the Dispatcher Volume 48 Issue 6, July 2013 Womens College Softball World Series Parking Central Oklahoma Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society Oklahoma Railway Museum Ltd, NARCOA Affiliate Member Parking for the Softball World Series was again a success for the ORM. Parking was down from last year because of games being cancelled one evening because of storms and areas to wet to park cars. Thanks to Larry Dodd for handling the event and to the volunteers who assisted. photo by Larry Dodd 2013 Membership picnic and train ride by Gary Githens The attendance was great for the 2013 membership meeting. Chef Larry Dodd prepared hot dogs and hamburgers. Sides of baked beans, potato salad, various type of potato chips, cookies and drinks were available. The train ride was the entire length of our trackage. From Oakwood depot the train traveled to Adventure station then back to Eckroat and returned to Oakwood station. I took many photos to share with you. Turns out I did not have a memory card in my camera, thus no pictures. The Shawnee Rock Island Shops by Dean Schirf EDITORS NOTE: This will be a series of articles over multiple issues of the Dispatcher. Mr. Schirf s father worked in the roundhouse at the Rock Island shops in El Reno for a period of years. He took Dean to visit the round house beginning when Dean was 4 or 5 years old. Thus began his love of trains, especially the Rock Island. Dean had a 31 year career with the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. He was V.P. of government relations and the corporate secretary. He worked with Jim Brewer, Bricktown developer and Jim Townsend of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, as well as others, for about 20 years to bring AmTrak to Oklahoma City. Dean chaired an ODOT committee to evaluate passenger service between OKC and Tulsa. Shawnee Rock Island yard track plan. source unknown Article begins on page 4
Page 2 the Dispatcher Oklahoma Railway Museum, Ltd. Summer is upon us. Thanks to all who have been mowing the grounds and right of way. Everything looked good this morning. We are prepared for the Members day with a lot of good food and a train ride. There is still a lot of work to be done on equipment both mechanical and painting. Terry Birchett has been appointed to the Board of Directors and has also agreed to be in charge of the Maintenance work at the Museum. I appreciate his willingness to take over that continuing work load. Please give him all the help you can. Work is continuing on the Rock Island Caboose and all that can be done at the present time is done on the F-9 Diesel. We will be replacing it in the shop with the CF-7 to check it out before placing it in service. On the other side of the shop the MKT inspection car will come in to see what we need to do to get it back in shape. We also want to bring the Santa Fe caboose in to get it painted. Board of Directors Stan Hall, President Larry Dodd, Vice President and Program Chair Drake Rice, Secretary Charles Price, Treasurer Bob Nantois, NRHS Director Bob Cossairt, Director of Buildings & Static Displays 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 I hope to see you at the museum soon. Stan Hall Ed Birch Jr., Train Show Chair Gary Moore, Membership Chair Gary Githens, Dispatcher Editor Lookin good and riding smooth Bob Hussey crew has completed ballasting and tamping track from Eckroat to 30th street. This photograh taken on June 15th shows how great the track looks. I have not ridden on it but hear comments it is smooth. Ballast for the project came from the I-40 relocation project. You can tell from this picture the success of the week spraying earlier this year. Raymond Woods
the Dispatcher Museum Update by Drake Rice Page 3 Work continues at the museum on various projects. The Frisco and Rock Island casting that came from the Robinson Street underpass that were saved and given to the museum are being painted back to their original colors. Paint chips were taken from the corners for color match and the logos are now being painted and if you haven t seen them, they are looking good. Our museum painter Ken Kozak is doing the work. Bob Hussey and Company has been busy in June with track upgrade and repairs. They were replacing ties and leveling track then the rains hit and caused some minor wash outs. All have been repaired and the track is in its best condition ever in the 14 years we have been open. The museum line is now operational from NE 13th up to NE 50th and makes for a good smooth run. We are still trying to get the electric to the RI Combine so the AC can be used. With all the storm damage, electricians have been really busy, but we are hoping to have the work completed by July 7th. Repainting of the Frisco Display Car is ongoing and will be a nice improvement in the way it looks. The shop folks are planning on bringing the F-9 814 out of the shop and putting the CF-7 in to begin work to bring it up to operational status. They will also bring the CNW passenger car out and put the Katy Inspection Car in to begin work on the restoration of that car. The work on the RI Caboose is continuing. The museum did receive a grant from the NRHS to help with the cost of the project. Floor work is under way and once completed, work on the side walls will get underway. Restoration work is a slow process but it has great rewards when completed and enjoyed by all. Work is continuing on the Day Out with Thomas event scheduled for the last weekend in September and first weekend in October. The marketing plan is in place, activities under contract and work is beinging on layout of the event. As always this is our biggest fund raiser of the year and it takes all museum members helping to make the event a success. A special thanks to all volunteers who helped with the NCAA Softball car parking at the Adventure Station on NE 50th Street. It was a big success and put some money in the treasury which is always needed. Again