Happy Holidays from the Turntable Times Staff and Contributors!

Transcription

1 The Official Newsletter of the Roanoke Chapter, National Railway Historical Society, Inc. Volume 50, Number 4 Oct.Nov.-Dec Happy Holidays from the Turntable Times Staff and Contributors!

2 Volume 50, Number 4 Oct.-Nov.-Dec Editor: Jim Overholser jgoverholser@verizon.net Contributing Editor: Dorr Tucker joandorr@cox.net Mixed Freight Robin R. Shavers robin.shavers@gmail.com Publisher/Historian Kenneth L. Miller klmiller@rev.net All materials should be sent directly to the Editors at their address listed with their names. Turntable Times is published quarterly as the newsletter of the Roanoke Chapter, National Railway Historical Society, Inc. Opinions and points of view expressed herein are those of the staff members or contributors of the Turntable Times and do not necessarily reflect those of the members, officers or directors of the Chapter. Meeting Notice The Roanoke Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society will hold its next regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, Sept. 20th. The meeting will be held in the auditorium at the O. Winston Link Museum at 7:30 pm. Please be sure to enter at the west end of the building on the track level. Our October meeting will be held Thursday, Oct. 18. Our Annual meeting will be Thursday November 15 and our Holiday Dinner will be held Thursday December 20th, announcement of specifics coming soon. Please be sure to check the cancellation policy below. From The Head End Cards and Flowers If you know of a Chapter Member who is sick, lost a loved one or has a new birth in the family, please contact Delta Helmer Pelgram. Delta is responsible for Chapter cards and flowers and can be reached at membership.rcnrhs@gmail.com or Deadline for Turntable Times The deadline for the next issue of Turntable Times is Saturday, February 9, Please send articles, information and exchange newsletters to: Editor Turntable Times, P.O. Box 13222, Roanoke, VA, All parties sending newsletters to the Roanoke Chapter via should send them to Jim Overholser: jgoverholser@ verizon.net, Dorr Tucker at joandorr@cox.net and Ken Miller at klmiller@rev.net Meeting Cancellation Policy Any Chapter meeting will be considered cancelled if any of the following conditions are due to weather: Roanoke City Schools are closed on the day of or for the day after the meeting, or Virginia Western night classes are cancelled for the night of a meeting. Cover Photos It was 50 years ago, to be exact January 17, 1968 when Jeff Sanders ventured out to Salem in the snow to record several scenes. Here two Geeps lead a Wytheville turn passing under the Colorado Street bridge. Barely two weeks before, incorporation papers had been filed for Roanoke Chapter NRHS. For current information on the FIRE UP 611! campaign, see 1

3 Cards and Flowers Delta Helmer Pelgrim I have taken over for Bonnie in sending cards and flowers. If you know of a Chapter Member who is sick, lost a loved one or has a new birth in the family, please contact me, Delta Helmer Pelgrim. I am now responsible for Chapter cards and flowers and can be reached at membership.rcnrhs@gmail.com or Sick List: Eddie Mooneyham s mother, Rachel, is recovering from open heart surgery. From the Editor Cards and Flowers is an important part of who we are in the Roanoke Chapter. Bonnie Molinary has done an outstanding job in keeping up with the sick and those who have passed away. We thank Bonnie for doing this job. Delta Helmer Pelgrim has agreed to assume Bonnie s role. Please remember to let Delta know of a member who is sick, lost a loved one, or has a new birth. At the November 15 Annual Meeting Richard Shell and Rick Rader were elected to the Chapter Board to replace the retiring Fred Boetner and Percy Wilkins. Thank you Fred and Percy for serving and welcome to Richard and Rick; both are Chapter veterans. The Roanoke Chapter s 50th Anniversary year continues with our dinner at The Plantation of Sunnybrook Thursday, December 20, our usual meeting night. Please plan to attend and get your check to the Chapter promptly; the chapter is subsidizing the cost of the dinner. See information in this issue of Turntable Times. Former Norfolk and Western steam engine 611 returned to its home at the Virginia Museum of Transportation September 26th after extensive mechanical work at Spencer, NC. The deadhead trip to Roanoke from Spencer was 611 s only road trip in There has been no public word about the future of 611 excursions. VMT plans to keep 611 in Roanoke over the winter. Please remember our meeting cancellation policy as we go into the winter season. The policy and meeting information are on page 1 of each Turntable Times issue. Ongoing is the work at 9th Street on our equipment and outdoor maintenance at the Virginian Station. Consider helping out those locations or in other capacities for Your Roanoke Chapter. Jim The Timetable November 25 and December 9 and 16 Virginian Station Display Room Open House. See information below. December Old Dominion Chapter excursions from Dillwyn, Va. December 1 and 2 Candy Cane Express trains at VMT. Come on out and help! December 20 Roanoke Chapter dinner at The Plantation of Sunnybrook, reservations required. See information in this issue of Turntable Times. May 2 4, 2019 Norfolk and Western Historical Society annual convention, in Roanoke. May 7 12, 2019 NRHS National Convention, Salt Lake City/Ogden, Utah. 150th Anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. May 17 19, Southern Railway Historical Association annual convention, Chattanooga, Tennessee. July 31 August 4, 2019 Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society annual conference, Cincinnati, Ohio. 2

