February 2019 Issue Number 844

Transcription

1 Issue Number 844 Editor s Comments February 28, 2019 was Jeff Hirsh s last day at WKRC Local 12. He received a great send off and a party at the station. His final report there was a story about trains, the old Torrence Road train station that served people of East Walnut Hills until CUT was completed in On December 12, 2018 Trains Magazine reported that VIA had placed an order with Siemens for 32 trainsets for corridor service to be powered by Charger locomotives. Siemens Mobility has also received a major contract in Canada to design and build the next generation of VIA Rail Canada s trainsets. I mentioned last month that I hoped to do a future issue on the New River Train. As expected, The Collins P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society announced on Wednesday February 27, 2019 that the fall excursion train was forced to shut down. The termination was blamed on increased costs from Amtrak. See details on page 4. I hope to complete the special on the train with the March or April 2019 issue of H&M. We were all glad to hear that Jim Edmonston was back home and doing much better. We hope to see him soon at a future meeting. Read more about Jim under the current President s Comments. Inside This Issue Editor s Comments Inside This Issue Club Officers Cincinnati Railroad Club News President s Comments Meeting Highlights The New River Train Is Done A Blast From The Past The Blizzard Trip of 2006 B&O Big Steam Amtrak News Joseph Boardman Passes Steam News Mailing Information Meeting Notice Jack Clock Club Officers Club cincinnatirrclub@gmail.com. Jack Clock, Editor: john378@twc.com Jim Edmonston, Editor Emeritus Jack Haap, Circulation: rjhaap@zoomtown.com President: Randy Krumm rlk55@embarqmail.com Vice President: Mike Rief mike.rief45040@gmail.com Secretary: Tom Bredestege jtbando@fuse.net Treasurer: Jack Haap rjhaap@zoomtown.com Membership: Bob Kessling grumpykess@gmail.com 1

2 Cincinnati Railroad Club News March 8, 2019 By Randy Krumm PROGRAMS AT FUTURE MEETINGS April 4th May 2nd June 6th July 11th The Cincinnati Railroad Club - A Long Look Back Roy Hord Kentucky Steam Heritage Moving the 587 & Plans for Ravenna Andy Wartman Program To Be Determined Program To Be Determined ; Please put this meeting date on your calendar NOW, as it is the 2nd Thursday of the month! August 8th Our Program Presenter will be George Hamlin, who presented the Wallace Abbey CUT photo program last November. Mr. Hamlin s program description will be in next month s Club News. Please put this meeting date on your calendar NOW, as it is the 2nd Thursday of the month! TRIPS & EVENTS April 7th Trip to Greenbrier Resort via Amtrak s Cardinal. See last month s Club News, or messages previously sent, for all the details. If you need the details again, please send a message to: cincinnatirrclub@gmail.com May TBD We are planning a Streetcar Ride & Reds Game. Details next month. Trip destinations being researched include the Cuyahoga Valley RR, Cincinnati Diner Train and a trip on Amtrak s Cardinal to Chicago for an Architectural Tour and/or Railfanning Destinations. August 10 th November December Summerail in Marion, Ohio CRRC Annual Banquet Our traditional December Streetcar Ride and Lunch at Harvest Pizzeria in OTR 2

