The official publication of the Western Kentucky Chapter, NRHS. NRHS National News APRIL 2000 VOLUME 4 NUMBER 4 CONVENTION Chapter Western Kentucky Chapter, NRHS Convention packets have been mailed and 111 Reed Place should be in your Madisonville, KY 42431 hands now. The only steam event at the * * * * * convention is the APRIL “Connecticut River President Special” on July 11. MEETING Bob McCracken This trip is combined with a dinner cruise. Vice President “The Naugatuck” covers the old NH main and Ricky Bivins MADISONVILLE, KENTUCKY the Waterbury Branch, July 12. An alternate Monday, April 24 Sect. Treas. on July 12 is a trip to Wally Watts the Connecticut 7:00 PM Electric Railway L&N Depot National Director Museum. July 13 Chuck Hinrichs features the first of two circle trips, “The Maybrook Limited” with PROGRAM ————- rare passenger miles Wally Watts will present a pair of videos. One is a transcription from Company film archives depicting “PENNYRAIL” is the Southern Pacific doing battle with Sierra snows. The official publication of second features UP big steam in “Last of the Giants, the Western Kentucky Vol. 2” with commentary by UP’s steam maven, Steve Chapter, NRHS. Lee. Ricky Bivins will provide the refreshments. It Send news notes, looks like an excellent evenings entertainment. Mark historical notes and your calendar and be there! other rail information to: MARCH MEETING Editor Twenty-two people were on hand for the March Chuck Hinrichs and the Danbury RR meeting in Madisonville. They enjoyed a short talk Museum. “Branford given by Paul Camplin of Greenville. He told about 112 Windsor Drive Electric Railway” is on his rail travel oversees during the Second World War, Hopkinsville, KY 42240 270-886-2849 July 14 as is “Grand plus, he told of some railroad information about the Central Terminal & railroad in the Central City area. Thanks to Mr. e-mail Metro North” “The Camplin for taking the time to attend our meeting. [email protected] Ambassador”, the 2nd Wally Watts supplied the refreshments for the meeting, in place of Louie Hicks. Thanks to Wally for (Continued on page 8) the snacks. CSX supplied only one train during the 1 PENNYRAIL Chapter News TRACKSIDE WITH THE (Continued from page 1) meeting. At 7:20 pm a OLD GOAT northbound manifest train, Q588, passed through downtown Dennis Carnal Madisonville. The train was powered by CSX B23-7 # 3101, still in Family Lines paint, an EMD Leasing SD40-2 and an MPI Greetings From The Old On March 29th, a late Leasing SD40-2. Goat. Welcome to Spring running P&L Louisville to 2000!!! Here at the Goat Paducah manifest train (LP1) Palace the grass is growing so was powered by Union Pacific fast I have already mowed the SD9OMAC # 8036 followed by CHAPTER yard three times. It's only the five P&L Paducah Geeps first week in April, looks like pulling the 70 to 75 car train. ACTIVITIES I'll be mowing the yard till The big Union Pacific December again this year!!! SD9OMAC looked strange If you attended the March But, the warm weather is nice coupled ahead of the little P&L Chapter meeting you were for other things. like Geeps. probably very impressed with the railfanning. Let's see what's On April 4th, P&L ran a hi- images Jim Pearson had on his going on..... wide special from the CSX computer. These were pictures interchange through West from some of Billy Byrd's old CSX News... As of March Yard toward Paducah. The albums that were scanned, 30th, CSX had around 300 train was powered by one P&L enhanced, and then stored on leased locomotives on the GP10, still in Illinois Central CDs. This is the type of archiving system. Over 200 more black paint. The consist was that the Chapter hopes to do on a foreign locomotives in run- one covered hopper behind continuing basis. To that end the through service are on CSX the locomotive - maybe for Chapter is preparing an rails at any given time. From braking - then an eight-axle application for a NRHS Heritage the CSX trains that I have depressed center flatcar Grant to assist in equipment seen during the past few carrying a large box like acquisition (computer, software, months, it's rare to see a pure something (How's that for a scanner and CD copier). The set of CSX power on a train. description?), a standard grant will require a Chapter Better hurry and do some flatcar loaded with a smaller match which will be largely railfanning on the Henderson box like something and, volunteer efforts in the scanning Sub and bring your camera finally. another eight-axle and archiving process as well as and notebook. depressed