4 Chapter Election, November Annual Meeting The November 15th Chapter meeting was the Annual Meeting. The election for four Directors was held and the nominees were elected by acclamation. Incumbents Lewis Foster and Ken Miller were re-elected and Rick Rader and Richard Shell were elected to fill the vacancies created by the expiring terms of Fred Boettner and Percy Wilkins. A special Thank You to Fred and Percy for serving as Roanoke Chapter Board members and good luck to the new Board. Board members Chuck Akers, Gary Gray, Delta Helmer Pelgrim, Carl Jensen, and George Stein continue their two-year terms. The Board will elect the officers for 2019 at the December Board meeting. Emergency Notification Phone Numbers You may use these phone numbers to report emergencies or other conditions affecting railroad operations, including trespassers, vandalism, fires, defective equipment, etc. If at a railroad/highway grade crossing try to provide the unique crossing number/dot number posted nearby, usually on a small blue sign. Norfolk Southern CSX Amtrak Programs Dorr Tucker has been in charge of Chapter meeting programs for a number of years. If you would be interested in taking over this job, please contact him or the President. In the meantime, if you want to volunteer or have a suggestion for a program, please contact Dorr or President Chuck Akers. Chapter 50th Anniversary Banquet By Ken Miller and Carl Jensen Our 50th Anniversary Banquet will be held on Thursday, December 20, While technically the Roanoke Chapter was chartered in 1955, we consider this our actual 50th Anniversary. The Chapter went dormant from lack of members not long after after the end of steam in The present Chapter was revived at the end of 1967, with incorporation filed in January Our banquet, the first since the late 1990s, will be held at The Plantation of Sunnybrook, 7342 Plantation Road, Roanoke You can begin to arrive by 6:00 PM; our schedule is from 6:30 to 9 PM. The meal will be two entrees that are Chef s Choice, so most likely a beef and chicken option, several vegetables, garden salad and warm yeast rolls. The Chapter will be getting a special anniversary cake for dessert. Drinks will be tea, coffee and ice water. There are no alcoholic beverages provided or available. The price is $29 per person, payable in advance to the Chapter. Your $29 covers everything. We will have a program that looks back on the past 50 years. Please make your reservations and payment early; we need to have a really good turnout for this event. The price is excellent, but needs good participation from our members. Please return your RSVP payment to PO Box 13222, Roanoke VA See the attached flyer with more information. Note while the flyer says the deadline is December 1 we will accept payment after that date. 3

