Now that I have a teenager learning to drive, I am reminded that I must impress upon her the importance of carefully crossing railroad tracks, even in town, where trains travel relatively slow. Let’s all remember to be cautious at rail crossings. The damage can be great, even at a slow 35 mph. – Bill Thomas, Pennyrail Editor
Disney Productions to promote its movie “A CHRISTMAS CAROL” is running a coast to coast multi car Amtrak passenger train with on board exhibits. It will be in Memphis August 4, Indianapolis on September 9, Louisville September 11-13 at Union Station, and Cleveland September 18-19. No stop at Cincinnati is listed. I would guess it will come into and out of Louisville over the Louisville & Indiana. The total story of the 22 May to November 1 trip with station stops is in the Friday issue of USA Today
We had an interesting program by Wally Watts last month with steam and diesel action in Oregon. I hope that you were able to see it.
I saw an interesting article by the new President of Amtrak outlining his support for increasing the amount of electrified rail line in the US, especially along the East Coast. Joe Boardman told a House Subcommittee that he would like to see the present intercity electrified corridor which extends from Washington, D.C. to Boston extended to reach from Miami to Maine.
These thoughts have surfaced occasionally by many people and were last seriously considered in the 1970s. Europe and some other countries have extensive electrified stretches of track but these seem to be more easily justified in areas that are more densely populated, support very heavy traffic, or have air quality considerations. The high cost per mile of electrified track along with the necessary electric supply support system makes this a decision that requires much thought.
Mr. Boardman would like to see the extension done in stages, perhaps going to Richmond, VA in 5 years and to Jacksonville, FL in the next 5 years. These proposals would require sound support from Congress but perhaps could be justified with the present economic recovery bills to make new jobs and to improve the environment which are high on the new President’s agenda. There are even some rumors that the BNSF Railroad is quietly looking into the idea of electrifying some track.
Only time will tell if any of these proposals are viable given the extreme conditions in our economy. It has been a long time before any mainline track has been electrified in this country. However, there have been a lot of new electrified rail accomplishments in light rail and commuter service around the country. Those of us that have had electric trains in our basement for a half century would relish the new interest in quiet, efficient, and cleaner trains.
There is a new link for the CSX trains thru Hopkinsville, get it here. I just added April’s charts. Train density is about 1/3 less than when I started this.
· Spring Garden RR Gathering at home of Bill and Angela Thomas, 1025 Lakewood Drive, Madisonville, Saturday, May 9, 2009. 11 am to dark. This is a drop-in event so come when you can and bring your large-scale (45mm gauge) equipment to run. I have a couple of transition cars for hook and loop to Kadee couplers. Live steam, battery power, and track power are all welcome. Light snacks will be served. Parents, please accompany children 12 and under.
· From: http://www.trainfestival2009.com
Saturday July 25 and Sunday July 26, 2009. Enjoy a steam excursion powered by PM #1225 (Sat.) or NKP #765 (Sun.), two of the largest operating steam locomotives in the world. These special trains will leave Owosso at 9:30am sharp headed to Alma. Once in Alma, you will have the opportunity for lunch and shopping on your own. After a 2 hour layover, the train will return to Owosso. A photo-run-by will be
included. Admission to the event is also included in your ticket. All ticket prices are $90.00, no charge for children under 2. See website for additional info.
· Clarksville TN Train Fest 2009 – By Carl Eisemann. The 2009 Clarksville TN Train Fest will be Saturday and Sunday, May 2nd 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday May 3rd noon to 4 pm at the Clarksville Customs House Museum & Cultural Center and at the restored L&N RR Depot, home of the Montgomery County Historical Society at Commerce & 10th Streets. Admission is $4.00 for adults, $2.00 for children. The admission price also allows the attendee to view the entire museum. It will be good for both days, at both locations. The L&N depot will be open for tours and be conducting interpretive discussions, ie, the old stationmaster, the station during the war, etc. We will have several traveling model railroad layouts plus the normal Museum HO, N, & Lionel layouts running. We will also have a TCRM information display.
· Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society Steam-powered passenger excursions in North Judson, Indiana at the Hoosier Valley Railroad. Memorial Day Weekend, these trips will operate on a historic rail line that was preserved by a $1.5 million dollar Transportation Enhancement grant in 2004. Awarded by the state of Indiana to the Town of North Judson, the grant was instated to preserve the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum and promote economic development in the area. 2-hour long roundtrips will operate three times daily May 23rd-May 25th at 10AM, 1PM, and 4PM Central Standard (Daylight Savings) Time between North Judson and LaCrosse, Indiana. For more info go to www.765.org, or call 260-493-3885.
High Iron Travel in conjunction with AAPRCO, Friends of 4449, and the Steam Railroading Institute is offering a unique steam railroading experience: a trip behind ex-SP 4449 from Portland, OR to Minneapolis, MN and return.
Here is the schedule.
Eastbound – Train will be daylight running only.
July 3:Portland to Spokane (BNSF)
July 4: Spokane to Whitefish
July 5: Whitefish to Havre
July 6: Layover day in Havre
July 7: Havre to Minot
July 8: Minot to Fargo
July 9: Layover day in Fargo
July 10: Fargo to Minneapolis.
July 12: Caritas will then proceed to Chicago on Amtrak #8.
Fare: $5,450 per double occupancy and includes all meals except lunch and dinner on the two layover days. Accommodations en route. If we have sufficient interest we’ll take the Cimarron River and provide roomette accommodations for a $500 surcharge.
Westbound – Train will be daylight running only.
Oct. 13: Minneapolis to Fargo (BNSF)
Oct. 14: Fargo to Minot
Oct. 15: layover day in Minot
Oct. 16: Minot to Havre
Oct. 17: Havre to Whitwfish
Oct. 18: Layover day Whitefish
Oct. 19: Whitefish to Pasco
Oct. 20: Pasco to Portland (ex NP Stampede Pass route)
Fare: $5,450 per per double occupancy and includes all meals except lunch and dinner on the two layover days. Accommodations en route. If we have sufficient interest we’ll take the Cimarron River and provide roomette accommodations for a $500 surcharge. A deposit of $1000 will hold your space.
High Iron Travel Corp.
P.O. Box 37
Waunakee, WI 53597
(608)-285-5489
www.highirontravel.com
The Village of Homewood, Illinois, is putting on its annual Rail Heritage Weekend! This year’s event, our sixth, takes place on the weekend of Saturday May 16th and Sunday May 17th, 2009. While some program elements are not quite finalized, here is what we have so far for you:
Saturday May 16th 7-10 PM: Annual Multimedia Digital/Slide Show (St. Joseph’s Church Gym)
This year we have moved to a new venue at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Gymnasium, immediately across the street from our main Sunday Train Show venue at the Homewood Village Hall, located at the corner of Dixie Highway and Chestnut Road in downtown Homewood. The church complex is right across the street from the village hall, on the east side of Dixie Highway.This new venue was recently refurbished, has high ceilings, more seating, and lots of free parking. We have outgrown our older home at St. Paul’s! As usual we have a great lineup of exciting presenters for you:
Program:
1.) Ian Contreras – “ICE Melting: The Last Month of the Iowa, Chicago, and Eastern”
2.) Chris Lastovich – “Circles of Industry: Chicago’s Busy Belt Line Railroads”
3.) Kevin Sadowski – “Digging in the Dirt: Ore Country Railroading in Minnesota”
Intermission
4.) Nate Beal – “Hoosier Sojourn: The Railroads of Southern Indiana”
5.) Nick Suydam – “Dark Makes a Difference: Illinois’ Railroads After Sunset”
6.) Terry Chicwak – “Vintage Years: Conrail and Southern Pacific in 1996”
The recession-reducing cost of this year’s show is, you guessed it, a whopping ZERO dollars! Yep, free as always. Just come and have a good time! We will have our unique and limited line of Homewood Rail Weekend T-Shirts for sale, as well as the usual suspects in terms of refreshments. Also, please note that the time of this event does NOT conflict with Franklin Park’s Railroad Days — you can visit up there, and then whip right down the I-294 tollway south to Homewood in plenty of time to have supper, relax, and enjoy the show.
For more information contact the Rail Days event coordinators at (708) 957-4743 for details.
