The SETOFF The Official Publication of NARCOA North American Railcar Operators Association May / June 2010 Volume 24 No. 3 NARCOA Rulebook Changes New NARCOA Secretary History of the Hy-Rail Associated Manufacturing Company The NNAARRCCOOAA OOffffiicciiaallss SETOFF President: Warren Froese Nominations, Elections Volume 24 - No 3 Vice-President: Mark Springer Carl Anderson Secretary: Mark Hudson 1330 Rosedale Lane Treasurer: Tom Norman Hoffman Estates, IL 60195 The SETOFF is the official publication of [email protected] the North American Railcar Operators Associ - Area 1 Director ation (NARCOA) and is published bimonthly (ME, NH, VT, NY, MA, CT, RI) NARCOA Insurance Administrator to promote safe legal operation of railroad mo - Warren Riccitelli (401) 232-0992 Tom Norman (406) 722-3012 torcars, and to encourage fellowship and ex - [email protected] 1047 Terrace View Drive change of information among motorcar Alberton, MT 59820 enthusiasts. Membership in NARCOA, which Area 2 Director [email protected] includes a subscription to The SETOFF, is $30 (NJ, PA, DE, MD) per year, and is available from Secretary Mark John Gondor (724) 244-7538 Rule Book CertificationTest Hudson. Please send your check made out to [email protected] Al McCracken 2916 Taper Avenue NARCOA to: Area 3 Director Santa Clara, CA 95051 Mark Hudson, Membership (IN, Lower MI, OH) [email protected] P.O. Box 321, Dry Ridge, KY 41035. Dave Verzi (216) 941-5273 [email protected] [email protected] The SETOFF Editor Brian Davis (330) 554-4480 Brian Davis, SETOFF Editor Area 4 Director [email protected] 5626 Chadwell Circle (WV, VA, KY, NC, SC, TN) Ravenna, Ohio 44266 Tom Falicon (828) 488-8063 NARCOA Webmaster [email protected] [email protected] Keith Mackey (352) 347-0770 [email protected] Leon Sapp, Assistant Editor Area 5 Director Jan Taylor, Assistant Editor (MS, AL, GA, FL) NARCOA Forum Moderator Jamie Haislip, Contributor Bobby Moreman (770) 457-6212 Rich Stivers (408) 264-1048 [email protected] [email protected] The SETOFF is printed by Greg Kightlinger, GEK Printing Area 6 Director (MN, WI, IL, Upper MI) Committee Chairs All subscriptions and address changes Bob Knight (815) 786-3096 must go to the Secretary. All materials for pub - [email protected] Judiciary Chair lication must go to the Editor. Jim Spicer (541) 344-3079 Materials received by the 15th of even Area 7 Director 91375 Coburg Rd numbered months will appear on the 1st of the (ND, SD, NE, IA) Eugene OR 97408 next odd numbered month subject to editing Carl Schneider (515) 967-5181 [email protected] and available space. Please include your e-mail [email protected] Safety Chair address and phone number. Electronic submis - Area 8 Director Bob Knight (815) 786-3096 sions are preferred. Text files must have either (Canada, World outside U.S.) [email protected] .doc or .txt extensions. Photo files must be high Warren Froese (204) 668-8311 resolution with .jpg extensions. All materials [email protected] Rules Chair are archived and not returned. We cannot Jim McKeel (316) 721-4378 reprint copyrighted material without written au - Area 9 Director [email protected] thorization or proper attribution. (AR, CO, KS, LA, MO, OK, TX) Letters to the Editor must be signed and Mark Springer (316) 721-4804 Operations Chair include an e-mail address or phone number for [email protected] Bill Taylor (406) 721-2351 authentication. All such letters will be printed [email protected] as discussed in the NARCOA policy book. Area 10 Director Committee Chairs For more information about NARCOA, (WA, OR, ID, MT, AK, WY) Jim Spicer (541) 344-3079 the safe legal operation of motorcars, or to find [email protected] Affiliates ................................... Dave Verzi NARCOA affiliates located in Canada, the Custom-Built Motorcars ........ Tom Falicon United States, and Mexico, please see: Area 11 Director Communications ..……..…. Bernie Leadon www.narcoa.org (CA, NV, UT, AZ, NM, HI) Data and Computer ................ Pat Coleman © Copyright 2010 - NARCOA. All rights Pat Coleman (925) 979-1030 FRA ........................................ Ron Zammit reserved. Reproduction, by any means, in [email protected] Legal Forms ......................... Mark Springer whole or part, by any party, is strictly prohib - ited. Director-at-Large (non–voting) Margaret Hope (604) 320-7613 S [email protected] NARCOA Licensed Radio Call Sign WPH T745 On The Cover: Amador Central – March Director-at-Large (non–voting) 21, 2010 near Ione, CA. The last east - Bernie Leadon (615) 478-3660 Channe l 1 – 151.625 MHz Channel 2 – 151.505 MHz bound group crosses the Hwy 104 over - [email protected] Channel 3 – 158.400 MHz pass at MP 3.3. Photo by Wayne Parsons Page 2 The SETOFF May / June 2010 PPrreessiiddeenntt’’ss MMeessssaaggee #ARCOA Warren Froese Income/Expense Statement 1/1/09 through 12/31/09 The sun is out even in the far north, most of the snow is gone and the lakes are starting to break