5 Roanoke Chapter and National Renewal By Delta Helmer Pelgrim, T Membership Chairman he Roanoke Chapter can process your National dues again this year or you can submit the national dues directly to Nationals on your own. Please do not submit your Roanoke Chapter dues to National. National does not recognize additional payments as dues to local chapters they consider additional payments as donations. The Chapter and National dues are: Chapter rates are as follows: Regular Membership...$18 Additional Family Membership.. $3 each Student Membership...$12 Youth Membership...$3 National dues are as follows: Regular Membership...$50 Additional Family Membership...$7 each (up to six) Student Membership...$16 Youth Membership...$5 If you have any questions you may call me at (703) or me at membership.rcnrhs@gmail.com. Thank you in advance for taking the time to renew with the chapter on the attached 2019 renewal form. Please consider making an additional donation to the chapter if you are able to and there is a space on the form to indicate if you are making an additional donation at this time. Display Room at The Virginian Station To Be Open for Members and Friends W By Dorr Tucker e plan to show off our Display Area at The Virginian Station on three Sunday afternoons from 2 to 4 PM prior to Christmas. They are November the 25th, December the 9th and December the 16th. This will not be an advertised public event; however we encourage our members, along with our NRHS neighbors, to bring their friends and families. And at the same time visit Steger Creek Gifts in the station s resplendent waiting room and ticket office next door! Membership Report By Delta Helmer Pelgrim Enclosed in this Turntable Times is the 2019 membership form. Please complete it and return if you are interested in being a Roanoke Chapter member for I can process your National dues if you would like. However, National can not and will not process your Roanoke Chapter dues. If you submit your Roanoke Chapter dues to National they consider it a generous donation. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me membership. rcnrhs@gmail.com Treasurers Report Delta Helmer Pelgrim As always the previous month s financial reports are available upon request. Please continue to sign up/use your Kroger and Amazon.com community support. We have received money this month from your purchases. Easy money is good money. The Virginian Station is finally in a selfsustaining mode. Any fundraising ideas on the Chapter side are always appreciated. Many thanks to our volunteer auditors George Stein and Paul VanHoosen. Also, kudos to David Foster who found three different grants that I am working on pursuing. Feel free to send me s at treasurer. rcrhs@gmail.com 4

6 Mechanical Committee Report Fall 2018 O Lewis Foster ver the past few months, the major project at the 9th Street yard has been finishing up the bodywork and paint preparation on the Chapter s Norfolk & Western P3 class coach No.537. Metalwork was completed in the vestibule steps, replacing several panels which had significant rust damage. This required removing the step treads in the vestibule as well, which had not been out of the car for many years. Bodywork was completed along the bottoms of the side sheets, around the vestibule doors, and in the vestibule steps. New skirt panels were also fabricated for the end beside the vestibule steps, as the ones on the car were badly deteriorated. The Chapter worked with a contractor to paint the car once the bodywork and prep were complete. The entire car was sanded and primed to prepare the surface and even All: Lewis Foster Photos Just some of the bodywork required on the 537 prior to painting. Brand new skirts also had to be fabricated. the colors. Then the car was painted with two coats of urethane paint that was color matched to the Chapter s N&W MS class tool car. Once the paint work was complete, we began the finishing details on the exterior. The roof of the car has been sanded and new black urethane paint will be applied. Vinyl stencils are being made to apply the lettering, car numbers, and Powhatan Arrow logos to the sides of the car. This fall the track work project has been moving forward as well. We were able to install several new ties on the north track in the yard when the cars were moved in the yard. This repaired several weak spots in that track and makes switching equipment there much easier. U.S. Foods in Salem has donated the rail, tie plates, and joint bars from their old (disconnected) siding to the Chapter, which we will be collecting this fall. That gets us very close to all the material we will need to install the new north track in the yard. Work on the new switch is expect- 5

7 All: Lewis Foster photos: Top, primer, ready for final paint (middle and bottom). 6

8 All: More details of the 537 showing the dedicated work of our mechanical crew. Above: Steps repaired and restored, right, new buffer tubes replace the heavy buffer plate. ed to begin in the next few weeks. If you re interested in volunteering at the yard on the weekends, or even if you d just like to drop by and see what we re working on, feel free to contact Gary Gray or Lewis Foster. Photos of our projects are also available on the Chapter Facebook page at: NRHS Scranton Board of Directors Conference By David Foster (Editor s Note: During this year s election of NRHS National Directors Roanoke Chapter member David Foster won a writein election for Director for District 4 as there was no nominee on the ballot. We are glad to have Dave representing us and all the NRHS members of District 4.) On the weekend of October 12-14, Joyce and I drove to Scranton, PA for the NRHS Fall Conference, where I was installed as a Board member representing District 4. The conference was held at the magnificent Lackawanna Station Hotel, the former passenger station and headquarters building of the Delaware Lackawanna & Western. We arrived in Friday afternoon and checked in. On the registration table was a sign noting that a meeting would be held that evening by the NRHS Fund. Wanting to find out more about the Fund and its operation, I sat in on this meeting. I learned that the Fund holds the NRHS' money and releases it to NRHS for payments as needed; for example, Rail Camp and Preservation Grants. This separation serves two purposes. First, if NRHS is sued, it has very little money at risk. Most is stashed away in the separate Fund entity. Second, the people holding the money and those spending it are different, which acts to prevent unau- 7