On Monday evening, March 23rd, Wallace Henderson and I were on our way to Madisonville for dinner at Applebee’s and then the Chapter meeting. As we passed through Crofton – we were traveling US41 to check for trains – we spotted a pretty weathered CSX locomotive and a couple of work cars in the house track just south of downtown. As we had plenty of time and the light was pretty good we pulled into a church parking lot and grabbed a few shots. The locomotive was CSX 5812, a GE B36-7.
As we got back in the car headed for Madisonville we got to talking about the B36-7s and how they were, back in the late 80s and 90s, the pride of the fleet with three well maintained and clean units on the point of the railroads premier traffic, the intermodals or “piggy-back” trains. We spotted another B36-7 shuffling cars in Atkinson Yard, another less than glamorous assignment.
When I was checking my email the next morning I couldn’t get the B36-7s off my mind and did a little checking on old rosters and determined that some 120 B36-7s were acquired in 1985 by CSX predecessor, Seaboard System. My curiosity was still in overdrive and I dug out my slides from the late 80s and found some shots of the GEs in Seaboard paint and later in CSX paint and still leading the prestigious intermodals on the Henderson Sub.
It’s a bit of a shame to see such proud units relegated to mundane work train or yard service but it is a tribute to their heritage that they are still earning their keep after 23 years of service.
With the current economic problems facing our businesses it is encouraging to see some rail action at one of Christian County’s automotive parts suppliers. On Tuesday afternoon, March 10, 2009 I caught CSX J723 – the Guthrie Road Switcher – was at the north end of the Casky double track preparing to back into the Dana spur with a dozen flats used to ship auto frames to several plants including the Corvette plant in Bowing Green. There are several loaded flats in the plant area and I assume that some of these will be heading back to Guthrie with J723.
I really enjoyed last month’s meeting, and the chance to meet some of you! I’m looking forward to being a part of your chapter, and learning more about your railroad interests and sharing some of mine.
I’m a professional musician and music teacher- I perform recitals, chamber music, and in numerous orchestras on the violin and viola. I’ve taught extensively at the college level, as well as privately. I’m very pleased to currently offer instruction in the Madisonville area.
I’ve been fascinated with trains as long as I can remember. Growing up in Columbus, OH, in the 1970’s & 1980’s, the “railroads of my youth” were Penn Central/Conrail, Chessie System/CSX, and Norfolk & Western/NS. No doubt geographic placement played an important role, but equally important in establishing my long-time favorites were the vintage shots I studied as a kid in books from my dad’s library, and old Trains issues. Although I’m partial to most of the classic eastern roads of yore, such as the NKP, WAB, C&O, and the B&O, the PRR had become my railroad of choice by the time I was about 10, and has never been challenged since!
Going to college and grad school in the upper Midwest (MN & IA) gave me the opportunity to see first hand some the classic western roads- two particular favorites are the AT&SF & CB&Q. The latter of course had long been BN by the time I saw it, but I have several thousand shots of classic AT&SF red-&-silver and blue-&-yellow power. Living in KY has expanded things in additional directions- my favorite railroading in our state is NS’s CNO&TP “Rathole” through the KY and TN mountains.
I started photographing trains in 1976, at age 8, with a Kodak Instamatic, and still have several thousand of these stored away. Serious work, in terms of good equipment, began in 1988 with a 35-mm camera and Kodachrome slides, which has been my medium ever since (although I switched to Fuji slide film several years ago). I particularly favor scenic action photography, and an overriding goal has been to combine modern operations with the traditional elements (signals, towers, as well as the flavor of different geographic areas) of classic American railroading. I’ve got somewhere in the neighborhood of 25,000 slides, and counting! I’ve had photos published in various railroad calendars, and have had articles and photos published in Trains, Railfan & Railroad, The Railroad Photographer, and Pacific Rail News. I currently have two exhibitions of my work on display in the Murray, KY, area. I’ve given numerous slide programs for railroad groups, and will look forward to that opportunity at our chapter.
I enjoy modeling the PRR in HO scale, replicating an eastern OH setting on the Pittsburgh-Chicago mainline at the end of what I view as the classic era, 1957-1961. That is the ideal way for me to combine physical territory that I know very well with a railroad, trains, and equipment that I wish I had seen firsthand.
Thanks for your nice “welcome”, and I’m looking forward to the next meeting!
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – A train derailed behind Bridgestore Metalpha on International Boulevard in Montgomery County Wednesday morning (March 25, 2009).
