The Dispatcher Central Oklahoma Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society Oklahoma Railway Museum, Ltd. NARCOA Affiliate Member Ramblin Rails By Larry Dodd Pueblo Rail Fair Volume 52 Issue 1 January 2017 During the last year or so, I have had a good pen pal named Jim Jordan. Jim is the current President of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Heritage Society. This group identifies, acquires, and arranges for the preservation of railroad history and heritage in the Rocky Mountain region. They have been successful in preserving depots and other railroad structures as well as a variety of rolling stock important to Rocky Mountain rail fans. They are the owners of our M-300 Goose. They are just looking for a means to have it moved to Blanca Colorado for restoration. As you might expect, funding is a problem, and Jim does a great job at securing what he can for restoration and preservation purposes--but I digress. Jim invited Loretta and myself to join him at the Pueblo Rail fair in Pueblo, CO in August of 2016. We booked a week in Pueblo CO and we re off to see the sights. (From Wikipedia) Pueblo was once the home of The Colorado Fuel and Iron Company (CF&I) a large steel concentration. By 1903, it was largely owned and controlled by John D. Rockefeller and Jay Gould s financial heirs. While it came to control many plants throughout the country, its main plant was a steel mill on the south side of Pueblo, Colorado and was the city s main industry for most of its history. From 1901 to 1912, Colorado Fuel and Iron was one of the Dow Jones Industrials. The steel-market crash of 1982 lead to the decline of the company. After going through several bankruptcies, the company was acquired by Oregon Still Mills in 1993, and changed its name to Rocky Mountain Steel Mills. While you re out doing your rail fanning, I suspect you will see a lot of CF&I marked steel rail and tie plates. Jim and his group had a booth set up at the rail fair where they sold various reproduction posters, coffee cups and other railroad memorabilia. They have reproduced Curacanti china under license and in conjunction with Richard Luckin at China Concepts and had select pieces for sale. All of the money raised at their booth sales goes toward the aforementioned preservation activities. In This Issue Ramblin Rails 1 President s Message 2 Museum Update 3 ORM Needs You! 4 Board Update 4 Train Show 5 Christmas Train 6 Current Projects 7 Timetable 8 The displays inside the Grand Depot Station included memorabilia vendors, including my longtime friend Dick Spain from Berryton, KS. It was good to visit with Dick. I always have to buy something from him. Most of the other vendors were HO modelers. Sorry fellas, I am post war O gauge. Outside, the Pueblo Railroad Museum was offering a brief excursion ride in their vintage equipment. Much like our operation it was a push-pull trip staying pretty much within the confines of their short track. Amtrak had a full display on hand. The Pueblo area is pushing for an Amtrak shuttle from Pueblo to La Junta and connection with the Southwest Chief. It s exciting to see communities actually reaching out to have rail service. Continued on Page 2
Page 2 The Dispatcher The stated mission of the Oklahoma Railway Museum is to provide the opportunity for people to experience the excitement of rail transportation. The President s Column by Eric Dilbeck December was a busy and exciting month for our museum. We started the month with the OKC Train Show at the Fairgrounds. The next weekend we hosted Dental Depot s corporate Christmas party with well over 400 people in attendance. Our December events concluded with the Christmas Train on the 18th and 19th. The 2016 Christmas train was our most successful Christmas event on record. We sold over 3000 tickets and raised more than $45,000. Our Christmas train attendance this year tells us that we are a part of our community. Despite the bitter cold and snow, people came out to attend this event. As we continue our planning we should take note of these recent successful fundraising events. They will give us a guide to future events and ways to raise funds. We will schedule our next planning session for February. In that session, we will continue making plans for our expansion including finalizing our mission statement. We will refine our five-year plan and start working on goals to that will allow us to meet our plan. These goals will establish the groundwork and infrastructure to support that vision. Creating a capital fundraising campaign and a donor recruitment plan are two goals that we defined as essential in our strategic planning sessions in the summer of 2016. Both goals are important to ensure the success of our museum in the long-term and the feasibility of expansion. In November, Anne Chilton and I applied to The Oklahoma Group (TOG) consulting service to work on these. TOG is a student organization that works to provide professional consulting services to non-profits. The students of TOG attend the University of Oklahoma and provide these services in central Oklahoma. During December, we were notified that we were