3 President s Comments By Randy Krumm The threat of snow led to a smaller crowd at our March meeting, but those who attended were rewarded with a very interesting program called Exotic Trains of India presented by Club member Richard Stern. It was a very good education for all, and as often happens, the threatened overnight storm was a dusting of snow. Looking ahead to the much nicer weather of summer, please note that we will be meeting the 2nd Thursday of the month in both July and August. This avoids a conflict with Independence Day in July, and facilitates a Program by George Hamlin in August (he will be in Ohio for Summerail that week). Please note these meeting dates on your calendar now! I have very good news to report about long-time Club member, Jim Edmonston: he is back home, and doing very well. As you may recall, Jim has been through a lengthy medical ordeal that has included dealing with a very serious infection, and multiple visits to the hospital and rehabilitation facilities. Jim s wife Eileen felt he was making minimal progress at the rehab facility, so made the decision to continue his rehabilitation at home. This move, combined with prudent cutbacks in his medications, has resulted in tremendous improvement. Jim is now getting around with the assistance of a wheelchair and walker, but is working on breaking free of those devices so he can enjoy a beach vacation with family this summer. I had very enjoyable conversations with both Jim and Eileen this week; it was great to hear Jim s voice back at full strength! I expect we will see him return to our meetings in a month or two. During our conversation I told Jim that he was a member of our Century Club in terms of service to the organization: 50 years as H&M Editor plus 50 years on the Club s Board. Jim was recently designated Editor Emeritus of H&M, and has decided to step down from the Board after his five decades of service. I am sure he would enjoy hearing from all of his friends; give him a call! We are continuing to work on editing our collection of Railroad Artifacts where appropriate, and made significant progress in this regard over the past month. A very successful auction of CUT Track Indicator Lights took place in February, and we distributed (11) Train Departure Boards to three individuals and organizations this month. The recipients of these items were very enthusiastic about receiving them; they are in good hands. Your Club retained two Indicator Lights and Departure Boards for possible future restoration. We moved one step closer to Hosting the Amtrak Waiting Room at CUT over the past month, as I participated in a conference call with three Amtrak officials to discuss the idea. The feedback from Amtrak remains very positive. The next step is the drafting of a Volunteer Agreement by Amtrak, which I expect to receive by the end of this month. Sixteen Club members have indicated a willingness to serve as Hosts should this idea come to fruition. I remain cautiously optimistic that we will be able to proceed, but as we have learned from our Tower A lease experience the devil is in the details of the agreement that will be presented to us. If you enjoyed the Program at our Annual Banquet, you won t want to miss our April meeting as Roy Hord presents The Cincinnati Railroad Club - A Long Look Back. This will be an extended version of the eighty year photographic history that Roy treated us to at the Banquet. Don t miss it! 3

4 meeting Highlights By Father Dale Peterka At the February meeting, Cincinnati Railroad Club member and long-time slide collector Jim Corbett presented a hundred color slides that reminded us of the glory days when C.U.T. was a busy place and half a dozen railroads brought daily passenger trains to Cincinnati. After a quick look at the building itself and especially the long-gone concourse and covered platforms Jim then concentrated on his specialty, the trains themselves and especially the name trains, the National, the Cavalier, the Royal Palm, the FFV, the Ohio State Limited, and the Cincinnatian. We got a look at the mainline steam engines that worked in the forties and fifties, followed by the early passenger diesels, the E s, the Geeps, and even the Alco PA s. A fun show! The New River Train Is Done By Chris Lawrence, Metro News HUNTINGTON, WV, February 27, 2019 Although it s been sold out for the past 20 years and has been running for over 50 years, the New River Train is done. The Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society Wednesday officially announced the wildly popular fall excursion train was forced to shutdown. The termination was blamed on increased costs from Amtrak. We ve run this successfully for 52 years, said Joe Rosenthal who was Assistant General Manger. We had good cooperation with CSX the host railroad. We ve had good cooperation with local businesses and hotels. We ve had over an $8 Million impact to the state of West Virginia. The two weekends brought nearly 5,000 visitors into Huntington with an economic impact of $2.3 million for the city and $5 million to the state of West Virginia. In addition, Railroad Days in Hinton, which benefits the area s nonprofit organizations, relies on the passengers from the train. The train was always sold out. The locomotive for decades has ferried riders from Huntington to Hinton up the New River Gorge during the peak of the fall colors in some of the most scenic territory of West Virginia. According to Rosenthal it had become impossible to set the budget because of Amtrak s ever increasing costs. Last year we based our budget on the 2017 rates and when the new policy came out we had a raise of over $120,000, he explained. We had the rug pulled out from under us. The abrupt change in the 2018 rates left the society operating $140,000 in the red. Amtrak raised its rate for 2019 again in January and according to Rosenthal it has changed twice since then both times with a dramatic increase. The current Amtrak policy would allow the rate to increase with a 60 day notice. With no guarantee of what the rate for a private train would be in October, it was impossible to plan for the excursions in the fall. U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito both attempted to work with Amtrak to save the popular excursions, but to no avail. Until things change in the upper management at Amtrak, the train will not run, said Rosenthal. 4