thanks to all of you who helped. Another special thanks to Chef Cook Larry Dodd for the fine members picnic lunch. It was a fun time and great to see all the members who attended. The event continues to grow and the added bonus of being able to run all 3.7 miles of track made it a special day. As always, we can still use more volunteers with everything that is going on. Especially on train days, we need people who will flag crossings, work on the train with our passengers and help with other items that seem to always come up. Regardless of what you think you can do, you can always find a place to help at the museum. We look forward to seeing you at your museum. Crew members Harry Currie, Greg Hall and Charles Price ride the ORM caboose on rear of train going to Adventure Station. The Santa Fe caboose is on the end of the train from Oakwood Station to Adventure Station. [refer picture page 4. After the engine run-around at Adventure Station the Santa Fe caboose is next to the engine back to Eckroat and return backup to Oakwood Station. Raymond Woods
Page 4 The Shawnee Rock Island Shops the Dispatcher by Dean Schirf Shawnee, Oklahoma came into existence at high noon on September 22, 1891 when the U.S. Government opened Indian lands to white settlement. One of the settlers named John Beard, considered the founding father of Shawnee, drove a stake and claimed a quarter section of land that would become the future town site of Shawnee, Oklahoma. Shortly after filing his claim Mr. Beard quickly realized that if Shawnee was to prosper as a city, the railroads would have to build their lines through the town site of Shawnee. Mr. Beard, along with other settlers in the area set out to convince the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad (commonly called the Choctaw Railroad) to build their line through Shawnee and to sweeten the deal Mr. Beard offered a portion of his land claim to the Choctaw Railroad free of charge. By the fall of 1894, the Choctaw Railroad, which was building its line from Memphis through Little Rock and eastern Oklahoma and would eventually extend into Texas and New Mexico, made its decision to build through Shawnee. On July 4, 1895 the Choctaw Railroad pulled its first train into Shawnee witnessed by hundreds of people full of cheers and jubilation. Not only did the Choctaw Railroad build its line through Shawnee but it also made the decision it would construct its repair shops in Shawnee the following year in 1896. The Rock Island was also putting down rail for its North-South line through Oklahoma extending out of Caldwell, Kansas into Ft. Worth, Texas. The Choctaw line intersected the Rock Island at El Reno, Ok. Now it was no secret the Rock Island was aggressive in adding miles to its system and quickly turned its interest toward the acquisition of the East-West Choctaw line. On May 6, 1902, the Rock Island Board of Directors executed the necessary documents and secured the needed financial funds to bring about the acquisition of the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad and along with it the Shawnee Repair Shops. The acquisition of the Choctaw Railroad added 159 locomotives to Rock Island's engine roster, the most of any acquisition that the Rock Island would make. continued on page 6 Shawnee Rock Island Shops looking west with Beard Street in the lower bottom. The large lighter roof long structure on the right is the car shed, the coach shops (still standing) are in the middle withe the roundhouse immediately to the left. In the far upper right is the rail yard consisting of 22 tracks (circa 1930 Dean Schirf Collection Dean Schirf Still standing is the Rock Island coarch shop looking west from Beard Street. This 12 Bay repair shop played a major role in maintining heavyweight passenger cars for the Rock Island. At one time a dozen tracks crossed Beard Street at this point. source unknown Yard employees group shot with locomotive
the Dispatcher Page 5 June 15th ride day Photographs this page by Raymond Woods Dispite heavy rain for a period of time the 15th was a great day at the ORM. We were host to four birthday parties. Thanks to Chuck Shinn for all the work he puts into scheduling and managing the parties. Engineer Drake Rice bleads air of the system At least one young guest came prepared for rain Crew members Harry Currie and Charles Price ride the Santa Fe caboose on rear of train going to Adventure Station Conductor Greg Hall punches tickets. ORM volunteers scurriend to set up for a birthday party in the Jim Murray shop building
Page 6 The Shawnee Rock Island Shops the Dispatcher In 1908 the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce stated the local Rock Island shops were the largest railway shops in the Southwest. The following year the community would suffer the saddest Christmas in its history when on December 24, 1909 at 12:17 pm, the entire downtown area was rocked by the explosion of engine #1830, killing a machinist and fireman and seriously injuring seven other employees. Engine 1830 was being fired up following repairs when its boiler exploded propelling the engine 300 feet through the Westside of the shop and the firebox through the north brick wall. Ironically one employee working in the pit beneath #1830 was not seriously injured as the explosion sent engine parts outwards and upwards. Normally 250 shopman worked in the engine repair facility and the majority had just left for lunch avoiding additional carnage and injuries. By 1920 the Rock Island shops made a most impressive economic footprint upon the bustling economy of Shawnee. The repair shops had freight car track capacity for 150 cars making it the largest of Rock Island facilities in Oklahoma, exceeding that of Chickasha at 70 cars and El Reno at 100 cars. The engine repair facility had 12 bays primarily working on Pacific, Consolidation and smaller steam locomotives that operated on the Panhandle, Indian and Southern Divisions. The shops