selected as a finalist. Anne and I were interviewed by a selection committee to allow the committee to better understand our museum and it s needs. In late December, TOG informed us that we were selected as one of 5 non-profit projects for their spring semester. We will work with TOG over the next 14-16 weeks to create a capital fundraising campaign and a donor recruitment plan. Oklahoma Railway Museum, Ltd. (405) 424-8222 Board of Directors Eric Dilbeck, President Bob Nantois, Vice President and Program Chair Drake Rice, Secretary Charles Price, Treasurer Greg Robertson, NRHS Director Bob Cossairt, Director of Museum Grounds & Facilities Bob Hussey, Director of Track Maintenance Terry Birchett, Director of Mechanical Operations Harry Currie, Director at Large Greg Hall, Director of Museum Activities Bob Cook, Director of Museum Displays Ed Birch Jr., Train Show Chair Anne Murray-Chilton, Membership Chair Eric Dilbeck, Interim Dispatcher Editor As we work with TOG and continue our planning sessions we will need keep in mind our visitors, why they come to our museum, and how we will serve them in the future. The work we put in today must support a vision for tomorrow and years to come. Eric Dilbeck Ramblin Rails Continued from page 1 As you will see from the photo series, Pueblo Rail fair had quite a lot going on. The museum is open to the public and the Grand Depot is a structure you need to see. Inside it is truly a magnificent structure. Pueblo downtown offers great restaurants, shopping and site seeing. They have blended some new with the old and it s a nice destination and not too far that you can t make a trip out of it. We did. Larry Dodd Click here to see more photos
The Dispatcher Museum Update By Drake Rice Page 3 I hope everyone is looking forward to a great year in 2017. I hope that it includes joining in on a project at the Oklahoma Railway Museum. A lot of projects were completed in 2016,and several new ones were started that will need to be addressed this year. Now is the time that volunteers can make a difference since we have twelve weekends to work in our nice warm shop until train operations begin.. Some maintenance work on the museum locomotives will require special skill sets. If you have experience with diesel engines or electrical work, the museum would like for you to volunteer your skills to assist with the winter maintenance work in ORM s Murray Shop. There are several items that need to be addressed to ensure the engines will be ready for our operational season which begins in April. Again, if you have mechanical skills they could be put to good use at your museum, please contact Anne Chilton at the museum office. We also have maintenance to address on a couple of our passenger cars. First, all the cars need to be cleaned well. On the mechanical side, the HVAC equipment controls required upgrades in OKRX 113 and OKRX 115. Our passenger cars carried over 20,000 passengers this year. We take pride in our cars being clean and in good mechanical order to better service our visitors and to be able to host events that bring people to our grounds. These cars provide the museum a means to provide over 300 seats per train when needed. We ask for your help to make sure they are maintained and in good working order so the cars can continue to serve our visitors in the future. Changes are starting to take place at the museum! Construction has started on the new parking lot and the museum has obtained, by donation, the former Le Flore Depot which will become the entry point at the museum. These changes will begin making a big difference for visitors when they arrive at the museum.. We are looking forward to these changes as we work to make our museum grow and help provide a venue for people to visit and enjoy. We have several projects on the grounds that we will need to be addressed this spring. One project includes the CB&Q Caboose needs the siding replaced and repaired. New windows are being made to replace the old ones. The Porter Steam Engine, which is display at this time, requires some cosmetic attention to improve its appearance. The museum has also obtained the body of a Wilson refrigeration car, minus the running gear. Volunteers are working on a way to address this problem. We are also working with another museum to change out wheel sets for our UP Caboose so we can operate it on our line. Please come out to the museum and help with a project. We always have several projects going concurrently so you may safely assume that we can use your help. If you have questions, please call the museum office at 424-8222. The museum is open Thursday through Saturday 9AM to 4PM. See you at your museum! Drake Rice Engraved Platform Bricks Cost is $50.00 per brick. A maximum of 4 lines with 16 letters and spaces per line. More than one platform brick can be donated to the Museum and you can make copies of the form below. Mail completed forms with check or money order to: Oklahoma Railway Museum 3400 NE Grand Boulevard Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111 Call the museum with any questions. 405-424-8222 Line 1 Line 2 Line 3 Line 4 Purchaser s Name Phone No.