5 A Blast From The Past By Mike Weber Winton Place Station in Note the attendant in booth. It was his job to manually operate the crossing gates. Chester Park was the original name of Winton Place. The station was closed in It served four railroads at the time of its closing: B&O, C&O, N&W and Penn-Central. According to many sources, the original station was built in Chester Park was an amusement park similar to Coney Island. This train depot provided access to the park for many who had no other means of transportation. Chester Park was on the North side of Spring Grove and took in the area from Mitchell to where the current Cincinnati Water Works buildings are located. This whole area is now known as Spring Grove Village. Chester Park Station as it looks now in the Heritage Village Museum within Sharon Woods Park. In 1875, a racetrack called Chester Park was built. The small station quickly became inadequate to handle the crowds of customers who came out from the city to this new park. In 1879, to capitalize on the new trade, and to accommodate the increased business, the station was enlarged and renamed Chester Park. This structure is now in the Heritage Village Museum at Sharon Woods. (Continued on Page 6) 5

6 (A Blast From The Past... Continued from Page 5) 6

7 The Blizzard Trip of 2006 By Jack Clock with help from Mike Rief photos by Dennis Teagle On March 3, 2006 early in the morning a hardy group of CRRC members set out for Ann Arbor Michigan. Their intent was to ride the Amtrak Wolverine from Ann Arbor to Chicago, Illinois. When they arrived they all walked over to the University of Michigan campus and purchased a cool lunch from a local deli. The train station was very close to the college campus. At the train station everyone purchased tickets for the Westbound Wolverine heading to Chicago, IL. This train was heavily used by the University of Michigan students. Parking at the station was very limited because of the students traveling for the weekend. This is similar to the Amtrak Cardinal when it stops in Lafayette, Indiana for all of the University of Purdue students. The Wolverine is a higher-speed passenger train service operated by Amtrak as part of its Michigan Services. The 304-mile line provides three daily round-trips along the Pontiac Detroit Chicago route. It carries a heritage train name descended from the New York Central (Michigan Central). It can hit a top speed of 110mph on some parts of this trip. When they arrived in Chicago they checked into their hotel for the evening. It was a Holiday Inn and it was within walking distance of the Metra. For the evening meal they all boarded the Metra and headed for a restaurant in Glenview, a little north of where they were staying in downtown Chicago. After dinner they rode the Metra back to their hotel. The next morning the group had breakfast at Union Station and then boarded the Wolverine east bound headed back to Ann Arbor. It proved to be a very busy weekend for all involved. A Wolverine train west of Kalamazoo in In 2012, speeds in this area were increased to 110 miles per hour. (Continued on Page 8) 7

8 (The Blizzard Trip of 2006, Continued from Page 7) CRRC members on their way to Chicago Left to Right: John Rudler, Dick Swaim, Jeff Hirsh, Linda Woods, Gary Senior Woods, Jonathan Jansen, David Jansen, Mike Weber and Mike Rief have dinner at a restaurant in Glenview, IL, after riding the Metra to get there. 8

