Year: 2010

Boiler Up, Hammer Down by Chris Dees

October 20, 2010 Jim Pearson No Comments Chris Dees

As Autumn descends on the Midwest, Saturdays are usually set aside for that event known as College Game Day. October 16, 2010, was no exception in Lafayette, Indiana, as the familiar cheer of “Boiler Up – Hammer Down” erupted from Ross-Ade Stadium. However, on this Purdue Homecoming 2010, my friend Doug Buck and I had a different vision of what it means to “Boiler Up and Hammer Down” – one built back in 1907 by the Southern Railway. So we decided to invade “Illini Country” and head west to Monticello, Illinois to ride behind, photograph, and chase newly restored Southern Railway 2-8-0 number 401.

Monticello, Illinois – circa??? With visitors from a nearby Amish community on hand to see Southern 401 come back to life, this shot could easily have been taken 16-October-1910 instead of 100 years later. Photo by Chris Dees
Monticello, Illinois – circa??? With visitors from a nearby Amish community on hand to see Southern 401 come back to life, this shot could easily have been taken 16-October-1910 instead of 100 years later. Photo by Chris Dees
Boiler Up!!! Southern 401 begins the 103rd year of working on the railroad. Here she is crossing Camp Creek en route to the town of Monticello, IL on 16-Oct-2010. Photo by Chris Dees
Boiler Up!!! Southern 401 begins the 103rd year of working on the railroad. Here she is crossing Camp Creek en route to the town of Monticello, IL on 16-Oct-2010. Photo by Chris Dees
Hammer Down!!! Southern 401 stretches her legs in the early morning prior to running excursions for the Monticello Railway Museum. Here she switches out a Wabash boxcar in order to assemble the day’s passenger consist. Photo by Chris Dees
Hammer Down!!! Southern 401 stretches her legs in the early morning prior to running excursions for the Monticello Railway Museum. Here she switches out a Wabash boxcar in order to assemble the day’s passenger consist. Photo by Chris Dees

Trains from Ron

October 20, 2010 Jim Pearson No Comments Chapter News

Rich Hane and Rex Easterly will be trying to help Kay Stubblefield dispose of some of Ron’s trains.  Let Rich know if you are interested in being put on an email distribution list to buy some of these trains and other memorabilia that we might find.  There are trains of many scales that we have found including Z, N, HO, S scale  American Flyer, O gauge, G gauge, Marx, Kusan, and probably others beside a few lanterns, etc. Items range in quality from good to poor. Email Rich Hane at rkhane@newwavecomm.net, or call (270) 825-3429.

Modeler’s Moment

October 20, 2010 Jim Pearson No Comments Modeler's Moment

Just before 10:00 PM on a June night in 1960, the 4-track PRR Pittsburgh-Chicago main line at Smithville, OH (MP 129.5 west of Pittsburgh) presents this scene.  Facing the camera behind an A-B-A set of EF-15’s (the PRR’s name for F3’s) comes Advance WC-5/7, one of the “WC” fleet of westbound freights from the huge yard at Conway, PA.  The WC schedules are designed to expedite interchange traffic, pre-blocked at Conway for delivery to western roads at Chicago.   Going away, on No. 2 track, is No. 48, the eastbound General, second only to the all-Pullman Broadway Limited (following less than an hour behind the General) in priority.  No. 48, with 3 EP-20’s (E7’s) and 16 cars, has just crested the 1% grade of Wooster Hill, and will maintain the posted speed of 70 mph to the next stop at Canton.  The General is named for 1930’s PRR president W. W. Atterbury, who was director of rail operations for the American Expeditionary Force in France in 1918, and although a civilian used the title “General” for the rest of his life.

News Flash

October 20, 2010 Jim Pearson No Comments Bill Thomas, Chapter News

Beginning January, 2011, we will discontinue the paper printing of our monthly newsletter, The PennyRail.  The publication will be available in Portable Document Format (pdf,  Adobe Reader) via email and  on the chapter’s website (as presently available there).  Adobe Reader is available as a free download to any computer.  The chapter is striving to be a good steward of our resources thus the decision made in the July meeting.

As editor of this work, I do not wish this to be a hardship on any of our members who do not have internet/email access.  If you do not have access to the internet or email, we will make arrangements for you to receive a paper copy in black and white print.  Just let us know.  All we ask is that members not take advantage of this offer and use the electronic medium if possible.  If you do not have a computer, many free public libraries offer computers with internet access as part of their services.

I will need all chapter members to update your email addresses with me so that you receive your email with the newsletter pdf file attached.  You may also want to check with your internet service provider (ISP) to make sure attachments are not filtered and you are set up to receive emails sent out in distribution lists.