Page 4 ORM Needs YOU! We have some specific volunteer opportunities for you. All, but one, of these can be done at home from a personal computer. Newsletter editor: If you have experience in writing, editing, and layout we can use your help with our monthly newsletters. Newsletter contributors: We are looking for contributors to the newsletter. Have an idea? Let us know. Data-entry: We have visitor logs and magazine inventory that need to be entered into a computer database. Are you organized and detail oriented? Then you would be a great help with this project. Give us a call. Social Media Marketing: Social media is an essential part of modern marketing but only if it is done consistently. Adding and updating content about our museum and events helps us keep in touch with our visitors and helps the museum s visibility. Someone who is a good communicator and familiar with social media would be an amazing asset to our museum. If you can help, or know someone who would be great at this, please let us know. Website Editor: Content on our Word Press web-site needs to be reviewed and updated to ensure that it is current and relevant. Word Press is an easy to use on-line program. The site needs to be reviewed routinely but this should not be a time-consuming volunteer opportunity. Past Newsletter Formatting: The Oklahoma Library graciously scanned old newsletters (1992-2008) that we did not have in digital format. The images need to be cropped, named and sorted into folders. Can t help but organize everything around you? This is a great project for you. Museum docents: Docents are a vital position that we need filled. They bring life to Oklahoma s fascinating railroad history by giving guided tours, answering questions, and performing information service on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Available shifts are Thursdays 9:00-1:00 PM, 1:00-5:00 PM, or both shifts. Have knowledge you d like to share with the public? Please come share your knowledge as a docent. Please contact Anne Chilton at 405-424-8222 or annem@oklahomarailwaymuseum.org to volunteer. Board Update By Drake Rice Actions from the December Board Meeting Accepted the donation of the former Le Flore, Oklahoma Depot. Continued the reviewed of proposed Credit Card Policy. Update on a possible wheel set change out for our UP Caboose. Reviewed the Christmas Train Report. Accepted the Wilson Refrigerator Car donation and cost to move at $3,250. Discussed getting a price on insurance on passenger cars and locomotives that are used. Museum received notification that our grant from The Oklahoma Group was approved. Update on the military surplus engines in California. Next board meeting will be held on January 26th. The Dispatcher Crosstie Donations Friends and families of ORM continue to make donations to the museum for crossties, equipment and facilities. A donation of $50.00 will help ORM purchase a new crosstie. You may donate a crosstie in recognition or in memory of someone. Donations can be mailed to the museum at the address below or made online on our website, oklahomarailwaymuseum.org. Notate Crosstie with your donation, and send to : ORM Ltd. 3400 NE Grand Boulevard Oklahoma City, 73111 Depot Store The Oklahoma Railway Museum has items available for both children and adults at the Depot Store. These include baseball caps, polo shirts, t shirts, lapel pins, coasters, and now mugs. Profits from the sale of these items support the museum and its projects. The Depot Store is located inside the Oakwood Depot on the museum grounds. It is open on run days (the first and third Saturdays April through August) from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The store is also open during special events. We now have ORM coffee mugs! Stop by the gift shop and get one.