up after a long frozen winter. Is that the view I#COME out your window? Many of you will have participated in one or more Dues 42,926 excursions by the time you read this edition of the Setoff. Many will be Gr sales 3,095 actively preparing their cars for the tracks, and some will still be plan - Meet Setup fees 8,750 ning for the great unveiling when the motorcar emerges from the garage Other Inc 1,073 (or tarp!). TOTAL I#COME 55,845 I want to pass on to you an overall summary of NARCOA activities EXPE#SES over the 2009 calendar year. 165 excursions were organized compared Ads 239 to 168 in 2008. There were 1007 insured motorcar operators partici - Bank Charge 187 pating in those 165 excursions, compared to 974 insured operators in Calendar 3,357 2008. Membership was 1566, down approximately 100 from 2008. Calipers& Gauges 1,172 The insurance premium was unchanged from 2008, and dropped to $105 Freight 243 for 2010. Insurance Exp 1,962 Our summary financial statement is at right. Under Tom Norman’s L&P fees 1,625 guidance we have successfully completed 2009 with an operating sur - Lanterns 707 plus of $655. Our expenses were down this year as we did not print a Nameplates 587 paper roster ($7000), spent $3000 less on calendar publication, and Office 20,656 saved approximately $2500 on Setoff costs. The two largest expense Rule Book 2,204 items are the Setoff and office (which includes annual board meeting Setoff 22,221 costs). Our balance sheet shows equity of $35,465, up slightly from Tax 25 2008. TOTAL EXPE#SES 55,189 Overall we had a successful year with a full slate of excursions at - tended by more insured operators than ever. Our membership numbers OVERALL TOTAL 655 fell this year, a trend which has gone on for a number of years. Reasons (All numbers listed to the dollar only) for this are difficult to clarify, and it continues to be a concern, offset by our increasing numbers of actual insured operators. Your thoughts on In This Issue this change in membership would be welcomed by your board of direc - tors. We are all welcome to invite all interested persons to join NAR - Masthead ........................................... 2 COA, whether they have a motorcar or not. Financially we operated NARCOA Officials .......................... 2 President’s Message ......................... 3 within our means and continue to have a significant bank account for un - Directors’ Messages ......................... 4 foreseen expenses going forward. From The Editor ............................... 5 If you have any questions regarding the above, please contact your Voting Announcement ....................... 6 area director or myself. Full financial statements are available from New NARCOA Secretary ................. 7 Tom Norman. On behalf of all NARCOA members I want to publicly NARCOA Rulebook Changes .......... 8 thank Tom for his precise work and cheerful assistance. He works tire - Farmrail Excursion ........................... 9 lessly on our behalf. Amador Central Setback ................. 10 Be diligent as you prepare for your next run, and please remember that Everett RR Excursion ..................... 11 History of the Hy-Rail .................... 12 everything you do and say reflects on NARCOA as a whole. Be Riding with Joe .............................. 15 thoughtful, consider where you can lend a hand and enjoy each moment Two Cylinder Coils ......................... 16 on the rails. Border Pacific RR ........................... 17 If you are in an “ODD” area please take the time to cast your area di - Associated Manufacturing Co ......... 18 rector vote when it comes in the mail. Excursion Announcements .............. 20 - Warren Supplier Listings ............................. 26 Checking for a Bent Axle ................ 27 Company Store ................................ 28 The SETOFF May / June 2010 Page 3 It seems that a lot of you have There is room for you as a member Area Two questions about the wording or lack to step up and assist too. Our Re - (DE, MD, NJ, PA) of wording and clarifications in our gion has seen a maintained interest John Gondor rule book. As these questions have in our activities by the general pub - come up, I have been trying to get lic at railroad oriented events. Sev - Greetings from (partly) sunny your questions addressed and an - eral organizations have been in southwest Pennsylvania. This year I swered. It is my belief that we contact for us to display and inter - am trying a new approach to hope - don’t need more rules added to the act with the public. While I am gen - fully gaining some new rail for us book, just perhaps some better ex - erally reserved with broad in the region to run on. Teaming up planation or definitions for what we promotion activities I feel that the with some coordinators from an - currently have. this is being ad - effort is well spent to inform rail - other regional affiliate, we spent the dessed.