I am glad to offer any suggestions, help, etc. if you need it, but remember, most internet/email issues are best handled directly with your ISP.

You can email me at bill@fbcmadisonville.com, call 270-825-4623 (home), call or text me at 270-339-9482 (cell), or look me up on Facebook.

For those of you who do not have a computer at home, let me encourage you to secure one if possible.  You may have a relative or friend with a gently used machine that could be used for internet browsing, email, and light word processing.  There are many rail-related sites with information, videos, discussion groups, and sale items right at your finger tips.

Remember the basic requirements for receiving the PennyRail via email:

1) Internet/email account access;

2)  An internet service provider (ISP) which allows for attachments to emails;

3) Adobe Reader for opening the pdf file when it arrives.

Adobe Reader is available for free download at http://get.adobe.com/reader/

Rich’s Ramblings for October 2010

October 20, 2010 Jim Pearson No Comments Rich's Ramblings

by Rich Hane, Chapter President

I hope that everyone that came to our train picnic at Crofton and the meeting last month had a good time. We had several nice trains come through and those that stayed longer were treated to even more train action and Wally’s live steam engine display is always fascinating to see.  The 25th Anniversary Dinner was well received and we enjoyed a nice evening of socializing and time together. Dennis Carnal was not able to show his program on remembrances of our good friend Ron Stubblefield due to his mother having to go to the hospital. Our thoughts and prayers are with Dennis and his mother at this time. Dennis’s program will be rescheduled, probably for the December meeting which will include a Christmas banquet too.

On another matter, after trying three different times my wife and I have been able to renew our chapter’s status as a non-profit program which will make us able to remain a tax exempt chapter and all we have to do to keep it is to file an internet postcard each year. We have had a very good year with the chapter moving forward on several fronts with the future of the Pennyrail decided, having a successful 25th Anniversary celebration, a lowering of our chapter dues to reflect these changes, and we can look forward to a firm and stable meeting place now that the use of the L&N depot is assured and set up for our use.

The October meeting is the meeting at which we put out the first call for nominations for the officers of our chapter. The second call will be at the November meeting after which we have the brief election. I have always encouraged people to feel free to come forward and run for any office that they are interested in. A good democracy relies on people willing to rise to the occasion and do their part in promoting the good of the organization. After last year’s election several members came to me and asked me to try and make the election real and have different people run for president to encourage variety and change. With this thought, I have decided to step down as president and make the electoral process open without me in the way. So, all of you need to consider running for president knowing that I will absolutely not be a candidate. My doctor would like me to avoid certain stresses and I will follow his orders, after all, he listens to me when we discuss trees and the environment.

So, to summarize, I will not be a candidate for president under any circumstances so the membership needs to rise to the occasion and someone needs to consider throwing their hat into the ring.

I look forward to seeing all of your smiling faces at the next meeting at the Center in beautiful downtown Madisonville at 7pm on Monday, October 25th. Dr. Fred Ripley will have a most entertaining program and I am looking forward to it.

Chapter Receives 25 Year Award Certificate

October 20, 2010 Jim Pearson No Comments Chuck Hinrichs

The Western Kentucky Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society celebrated their 25th Anniversary with a dinner Monday evening, September 27 at the Center (the old L&N Depot).  NRHS Regional Vice President, Dr. Wesley Ross, was on hand the present the anniversary certificate to chapter president Rich Hane.  23 Members and guests were on hand for the celebration.

Charter members, Wally Watts, Rich Hane, Ricky Bivins and Keith Kittinger and NRHS Regional VP Dr. Wes Ross are proudly displaying the anniversary certificate. Photo by Chuck Hirichs

Street Cars Again?

September 24, 2010 Jim Pearson No Comments Photo Section
Federal Funding Cincinnati lands federal grant for streetcar project The city of Cincinnati recently received a $25 million federal grant for a proposed streetcar project. Now, $114.5 million has been committed to the project, more than 90 percent of the funds needed, Ohio Department of Transportation officials said in a prepared statement. The project would reconnect the city’s two largest employment centers with electric streetcars. Submitted by Chuck Hinrichs.
Federal Funding Cincinnati lands federal grant for streetcar project The city of Cincinnati recently received a $25 million federal grant for a proposed streetcar project. Now, $114.5 million has been committed to the project, more than 90 percent of the funds needed, Ohio Department of Transportation officials said in a prepared statement. The project would reconnect the city’s two largest employment centers with electric streetcars. Submitted by Chuck Hinrichs.