2010 NRHS Convention Scranton, PA June 21-26, (Continued from the July 2010 Gondola Gazette!

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1 A UGUST 2010 C o l l i s P. H u n t i n g t o n R a i l r o a d H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y, I n c. Gondola Gazette Endless Mountain Rails NRHS Convention Scranton, PA June 21-26, (Continued from the July 2010 Gondola Gazette! Day 5 - June 25, Seminars - A series of free educational seminars were offered to convention attendees on Friday morning at the Steamtown theater. The topics included: NRHS Newsletters - a review of NRHS newsletters and how they can support Chapter development. The Steamtown Story - Given by the official Steamtown Photographer, gave a history of the facility from its early days through present day. Steamtown's Future - Park Superintendent Kip Haken gave a glimpse into the future plans for the Park. Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Lebanon County - a review of historical activities and efforts of this local museum. - Board of Directors Meeting - The summer Board of Directors meeting of the NRHS was held at the Hilton Hotel from 8:30 AM to 1:45 PM. Notable among society business were talks of plans for the future. The Railway Heritage Grants Committee also announced the 2010 Grants Winners. - Annual Membership Meeting - The annual National Membership Meeting of the NRHS was held at the Hilton Hotel from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM. President Greg Molloy outlined the status of the society and our activities in In addition a new Board of Directors was elected. (Continued on page 9) GONDOLA GAZETTE AUGUST 2010

2 Meeting Notices AUG 2010 AUG P.M. OUTDOOR MUSEUM OPEN VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AUG A.M. CPH MODEL RR CLUB CPH 2ND FLOOR AUG P.M. OUTDOOR MUSEUM OPEN VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AUG 10 7:30 P.M. BOARD MEETING CPH MAIN OFFICE AUG P.M. OUTDOOR MUSEUM OPEN VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AUG 20 FRIDAY GREENBRIER TRIP AUG P.M. OUTDOOR MUSEUM OPEN VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AUG 24 7:30 P.M. CPH CHAPTER MEETING CPH MAIN OFFICE AUG P.M. OUTDOOR MUSEUM OPEN VOLUNTEERS NEEDED (SEE PAGE 11) SEP 2010 SEP A.M. CPH MODEL RR CLUB CPH 2ND FLOOR SEP P.M. OUTDOOR MUSEUM OPEN - LAST DAY OF THE SEASON SEP A.M. CPR / AED TRAINING CPH MAIN OFFICE SEP P.M. ANNUAL CPH PICNIC CSX SEP 11 & 12 BARDSTOWN TRIP SEP 14 7:30 P.M. BOARD MEETING CPH MAIN OFFICE SEP 26 SUNDAY GREENBRIER TRIP SEP 28 7:30 P.M. CPH CHAPTER MEETING CPH MAIN OFFICE President Walter Cavender Immediate Past President Steve Ferrell Vice President Gene Bush Secretary Karol Cavender Treasurer Ramona Webb Directors Brian Cavender Bill Conley Bill Gillespie Duane Legg Dale Smith Executive Director, Trip Director, NRHS Director Don Maxwell Volunteer Advocate Membership Chairperson Linda Bush Museum Curator Greenbo Show Coordinator Dale Smith conan56@sbcglobal.net Museum Supervisor Roger Young South Yard Superintendent of Equipment Bill Conley Buiding Supervior Don Weaver Greetings Correspondence, Condolence Flowers, Huntington (West) Alesea Smith or call the CPH Office Condolence Flowers for Charleston Chris Cavender Gondola Gazette Editor Alesea Smith editorgg@yahoo.com Amtrak Naration Program Larry Kidd CPH Chaplain Bob Withers AUGUST GONDOLA GAZETTE CONTACTS

