by Chapter President, Rich Hane

Last month we were treated to a truly excellent program on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad by Ron Flanary and presented by Chuck Hinrichs. The photography was excellent and the program did a great job in showing the human side of running a railroad. Our thanks go to Ron and Chuck for presenting this program for our enjoyment.

Remember that we will be holding our annual election for Chapter officers for the coming year. Also, it is still possible to put your name in the hat for an office if you would like to serve. Elections are the bedrock of democracy.

One very interesting thing recently in the news was the announcement that Warren Buffet will be buying the BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad).  Mr. Buffet is a well known stock investor whose moves in the marketplace are avidly watched by many people worldwide. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, will be paying either $26 Billion or $34 Billion, depending on the story you read, for the remainder of the stock that they do not already own. This move is looked upon by many people as a vote of confidence in the American economy and a sign that we may be moving past the recent recession.  Hopefully, this will be true.

I noticed a story in the media where some reporters asked Mr. Buffet why he was buying the railroad and he reportedly said that he was doing it because he always wanted a model train setup and his Dad would not give him one when he was a kid. He was smiling when he said this but the same story said that Mr. Buffet was a collector of Lionel model trains and that the third floor of his house has a layout and an extensive collection of trains. Well, if this is true it is a cute story and I can certainly understand the his love of Lionel trains.

I hope to see all of your smiling faces at the next meeting at 7pm at The Center in beautiful downtown Madisonville on Monday, November 23, 2009.

Rich