9 thorized payments or abuse. The Fund has a small group of trustees who manage it under the chairmanship of Wes Weis. Coincidentally Wes is owner of the Morristown & Erie Railroad and the person from whom Lewis and I purchased our railroad car. I learned that there is close to half a million dollars in the Fund now, so NRHS' dire financial problems of several years back seem to be behind it now. The one thing that concerned me about the Fund operation was that Wes Weis was making solely all the investment decisions, not necessarily because he wanted to, but because he was the only one willing to take it on when the new management structure evolved. From a stewardship and governance standpoint this seemed unfair to both Wes and the NRHS. Several of us present at the meeting urged the formation of an Investment Committee for the Fund to make more timely and informed investment decisions. This was done. A portfolio of this size and importance really needs attention more than once every six months. On Saturday morning while the Advisory Council was meeting, Joyce and I went to Steamtown. I wanted to see the Jim Shaughnessey photo exhibit. It had been over a year since we were last there, and we discovered that Steamtown now has their Baldwin locomotive operating and pulling short excursions. We also toured the adjacent trolley museum, which is also first class, and took a 10-mile trolley ride that featured a mile-long tunnel remnant from an early Scranton - Wilkes-Barre interurban. Saturday afternoon was the Board of Directors meeting. I was officially installed, with my 36 write-in votes. A write-in candidate from District 7, with even fewer votes, was also installed. Most of the meeting was devoted to receiving reports on one thing or another. There were competing bids for the 2020 NRHS National Convention, one from Lansing, MI and one from Fullerton, CA. The Advisory Board recommended Fullerton, and the Board formalized that choice. An outside foundation grant has been received of over $82,000 to bolster the NRHS Preservation Grants program, and a decision was made to spread the amount over three years, adding to general funds budgeted for that purpose plus $10,000 raised in a pass-the-hat campaign at the Cumberland Convention. A subcommittee of the Board is engaged in a review of the NRHS by-laws, which may, among other things, reduce the size of the Board in the future. Following Board meetings draft minutes are circulated to the Board members for comments and correction, after which they are posted and available on the Administrative section of the NRHS website NRHS National Convention Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad By Carl Jensen The 2019 convention opens on Tuesday, May 7, at the Radisson Hotel - downtown in Salt Lake City on South Temple. The room rate is $ nightly + tax. The telephone number for reservations is , and you must ask for the NRHS rate. Don t wait as they are on the third request for our rooms - the first two blocks already sold out. Reserve now if there is a possibility you will go you can cancel the hotel reservation without penalty if your plans change. You should plan to be in the hotel by Tuesday evening. Wednesday May 8 should have the Annual Meeting and perhaps other activities. Thursday May 9 will find our members 8

