Below are a few photos from our December 2009 Christmas Party.
Day: February 16, 2010
Each year during the Christmas season, my friend Jim Burton of Madisonville, assembles this elaborate Lionel layout with a host of operating accessories. The boys love it. – Bill Thomas
- Madisonville Head-quartered and Energized Railroad Buffs (MH&E RRB) – Thursday, January 28, at 6pm, at the (unfinished) home of Ricky Bivins, on North Railroad Street, Mortons Gap, KY. Bring your own drinks and snacks. All are welcome! Port-a-potty next door. Torpedo heater provided by Ricky!
- Great Midwest Train Show – February 14, 2010. DuPage County Fairgrounds County Farm Road and Manchester, Wheaton, Illinois Show Hours 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Train Show Inc., 120 Easy Street #4
Carol Stream IL 60188. Phone: 630-290-1962
Fax: 240-597-4482, staff@GreatMidwestTrainShow.com.
- sHOw Modular Model RR Club Train Show – Saturday February 20, 2010, 10am to 3pm, at the L&N Depot on Kentucky Street, Bowling Green, KY. Admission is $2. Table rental for vendors is $15. Contact Kevin, kcomer300@yahoo.com.
The best way to see how bullet trains transform economies is to ride them and see the cities they serve. To ride a bullet train you have to travel overseas. A year ago, members of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association traveled to Spain to see how that country is using high-speed trains to unify the country. This year, we hope to visit France, which pioneered European high-speed rail in 1982. We hope to include the following elements on this trip:
- A TGV duplex ride on France’s first high-speed line
- A ride at 205 mph on a German-built ICE-3
- A presentation on SNCF’s proposal for a bullet train network in the Midwest
- A tour of a modern light rail line
- A visit to Antwerp Central, rated one the world’s most beautiful railroad stations. It also has a new four track bypass similar to Chicago’s proposed West Loop Transportation Center.
Before we move forward planning the details of trip, we need to gauge interest. We are considering either June 13 – 19 or September 12 – 18. The trip will go when we have received ten refundable deposits for one of the possible weeks. We will book the trip through the Society of International Railway Travelers which has given excellent support on past trips. A potential agenda can be found at: http://www.midwesthsr.org/events/. Please respond to this email and answer the following questions if you are interested in going: (If this email got forwarded to you, send the email to: mark@midwesthsr.org)
1) Do you prefer June or September?
2) Are you willing to spend up to $2,500, $3,500 or $4,000 plus airfare?
3) Would you be interested in an extra three days that would have a focused agenda on trains and facilities?
4) Would you rather go to China?
Make sure to include your full contact information if you want to keep informed. Rick Harnish, Executive Director Midwest High Speed Rail Association 4765 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60625, 773-334-6758. Join us at midwestHSR.org.
From Channel 18’s (Lexington KY) web site:
PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) – Paducah & Louisville Railway is looking for incentives to build a new headquarters in downtown Paducah rather than move to one of the other cities where it does business.
Railroad President Tony Reck told The Paducah Sun that the company is hoping to stay in western Kentucky, but isn’t close to making a commitment to any place. P&L, a 265-mile regional railroad, has grown steadily in recent years by acquiring rail lines in West Virginia, Indiana and Illinois. Reck said the company has newer contracts with CSX to build and operate intermodal facilities in West Baltimore, Ohio, and Winter Haven, Fla.
Paducah Mayor Bill Paxton says the city is trying to keep the railroad, despite heavy recruiting from places like Louisville and Florida.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved
Submitted by Chuck Hinrichs
A couple months ago I mentioned that I have a new book coming out entitled “Kentucky and the Illinois Central Railroad”. It is a soft cover book from Arcadia Publishing and, well, is about the IC’s trains and operations in the Bluegrass State. I had hoped that it would be out by the end of 2009, but that didn’t happen.
However, I’ve now been advised that the book will be available March 29. Unlike another book publisher I worked with who announced publication dates that were repeatedly delayed, Arcadia does not announce a publication date unless they are rock solid certain that the book will actually be printed and in stores. So, the long wait is drawing to a close.
The book is not yet listed on Arcadia’s website (arcadiapublishing.com). But if you go to amazon.com, booksamillion.com, or barnesandnoble.com, and type in “clifford downey”, you can at least see the front cover. As publication draws nearer, then each site will include previews of inside pages.
As always, once the book is out I welcome all comments , good or bad. I certainly hope folks will consider buying this book, for I believe they will enjoy it.
Cliff Downey
Updated member-renewal spread sheets for January 2010 have been sent to the national office. If you have not paid your renewal dues, please do so as soon as possible to simplify paper work for treasurer Wally Watts and electronic contact, Bill Thomas(me). The February sheets will be emailed around the 10th of February so Wally will need your dues in hand before then. Thanks!
by Chapter President, Rich Hane
I hope that everyone had a nice Holiday season and are looking forward to a wonderful new year. Those of you that joined us at the Christmas Dinner were treated to great food and fellowship and a wonderful program of nostalgia photos of many of our long time members when we were all a bit younger put together by Dennis Carnal. It was great to see reminders of some of the activities that we have enjoyed together over the years and of the good times that we have spent together.
I noticed in the press that the brand new Pacific type locomotive that I talked about last year which was built in England for excursions, was used for revenue purposes when it was used to fill in for some diesels that developed engine problems. The commuters certainly were treated to quite a show when this beautiful steam engine rescued them and carried out the remainder of the scheduled runs.
Don’t forget to send or give Wally your dues renewals as it is that time of year again.
There is a new walking and fitness trail in Madisonville just west of Trover Clinic that affords some great train viewing as it parallels the CSX mainline. This trail is a very scenic one half mile loop and includes benches, a pond, forest, and fitness stations. The view of the trains is excellent and is level to just below grade for a little variety. It is an impressive place to watch our trains pass through town at a nice speed.
I am hoping to see all of your smiling faces this month at the next meeting at 7pm on January 25th, at the Center in beautiful downtown Madisonville. I will be providing the show and the refreshments this month and will have some nice L&N photos.
Rich