall have our usual adding fascia at Richmond Mills, so that we can Birthday cake from the Beach Grove, IN shops for permanently mount our turnout controls. This work all to partake of after the meeting. to be done is not “owned” by anyone, so if you want <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> to get involved ask me or the Committee Chairman FOR JUNE: In connection with Rapido announcing and we will match your skills to the job at hand. that they will produce all the New Haven named That’s it for this month. Streamlined Parlor Cars, Al Taylor’s next puzzle Fred Lockhart (done with his new program) is titled “Some New Chief Engineer Haven Parlor Cars” it is a favorite “word-find” puzzle. Extras in the usual place. Don’t forget to include your name. Good luck! 3 Scituate is last town to sign agreement with MBTA on Greenbush Line. SEMAPHORE VMW Paducahbuilt files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. UP launches first advertising campaign in 20 years. MEMORIES First “Pot Luck Supper” at SSMRC. APRIL 1997 (20 Years Ago) Attendance at Show: 1,823-highest since 1991. APRIL 2012 (5 years ago) Amtrak takes delivery of last of 50-car “Viewliner” Yard tracks being laid in Cedar Hill sleeping car order. Third leg tied into layout, after temporary removed First MBTA GP40MC locomotives (ex-CN) arrives. Delay of 18 mos. with Hyundai Rotem’s delivery of bi- ”Buck” Dumaine, Jr., ex-New Haven president and ex- level MBTA Commuter cars. BAR president, dies. NS releases “heritage” units decorated in Nickel Plate, Amtrak discontinues Desert Wind and Pioneer trains. Pennsylvania and Interstate RR. Bordon Foods closes Prince Spaghetti factory in Canadian Pacific’s “Canadian” featured on Canada’s Lowell, a large customer of the B&M. (on Weds.-Ed!) latest $10 bill, produced using new polymer material. Green Mountain RR agrees to buyout by Vermont Amtrak floats in and opens new bascule lift span over Railway. Niantic River in East Lyme, CT, replacing 104-year-old Amtrak orders 21 new F59PH locomotives from EMD span. for West Coast service. VIA Rail Canada donates last F unit to NRHS in British Former member Kevin Linagen purchases Conrail (ex- Columbia. FP9 #6300 was built for CNR in 1957 as 6524 Pennsy) MBTA Commuter Rail service begins service from caboose for Wickford Jct., RI station. 10 RT/weekdays stopping at work in the T.F. Green Airport station. Quincy City of Roanoke donates N&W Class J 4-8-4 #611 and shipyard, Class A 2-6-6-4 #1218 to Virginia Museum of Transportation. where he Vermont Railway named Railway Age “Short Line of works. the Year”. (Recent pic APRIL 2007 (10 years ago) of his just- ”Hobbytown of Boston” closes door with owner’s completed retirement. Shop had moved to Florida previously. paint job and lettering.) French electric train with 25,000 HP locomotive breaks APRIL 1992 (25 Years Ago) World speed record @ 357.2 MPH. ”Ye Ed” offers first “clinic” on constant, directional Loco programming cart completed. lighting for locomotives. Jack Bryant awarded Congressional Gold Medal for CV abandons Richford Branch from Sheldon Jct. VT. service in WWII, as part of “Tuskegee Airmen”. First passenger cars built in U.S. in five years roll off First “hybrid” freight car rolls off assembly line: from M-K assembly line in ex-EL shop in Hornell, NY. FreightCar America, the “BethGon II” made of Aluminum All 20 of Amtrak’s GE-built P32BH “Pepsi can” and Stainless Steel. locomotives delivered. APRIL 2002 (15 years ago) ”Mountain Division RR” defers planned startup to State signs $252 million contract with construction 1993, due to lack of funds. Looks to obtain “Flying team to restore Greenbush Line. Yankee” train from Edaville. P2K introduces “Heritage” 0-6-0 locomotive. Canton Jct. loses its operator to remote-control from State puts MassCentral trackage out to bid. South Station. Strasburg RR ships four “Thomas the Tank” engines it Amtrak awards M-K $300 million contract to begin has built for various tourist lines. installing wires from New Haven to Boston. Amtrak and Guilford fight over 79 MPH speed for APRIL 1987 (30 Years Ago) Downeaster. State transportation officials announce they are RailAmerica files to abandon Cape Breton & Central “scaling down” restoration of Old Colony lines by Nova Scotia on Cape Breton Island. scrapping Greenbush Branch. CV roundhouse in New London, CT, destroyed by fire. CV promotes building new auto terminal facility in MBTA buys financially-troubled “Harbor Express” ferry Belchertown, MA. service, which operated from Quincy to Boston. Alaska RR orders first brand-new passenger Acadian Railway Co. plans to run luxury railroad tours equipment in its history. in New England and Maritime Canada. Valley RR in Essex, CT, becomes “agent” to import new Chinese steam locomotives, still in production. 4 New Orange Line relocation to “Southwest Corridor” Paul Agnew continued his deliberations with the opens.