9 B&0 Big Steam By Father Dale Peterka As railfans throughout the world turn their nostalgic gaze to Cheyenne and to the resurrection of a Union Pacific Big Boy for the coming anniversary of the Golden Spike, railfans back east in Maryland, West Virginia and Ohio sadly turn their thoughts to the Baltimore & Ohio mainline in the Alleghenies and to what might have been. Imagine, they muse, if the Baltimore & Ohio --or B&O-successor CSX-- took an EM-1 out of retirement and restored it to service for their anniversary. (The first EM-1 s came from Baldwin in 1944.) Imagine a restored B&O Yellowstone marching up Seventeen Mile Grade with a hundred cars of coal. Or, that same consist crossing the river at Benwood and marching over the rolling landscape of northeast Ohio to Lorain on Lake Erie. But none of them has been saved. The EM-1 s are gone. So is the line to Lorain. The B&O was no Big Boy. Only the C&O Allegheny could make that claim. But the EM s were big! They came very late in the history of B&O steam. They boasted roller bearings on all axles, and sq. ft. of firebox grate area. Gross engine weight was 627,000 lbs. --quite a bit less than Big Boy (762,000) and Allegheny (771,000), but more than the N&W Y6 (582,900). The EM s were coal-burners. The tender held 25 tons of coal and 22,000 gallons of water. Tractive effort was 115,000 lbs. The EM class was built in the late years of World War II. The Baltimore & Ohio, badly in need of road power, had ordered diesels. The War Production Board turned down their order, and they were forced to buy steam power instead. Their first assignment was moving coal and freight on Sand Patch, the line from Cumberland (Maryland) to Connellsville (Pennsylvania), as well as the other B&O mainline from Cumberland to Grafton (West Virginia). There are some reports that the EM s were used briefly in passenger service after the war until EM #7625 and Mail 29 rolled over in 1947 near Oakland Maryland, killing the engineer. Photo evidence shows that one of the EM s was used on a fan trip in September The run was from Cumberland to Grafton. Finally the EM s migrated west and spent their last years based in Benwood, West Virginia, (near Wheeling) and working lengthy coal trains up into the rolling hills of northeast Ohio to Lorain on Lake Erie (just west of Cleveland). The EM s spent their last years on sidings in Cumberland waiting for scrap prices to rise. There are reports that one of them had been marked for donation to the Baltimore railroad museum, but the last of the B&O Mallets disappeared into the furnace in Deane Mellander s book. Thunder in the Alleghenies, is available in paperback from White River Productions for $ A lengthy article by J. J. Young on firing an EM appeared in an early issue of Railfan. (Continued on page 10) 9

10 (B&O Big Steam... Continued from Page 9) Silver Solarium-main area of car The above shot of #7603 may in fact be a model engine. No data is given, and there is a slotted screw on the front mainrod. The lower shot of #7606 was taken in Mance, Pennsylvania, and appears on the front cover of Deane Mellander s book, Thunder in the Alleghenies. 10

11 Amtrak News By Mike Weber Work To Enhance Customer Experience Underway at Washington Union Station Washington- As part of ongoing work to upgrade the customer experience at Washington Union Station, Amtrak is seeking a general contractor to revitalize the Claytor Concourse. With the release of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) on January 4, 2019, Amtrak and its partners are beginning a two-phase process to select a contractor to modernize the Claytor Concourse, Union Station s intercity passenger and commuter rail pathway. Construction is expected to begin in the fall of Construction is anticipated to be completed Amtrak is working in coordination with multiple stakeholders, including the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, Union Station Redevelopment Corporation (USRC) and commuter and transit partners. Built in the 1980s, the Claytor Concourse contains waiting areas for Amtrak customers, retail and food establishments, and customer amenities, such as restrooms. Virginia Railway Express, and Maryland Area Regional Commuter Rail customers also access the concourse. Amtrak will expand the concourse to double its capacity, which will alleviate congestion and enhance customer comfort and accessibility. Connectivity will be improved to provide customers better access to the commuter rail and bus transportation that serves the station. The project will also brighten the space with new architectural finishes and more natural light. Other project work calls for the addition of more restrooms and the construction of a new (Continued on Page 12 11