The Dispatcher Page 5 2016 OKC Train Show Photos by Eric Dilbeck Charles Price (sitting) and Mary Holderbaum man the ORM booth. The layouts were an impressive sight. A happy youngster enjoys the model train layouts! I found an ORM logo on a fence in the Oklahoma Garden Railways layout. The Great Train Set giveaway was a hit again this year! The Lego train is always one of my favorites.
Page 6 The Dispatcher Christmas Train Photos by Eric Dilbeck As the train pulls back in the depot, Santa waves at people waiting to board. You are never to old to sit on Santa s lap. Passengers de-board the train and head to the shop building for hot chocolate and cookies The shop building was full of passengers drinking hot chocolate and eating cookies. Photo By Steve Kamm Kids enjoyed playing with Steve G-Scale switching layout. Photo By Steve Kamm Our Christmas carol singer, Kenedy Conrad, is assisted by Mersades Funk, niece of Greg Hall. Photo by Greg Hall
The Dispatcher Page 7 Current Projects By Eric Dilbeck We currently have several projects in progress at the museum. Arrange time on a Saturday to come out and help. Santa Fe 643 Steam Engine (outside on the track) The cab windows are finished. The sunshades, and rear curtains are being worked on. CB&Q Caboose (outside on the platform) The windows are being repaired. The siding on the outside needs to be replaced and repainted. Rock Island Caboose (outside on the track) Steve Kamm is currently working on installation of the roof walks. MKT Inspection Car (in the shop building) Work has started on the interior of the car. Currently we are cleaning and assessing the repairs needed. Yard Office The Siding needs to be repaired. Replacement siding is in the shop so a coat of primer can be applied. Visit the Oklahoma Railway Museum on YouTube at: youtube.com/c/oklahomarailwaymuseumorg Lands End and ORM logo You can now order apparel with an embroidered ORM logo from Lands End at the website below. Once you select the item you want you will be able to select the logo and where you want it placed. We will send out emails when Lands End runs a special. Anything on sale in the regular catalog will be on sale on this site as well. ces.landsend.com/oklahoma_railway_museum
Oklahoma Railway Museum, Ltd. 3400 NE Grand Boulevard Oklahoma City, OK 73111-4417 Return Service Requested Page 8 The Dispatcher Timetable Oklahoma Railway Museum (ORM) - Open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM Closed on major holidays. ORM Train Rides - First and third Saturdays, April through August at 9:15 AM, 11:15 AM, 1:15 PM and 3:15 PM ORM Board Meetings - Last Thursday of every month at Oklahoma Railway Museum - 7:00 PM. Oklahoma N Rail - For information call Rick Inselman (405) 412-1552. Central Oklahoma Garden Railroad Society Contact information: Steve Lemcke (405) 703-0209 e-mail steve.lemcke@att.net Marshall Douglas (405) 290-8989 Steve Kamm (405) 685-3755 email skamm@college.occc.edu Passenger Rail Oklahoma - Passenger Rail Oklahoma volunteers provide Amtrak depot hosting for the Hartland Flyer in City of Norman, OK most evenings, holidays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The depot opens at 7:50 AM. Contact Evan Stair at sfrr@aol.com, www.passengerrailok.org, or (405) 366-8957. Depot volunteer opportunities are available. Oklahoma S.W. Division NMRA - 2nd Saturday of each month, 1:00 PM, Goldman Room, Kirkpatrick Center, Jim Heidon, President Yukon s Best Railroad Museum - Thursday/Saturday/Sunday and by appointment. Located 1 block north of Main and UP tracks in Yukon. Call John Knuppel, (405) 354-5079, for times and information. Waynoka Station/Waynoka Historical Society - 202 South Cleveland, Waynoka, (580) 824-1886. If you can help, call Sandie Olson. Corrections Correction from the December 2016 Dispatcher, There was not a nomination for the NRHS board position. Any changes to the above information or articles in the Dispatcher should be directed to the editor, Eric Dilbeck at eric@oklahomarailwaymuseum.org. For information on upcoming programs contact Anne Chilton at annem@oklahomarailwaymuseum.org.