The SETOFF The Official Publication of NARCOA North American Railcar Operators Association July / Aug 2012 Volume 26 No.. 4 NARCOA Annual Report Great Lakes Central Railroad Show and Tell,, Mannassas Virginia The NNAARRCCOOAA OOffffiicciiaallss SETOFF President: Bernie Leadon Nominations, Elections Volume 26 - No 4 Vice-President: John Gonder Carl Anderson Secretary: Mark Hudson 1330 Rosedale Lane The SETOFF is the official publication of the Treasurer: Tom Norman Hoffman Estates, IL 60195 North American Railcar Operators Association [email protected] (NARCOA) and is published bimonthly to pro - Area 1 Director mote safe legal operation of railroad motorcars, (ME, NH, VT, NY, MA, CT, RI) NARCOA Insurance Administrator Tom Norman (406) 722-3012 and to encourage fellowship and exchange of Warren Riccitelli (401) 232-0992 [email protected] 1047 Terrace View Drive information among motorcar enthusiasts. Mem - Alberton, MT 59820 bership in NARCOA is $36 per year and in - Area 2 Director [email protected] cludes a subscription to The SETOFF. Please (NJ, PA, DE, MD) send a check made out to NARCOA to: John Gonder (724) 244-7538 Rule Book CertificationTest [email protected] Al McCracken Mark Hudson, Membership 2916 Taper Avenue P.O. Box 321, Dry Ridge, KY 41035. Area 3 Director Santa Clara, CA 95051 [email protected] (IN, Lower MI, OH) [email protected] Jeff Levengood (330) 343-3407 Brian Davis, SETOFF Editor [email protected] The SETOFF Editor 5626 Chadwell Circle Brian Davis (330) 554-4480 Ravenna, Ohio 44266 Area 4 Director [email protected] [email protected] (WV, VA, KY, NC, SC, TN) Bernie Leadon (615) 478-3660 NARCOA Webmaster Leon Sapp, Assistant Editor [email protected] Keith Mackey (352) 347-0770 Jamie Haislip, Contributor [email protected] Area 5 Director The SETOFF is printed by (MS, AL, GA, FL) NARCOA Forum Moderator Greg Kightlinger, GEK Printing Bobby Moreman (770) 457-6212 Rich Stivers (408) 264-1048 [email protected] [email protected] All subscriptions, address and email changes must go to the Secretary. Area 6 Director Committee Chairs: All materials for publication must go to the (MN, WI, IL, Upper MI) Judiciary Chair Bob Knight (815) 786-3096 SETOFF Editor. Jim Spicer (541) 344-3079 [email protected] 91375 Coburg Rd Materials received by the 15th of even num - Eugene OR 97408 Area 7 Director bered months will appear on the 1st of the next [email protected] odd numbered month subject to editing and (ND, SD, NE, IA) Carl Schneider (515) 967-5181 available space. Please include your e-mail ad - Safety Chair [email protected] dress and phone number. Electronic submis - Bob Knight (815) 786-3096 [email protected] sions are preferred. Text files must have either Area 8 Director .doc or .txt extensions. Photo files must be high (Canada, World outside U.S.) Rules Chair resolution with .jpg extensions. All materials Warren Froese (204) 668-8311 Jim McKeel (316) 721-4378 are archived and not returned. We cannot [email protected] [email protected] reprint copyrighted material without written au - thorization or proper attribution. Area 9 Director Operations Chair Letters to the Editor must be signed and in - (AR, CO, KS, LA, MO, OK, TX) Bill Taylor (406) 721-2351 clude an e-mail address or phone number for Chris Weaver (303) 589-6665 [email protected] [email protected] authentication. All such letters will be printed Affiliates .......Dave Verzi [email protected] as discussed in the NARCOA policy book. Area 10 Director Custom-Built Motorcars ......... Tom Falicon For more information about NARCOA, the (WA, OR, ID, MT, AK, WY) Communications ..……...…. Bernie Leadon safe legal operation of motorcars, or to find Bill Taylor (406) 721-2351 FRA ........................................ open NARCOA affiliates, please see: [email protected] Legal Forms ......................... Mark Springer www.narcoa.org [email protected] Membership...........................Mark Hudson © Copyright 2012 - NARCOA. All rights re - Area 11 Director Documents...........................Wayne Parsons served. Reproduction, by any means, in whole (CA, NV, UT, AZ, NM, HI) HyRail Committee..................Tom Falicon or part, by any party, is strictly prohibited. Wayne Parsons (805) 577-8287 [email protected] [email protected] On The Cover: Amtrak Director-at-Large (non–voting) S Crescent Northbound James (Jim) D. Hopkins (864) 859-0189 [email protected] NARCOA Radio Call Sign: WPH T745 passing speeders in Man - Channe l 1 – 151.625 MHz nassas, VA. Photo by Director-at-Large (non–voting) Channel 2 – 151.505 MHz Jamie Haislip Mark B. Sorensen Channel 3 – 158.400 MHz [email protected] Page 2 The SETOFF July / Aug 2012 PPrreessiiddeenntt’’ss MMeesssaaggee Frroomm TThhee Bernie Leadon Eddiittoorr Brian Davis Hello members- Hello Readers- I am off this morning driving over to West Virginia to participate in EC We are in the heat of the summer, John Gonder’s wonderful excursion on