The official publication of the Western Kentucky Chapter, NRHS. NRHS NATIONAL NEWS AUGUST 2001 VOLUME 5 NUMBER 8 2001 NRHS GRANTS ANNOUNCED Chapter Western Kentucky Chapter, NRHS The nine member NRHS Grants Review 111 Reed Place Board awarded ten Madisonville, KY 42431 grants totaling $29,000 on June 22, 2001. The * * * * * announcement was AUGUST made at the NRHS President annual convention in MEETING Bob McCracken St Louis. Vice President Ricky Bivins MADISONVILLE, KENTUCKY Monday, August 27 7:00 PM Sect. Treas. Wally Watts Badgett Center National Director (Old L&N Depot ) Chuck Hinrichs Arch Street and the railroad in downtown Madisonville PROGRAM ————- Nine of the ten With Billy Byrd’s passing still fresh in our “PENNYRAIL” is the grants went toward the memories the August program will feature some restoration, repair and recorded instances from Billy’s colorful life. Dennis official publication of preservation of railroad Carnal will show a video “Just Call Me Billy” with L&N the Western Kentucky Chapter, NRHS. equipment. The grant steam, Billy’s retirement run and activities at TVRM. to the ACL & SAL Billy did the narration on this tape. There may be Send news notes, Railroads Historical additional materials recalling Billy’s career with CSX/ historical notes and Society was for a L&N and also with TVRM. Refreshments will be other rail information project quite similar to provided by Ricky Bivins and Wally Watts. Guests, as to: our Chapter’s grant always, are most welcome. request. The ACL & Editor SAL grant was awarded JULY MEETING Chuck Hinrichs to scan and preserve photographs, prints 112 Windsor Drive and other documents The number of members attending the July NRHS Hopkinsville, KY 42240 and to produce CD- meeting was back to average with twenty-one people 270-886-2849 ROMs for a live at the meeting. This was a nice increase in archival program. attendance from the low attendance at the June e-mail With the ACL & SAL (Continued on page 2) [email protected] program funded we should certainly continue our program 1 PENNYRAIL Chapter News RULES FOR RAILFANS (Continued from page 1) meeting. Once again, Vice- President Ricky Bivins ran the HERE ARE SOME GENERAL RULES THAT meeting. The business part of the RAILFANS SHOULD ALWAYS OBSERVE meeting was over in thirty minutes. Not bad Ricky, only seven minutes longer than the 1. EXPECT A TRAIN AT ANY TIME FROM ANY DIRECTION ON June meeting. Wallace ANY TRACK. (Regardless of what you have heard on the radio or Henderson provided a great video how well you think you know the schedule, showing Santa Fe steam and early diesel action on the Joint Line in Colorado and in New 2. Keep off of locomotives, railcars, bridges, equipment, signals, Mexico and West Texas. Leroy and out of tunnels. Such things are not only dangerous, they are Cobb had the refreshments for serious trespassing violations. the membership. Thanks to both. 3. There are many public areas that railfans can safely watch CSX provided two trains trains without trespassing. If you are at railroad property that is through downtown Madisonville during the meeting time. The clearly marked with NO TRESPASSING signs, ask for permission first train passed the station a first. few minutes before the meeting started. This train was a 4. When trackside, always try to keep about a car-length from the southbound grain extra pulled by tracks and give yourself an escape route. Should you witness a two CSX AC44CWs. The second train was a southbound manifest derailment, make sure you have somewhere to go to get out of train. This train was powered by the way. a pair of CSX C40-8s, a CSX X B4O-8 and a leased CEFX SD40- 5. Think ahead when photographing trains, find your spot well 2. before the train comes. Try to avoid having to cross the tracks on foot, when you can't avoid it, never cross when there is an CHAPTER NOTES approaching train in view. When crossing tracks, step over rails, not on top of them. Jim Finley and Chuck Hinrichs attended the July 6. Exercise extreme caution when positioned on highway bridges meeting of the Montgomery over tracks, there is often little extra room and lots of traffic. County Historical Society at the L&N Depot in Clarksville on Monday the 16th. Dennis Mize 7. If you carry a scanner to monitor railroad radio traffic and you was the guest speaker and his are in mixed company (such as at a station) it is suggested you presentation centered on use an earphone to keep what you hear "discreet." Clarksville’s place in the history of L&N’s Memphis Line. The 8. Jot down the emergency number(s) for the railroads you visit. presentation was very interesting