3 Obituary: Dr. Logan Hovis Logan William Hovis, Jr., M.D., 92, of Vienna passed away early Thursday morning, July 8, 2010, at Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital. Dr. Hovis was born in McKees Rocks, Pa., and lived in Parkersburg since In his retirement, Dr. Hovis continued to participate in his many hobbies including golf, railroad and Civil War memorabilia, photography, travel, Veterans' organizations, the arts, music, and literature. Dr. Hovis was a member of Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society since Memorial donations may be made to the Alice Ray Hovis Chapel Foundation in care of the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 1762, Parkersburg, WV, Online condolences may be sent to the family at CSX Annual Coal Route Maintenance Work Complete Released: Jul 07, JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - July 7, Nearly 1,000 CSX Transportation Engineering employees completed the annual coal route maintenance project this week. Track maintenance teams worked their way across the Appalachian coal route which includes Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, New York, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Demand for coal remains strong, and on a typical day as many as 50 trains make their way across this important corridor. During this intense maintenance operation, workers installed new rail, and more than 133,000 ties. Ties cover nearly 113 miles of main line track, plus several auxiliary tracks. Crews also re-surfaced an additional 150 miles of track, and performed maintenance on the seven tunnels and four bridges along the path - all compressed into the span of 10 days. This $20 million project is one example of CSX continuing to significantly invest in its rail network to meet current and future transportation needs of its customers. "This was a huge undertaking of maintenance work for our employees," said Ricky Johnson, Assistant Chief Engineering of System Production Teams. "Our focus first and foremost was getting this enormous amount of critical work done safely. And in doing so, we ensure that our customers can count on continued safe and efficient rail service." This planned maintenance work keeps train reliability, safety and service high. The project is scheduled annually when many coal mines traditionally close for summer break. If the work were scheduled during normal curfew conditions, it could take up to 27 weeks to complete with significant service disruptions. GONDOLA GAZETTE 3 AUGUST 2010

4 Day Out With Thomas Submitted by Alesea Smith Article & Pictures go here AUGUST GONDOLA GAZETTE

5 Plans call for steam to ride the Norfolk Southern rails again, through display and excursion program with TVRM NORFOLK, VA., and CHATTANOOGA, TENN. Norfolk Southern Corporation is in negotiations with the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum with regard to the operation of a limited schedule of steam locomotive event appearances and passenger excursions beginning later this year. 21st Century Steam would highlight milestones in rail history and provide an opportunity for audiences to learn about today s safe and serviceoriented freight railroads. The program would feature three venerable coalpowered steam locomotives: Southern Railway 4501: Built in 1911 by Baldwin Locomotive Works, 4501 served Southern Railway in freight service in Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana, before being sold to a short line railroad. No was retired from revenue service in 1963 and enjoyed a second career in the excursion program operated by Southern Railway and Norfolk Southern from 1966 until This Ms (Mikado superheated) Class locomotive has 63-inch driving wheels. Southern Railway 630: Built in 1904 at the Richmond, Va., works of American Locomotive Company, this Consolidation-type locomotive has traveled throughout the Southeast, often in the company of 4501 and sister locomotive 722. An extensive six-year rehabilitation to Federal Railroad Administration standards is being completed at TVRM s Soule Shops complex in Chattanooga. Tennessee Valley Railroad 610: Built in 1952 by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton for the U.S. Army, 610 has been the mainstay of TVRM steam operations since It also appeared on several Norfolk Southern steam excursions from 1990 to No. 610, also a Consolidation type, was one of the last steam locomotives built in the U.S. This is the right time for steam to ride the Norfolk Southern rails, said CEO Wick Moorman. We have a fascinating history, and we have a compelling message about how today s railroads support jobs, competition, and the economy. It is a forward-looking message that resonates with people everywhere. Southern Railway 4501 Southern Railway 630 Tennessee Valley Railroad st Century Steam can help introduce historic and modern railroading to a broad new audience of supporters, said TVRM President Tim Andrews. We are pleased to be developing this relationship with Norfolk Southern for the purpose of preserving and interpreting the steam age, and of bringing today s railroad closer to people young and old, in communities large and small. The launch of 21st Century Steam would coincide with key dates will be 4501 s 100th birthday and TVRM s 50th. The year 2012 will mark Norfolk Southern s 30th anniversary. 21st Century Steam s initial appearances and runs tentatively could take place in the Chattanooga area this fall, with locomotives 610 and 630. No could join the program sometime in (Continued on page 6) GONDOLA GAZETTE 5 AUGUST 2010