also contained major repair facilities for freight and coach cars. The National Shopman Railroad Strike of 1922 impacted the Shawnee shops as it did other back shops across the country. The strike eventually played out over the next year and a half with shopman across the country making their own deals with the respective roads that they worked on including the Rock Island. The strike sent a clear message to Rock Island management that local back shops might be better consolidated and strategically located...something that would eventually play a role in the state of Oklahoma where there were three sizable back shop facilities located at El Reno, Shawnee and Chickasha. On July 7, 1924 at 9:40pm the coach shop along with the second floor containing the offices of the master mechanic, district accounting and storekeeper were completely destroyed along with the electrical shop. The fire also spread to the car shed area destroying a num Roundhouse after explosion mentioned in article left. (Dean Schirf Collection) ber of coach and freight cars. The engine shops and roundhouse were also threatened but were saved due to the heroic actions of the firefighters joined by Rock Island employees. By December, 1924 a new coach shop measuring 124 by 240 was under construction including a second floor to house the administrative offices lost in the July fire. A new one-story mill building was also constructed a short distance from the new coach shop. Workers (circa 1920) pose for a picture...this picture visualizes the stay bolts and boiler flues in the engines firebox and steam dome...dirty, hard and laborious work buthe the got it done. (Dean Schirf Collection) ariticle will be continued in next months Dispatcher
the Dispatcher Page 7 ORM Depot Store The Oklahoma Railway Museum, Ltd. (ORM) has items available for both children and adults at the Depot Store. These include baseball caps, polo shirts, t shirts, lapel pins, and coasters. Funds raised by donations for these items support the Museum projects. The Depot Store, located inside the Oakwood Depot on the Museum grounds, is open during regular Museum hours 9 am to 4 pm on the first and third Saturday operation days of each month April through August. The store is also open for special events. Become an ORM Member 2013 ORM/NRHS MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION: New Membership Line 1 Line 2 Line 3 Line 4 Renewal Membership (begin Jan 1st) Date $36.00 per year Individual Membership in the Oklahoma Railway Museum, Ltd. (spouse included) Pro-rated dues $3.00 per month $30.00 per year Individual Senior (age 65 and up) (spouse included) and Individual Student (full time student) Membership in ORM Pro-rated dues $2.50 per month $36.00 per year To add Railway Historical Society (NRHS) Membership (add $5.00 for spouse) (Student Memberships: $16 per year) SEND NRHS DUES TO ORM ADDRESS BELOW, NOT DIRECTLY TO NRHS $500.00 - Lifetime Membership Send your application and dues to: Oklahoma Railway Museum, Ltd. 3400 NE Grand Boulevard Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111 Name Address City State Zip Code Phone Fax Cell Phone E Mail Order Form Engraved Platform Bricks Cost is $50.00 per brick. Up to a maximum of 4 lines with 16 letters and spaces per line Purchaser s Name Phone No. ( ) Engraved Platform Bricks More than one platform brick can be donated to the Museum and you can make copies of the attached form. Mail completed forms with checks or money orders to: Jim Murray, ORM, 3400 NE Grand Boulevard, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111. If you have any questions, you can e mail Murray at: jtmurray@cox.net. Crosstie Donations Friends and families of ORM continue to make donations for crossties, equipment and facilities on the Museum property and on the leased track. If you want to make a donation to purchase a crosstie, a donation of $50.00 will help purchase a new crosstie. You can donate a crosstie in recognition or in memory of someone. All donations should be made out to the Oklahoma Railway Museum Ltd. Please note on the check what the donation is for, mail to: ORM Ltd., 3400 NE Grand Boulevard, Oklahoma City, 73111
Oklahoma Railway Museum, Ltd. 3400 NE Grand Boulevard Oklahoma City, OK 73111-4417 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Page 8 the Dispatcher TIMETABLE Any changes to the following information or articles for the Dispatcher, should be directed to the Editor, Gary Githens, (e mail: ORMnews@cox.net). For information on upcoming programs, contact Jim Pasby, email: jimpasby@att.net). Oklahoma Railway Museum (ORM) Open Thursday, Friday and Saturdays from 9:00 A:M: until 5:00 P:M. except on major holidays ORM Train Rides - First and third Saturdays April through August at 10:00 A.M, 11:00 A.M. Noon, 1:30 P.M. and 2:30 P.M. ORM Board Meetings Last Thursday each month at ORM, Oklahoma City 7 pm. Oklahoma N Rail For information, call Rick Inselman, 405/412 1552. Oklahoma Passenger Rail Association Rail Consumer Advocate Organization. Meets bimonthly. For information, write or call Roger Carter, 1120 South 21st Street, Chickasha, Oklahoma 73018, 405/224 7423 Passenger Rail Oklahoma A grassroots advocacy organization. Meets every Saturday and Sunday morning an hour prior to the arrival of the Heartland Flyer in Norman. The depot opens at 7:50 am. Contact Evan Stair at sfrr@aol.com, www.passengerrailok.org, 405/366 8957, or 517 Claremont, Norman, OK 73069 5020. Depot volunteer opportunities are available. Oklahoma S.W. Division NMRA 2nd Saturday each month, 1 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. OUT OF TOWN Railroad Museum of Oklahoma Tuesday thru Friday afternoons 1 pm to 4 pm, Saturdays 10 am to 1 pm, Sunday 2 pm to 5 pm, or by appointment, HO, N and Lionel layouts, Meets 3rd Tuesday at 7 pm at Old Santa Fe Freight Depot, 702 North Washington, Enid Waynoka Station/Waynoka Historical Society 202 South Cleveland, Waynoka Call Sandie Olson, 580/824 1886.
