The SETOFF The Official Publication of NARCOA North American Railcar Operators Association MAY / June 2008 Volume 22 - No. 3 rraaiillccaarr WWiiddooww NNEEWW RRUULLEESS AA CCaarr TTuurrnnttaabblleess EECC TTeesstt RReessuullttss The President ’s Message SETOFF Warren Riccitelli Volume 22 - No. 3 Welcome to the “new Setoff’. You on a towbar. The SETOFF is the official publication may see some things that are different Today, I received word that the of the North American Railcar Operators As - and if not, get to the doctors immedi - NARCOA FCC license issues are sociation (NARCOA) and is published bi - ately. This is the first issue with Wayne about to be resolved. This will clarify monthly to promote safe legal operation of Parsons as editor and I wish to thank our use of radios in the Detroit area, up - railroad motorcars, and to encourage fellow - him for bringing fresh ideas and a new state Maine and in Alaska. ship and exchange of information among mo - perspective to the Setoff. And from Tom Norman comes torcar enthusiasts. Membership in NARCOA, which includes a subscription to The SETOFF Wayne is bringing to the Setoff his news that we are above our estimates is $30 per year, and is available from Secre - years of experience as a motorcar op - and ahead of last year’s participation in tary Joel Williams. Please send your check erator, an amateur photographer, and the NARCOA insurance program. See made out to NARCOA to: his knowledge of design and layout his article on page 18 for a little history Joel Williams, Membership from his time at an advertising agency. of the insurance program. Box 802 In the coming months more features Also included in this mailing is our Lock Haven, PA 17745 will be added. Don’t be surprised if first NARCOA roster in four years. you submit a technical article and he Because of the tremendous cost of the Wayne Parsons, SETOFF Editor 13380 Golden Valley Lane schedules it way in the future. He is Roster , we are planning ahead with a Granada Hills, CA 91344 trying to plan ahead with scheduling yearly update to be mailed to all. The [email protected] that is taking us into next year. For ex - three hole punch allows for you to put ample, the Spotlight On An Affiliate the roster in a binder and add the yearly The SETOFF is printed by updates as they arrive. We are looking Greg Kightlinger, GEK Printing (upgraded to include color photos with placement on the back cover) is booked at a four year time frame before the All subscriptions must go to the Secre - for the next five issues. Wayne asks next complete roster printing. Due to tary, and all materials for publication must go that you send in run reports and photos space, the listings are limited to two to the Editor. right after you get home. That way run motorcars per member. Materials received by the 15th of even numbered months will appear on the 1st of the reports can appear in a more timely And with all the primaries over, next odd numbered month subject to editing manner. I’m just staying out of his the snow melting and knowing you will for space. Please include your e-mail address way. fill in your NARCOA ballot (also in - and phone number. Electronic submissions In this issue, you will notice a cluded in this mailing) before going to are preferred. Text files must be in MS Word NARCOA inspection check list and an page three, let the motorcar year begin! format with .doc extensions. Photo files must article from Al Elliott on page 10. If be high resolution with .jpg extensions. And let’s all be safe out there... Printed photos are welcome. Please include you haven’t been on a run this year, it is the original negative when possible. Nega - a good article to help you get your car Warren tives will be scanned and returned. All other ready. If you are already out running, materials are archived, not returned. We can - check it over for you might have for - not reprint copyrighted material without writ - gotten something that might end you up ten authorization or proper attribution. Letters to the Editor must be signed and include an e- mail address or phone number for authentica - In This Issue tion. All such letters will be printed as discussed in the NARCOA policy book. For more information about NARCOA, Masthead .................................. 2 Posting Excursions .................. 13 the safe legal operation of motorcars, and President’s Message .................. 2 A-4-E Turntable Plans ............ 13 NARCOA affiliates located in Canada, the A-4-E Turntable Drawings .... 14 United States, and Mexico, please see our NARCOA Officials .................. 3 official website at: From The Editor ........................ 3 Turning Gang Cars .................. 16 www.narcoa.org Directors’ Messages .................. 4 Insurance Program History .... 18 © Copyright 2008 - NARCOA. All Railcar Widow .......................... 7 Farmrail in Oklahoma ............ 18 rights reserved. Reproduction, by any means, Winter Run In Georgia .............. 8 EC Test Results ...................... 19 in whole or part, by any party, is strictly pro - Excursion Announcements .... 20 hibited. “The Fugitive” Train Wreck .... 8 Saint Marys Railroad ................ 9 For Sale Items ........................ 27 Spotlight On An Affiliate On The Cover: The Durango & Wheels ...................................... 9 Silverton “High Line” rock cut in 2000. Photo Inspection Form ...................... 10 (Patrick Smith) ....... Back Cover by Wayne Parsons. See also back cover “Spot - New Rules .............................. 12 light on an Affiliate.” [antonito] Page 2 The SETOFF May / June 2008 NARCOA Officials From The President: Warren Riccitelli Director-at-Large (non–voting) Editor Vice-President: Bobby Moreman Dave Verzi (216) 941-5273 Secretary: Joel Williams [email protected] NARCOA has invested in Quark, a Treasurer: Tom Norman Nominations, Elections professional layout program, used to cre - Carl Anderson Area 1 Director ate this edition of The SETOFF. Your 1330 Rosedale Ln. (ME, NH, VT, NY, MA, CT, RI) new editor’s goal is to use modern type - Hoffman Estates, IL 60195 Warren Riccitelli (401) 231-5640 faces, a modest artistic bent, and the [email protected] 39 Jackson Drive power of Quark to get the most out of North Providence, RI 02911 NARCOA Insurance Administrator every page printed and mailed to you, the [email protected] Tom Norman (406) 722-3012 membership. Several layout choices 1047 Terrace View Drive Area 2 Director have been made to accomplish this mis - Alberton, MT 59820 sion. (NJ, PA, DE, MD) [email protected] Joel Williams (570) 786-1335 The first choice is typefaces. All [email protected] Rule Book CertificationTest typefaces used in articles and headlines Al McCracken of The SETOFF going forward are cate - Area 3 Director 2916 Taper Avenue gorized as “Roman” serif. Serif type - (IN, Lower MI, OH) Santa Clara, CA 95051 faces are named for the features at the Bruce Carpenter (419) 738-5384 [email protected] [email protected] end of their strokes. The body of articles Judiciary Chair uses Times New Roman. Two font pack - Area 4 Director Al Elliott (732) 536-7460 ages, Northern Pacific RR (WV, VA, KY, NC, SC, TN) 4 Woodview Drive Roman and Tom Falicon (828) 488-8063 Clinch (Clinchfield Manalapan, NJ 07726 , purchased from [email protected] Railroad) Roman [email protected] www.RailFonts.com, are being used for Area 5 Director Safety Chair headlines and by-lines. A fourth font (MS, AL, GA, FL) Bob Knight (815) 786-3096 called RR SIGN will create accents. Bobby Moreman (770) 457-6212 [email protected] The second layout choice is a change [email protected] to three columns across the page. This Rules Chair approach matches newspapers, and my Area 6 Director Jim McKeel (316) 721-4378 (MN, WI, IL, Upper MI) [email protected] favorite publication, “Trains” magazine. Hank Brown (608) 839-4939 Using right and left type justification [email protected] The SETOFF Editor within the columns allows more words Wayne Parsons (818) 368-5942 per page. Quark easily inserts type and Area 7 Director 13380 Golden Valley lane picture boxes into pages with control of (ND, SD, NE, IA) Granada Hills, CA 91344-1118 “runaround” at the edge of those boxes. Carl Schneider (515) 967-5181 [email protected] [email protected] Third, thanks to the generosity of our NARCOA Webmaster printer and publisher Greg Kightlingler, Area 8 Director Keith Mackey (352) 347-0770 color photos are on both the front and (Canada, World outside U.S.) [email protected] back covers. Warren Froese (204) 668-8311 NARCOA Forum Moderator The SETOFF is limited to 28 pages [email protected] Rich Stivers (408) 264-1048 (including announcements) for budget Area 9 Director [email protected] reasons. With the changes in layout, the same amount of material as before, and (AR, CO, KS, LA, MO, OK, TX) Committee Chairs Mark Springer (316) 721-4804 Operations ……..…………... Hank Brown possibly more, can print in this fixed [email protected] Rules ..……………….…...… Jim McKeel page count. Area 10 Director Judiciary .................................... Al Elliott Finally, vertical (portrait) format (WA, OR, ID, MT, AK, WY) Safety ..……………............… Bob Knight photographs get first consideration for Jim Spicer (541) 344-3079 Affiliates .................................. Dave Verzi publication. When you see a nice shot, [email protected] Custom-Built Motorcars ........ Tom Falicon please take the time to turn your camera Communications ..……..…. Bernie Leadon upright and include a little bit of sky! Area 11 Director Data and Computer ................ Pat Coleman Wayne Parsons - Editor (CA, NV, UT, AZ, NM, HI) FRA ........................................ Ron Zammit Pat Coleman (925) 979-1030 Legal Forms ........................ Mark Springer What are the names in the little boxes? [email protected] They’re stations or control points as listed on a timetable or train schedule for Director-at-Large (non–voting) S a railroad in North America.