6 Plans call for steam (Continued) 2011, after rehabilitation. Exhibit dates, ticketing, and other details will be announced later. The sights and sounds of a steam train are powerful enough to catch the public s attention in this busy and complex age, said Jim Wrinn, author of Steam s Camelot: Southern and NS Excursions in Color, and editor of Trains Magazine. A steam train is a living piece of American history that teaches volumes about this exciting industry that has much to offer our country today. Once the door is open with the steam locomotive, you ve got an opportunity to teach a new generation how railroading is the right transportation solution to so many challenges facing us. Later this year, Norfolk Southern and TVRM plan to launch a web site in support of the program. Correspondence can be addressed to 21stcenturysteam@nscorp.com. Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum was founded in 1961 in Chattanooga to create an interpretive operating museum of historic equipment and artifacts in an authentic setting. Today it operates an extensive schedule of historic and scenic trains in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia, supported by its East Chattanooga locomotive and car shop complex. TVRM is the largest operating historical excursion railroad in the Southeast. Annual Chapter Picnic The Chapter Picnic will be held at CSX on Saturday, September 11th at 2 p.m. Bring what you like to eat at a picnic! CPH will furnish the meat, buns and soft drinks. Activity before the picnic: AED/CPR training will be conducted by Fred Tillis at CPH Office on 8th Ave, Huntington, WV from 11 a.m. until approximately 2 p.m. AUGUST GONDOLA GAZETTE

7 Bardstown Flyer goes here GONDOLA GAZETTE 7 AUGUST 2010

8 2 nd Annual Ride For A Cure Saturday, October 2, p.m. $12.00 per ticket (Under 3 years old ride free but must sit on parents lap) All proceeds from the ride and raffle benefit the American Cancer Society 20 Mile round trip ~ Approximately 1 Hour 45 Minutes RAFFLE TICKETS for several fun prizes will be available the day of the ride and drawings will take place at the end of the ride. Do not need to be present to win. To order tickets go to or call the Depot at Depot open Saturday and Sunday ~ 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Message only call and someone will return your call. SPONSORED BY Hocking Valley Scenic Railway and Rocky Outdoor Gear Oak Hill Railroad Days Flyer will go here AUGUST GONDOLA GAZETTE

9 NRHS Convention 2010 (Continued) (Continued from page 1) - Meeting of the NRHS Members At-Large - Did you know that you don't have to belong to a local Chapter of the NRHS to be a member of the Society. For those members not geographically tied to one location or interested in the particular activities of one Chapter, At-Large membership gives the opportunity to be a fullmember of the NRHS. At-Large members have representation on the Board of Directors. At 4:00 PM a meeting was held just for At-Large members of the NRHS to discuss matters of interest pertaining specifically to members in this category. The meeting lasted about 60 minutes. - Convention Gala Banquet - Over 600 people attended the gala event of Convention Week 2010, the banquet, at the ball room at the Radisson Hotel (former DL&W station) in Scranton. The evening began with a Social Hour at 6:00 (social hour was held in the ornate lobby/ former waiting room of the building/station). Dinner, buffet style, began at 7:00 PM and included fish, chicken, beef, salads, desserts, vegetables, rolls, coffee, and tea. Several guest speakers, including the convention chairman, Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley President Vee Pauli, NRHS President Greg Molloy, gave brief remarks. NRHS Senior Vice President Barry Smith gave a presentation on RailCamp, the NRHS' summer camp to educate senior high school students about railroading, past, present, and future; in response over $1,700 dollars as raised spontaneously from the audience to fund future RailCamp Scholarships. The keynote speaker of the evening was Jim Wrinn, Editor of Trains Magazine. Jim, a lifelong railfan, spoke of growing up with a love of trains and getting his first ride behind the Southern Steam Program at an early age. It was there he developed his lifelong passion for railroading. Jim's program also included a talk on ho Trains Magazine is produced, and a reminisce on the railroading and hobby we have known, and of course how things are changing. Door prizes were also given away. The banquet concluded about 10:00 PM. Day 6 - June 26, The Lehigh Rambler - The finale trip of the convention was the Lehigh Rambler, a trip behind Steam on the Blue Mountain, Reading & Northern Railroad (RBMN). The trip was a return tot the glory days of mainline steam, open window coaches, open air coaches, steam locomotives, four photo runbys, soot, cinders, and whistles. It was an early departure (6:30 am) for a chartered motor coach ride to Duryea, PA where our Photo of Jim Wrinn giving keynote presentation by J. Lilly steed, RBMN No. 425 was waiting for us for our 8:00 am departure on the former Bloomsburg Branch of the DL&W. No. 425 is a light Pacific class engineer, 4-6-2, built in 1928 for the Gulf Mobile & Northern and now owned by the RBMN. The rest of the consist included: RBMN Diesel (Lehigh Gorge Scenic) No. 426 Open Air Car No. 3 RBMN (former Lackawanna) heavyweight commuter coaches No. 306, 309, 303, 301, 304, 302, and 305 RBMN Office Car No. 1 - The Black Diamond RBMN Office Car No. 5 - The Schuylkill River After a short trip down the Bloomsburg Branch (a backup move) and turning on a wye, the train cut onto the former Lehigh Valley's (LV) Mountain Cutoff at GONDOLA GAZETTE 9 AUGUST 2010 (Continued on page 10)