10 9 riding the commuter rail up to Ogden, Utah, for the festivities there. The two UP steam engines 4014 and 844 will "touch noses" to replicate the 1869 event. There will be food trucks and a Trains magazine seminar with all NRHS-R&LHS-UPHS-SPHS participating. The streets in front of the depot will be closed off and commuter rail is the way to reach Ogden with the shortest walk. Friday May 10 will find us on charter buses headed for Promontory Summit to the National Park for the "official" ceremonies done by the NPS on the actual day +150 years of the wedding of the rails. Saturday May 11 NRHS will charter a special train on the Heber Valley RR. We will operate charter buses from the hotel. Saturday night May 11 we may be invited to a special dinner up at Ogden done by the UPHS or SPHS as a fundraiser for the museum in Omaha. This is not confirmed yet. More information will be forthcoming as it is received. Amtrak Service to Roanoke Completes First Year By Jim Overholser October 31, 2018, marked the first year anniversary of the extension of Amtrak Northeast Regional service to Roanoke. Ridership has been very good and initially on-time performance was excellent. In recent months the schedule adherence has not been as good as Norfolk Southern has been going through changes. Hopefully the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation can work with NS and Amtrak to improve the schedule keeping. On-time performance of other Amtrak trains operating over NS has not been very good either recently. Extension of the Roanoke Regional to Christiansburg? The town of Christiansburg has an agreement to purchase land that could be used for a station should the Amtrak Roanoke Regional be extended to Christiansburg and possibly Bristol. Christiansburg and an organization called New River Valley Rail 2020 are waiting on the results of a state-backed study which is to evaluate the improvements needed on Norfolk Southern track and estimate future ridership. One component of the study will evaluate how much of the Roanoke Regional s current ridership comes from the New River Valley. There is presently a connecting Thruway bus to Blacksburg. (The Roanoke Times) Amtrak Reservations Train departure on weekdays (to Boston) is 6:19 AM and 8:40 AM on weekends and holidays (to New York City). Return times to Roanoke are around 10 PM. More information is available at or by calling USARAIL or visiting the Amtrak agent in Lynchburg. Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Steam Locomotive 1309 Back On Track After being dormant for many months, work on former Chesapeake and Ohio steam locomotive 1309 has resumed. The engine has been steamed up and work continues. No completion date has been announced and fund raising continues. Mixed Freight T By Mr. Robin R. Shavers his 4th Quarter edition is being written the day after the midterm elections. I don t know about the rest of you but I am so

11 glad the event has arrived and departed. One name in particular drove me thru the wall and that candidate almost didn t get my vote. Railroad wise, I don t know how I left out a very important part of my last Mixed Freight column, which featured a brief write up on the 40th edition of Lynchburg Rail Day The Lynchburg hobby shop that gave birth to RAIL DAY 40 years ago was known as TRAINS UNLIMITED. Believe it or not, I still have a well-worn Trains Unlimited tee shirt that still fits. I continue to discover events and birthdates with regards to the year The former Norfolk & Western Railway freight house in downtown Roanoke turns 100 years old this year. You all know this structure. It is the home of the Virginia Museum of Transportation. Another century birthday not to be noticed is Nickel Plate Road steamer No This Mikado joined couplers with 611 and 1218 for a spectacular run from Roanoke to Lynchburg back in the nineties. From Lynchburg the 587 hauled a short freight south to Spencer, North Carolina, while 611 took the varnish to Alexandria and 1218 returned to The Star City. Back in 1988, 30 years ago, the Denver & Rio Grande took control of the Southern Pacific but kept the Southern Pacific name. Within a few years they were folded into the Union Pacific Empire. Back in the summer, Norfolk Southern installed a new westbound signal bridge nextto the Crewe yard office. The signal aspects can be easily seen from a distance. There is a freight repair/rebuild firm just east of Keysville that is served by the Buckingham Branch Railroad. From my personal observations and info from a BB employee, work is currently restricted to open top hoppers and tank cars. A long string of the cars can be found along the BB and NS tracks in Burkeville daily. With Business U. S. 360 parallel to the tracks, roster shots are a piece of cake to acquire. My railfan high point for 2018 was a twohour plus visit within the cab of Class J No. 611 on Thursday afternoon, September 27th. It was all part of the Virginia Museum of Transportation s Welcome Back 611 celebration that commenced with the arrival of 611 in Roanoke September 26th. LORD HAVE MERCY did the rain fall on the 27th. I spent most of the morning at the O. Winston Link Museum with the hope that rains would let up or cease that afternoon. The plan worked out better than I could have hoped for. The open to the public 611 visits were VERY LIGHT on account of the rain. A crew member motioned me to climb aboard. What I thought would be a five minute visit lasted over two hours in the company of three crew members plus a fellow railfan. By this time the rain had stopped and sunlight tried to nuzzle thru the heavy cloud cover. But man was I in for a HEAVY RAIN DRIVE home that night. Before I departed the 611 s cab, as the museum was about to close for the day, I blew that mighty, throaty whistle as if I was ready to highball anywhere on the N&W proper. And last but not least, keep in mind that November is National Model Railroad Month. Try to visit the numerous model railroad club and museum open houses during the holiday season. As I have noted in the past, information with regards to prototype railroading can be found within the model railroad community. Also, today s model railroads mimic their prototype counterparts, unimaginable even twenty years ago, thanks to computer chip technology. Another Landmark Gone F by Ken Miller ormer JK interlocking tower at the junction of the former Virginian and Winston- 10