Details have been sketchy, but it has been confirmed that approximately 15 rail cars, three empty tankers and 12 box cars were involved. The train belonged to the RJ Corman Railroad Group. All roads have been re-opened.
There were no injuries or spills, and officials think the clean-up will be done by 7 p.m. Wednesday.
The Chapter was well represented at the annual sHOw at Bowling Green on Saturday March 7, 2009. This year the event was held at the RailPark and Museum in the nicely restored L&N depot on CSX’s main line from Louisville to Nashville. The recently acquired E8 in fresh L&N paint is the feature of the outdoor display along with an RPO and several passenger cars.
The show was held in the depot and presented a good variety of model railroad supplies and equipment. An “N” scale layout was in operation in the show area and the Museum’s HO layout was also in operation as an extra option along with the museum itself. Chapter members I met included Rick Bivins, Keith Kittinger along with his wife and grandson, Rex and Melanie Easterly, Steve Miller and Chuck Hinrichs.
I left before the show closed so other Chapter members may have attended later in the day. It was a very nice show and from what I could tell, very well attended. – Chuck Hinrichs
Much conversation has ensued here in the little hamlet of Madisonville, KY, about the removal of the Earlington, former L&N, main line through downtown. I have a bias opinion – I admit it! But, as a fiscal and political conservative, I believe there could be many places stimulus and tax money could be spent to give our community a better return on its investment. No room for a numerated list here, but we all could come up with ideas.
In the Christmas-season movie It’s a Wonderful Life, by Frank Capra, James Stewart, who plays George Bailey, an ambitious young man trying his best to get out of the fictional small town in which he feels imprisoned, asks this question of his uncle Billy. “What are the three most exciting sounds in the world? Anchor chains, plane motors and train whistles!” he answers himself.
My office at First Baptist Church sits about 75 yards from the Earlington main. As CSX’s “Dark Future” towing machines drag train after train of containers, flats piled high with lumber from the Northwest, tanks of molten sulfur, boxcars of paper and automobile parts, and so many various other products, I am reminded that train horns (no whistles any more) represent a lot of positive things. For the local community, I would guess that CSX is paying some amount of property tax to towns and cities through which they pass. This would not only affect Madisonville, but Earlington. (these are assumptions—admittedly). Beyond the local impact is the region, state, and nations on the North American continent, not to mention the global market for which the container traffic serves as a conduit. When tons of freight are moving through, it is a sign of some economic health, regardless of how bad things may seem.
To me, how sad it would be to no longer see these symbols of “transportational” vigor ply the north/south axis of our town. True, if the trains were moved to the cut-off, nothing would change any of this. But, I know how little boys (and their fathers) perk up at one of the most exciting sounds in the world. And let’s face it, the “Best town on earth” could use a little excitement every now and then. I think 30 to 40 shots a day is great.
How about a town sub-slogan, “We’re on Track!”? How about an annual festival, “Coal Days” featuring the coal and rail industry in Hopkins county? Just some thoughts.
-Bill Thomas, editor
I hope that everyone is enjoying the beautiful spring weather. The program last month that Jim Pearson put together was well received and quite interesting. It is nice to see some train watching spots that actually had real trains on them instead of what happens to me sometimes with empty rails to show for my efforts at train watching.
The steam schedule for the Kentucky Railway Museum has been announced for this year.
May: 23, 24, 25, & 30, and 31
June: 20, 21
July: 25, 26
August: 22, 23
September: 5, 6, 7
October: 3, 4, & 24, 25
As always, this is a great organization to belong to. Members get free train rides and admittance to the museum proper, the layouts, bookstore, and grounds. They have done a fine job over the years of preserving and presenting rail history and have made the museum a very family friendly, clean, and interesting environment. For those of you who may want to join, they can be contacted at: Kentucky Railway Museum, P.O. Box 240, New Haven, KY 40051 or call them at 1-800-272-0152, or see their website at www.kyrail.org. They even allow for volunteers to help restore, repair, and improve the equipment.
The program for April will be in the Blue Mountains of Oregon and the Mt. Rainer area so I hope to see all of your smiling faces at the next meeting on April 27th, at 7pm at the Center in beautiful downtown Madisonville.