10 NRHS Convention 2010 (Continued) (Continued from page 9) Pittston. Entering Centralized Traffic Controlled (CTC) territory, our locomotive worked upgrade. The Mountain cutoff was built in 1888 to expedite freight traffic around the congestion of the Wyoming Valley. A separate line as used to route trains through Wilkes-Barre. As we climbed the former LV main, we passed under for former Erie Railroad and parlayed the former D&H before passing under it at Dupont Junction. At Soloman's Gap the our train operated on former Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) trackage for several miles, which we had been paralleling the abandoned trackage of since shortly after entering the LV. At Mountaintop we reached the top of the grade, 1650 ft, and then rolled through RBMN's Penobscot Yard here a restored operating tower still stands guard over the freight traffic. On our downhill trek, we then raced through Glen Summit and Crestwood before passing through our first tunnel. Then, about 13 miles beyond the tunnel, we passed through the town of White Haven before crossing the Lehigh River on a high steel trestle. We then followed the Lehigh River for the next 25 miles, along the way passing through the second Tunnel of the afternoon, Rockport. Our first two photo runbys of the afternoon were executed flawlessly in the Lehigh Gorge, with No. 425 "showing her stuff" as the bikers on the adjacent rails-to-trails pathway looked on in amazement at "all these people with cameras taking pictures of that old train." Shortly afterward we crossed the river again (Lehigh) and entered the former right of way of the CNJ. We arrived at our layover destination, Jim Thorpe, PA, once a major waypoint on the CNJ about 11:15. The CNJ depot, restored and beautiful, is our interim station. It also serves as a visitors center and a departure point for the Lehigh Gorge Tourist train, also operated by the RBMN. Jim Thorpe was originally named Mauch Chunk, but in 1953 was renamed for the famous Indian athlete who is buried here. Jim Thorpse is a beautiful town nestled in the Poconos along the Lehigh River with much culture, art, and history. Asa Packer, once owner of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and one of the richest men in America, lived here and his former mansion is now a museum. Our three hour layover gave ample opportunity for passengers to explore the town and catch lunch. During the layover, the steam engine was turned and serviced and put on the other end of the train. The diesel, the open air car, and the Two office cars were also switched to the other end of the train so that the diesel remained directly behind the locomotive and the open air car behind that. The second half of our journey began at 2:15 PM. We headed south for 16.5 miles on the Nesquehoning Branch" of the CNJ toward Haucks, after passing PQ tower and diverging from our inbound route along the river. Near that location there were two more photo runbys. The first was special, an opportunity our train crossing the Lehigh River trestle we had crossed on the inbound to Jim Thorpe leg, about a quarter mile away. The second was a full bore runby at track speed at our location. Continuing along the Nesquehoning Branch, we passed through Nesquehoning, Panther Creek, Hauto, and Hometown, where we crossed an almost 1000 foot long trestle over the Schuylkill River (trestle built in the 1930s). At Haucks we turned south to join the former Reading Railroad's Shamokin division, which we would continue on for 27 miles to our final destination, Port Clinton. The journey included passing through Tamaqua tunnel, and the picturesque town of the same name. There were then about another 20 miles of "you can't get there by car" beautiful scenery before we arrived at Port Clinton. On arrival in Port Clinton, about 5:15 PM, passengers were given the opportunity to explore the headquarters of the RBMN, including taking pictures of two famous steam locomotives now located there: Reading 2102 and Chesapeake & Ohio No (Continued on page 14) AUGUST GONDOLA GAZETTE

11 CPH New Members Do we have any new members??? CPR/AED Training There will be CPR/AED Training at CPH on Saturday, September 11 a.m. at CPH (before and coordinating with the CPH Annual Picnic).Training will last approximately 2 hours and Fred Tillis will be the instructor. This is a free course for CPH Members and is also manditory training for all New River Train Car Hosts. If you live out of town and plan to be a car host on New River Train, please contact the office if you are unable to attend CPR/AED traning in Huntington. Volunteers Needed for the Outdoor Museum - Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Roger Young really needs more volunteers for the outdoor museum at 14th Street West. If you could volunteer for just one Sunday this summer it would be greatly appreciated. Hours are above, please call Susan on her cell phone (preferred number to call): or call the home phone: (let the phone ring, Roger does not always hear it). Someone will return your call if the answering machine kicks in after several rings. Have Room for Short Article Here GONDOLA GAZETTE 11 AUGUST 2010

12 CPH Membership Application $36.00 $57.00 LINDA BUSH, MEMBERSHIP CHAIRPERSON AUGUST GONDOLA GAZETTE

13 Heartland Corridor Extends Reach from Columbus to Cincinnati Norfolk Southern Gets the Green Signal to Proceed on Double Stack Clearance Project Columbus (Tuesday, June 22, 2010) America s growing economy moves more and more freight on rails and Ohio is increasingly one of the critical links to keep those goods rolling. Already nearing completion of its Heartland Corridor between Chicago, Columbus and the Port of Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk Southern (NS) is extending the corridor s reach to Cincinnati. NS has been given the official notice by the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) to proceed with engineering and construction on their Columbus to Cincinnati line to accommodate double-stack container trains. The nearly $6.1 million project will involve increasing clearances at five locations between Columbus and Sharonville, and adding tracks at the Rickenbacker intermodal facility. The project is funded in part with $3.6-million from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, along with matching funding from both Norfolk Southern and the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments. But the project is about much more than making sure bridges and other structures are at the right height for trains to pass. The double stack clearance projects are essential because they remove trucks from the I-71 and I-75 corridors in southwest Ohio, said OKI Executive Director Mark Policinski. These projects reduce air pollution and congestion while, at the same time, improving our ability to compete in global markets. OKI is proud to have originated the partnership with Norfolk Southern and ORDC that delivers so many benefits. It s this kind of public-private investment in our rail network that enhances Ohio s already strategic position as a distribution and logistics hub for both North America and the world, echoed ORDC Executive Director Matt Dietrich. The return on this investment is the economic development and jobs that grow around these intermodal freight hubs as we have already seen around the NS Rickenbacker Intermodal Yard. Ohio is strategically positioned to satisfy the growing demand for high-quality intermodal freight service throughout the Midwest, said Mike McClellan, NS vice president intermodal marketing. The Heartland Corridor West extension to Cincinnati leverages our Heartland Corridor and the success of our Rickenbacker intermodal facility in Columbus, creating new opportunities for shippers while at the same time delivering significant economic and environmental benefits throughout Ohio, northern Kentucky and southern Indiana. The Ohio Rail Development Commission is an independent agency operating within the Ohio Department of Transportation. ORDC is responsible for economic development through the improvement and expansion of passenger and freight rail services and railroad grade crossing safety. For more information about what ORDC does for Ohio, visit our website at GONDOLA GAZETTE 13 AUGUST 2010

14 NRHS Convention 2010 (Continued) (Continued from page 10) Then about 6:30 PM it was time to take our chartered motor coaches back to Scranton. A series of photos from the trip are shown here, from a passenger's perspective. MORE PHOTOS CAN BE SEEN AT: nrhsconv/2010conv/ saturday/index.html Photos are all by J. Lilly. Passengers enjoy the Open Air Car Seating behind the locomotives... Ahhh, the smell of cinders and the sound of steam! No. 426 Leads A Photo Runby in the Lehigh Gorge near Jim Thorpe, PA No. 425 crosses the Lehigh River during a Photo runby Black Diamond No. 1 "brings up the markers" of The Lehigh Special AUGUST GONDOLA GAZETTE

15 Car Host Form Goes Here GONDOLA GAZETTE 15 AUGUST 2010

16 A UGUS T 2010 We re on the Web! Non Profit Organization PAID Huntington WV Permit 9 Gondola Gazette C O L L I S P. H U N T I N G T O N R A I L R O A D HI S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y, INC. Dated Material Please do not delay TH AVENUE MAIL TO: P. O. BOX 393 HUNTINGTON, WV PHONE: FAX: CPHRRHS@AOL.COM All New River Train Car Hosts are required to have CPR/AED training, please see page 11. Also, don t forget to send in your Car Host form on page 15! AUGUST GONDOLA GAZETTE