and brought out more local detail Should you find vandalism, warning signal problems, vehicles than did Dennis’ presentation to stuck on the track, obstructions on track, etc. you can contact the (Continued on page 3) railroad quickly to let them know. Make sure you know the closest railroad milepost when reporting the above, especially the large MEMBERSHIP railroads live by mileposts. (See a listing of railroad emergency numbers at the bottom of page 3 of this issue of PENNYRAIL . National and Chapter - includes 11 issues of “Pennyrail” and 6 issues of the 9. If it can't be done SAFELY - DON'T DO IT! NRHS Bulletin $25.00 per year. internet july 2001 Family membership $27.00 per year. 2 PENNYRAIL railroad tunnels in the state. Chapter News Trains depart from the resort town of French Lick en route to Cuzco, Indiana... near Patoka QNS&L Lake. (Continued from page 2) A trip full of surprises us last year. The L&N depot is in great shape and the Society Train Schedule & Prices - by Don Clayton appears to be a very active The conductor sounds "ALL ABOARD!" at 10am, 1pm and organization. We enjoyed the Canada has four regional rail 4pm EST on Saturdays, evening. passenger services in addition to Sunday & Holidays from April - it’s National System, VIA Rail. October; at 1pm every Tuesday Jim Bergant, Bill Grady and These are: BC Rail, Algoma from June - October; on Chuck Hinrichs were the Central, Ontario Northland and weekends in November. Chapter’s only attendees at the Quebec, Northshore and Labrador 6th Summerail at Cincinnati’s (QNS&L). Having all the mileage Adults: $ 8 / Children 3 - Union Terminal. This event except QNS&L (and some 11: $ 4 / under 3: FREE features the work of some of commuter routes), I decided to the nation’s most talented rail sample their services. Tennessee Central RR photographers as well as a Museum. Fall schedule: railroadiana show and the CUT On Monday, July 16, I arose at and Tower A. Next years show 4:00 AM (yawn!) and drove to Sept. 8 is set for August 3rd - mark Nashville. Left my car at the Nashville-Watertown your calendar. Park-Express-Fly parking center Watertown Hoe Down on Donaldson Pike near the The Easterly’s Ice Cream airport and was whisked away in Oct. 6 Social was a gastronomic and a chauffeur-driven Lincoln Nashville-Watertown aesthetic success. Great food, Limousine. I was dropped at the Train Robbery/ Watertown superb home made ice cream Air Canada gate at Nashville Railroad Days and lots of trains. Rex’s HO International Airport. layout was running with both Oct. 13 Frisco and KATY trains doing Another serious break with Nashville-Watertown the honors. Also on hand was tradition involves flying to Quebec Watertown Fall Flea Market a major portion of Lionel Davis’ City instead of the usual rail O and G gauge equipment route. Incidentally, the Air Oct. 27 which Keith Kittinger and Rick Canada’s CRJ jet engines are Nashville-Cookeville Andrews had brought from manufactured right here in Super Fall Foliage Trip South Carolina. Ron Madisonville at the G E aircraft Stubblefield is busy cataloging engine plant. Thank you Bob the collection. A warm thank McCracken and Jerry Klym! The you to Rex and Melanie for a CRJ (Canadian Regional Jet) RAILROAD most enjoyable afternoon. provided a 1 1/2 hour flight to EMERGENCY Toronto. The snack was almost a Steve Gentry has moved PHONE NUMBERS full lunch! from Newburg to Haubstadt, IN. His new address is 18630 We were served a chicken salad Big Cynthiana Rd. Haubstadt, AS RAILFANS WE ARE and ham and cheese sandwiches, IN 47639 OFTEN AT TRACKSIDE AND IN a tomato/zucchini salad and POSITION TO OBSERVE short bread cookies for desert. EMERGENCY CONDITIONS FALL TRIP INFO Your choice on Non-alcoholic THAT COULD AFFECT beverages was included. RAILROAD SAFETY OR Train Rides - Join the SECURITY. KEEP THESE I changed planes in Toronto to excitement and fun for the NUMBERS HANDY TO an Air Canada DC9 for a quick (a entire family, as the French REPORT INCIDENTS. little over an hour) trip to Quebec Lick, West Baden & Southern City. Snacks included cookies, takes you on a ride into the BNSF 800-832-5452 pretzels and a non-alcoholic scenic rolling hills of southern CN/IC 800-465-9239 drink. I took a shuttle to the Indiana. The 1 3/4 hour train Hilton, where I met Steve Morse trip takes you through 20 CSX 800-232-0144 from Erie, PA. We had dinner and miles of Hoosier National NS 800-453-2530 retired for the night. Forest, limestone rock-cuts UP 888-877-7267 and the 2200 foot Burton (Continued on page 5) Tunnel, one of the longest 3 PENNYRAIL Gone But Not BYRD MEMORIES Chapter members share some Billy Byrd memories.