12 (Work to Enhance Customer Experience...Continued from Page 11) metropolitan Lounge (currently Club Acela), a premium lounge space providing customers with a high-quality experience. Additional space will be added for support services such as station manager and customer service representatives. Work to update and relocate mechanical and electrical equipment is being completed. Information related to the RFQ can be found on the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation website at Learn more about other infrastructure investments that Amtrak is leading at nec.amtrak.com. Panorama of the inside of Washington s Union Station ************************************************************************************************ Joseph Boardman- December 23, 1948 to March 7, 2019 Amtrak s former president and CEO, Joseph Boardman, died this morning following a stroke. He and his family were vacationing in Florida at the time of his death. Boardman had been in the transportation industry for more than 40 years. He served as the New York State Transportation Commissioner for 8 years an was subsequently named Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration. In 2008 he succeeded Alexander Kummant as Amtrak s ninth president. He served as President and CEO for 8 years, second only in duration to W. Graham Claytor, Jr. Boardman was named Railroader of the Year by Railway Age in Recently he had been outspoken about Amtrak s current direction and critical of management s actions, particularly efforts to dismember the SW Chief and weaken long-distance trains. Boardman is survived by his wife, Joanne, three children and several grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are pending. 12

13 John Biehn s Steam News For February, 2019 Courtesy of Jim Corbett Future Colorado Steam... With a $10,000 award from Trains Magazine, fundraising for the $501,000 restoration of engine No.168 by the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad has been completed. "Nothing like this has happened before," said John Bush, president of C&TSRR. "We are taking a locomotive that was specifically built for and used on these tracks in the 1880's, then retired and placed outdoors in a park for 85 years, and now its being restored to once again steam across the Rocky Mountains. "Built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1883, No. 168, a 4-6-0, worked for 50 years on these same tracks as part of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, before being retired in It has rested for decades in Antlers Park in Colorado Springs. The road to restoration of No. 168 has not been easy. The locomotive sat exposed to the elements for years. "I dreamed about seeing 168 back in steam since I completed its cosmetic restoration in the 1980's," Bush said. He compared the task of restoring the engine to the actual building of the railroad in "Like laying track over the San Juans in the 19th Century, we put together a good team and attracted funding. The Trains Preservation Award caps that effort. Stathi Pappas, assistant general manager of the C&TSRR and head of special projects said," You can't help, but be inspired by the historical connections, which have been recognized by Trains Magazine with their award. We have an 1883 engine that Baldwin built in Philadelphia for General William J. Palmer, who constructed the railroad line in 1880 that we now operate on. No. 168 is in remarkably good condition, a testament to the skill and craftsmanship that went into building it. We have something rare, an ancient steam locomotive, hand-made. Its wrought iron frame bears the marks of the craftsmen who labored on it. The frame's detail show how they forge-welded the pedestal jaws. Now, we're adding our own marks, writing more narrow gauge history. "Restoration work is currently taking place at the C&TSRR shops at Antonito, Colorado. (Thanks to the Alamosa News, via Alex Mayes) Maine Narrow Gauge News...The Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Museum is dedicated to the display and preservation of the two-foot Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway and its predecessor roads, the WW&F Railway and the Wiscasset & Quebec Railroad. The museum attempts to replicate and rebuild Maine history through the use of steam locomotives, hand signals, and the methods used by people on the original railroad, as much as possible. The railroad currently operates WW&F No. 9, built by Portland Company in January, It is also restoring locomotive No. 10 built in 1904 by Vulcan Works in conjunction with the museum's "21" campaign. Also in the planning stages is the construction of No. 11, a reproduction of the original WW&F No. 7. Recently, the Mass Bay Railroad Enthusiasts awarded its annual $10,000 H. Allen Webb Memorial Preservation Award to the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum to purchase track materials and contract labor for the museum's Mountain Extension Project. The Mountain Extension Project is a multi-year effort to re-lay track on three quarters of a mile of the original WW&F Railway's grade, a scenic descent of a mountainside that brings the railway to the former Boston & Maine Railroad Howe pony truss bridge installed by the museum over Trout Brook in 2018 and beyond to a new station adjacent to Maine Route 218. Last fall, museum volunteers laid more than 1,900 feet of track over three days, and in October, 2019, they intend to lay another 2,000 feet of track. The entire Mountain Extension will be completed and opened for operation in 2021, following construction of a run around track and other facilities adjacent to the Trout Brook Nature Preserve.(Thanks to Wayne Laepple,via Dutch Tubman and Tom Schultz) Future Montana Steam...The Heritage Museum in Libby, Montana recently won a state grant that will help send its vintage locomotive steaming down the tracks for the first time in seventy years. The state of Montana has given the museum a grant for $26,704 to continue work on J. Neils Lumber Company steam locomotive No. 4. As part of the deal, the museum needed to match the state money with about $13,000 of its own funds. The money will go towards the restoration of the locomotive's firebox...the area in the locomotive where fuel is burned to heat water and produce steam. Restorers hope to start work as early as this summer. Locomotive No. 4 is a "Shay" type steam engine that was built in 1906 to haul heavy loads on poorly constructed tracks that were common at logging camps in the early part of the 20th century. Because steam engines are no longer made, new parts are unavailable and restoring an engine to operating condition can often be a long and expensive process. The volunteers however, are optimistic. When the museum is successful in restoring No.4, it will have Montana's only operating steam train. Some background: Shay steam locomotive Serial 1643, also known (Continued on Page 14) 13