12 Skip Salmon Photo Salem line was demolished over several days back in mid-october. JK was buillt by the Virginian to replace an older wooden tower in the mid 1940s. The concrete structure had been long out of service as an active structure, but still contained some instruments until recent years. Upcoming Meetings/Events Regular Meeting Locations are at the O. Winston Link Museum. Board Meetings move around, please get in touch with a board member to attend. December 4 - Board Meeting December 20 - Chapter Banquet January Board Meeting - TBD January 17 - General Meeting February 5 - Board Meeting February 21 - General Meeting March 5 - Board Meeting March 21 - General Meeting Visit us on the web: Turntable Times is published quarterly monthly as as the newsletter of of the Roanoke Chapter, National Railway Historical Society, Inc. Opinions and points of view expressed herein are those of the staff members of and the non-staff Turntable contributors Times and of not the necessarily Turntable reflect Times those and do of not the necessarily members, officers reflect those or directors of the of members, the Chapter. officers Items or directors of interest of should the Chapter. be sent Items to Editor of interest Kenny should Kirkman, be sent 590 Murphy to Editors, Road, P.O. Collinsville, Box 13222, Roanoke, VA VA Editor, Turntable Times Roanoke Chapter NRHS P.O. Box Roanoke, VA Dated Material Please do not delay Return Service Requested

13 Roanoke Chapter National Railway Historical Society Dear Member, It is now time to renew your chapter membership for The Roanoke Chapter can process your National dues again this year or you can submit the national dues directly to Nationals on your own. Please do not submit your Roanoke Chapter dues to Nationals. Nationals does not recognize additional payments as dues to local chapters they consider additional payments as donations. You must be a member of both the Roanoke Chapter and the National to be a member in good standing. Chapter rates are as follows: Regular Membership $18 Additional Family Membership $3 each Student Membership $12 Youth Membership $3 National dues are as follows: Regular Membership $50 Additional Family Membership $7 each (up to six family members) Student Membership $16 Youth Membership $5 Please make your check payable to "Roanoke Chapter NRHS". Unfortunately we are not set up to receive chapter payments electronically at this time. Applications may be given to me at a general meeting or mailed to: Roanoke Chapter NRHS Attn. Membership Chairman PO Box Roanoke VA You may make your National payments online but those payments are for National only. Nothing is sent back to the Roanoke Chapter. If you have any questions you may call me at (703) or me at membership.rcnrhs@gmail.com. Thank you in advance for taking the time to renew with the chapter. Please consider making an additional donation to the chapter if you are able to and there is a space on the form to indicate if you are making an additional donation at this time. Delta Helmer Pelgrim Membership Chairman, RCNRHS

14 Roanoke Chapter National Railway Historical Society 2019 Dues Renewal Form This form is to be completed by all members renewing for Please complete all information even if it is the same from previous years. Name Address City, State, Zip Telephone Additional Family Member Names (up to six at the same address) Turntable Times Format: Print Digital Both Quantity Regular membership $18 local + 50 x 68 national = $68 Additional family members $3 local Number additional x national = $10 per member family members Student $12 local + 16 national = x 30 $30 Youth $3 local + $5 national = $8 x 8 Total Dues: Voluntary Donation to Roanoke Chapter: Total Remittance: Amount Please initial here if you have already paid national dues: Please make checks payable to Roanoke Chapter NRHS and mail check with this completed form to: Roanoke Chapter NRHS Attn. Membership Chairman PO Box Roanoke VA Signature: Date: Office use: Receipt date: Check Number: Amount: Submitted to National Date: