Volume 15, Number 2 February !At The Throttle!

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1 Volume 15, Number 2 February 2012!At The Throttle! Greetings and welcome to another edition of At The Throttle. I would like to thank Ted Rita, General Manager of the Hesston Steam Museum, and his associates for giving us an entertaining and informative presentation on the history and present operation of the museum. There were questions asked and prizes given out. Well enjoyed by those in attendance. Remember this is Chicago s time to shine in August with the National Garden Railway Convention and the call for volunteer help is being sounded. No matter in what capacity you volunteer to do, it can be a lot of fun. So if you are interested you might want to attend the next NGRC 2012 meeting on February 19 th at 6:30pm at the Pheasant Run Resort located in St. Charles. I am putting out a call for a volunteer to step forth and take charge of the clubs Annual Picnic. Contact any board member or myself if you are interested. Also if you want to make a difference with what is done with our club, you might want to try your hand at running for office. The post of President and Secretary are open for election this year to be held at our Annual Banquet on Saturday, April 21, I just learned that HIT Entertainment, owner of the Thomas the Tank Engine rights and a firm that has clashed with several Heritage Railways and Tourist Lines over terms and conditions, is being bought by our own toy maker Mattel in a deal reportedly worth approximately $650million. Mattel, best known for its Barbie Dolls and Hot Wheels, produces (under its Fisher-Price brand) many of HIT products under license will now own the rights to make Thomas toys. January 22, 2012 marked the 100 th Anniversary of the opening of Florida East Coast s Key West Extension, The Railroad That Went To Sea. This was Henry M. Flagler s last big dream. With a little back history, in 1885 Flagler took over the Jacksonville, St. Augustine & Halifax, a 36mile, narrow gauge railroad extending south from Jacksonville, Florida. He converted the line to standard gauge, built a bridge across the St. Johns River to connect with other railroads in Jacksonville, and pushed the line southward, reaching Miami in Flagler was not content to rest. The Florida Keys, a string of islands, reached more then 100 miles southwest from the southern tip of mainland Florida. The outermost, only 90 miles from Havana, Cuba, is Key West. It was, at the time, the closest port to the Panama Canal, then under construction. In 1904 Flagler decided to extend his line to Key West.

CHICAGO AREA GARDEN RAILWAY SOCIETY http://cagrs.com Officers President, Brian Valleau 847-692-2361 metraeng@aol.

2 CHICAGO AREA GARDEN RAILWAY SOCIETY Officers President, Brian Valleau Vice President, Linda Cerwin No Treasurer, Wayne Clauss Secretary, Madison Parker Chairpersons Membership, Walter Radtke 205 E. Moehling Drive Mt. Prospect, IL Open Houses, Ron Althardt WebMaster, Ray Sargent Newsletter EDITOR, John Peart 1909 W. Touhy Ave Chicago, IL Newsletter PRINTER, Pete Costanza The Ink Well (847) The construction problems were formidable and labor turnover was high. The first portion of the line, from Homestead to Key Largo, was across a swamp. The dredging of drainage canals provided material for the roadbed. Along Key Largo the problem was not terrain but insects. Worst than either terrain or insects was the weather. A hurricane in September 1906 destroyed the initial work on the Long Key Viaduct and killed more than 100 Laborers. In 1907 the opening of the Long Key Viaduct, more than 2 miles of concrete arches (it became FEC s trademark), allowed service to begin to Knights Key, where a marine terminal was built. Hurricanes in 1909 and 1910 wiped out much of the completed railroad. After both hurricanes work resumed at a faster pace. Flagler was getting old and wanted to ride all the way to Key West on his railroad. He did so on January 22, Regular service began the next day, with through sleepers between New York and Key West, and connections at Key West with passenger steamers and car ferries for Havana. Henry M. Flagler passed away in May 1913 at his home in Palm Beach, Florida. A hurricane of 2 September 1935 washed away approximately 40 miles of the Key West Extension. The railroad chose not to rebuild the line and cut back service to Florida City just 30 miles south of Miami. What remained was used a right of way for U.S. Highway 1 to reach Key West. The original route bridges were retired in1982 so when you are traveling the new route look to the side and you still see the original railroad bridges stand as they are being used as fishing piers and this is the story of The Railroad That Went To and Died At Sea. Our next meeting will be our Pot Luck and Movie on Saturday 25 February starting at approximately 5pm at the St Aubin Hobby Shop & Nursery. The store will be open, the food plentiful, the movie good and great companionship. The movie for the evening will be the 1941 comedy classic Broadway Limited starring Marjorie Woolworth, Dennis O Keefe, Patsy Kelly, Victor McLaglen and Zazu Pitts. Look, Listen and Live, Brian 2

3 The monthly meeting of CAGRS was held on Sunday, January 22, 2012 at the Holiday Inn in Itasca, IL. Present for the meeting were: Paul Allodi, Ed Biesiadecki, Stephen Brown, Larry and Linda Cerwin, Wayne and Jan Clauss, Clark Davoust, Bob and Terry Derenski, Joe and Chris Genc, Penny, Fred and Brian Haberkamp, Ray and Karen Holich, George Holtz, Alex Janis, Gerty and Bob Klett, Joe and Mary Lou Lienau, Ron and Darlene Lubert, Stan Mazalan, Dora and Don Mecko, Ron and Martha Messner, Bob and Gloria Olson, Ed, Ruthie, and Connor Olson, Madison and Gayle Parker, Walter Radtke, Bernie and Dolores Rich, Ted Rita, Shirley Rustemeyer, Judy Rustemeyer, Don Rustemeyer, Robert Rustemeyer, Ray Sargent, Ken and Cindy Starzyk, Jonathan Treubig, Brian and Blanche Valleau (51) ANNOUNCEMENTS: CAGRS Meeting Minutes January 22, 2012 Madison Parker Brian Valleau opened the meeting with a welcome to new members Ron and Darlene Lubert.. Brian continued with reports from the respective officers. John and Jill Treubig are hosting the potluck February 25, 2012, at St Aubins. If you are planning to attend and have not yet signed up, please do so as soon as possible. The movie for the evening is the 1937 classic, Broadway Limited. The next meeting of the 2012 NGRC committee is 6:30 PM, February 19, 2012, at Pheasant Run in the Vermeer Room. All of the committee leads are looking for volunteers to assist. If you are interested in purchasing a CAGRS jacket, please contact Penny Haberkamp. If you are interested in purchasing a CARGS shirt, contact Ron Messner. The High Wheeler Train Show at Harper College is scheduled for the first weekend in March, Ron and Gayle Althartdt are looking for volunteers to man (and woman) the CAGRS booth. Brian Valleau is looking for a volunteer(s) to host the annual CAGRS picnic this summer. The presenter for the evening was Ted Rita of the Hesston Steam Museum in LaPorte, IN. Ted s presentation included the history of the museum as well as information on the history of some of their equipment. Their equipment runs the range from 7 ½ gauge to full standard, with several different gauges between the two. Ted gave pop quizzes throughout the presentation. Those with the correct answer first were rewarded with either a museum T-shirt or admission tickets for four, which made for a lively evening. Thanks to Ted for an informative and entertaining time REPORTS: Vice President: The Highland Park Historical Society is having a special presentation on The History of Toy Trains through February 5. They will be open on Saturdays from 11 AM to 3 PM and Sundays from 1 PM to 4 PM. For further information, check their web site. Secretary: The minutes of the November 27, 2011 meeting were presented. Judy 3

(Continued from page 3) Rustemeyer moved to approve the minutes. The motion was seconded and approved. Treasurer: The balance in the checking account as of January 21, 2012 is $10,501.83.

4 (Continued from page 3) Rustemeyer moved to approve the minutes. The motion was seconded and approved. Treasurer: The balance in the checking account as of January 21, 2012 is $10, Caring and Sharing: Bob Klett was with us to share in the camaraderie. Bill Rustemeyer is in rehab recovering well from knee replacement. Gail Radtke is scheduled for surgery January 23. On a personal note, Brian Valleau thanked the members for their support of cards, , and phone calls after the recent death of his father. Membership: The memberships for 2012 were at 112 going into this evening s meeting. Walter Radtke is hoping that the members will renew their memberships by the end of February. Election of Officers: The members will be electing a President and Secretary this year. If you are interested in having your name on the ballot, contact Larry Cerwin. Respectfully submitted, Madison Parker Secretary CLUB MEMBERSHIP form was well received and has made the renewal process a bit easier for you and for me, i.e. less writing. I thank all of you for your cooperation. Your 2012 Membership cards should be this News letter if is not please call me. For those who have not yet renewed, you can find the renewal form in you January NewsLetter. Thank You. Walter Convention 2012 News 28th Annual National Garden Railway Convention Chicago August 15th 19th 2012 As you know, we re less than a year away from hosting the 28 th National Garden Railway Convention in 2012! The Committee is working hard to get everything in place and organizing their committees. If you are interested in helping on a committee below is the list of the Committee Chairs and their contact information. Please give them a call. WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!! by Walter Radtke, Membership Chair 2012 RENEWAL As this writing the renwal for the 2012 year is progressing on a fast pace. I anticipate that all members should be renewed for 2012 by the end of the month. The revised Convention Chair: Gayle Althardt (847) Registration: Mary Lou Lienau (630) Gayle Parker (630) Banquets/Events: Lorrie Rockey (630) (Continued on page 5) 4

5 (Continued from page 4) Clinics: Vince Frale (708) Layouts & Bus Tours: Steve March (847) Vendor Exhibits: Ron Althardt (847) / Madison Parker (630) Company Store: Jim Fiorito (847) Photographer: Ray Holich Video: Ray Sargent Program: Jim Rusch (630) Secretary: Gerty Klett Treasurer: Dennis Cipcich Convention Meetings are always held at Pheasant Run Resort, at 6:30pm in the Vermeer Room, located in Gallery Hall. The meeting dates for 2012 are listed below. All volunteers are welcome! Regards, Gayle 28NGRC Convention Meeting Dates for 2012 February 19th March 18th April 15th May (2 meetings) 6 th and 20th June (2 meetings) 3 rd and 17th July (2 meetings) 8 th and 22nd August 5 th and 12 th (pre-con) 28th Annual National Garden Railway Convention Tours Committee What s happening now? The 28NGRC website is now available for Convention and hotel reservations (2012ngrc.com). The Convention Car molded/assembled prototype was delivered. It is a stock car with the Convention logotype affixed to the side. You can see it on the website page for the Company Store. Tours Committee Layout Fact forms We are still working on the electronic-reply layout fact form that will be sent to each layout host for their review and comments. The first batch sent out revealed a bug in the part of the form. We hope to have the bug fixed and the forms distributed before the end of the month. Maps and routes The bus routings and bus driving directions are completed. Look for the date when your layout will be on display in your layout facts form. Cross-bucks If their cross-buck from the 2005 Convention is still in good shape we are asking that hosts use the same cross-buck for the 2012 Convention. Host can just fill in their crossbuck number on the wooden plaque below the arms, on their layout facts form. Our committee also needs more volunteers. Bus hosts One bus host rides with each bus and works to keep the bus on schedule. The host determines the correct amount of time is spent at each layout and that the bus returns to Pheasant Run on time. Buses leave from Pheasant Run by 7:30 a.m. and return before 1:00 p.m. The host will also have some local railroad facts to share with their visitors. We will need about 30 hosts unless some are willing to go on more than one trip. This is a great chance to see some new layouts. Thanks to Brad Bennett who has agreed to help with this task (Continued on page 6) 5

6 (Continued from page 5) Host helpers It takes more than one person to run a layout during a show day. We have received requests for assistance from more than one of the layout hosts. If you would be interested in learning the details of another layout or of any layout, during one of the show days, please let us know. Currently we have a request from a host in Rolling Meadows. You do not need to be registered for the Convention to be a host helper Chicago railroad facts Don Rustemeyer is digging up factoids about Chicago Railroads. The items will be combined into fours scripts that the bus hosts can use to inform our guests about contemporary railroading in The Rail Hub of America. It will provide a distraction during those long rides between layouts. Convention Operations NGRC CLINIC VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: We are looking for volunteers to help out during our 2012 Convention Proctors are needed to sit in on the sessions, monitor and advise the Clinic Chairman when a problem arises. Clinics will be on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday (August 15-18). Most will be in the day time except for a few on Wednesday evening. The day ones will end early to give everyone a chance to attend the IRM BBQ, theme dinner and banquet. If interested, please drop us an with your NAME, AD- DRESS, PHONE, AND AD- DRESS TO: meckoboat@sbcglobal.net 2012 Election News!!!! 2012 Election is coming!!!!! The club needs some volunteers to run for the office of President and Secretary for a two year term to steer the club forward for the next two years. The election will take place at our annual Banquet. So I ask for volunteers to call or me with your name to be placed on the ballot. I need these names in February or early March so i can make up ballots for us to vote with at the banquet. You can me at cerwin2011@aol.com. Please step forward and volunteer to help keep the club running. Larry Cerwin Election Chairperson Coming to a store near you The new LGB F-7 in the Blue Bonnet paint scheme has arrived and is available at Hobby Town in Northbrook, Illinois. Bob Derenski Contact information Beth and Steve March; , BethCMarch@AOL.com or MarchS@AOL.com 6

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sleeves. CAGRS SHIRTS FOR SALE Ron Messner is our Shirt Man.

The shirts are available with short or long sleeves. All shirts are available in sizes Small thru XXXL. The Polo short sleeve version is $28.

the front of either style. The following is a list of sizes and costs: XS $66.20 XL $66.20 S $66.20 XXL $68.85 M $66.20 XXXL $71.52 L $66.

Penny Haberkamp 5828 Blue Heron Drive Long Grove, IL 60047 847-913-0096 penkay3@aol.com for all sizes.

9 OFFICIAL CAGRS CLUB LOGO SHIRTS AND JACKETS AVAILABLE CAGRS JACKETS FOR SALE Penny Haberkamp is the Jacket Lady for the club. Our official CAGRS club jacket is a denim coat with either light blue jacket with light tan sleeves or darker blue jacket with darker tan sleeves. CAGRS SHIRTS FOR SALE Ron Messner is our Shirt Man. Our members are seen here in the photo wearing our smartly styled denim versions with logo. The shirts are available with short or long sleeves. All shirts are available in sizes Small thru XXXL. The Polo short sleeve version is $28. Dark Style Jacket Light Style Jacket There is a large CAGRS logo patch embroidered on the back of both styles, and your name can be added to the front of either style. The following is a list of sizes and costs: XS $66.20 XL $66.20 S $66.20 XXL $68.85 M $66.20 XXXL $71.52 L $66.20 XXXXL $74.20 Please contact Penny by phone, , or at a CAGRS monthly meeting to place your order. Penny Haberkamp 5828 Blue Heron Drive Long Grove, IL penkay3@aol.com for all sizes. The denim shirts are $30 for all sizes and sleeve styles. Please contact Ron for his inventory. Currently he has no L or XL Polo, no XL or XXXXL Short-Sleeve Denim, and no S Long- Sleeve Denim. You can contact him by phone, , or at a CAGRS monthly meeting to place your order. Ron Messner 4936 Berenice Chicago, IL Ronmarstation@sbcglogal.net 9

10 Coming Up this Month February 19 February NGRC Convention Meeting, 6:30, Pheasant Run CAGRS Potluck and Movie, 5:00, St Aubins Coming Up March 3-4 March 18 March 25 April 21 High Wheeler Show, Harper College, Palatine 2012 NGRC Convention Meeting, 6:30, Pheasant Run CAGRS Meeting, Holiday Inn, Itasca CAGRS Annual Banquet and Elections Renewal period ending February 29th Chicago Area Garden Railway Society 205 E. Moehling Drive Mt. Prospect, Illinois Renewal period ending February 29th

!At The Throttle! Odds and Ends... of the year. And now for something completely different. (Yes, I am a Monty Python fan.)

!At The Throttle! Odds and Ends... of the year. And now for something completely different. (Yes, I am a Monty Python fan.) Volume 19, Number 12 December 2016 Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him. Dwight D. Eisenhower!At The Throttle! looking