14 (Steam News... Continued from Page 13) known as "Ole Four Spot," was built in 1906 at Lima, Ohio as one in a special class of four locomotives ( serial numbers 1642,1643,1644,1645) built for the Thompson Greer Construction Company. No was designated Thompson Greer engine No. 11, and is the only survivor of their class, all others being scrapped. It is believed she may have been leased to the Rainy Creek Lumber Company for logging operations until 1909when she was purchased by the Libby Lumber Company. That company designated her as Libby Lumber Company No. 4. The locomotive served as a work horse for the Libby Lumber Company and later the J. Neils Lumber Company for logging operations in and around Libby, Montana. No. 4 was retired around 1946.The grant awarded the museum came through a Department of Tourism program that supports the development of unique tourist attractions. Officials said they hope the restored steam locomotive will bring history and railroad buffs from all over the country to Libby. (Thanks to Justin Franz, Flathead Beacon, via Tom Schultz) Locomotive 81 Update...Locomotive No. 81 was purchased new by the Nevada Northern Railway in 1917 to serve as a mainline freight locomotive from East Ely to Cobre, the interchange with the Southern Pacific. Nevada Northern is currently doing a ground up restoration of this locomotive in conjunction with the railroad's Phoenix Dare Capital Campaign. Since two steam locomotives are imperative to keep the program operating at sustainable levels, and since loco No. 40 will be shopped soon for a major overhaul, the success of this project is imperative. Rebuild work is as follows: Complete...prepare No. 81 for a complete overhaul. Open the boiler and remove all tubes and inspect. In progress: Rebuild boiler to original specifications. Rebuild the running gear. Rebuild and reinstall all appliances and controls. For information on how to contribute to this rebuild, go to to Mark Bassett) Museum Acquires Locomotive.. Recently, the Mad River & Nickel Plate Railroad Museum received the official transfer of ownership for Nickel Plate No. 757 from the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Shortly afterwards, the engine departed the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania on February 11, for its new home in Bellevue, Ohio. Following a successful 500 mile trip over the rail lines of the Strasburg Railroad, Amtrak and Norfolk Southern, the 757 arrived at the Mad River & Nickel Plate Museum on February 14. Eventually, the 757 will be cosmetically restored and placed on display as part of a new exhibit. When 757 was officially retired from active service in 1960, it was offered to the city of Bellevue as a monument to the steam era railroaders of the area. Unfortunately, no railroad museum existed in Bellevue at that time. After six years of storage, the locomotive was donated to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and shipped to Strasburg. Both organizations have worked together since 2017 to reunite the locomotive with the community the NKP intended to call home. "The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania has provided the locomotive a great home and saved this treasure from an uncertain fate'" MR&NKP vice president Dwayne Fuehring said. "We're grateful to this world class organization for their cooperation and generosity throughout this process. "The locomotive now joins a museum which includes over 50 pieces of on-track railroad equipment, countless artifacts, five major buildings, and a train viewing platform spread over ten acres of property. It is the largest rail museum of its kind in the state of Ohio and is regarded as the largest steward of Nickel Plate Road equipment, artifacts and memorabilia. Milwaukee Road 261 News...The 2018 North Pole Express carried a record 12,500 passengers on 48 trips over nine days at Union Depot in St. Paul in December. The trips, now in their fifth year, are pulled by Milwaukee Road No. 261, and operate on short runs over Union Depot property with a mix of bi-level and single level equipment. It's one of the Friends of the 261's biggest fund raisers.as the Positive Train Control (PTC) deadline passed on December 31, 2018, the Friends of the 261 are still waiting for the final FRA ruling regarding Steam/Excursion applications. While the locomotive eventually will have to be retrofitted with the 21st century technology, small essential components are being purchased and additional grants written for funding. Additional consultation with the manufacturer of the technology and our Class 1 Railroad partners are ongoing. The Friends are still well short of the projected six figure cost for installation. (Thanks to the Friends of the 261) Steam Railroading Institute News...The SRI at Owosso, Michigan is the home of Pere Marquette No The following is a first release of SRI's tentative schedule for the upcoming year will be another busy year. Some great and exciting things are in store with their excursions. The summer of steam trips are still a work in process. Tentative Schedule: Engine 126 April Engine 1225 Steam to Howell August Hands on the throttle 1225 on August 16. PM 1225 North Pole Express (no (Continued on Page 15) 14