center flatcar the supplies needed for the carrying another large box like ongoing effort. Paducah & Louisville something. Boy, these Railway News.... On March technical descriptions have 28th, P&L operated a shippers gave me a headache! Anyway, MEMBER NOTES special from Dawson Springs it's not everyday, that you see to Grand Rivers Terminal and a hi-wide special on P&L or Chapter Vice President Ricky return. Around 25 to 30 CSX for that matter. Bivins and Kathy Davis were people boarded the train in married on Saturday, April 8th Dawson Springs for the trip to TRADEWATER RAILWAY during a ceremony held at the GRT. The train was pulled by CABOOSE GOES TO (Continued on page 5) the P&L "Wildcat" GP1O # SCRAP.... A few weeks ago, 1978. The cars were the three Rick Andrews and The Old P&L business cars. On Goat were checking out the MEMBERSHIP March 29th P&L ran the former Tradewater Railway - shipper special from Paducah ex-Illinois Central - line from National and Chapter - includes 11 to GRT and return. On the Princeton to Evansville. This issues of “Pennyrail” and 6 issues of 30th, P&L ran another special line is being sold for scrap and the NRHS Bulletin $25.00 per from Paducah to Dawson much of the trackage has year. Springs and return. During already been removed. While Family membership $27.00 per the week of April 5th P&L walking through the former year. operated a series of shipper yard at Blackford, we found a specials in the Louisville area caboose painted in the blue with the same equipment. (Continued on page 3) 2 PENNYRAIL THE OLD GOAT The Which-It! costly ferry move saving the railroad time and money thus (Continued from page 2) by adding to the profits. Conversely, and black paint scheme of the this would also add to the Tradewater Railway. This Rick Bivins problems of various gauges in caboose is being scrapped. It operation across the bridge. The is a former Illinois Central L&N opted to narrow its track extended-vision cupola gauge to four feet nine inches in caboose built in the IC So you invented the Which- 1885. The reasons sighted for the Centralia Shops. Nothing on It, which allows your one half inch difference was two its sides could be read, but customers to do their job more fold. Many other southern this information was taken easily, very good. You prosper railroads had adopted this gauge from the trucks.... ICRR... in this good fortune until.. and L&N's own Short Line and St. .1621 Barber/Bettendorf.... S your neighbor has come out Louis divisions were of this gauge. 7481 .... 7608-A.... 12/71. with a Whatch-It. His product In area's of the south where four Maybe a caboose fan in the allows his customers to do the feet eight and one half-inch gauge membership can use this same as the Which-It does was in use it was found information and find out the only faster and cheaper and it equipment would operate original IC number and cost less to buy. What to do. satisfactorily together. However it information on this caboose. Stand by and lose your is generally believed that the L&N customers and your company simply would not completely Well, that's all for this to the Whatch-It, or, invent a adopt the change. The difference month. I will have the final new and improved Which-It of one-half inch was a part of the Henderson Sub and continue to do business. compromise. story next month. Just didn't have the time to write it this This is similar to what To accomplish the change of month. Hope to hear from happened on the L&N RR in gauge, the railroad hired more of the membership in the mid 1880's. By that time additional men for a one day the coming weeks with most of the railroads north of herculainiane event. Generally information to use in this the Ohio were of the gauge of there were four men per mile of column. four feet eight and one half track with five men in tunnels and inches or standard gauge, as it on curvy sections of the line. An Make an effort to attend was known. South of the river intense rivalry existed between the April meeting in most track was five-foot sections to finish first. These Madisonville. Maybe I will see gauge. To cross the river, sections were divided and worked you trackside in the next few trains had to be ferried from from the center of the section out weeks. Take care. one bank of the Ohio to the toward the other two. The west other. In order to utilize rail would be moved in three equipment from north to inches while tunnels and bridges south or vise-a-verse the would have both rails moved to wheel sets had to be changed center equipment.