the West Virginia Central. We are and the middle of the NARCOA so fortunate in the mid-south to have this railroad. Stopping by a tree operating season, Our excursion shaded waterfall for a picnic during a run is always high on my list for en - listings are packed with excellent joyment. Its also a run where members from the Midwest and Northeast runs all across the country, some come down, and mingle with those who live in the southern states, and near and some far away. One of the there are always many reunions with friends with whom we have run in missions of the SETOFF is to bring previous years. accounts of these excursions to I was also fortunate to be able to go out to run on the Durango & Sil - NARCOA members and to others verton narrow gauge railroad in early June, and it was spectacular, as usual. interested in our hobby. Now if I Huge thanks go to EC Phillip Walters and everyone at the D&SRR. With - were rich and retired, I would be out Phillip stepping up to take over supervising that excursion, we would travelling to all of these events to not still be running on the D&S. Thank you! bring their reports to you, but since Please read the Annual Report elsewhere in this issue, which the presi - this isn’t the case, it is my hope that dent is required to issue each year. Members may request a copy of the you the readers will take the time to 2012 financial report directly from Treasurer Tom Norman. jot down your adventures on the Take a few minutes to read the report, and you will be better informed rails and forward them to me for a about your organization, and its activities. We are basically in good shape, future issue. thanks to countless hours of tireless volunteer time. Get involved at your Thanks again for the chance to put local level, letting folks know you’re willing to help, and NARCOA will our adventures on paper! have a bright future indeed. See you on the rails! Be safe out there, it’s our highest priority, Brian Bernie Leadon In This Issue President Masthead ...................................... 2 Jamie Haislip talking about ARCOA with visitors at the Mannassas Rail Festival NARCOA Officials ..................... 2 President’s Message .................... 3 Area Director Messages .............. 4 NARCOA Annual Report .... ........6 Annual Meeting 2012 ................. 7 Great Lakes Central RR ............... 8 Show and Tell, Virginia .............. 12 Rail Sweep Origins .................... 14 Folsom Rail Days & 6th Annual Ione Railfair report ....................16 TRANCO Folding Velocipedes.17 Western New York & PA RR.....18 The Road Boss...........................20 NARCOA Excursion Listings...22 Supplier Listings........................27 Company Store..........................24 The SETOFF July / Aug 2012 Page 3 Area One Area Four and Western railroad this past April, ( IA, NE, SD, ND ) (WV, VA, KY, NC, SC, TN) and we are very grateful to every - Warren Riccitelli Bernie Leadon one at the railroad, and owners Iron Horse Resources. We will not be For this area, it has been a very I have just returned from John able to do this run every year, but busy and unusual summer. First Gonder’s excursion on the West hope to be able to do it again in was the planning and carry out of a Virginia Central in Elkins, WV. I 2014. regional Boy Scouts of America had not been over to that run since Tom Falicon held his now famous “Railroading Camporee” at the track got put back into the BBQ run on the Great Smoky Mt. Edaville Railroad. Planning that Elkins depot. That made for a very Railroad, from Andrews to Dills - started over one year ago brought comfortable set-on site, and the am - boro, NC. Tom (as roadmaster of NARCOA members from the bience of the depot and adjoining the railroad) has been very busy re - Northeast together with the NMRA downtown and restaurants are building most of the 100 year old – National Model Railroad Associ - great. The weather was perfect, and bridges on the GSMRR, and has ation so that five hundred thirty- what a great experience it is over some great stories. I loved the one five boys could receive their there, running alongside the river about ordering custom sized 14” “Railroading Merit Badge”. With for the entire two days. I had been beams, and discovering when try - over a dozen members that pro - out to the Durango and Silverton ing to install them that they were vided financial support to another Railroad in Colorado only two too short. A quick call to the timber dozen that joined in for classroom weeks before WV, and the two ex - company resulted in them cutting instruction, I wish to say thanks. periences are similar. Mountain trees, making new beams that Together we had fifty instructor railroading is unique, and never weekend, creosoting them, and from as far away as Iowa, Kansas boring, as straight tangent track is Tom had them installed by the end and California take part in an en - rare.