15 (Steam News, Continued from Page 14) (no Fridays) Nov , December 7-8, 14-15, Santa School Train with PM 1225 TBA PM 1225 Mt. Pleasant to Cadillac on October 5 with Hands on the Throttle Oct 6. Some details are still being finalized. (Thanks to Farol Henkle) Maryland Thunder July Debut... Western Maryland officials say the massive Baldwin steam locomotive No will be back in service by Independence Day." We are getting excited that steam will be making its way up the hills to Frostburgagain," said John Garner WMSR general manager. " Over the next ten weeks we hope to finish up the locomotive and we firmly believe it will be ready for revenue service by the first week of July. Known as Maryland Thunder once in service, the locomotive will be the largest articulated steam engine operation east of the Mississippi River. "You might see Maryland Thunder before July 4th," said Garner. "Unlike an automobile, a train engine has to be broken in, so it will be run prior to the July 4 th holiday. "Garner also said the majority of the parts sent away for repairs are back, and the outer jacket of the train is back on. He also said the impact on tourism in Allegheny County will be significant. "Cumberland is not going to know what hit it, "said Garner. "From what we can tell and what we hear, folks will be coming to see the locomotive. The economic spill-over for restaurants, gas stations, shops and hotels will be great. Garner said 2019 is the 70th anniversary of the Baldwin Locomotive No and the 30th anniversary of steam engine operations at the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. (Thanks to Greg Larry via Dutch Tubman and Tom Schultz) C&O Number 1309 prior to being reworked. 15

16 P.O. Box Cincinnati, OH ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Time Sensitive Material Please Deliver A.S.A. P. April 2019 Meeting Notice The next regular meeting of the Cincinnati Railroad Club will be held at 7:30 pm on Thursday, April 4th at Harmony Lodge, 646 E. Epworth Ave, Winton Place. The evening s program, presented by Roy Hord will be: The Cincinnati Railroad Club -A Long Look Back. Union Station, Washington, DC. 16