Oklahoma Railway Museum, Ltd. 3400 NE Grand Boulevard Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111 Museum Information Contact us- Thursday and Friday we have someone to answer your questions 405-424-8222 Our museum is open every Thursday, Friday, & Saturday 9:00am to 5:00pm. Admission to the museum is free. The Museum is an outdoor museum and MAY BE CLOSED for inclement weather or when the temperature is below 40 F. Find us - From I-35 North take the NE 36th St. exit, at the stoplight on NE 36th turn left and go west about 1/2 mile. At the stoplight for Grand Blvd turn left for about two blocks, we are on the left at NE 34th St. Regular Trains Train Rides are scheduled the First and Third Saturdays of the month from April through August The trains leave the Station at 10:00am, 11:00am, 12:00 noon, 1:30 pm, 2:30pm Ticket Price is $12 for Riders 13 years old and up, $5 for Riders from 3 to 12 years old, Children under 3 are free when accompied by an adult Special Trains Thomas the Tank Engine will be here on September 27,28,29 and October 4,5,6, 2013 We recommend that tickets be purchased in advance. Tickes are available from TicketWeb toll free call 866-468-7630 Tickets for groups of 20 or more are $14 on all trains if purchased as a group All Tickets are $16 on the Friday Trains. these leave the Station every 50 minutes starting at 9:50am All Tickets are $18 on Saturday and Sunday Trains. These leave the Station every 50 minutes starting at 9:00am Halloween Train October 26, 2013 Tickets $15, Two dollars off if you are in costume. Children under three are free on lap of parent The trains leave the Station at 9:00, 10:30, noon, 1:30, 3:00 Smiley the Clown will be here. This is for Children, no scary stuff Christmas Train December 21, 2013 Tickets $15 Children under three are free on lap of parent The trains leave the Station at 9:00, 10:30, noon, 1:30, 3:00 Santa Claus will be Here, Chocolate, candy canes, songs and more fun Birthday Parties We offer you two unique venues to host a birthday party. You supply the cake, presents and the guests while we supply tables and chairs. Also included are paper engineer hats and a rail safety activity book. We have a 1921 wooden caboose which can accommodate up to 25 people and a 1921 Party coach which can accommodate up to 60 people Time and date must be held with a 50% deposit. The balance is due day of the party. Package One includes two hours for the party and a 30 minute train ride for 20 guests on historic railroad passenger cars. Additional train tickets can be purchased for $5.00 each. The train rides are available on the schedule for regular trains above. The costs are: Birthday Caboose: $200.00 Party Coach: $250.00 Package Two is a two hour party without a train ride. This package is available throughout the year on most non-operating Saturdays. The costs are: Birthday Caboose: $100.00 Party Coach: $150.00 Bookings and date/time availability are available on our website - ww.oklahomarailwaymuseum.org - and can also be made with our party coordinator Chuck Shinn. He can be reached at 405-850-0597 or by email - chuck@oklahomarailwaymusem.org Membership - Membership benefits include: Two free train rides on regular run days (Does not apply to Day Out with Thomas, Halloween and Christmas trains) Emailed copy of the ORM newsletter The Dispatcher Member Picnic and train ride Memberships are available at the following rates: Regular Membership $36 per year (spouse included) Senior Member (age 65 and up) $30 per year (spouse included) Student Member (Full-Time Student) $30 per year. Lifetime Member $500 If you wish to join the National Railway Historical Society, dues are an additional $39.00 per year