FEBRUARY 2005 374 PAVILION WCRA PETER COX ARCHIVE SINGH BILN TO LEAD 2860 WCRA News, Page 2 GENERAL MEETING NOTICE The General Meeting of the WCRA will be held on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 at the Rainbow Creek station, Willingdon at Penzance in Burnaby, starting at 1930 hours. Entertainment will be a travel spectacular slide show by Don Evans, featuring trips to Istanbul, Turkey; Cologne, Germany; and the ARM 2004 Conference in Utah / Nevada. NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING This is due notice that the Annual General Meeting of the West Coast Railway Association will be held Tuesday, February 22, 2005 starting at 1930 hours at Rainbow Creek Station. ON THE COVER Royal Hudson #2860 is pictured at Canadian Pacific's Vancouver station, ready to depart with an eastbound passenger train. While details surrounding this undated photo by an unknown photographer are sketchy, we can determine that it would have been taken in 1955 or 1956, as The Canadian has arrived on the other track (and it started in 1955), and Royal Hudson #2860 pulled the last steam powered passenger train from the station in 1956. (photo provided by Grant Ferguson) Do you have any photos of #2860 in service in years past? If so, we would like to hear from you and to add them to our history files for the Royal Hudson #2860. FEBRUARY CALENDAR • West Coast Railway Heritage Park Open daily 1000 through 1600k • Monday, January 31—Newsletter deadline for the March issue of WCRA News • Sunday, February 13—Mount Pleasant Lions Club train show • Thursday, February 17—Tours Committee meeting—contact Bernie at 604-325-0923 for location. • Tuesday, February 22—WCRA Annual General Meeting, 1930 hours, Rainbow Creek Station in Burnaby. The West Coast Railway Association is an historical group dedicated to the preservation of British Columbia railway history. Membership is open to all people with an interest in railways past and present. We are a non-profit British Columbia society, registered as a Canadian charity. Individual membership in the WCRA is $50.00 per year, family membership is $60.00. Other membership categories are: - Junior Member (age 16 and under ) $ 25 - Sustaining Member $100 (tax receipt) plus membership type regular fee - Life Member (one time fee) $700 individual life / $1,200 family life All memberships include the monthly newsletter, Heritage Park admission, mini rail rides and discounts on food and merchandise. The Association holds a monthly meeting on the last Tuesday of the month at 1930 hours in Burnaby at Rainbow Creek Station in Confederation Park. Apply through www.wcra.org or mail to WCRA, PO Box 2790 Stn. Term., Vancouver, B.C., V6B 3X2. WCRA News, Page 3 EDITORIAL OOPS—WRONG YEAR FOR PIERRE! How time flies—a correction to the January issue, Pierre Berton came here to launch the Full Steam Ahead Capital Campaign on June 2, 1996 (not 1997). WELCOME TO THE 374 STATION SOCIETY—AND OTHER HEADLINES A huge start to 2005 this month as we announce three major steps forward for the West Coast Railway Association. Read about the donation of the fabulous Peter Cox Archive on page 10, a great addition to our archival collections. And, we are able to let you know that Singh Biln will be joining WCRA to lead our Royal Hudson project—an exciting step, see page 12. Our feature headline announces that agreement has been reached with the 374 Station Society to integrate that organization into the WCRA, and for WCRA to take on the operation of the 374 Pavilion in Vancouver effective July 1, 2005. WCRA (along with the CRHA locally) worked to see historic locomotive #374 restored cosmetically for Expo 86, and has supported its continued preservation at the Roundhouse location in Vancouver’s Yaletown area. The 374 Station Society, led by former Vancouver mayor Jack Volrich, has successfully seen the construction of the 374 Pavilion at that location and managed to open and operate the Pavilion as a public attraction. (see page 7 for more) But more resources are needed, and that’s where WCRA comes in. By working together in a new structure (with the 374 Pavilion as a stand alone operating unit of WCRA) we can increase volunteer resources as well as operating funds to develop this Vancouver attraction. We will open it for longer and more regular hours, and ensure the long term preservation of the locomotive that pulled the first passenger train into our city on May 23, 1887. For West Coast Railway Association, it means a new “storefront” attraction in the City of Vancouver, allowing us increased visibility of our activities and preservation efforts. In the end, it is truly a win-win for all, and that’s good for railway preservation which, after all, is why we exist in the first place. Don ASSOCIATION NEWS FROM THE DECEMBER GENERAL MEETING Chair Colin Dathan called meeting to order with 33 members and 2 guests present: • Gordon Hall offered for sale “Royal Hudson” DVD’s and Calendars left over from WCRA News, Page 4 Canada Place. Price - Donation to Royal Hudson. Will print more calendars if there is a demand. • Colin Dathan gave the Executive Director’s report in Don Evans’ absence • Jim Brown reported on the collection in Ron Anstey’s absence : · The Alberta will be moved inside shortly for restoration work. Contract workers will be hired. Many qualified ex BCR employees are looking for such work.. · Work will start on the Royal Hudson in January • Jim Brown reported on Operations: – Changes to accounting process as recommend by KPMG implemented Dec 15th, including: · Account consolidation – there are now 5 accounts: General; Heritage Park (mainly salaries), Capital, Tours Trust, and Gaming Trust. The latter 2 are restricted accounts. · Changes in Signing Authorizations · Centralized payables system implemented - Several Volunteer Issues were discussed: · Volunteer Insurance – all volunteers are covered under the Association’s insurance policy while involved in Association sanctioned activities. The coverage is “more than adequate”. · Volunteer Expenses – there are two main ways of being reimbursed for monies expended for Association activities or projects: - In-kind - the volunteer submits receipts to the Association and receives a tax receipt for the amount spent. This is the preferred method as it is the ”least cost” to the Association – example is mileage allowance; - Reimbursement - the volunteer submits receipts to the Association where it is reviewed, and when the expenditure is approved receives a cheque for the amount spent. Note: Reimbursement requires verbal pre-approval for the expenses to be incurred by the project manager - Much discussion followed regarding the accounting changes including · What assurance is there that designated donations actually go the designated project if there aren’t separate bank accounts ? (there are separate accounting accounts) · Temporary use of designated funds by other projects. Jim describes how for a project such as those funded by grants we must often make the expenditure first and then be reimbursed; · Ultimately agreement by all that while there are concerns they would be deferred until the 2005 budget is discussed at which time answers would be presented using the budget to illustrate them. - 2004 Tax receipts – deadline for submission Jan 31st. • Colin Dathan reported on Association Operations: · Deadline for submitting Volunteer Hours is Jan 31st.– Send to Colin · Don’t assume he has them for some other source, send them all WCRA News, Page 5 • Entertainment 2005 Books · Profit from this year’s sales = $800. Bernie thanked all for their assistance • Christmas at Canada Place - Paul Roy reported • 12 days vs. previous year’s 21 · 13,724 paid rides and 58 free by Canada Place · Net revenue $20,586 (after $6,800 expenses) plus $2,186 sales at Kiosk · Best day = $3,596 - Slowest day = $1,010 · Paul thanked all who have assisted with this year’s event. Dinner Jan 11th - New China Kitchen; · Takedown set for December 24 to December 29 • Bill Marchant reported that the next event is the Mount Pleasant Lions Show Feb 13th • Bill Johnston gave a tours update: · The 2005 Tours Schedule is in the Jan 2005 issue of the WCRA News · North Country Tours have been renamed o Northbound – Fraser Skeena Tour o Southbound – Skeena Fraser Tour · There is currently a fair bit of business coming in from independent travelers · WCRT will receive $50 commission for any Trains Unlimited Tours they book. • Questions from the floor: · Has the assessment been done F7 #1404? Ans - No, will be done in January. · Has the roof on the Marjatta not been completed? Ans- No, much work was done and additional rot was found and repaired. Warm weather is needed to apply the new membrane. Will now wait for Spring. · # 4069 and 561 will initially go to the Diesel shop followed later by Marjatta. The present lease is for 3 months. · How is the security at the Diesel Shop? Would hate to see damage or irreplaceable loss to units/contents stored there. BC Rail Properties as other tenants at the site. Ans We will assure there is adequate security before moving the assets. • Gord Hall has purchased the “old” tender shield from the Royal Hudson. This item almost went to a collector in the USA. He has donated it to the WCRHP where he hopes “it will be appropriately displayed”. • Nomination for Directors (3 year Term) – conducted by Colin Dathan · 2 positionsavailable, currently occupied by: o Jim Brown who resigned to become Operations Manager, and o Colin Dathan who was appointed by the Board for a 1 year term. · Nominations were accepted from the floor without comment and then each nominee was asked to indicate whether he would agree to stand. · Nominees and Response • Colin Dathan – Declined • Paul Roy – Declined • Jeremy Davy – Agreed • Bernie Tully – Declined • Dave Emmington—Declined WCRA News, Page 6 · As there were less than 2 nominees agreeing to stand: o Jeremy Davy was elected by acclamation o The other position would again be appointed by the Board.