Month: November 2013

Picking the Points

November 18, 2013 Jim Pearson No Comments Bill Thomas, Pickin' the points

pickinEditorial Comments by Bill Thomas

I’m not sure exactly when I told Chuck Hinrichs I would try my hand at producing and editing our chapter’s fine newsletter, The PennyRail.  I was following a long line of astute volunteer railroad walking encyclopedias like Chuck and our missed-friend Dennis Carnal.  Talk about tough acts to follow – needless to say I felt inadequate for the job.  But with encouragement from both and many chapter members I set out to simply maintain the integrity and level of quality we’d all come to expect.

With my recent shift in career paths from professional minister to realtor, I need to reorganize my civic work load in order to assure financial stability for my family.  So, beginning this January, 2014, our own Ricky Bivins will take the bull by the horns and begin the task of assembling and producing our newsletter.  I hope you will join me in welcoming him to the post and encourage him by contributing publishing material on a regular basis.  No information or stories are too small or insignificant for publication.  Remember, this is a local chapter, not the Chicago Board of Trade.  Personal stories and local photographs are necessary.  Keep those cameras and smart phones handy.  You never know when a once-in-a-lifetime shot will come along.

I want to say “thanks” to the chapter for your support and many contributions to the PennyRail over the last several years as I attempted to bring you a publication of which you are proud.  I’m looking forward to being a contributor in the future!

 

November 2013 Rail Flicks by Tommy Johnson

November 18, 2013 Jim Pearson No Comments Rail Flicks, Tommy Johnson

Title A Rocky Mountain Winter
Producer Highball Productions
Format Wide Screen DVD
Playing Time 1 Hr 55 Min
Purchased From Railfan Depot
Date Purchased 1/4/2010
Price Paid $34.15

“A Rocky Mountain Winter” is a joy to watch.  It combines some great railroad action with spectacular scenery from the Canadian Rockies.  The videography is excellent and the format is wide screen.

It’s early February 2008 and we are on the Canadian Pacific Railroad west of Calgary, Alberta, and are headed west through some of the most magnificent mountain scenery on this planet.  We see the bright red CP locomotives in three different paint schemes providing the power for unit coal trains, unit grain trains, unit potash trains, mixed manifest freights, doube stacks and auto racks.

Our route takes us alongside the Bow River through the beautiful Bow Valley as we head west.  The free-flowing Bow River runs beside the tracks and massive snow-capped sunlit peaks provide a breath-taking backdrop.

We eventually reach Morant’s Curve which is one of the most photographed railroad locations in North America.  It was named for Nicolas Morant, a Canadian Pacific photographer who used pictures from this area in promotional materials.  It is such a beautiful location that one might choose to sit there all day and stare.

My only serious complaint about this video is the total absence of maps.  Not only are maps not used but we get no overview in the narration as to the route we are going to be following.  The narration simply moves from one point to the next.

This is a serious shortcoming but the gorgeous scenery and good railroad action along with the high quality of the video and the wide screen format make this video well worth the price.  It is two hours of pure joy.  I definitely recommend this one.

A spell-binding account of a runaway train in 1977 at Rogers Pass can be found by following this link.  http://www.carknocker.com/runaway3.htm  Rogers Pass is located on this same route that we follow in this DVD.

 

 

I heard it through the scanner…

November 18, 2013 Jim Pearson No Comments Thomas Bryan

By Thomas Bryan

“Q648-We got less than 2 hours to work and 300 hundred gallons.   T149-Just get some corn from the field, stuff it in the tank and maybe it’ll turn to ethanol.” -Two crews chatting at Henderson, Q648 would leave Henderson with less than an hour to work.

Northbound Train- “The wheels on the train go round and round, round and round, round and round, the wheels on the train go round and round all through the town.” -Entertaining themselves sitting in the siding at Robards.

 

November 2013 Ricky’s Replies

November 18, 2013 Jim Pearson No Comments Rick Bivins, Ricky's Replies

by Ricky Bivins, Chapter President

Hello once again fellow NRHS members and welcome to cool weather. First I would like to say “Thanks” for the many offers of condolence as to the passing of my Mother. She will be missed by many people.

As you recall the October meeting brought about the first round of Officer Nominations. The only change being I will not seek re-election as President. At this point, Tom Johnson has agreed to ”consider” accepting the nomination for President. He will give us an answer at the next meeting.

Other than then the nominations for officers and Wallace Henderson’s report on the Status of National, we had very little business last month. Several people voiced their enjoyment of the train trip in early October as well as the annual picnic. Steve Miller could not get the video equipment to function and plans to show his video this month along with our friend Gary Ostlund. Gary plans to show his slide of Japanese Bullitt trains dated 1969. I am sure this will be a delightful program.

Also discussed were the plans for our Christmas Dinner. A food list has been sent to the newsletter recipients. That list is shaping up to be a feast. Please review the list as contact me if you would like to bring a dish. Tom Johnson has expressed an interest in having the dinner at the Depot as opposed to my house. He will bring this up at the next meeting for further discussion.

Outside of that, very little was left to discuss. So, members, once again the program for November looks to be very interesting so make plans to attend and bring a guest.

 

Chapter Christmas Dinner Menu

November 18, 2013 Jim Pearson No Comments Chapter News

This is the food list members are bringing to the Christmas dinner at Ricky Bivin’s house on December 13, 2013. If anyone wants to bring anything not on the list please let Ricky know as soon as possible.

Rick and Kathy Bivins will provide Turkey and Dressing and dinner rolls

Matt Gentry will treat us with a Boston Butt

Wally Watts will bring soda

Wallace Henderson will bring cup cakes

Donny and Betty Knight will bring baked beans and pie

Tom Johnson will bring green pea salad

Birk Fisher will bring plates and utensils

Bill Thomas will bring apple pie

Steve and Marilyn Miller will bring green bean casserole

Chuck and Shirley Hinrichs will bring cranberries

Rich and Karen Hanes will bring a sweet potato casserole

Jim Pearson will bring corn and greenbeans

 

Midwest Hi Speed Rail Report

November 18, 2013 Jim Pearson No Comments News

We did it!

We knew we needed to stand strongly together to urge Indiana Gov. Mike Pence to save the Hoosier State Amtrak Line, which connects Indianapolis to Chicago and towns and cities in between.

Last night, we learned that Gov. Pence and the Indiana Department of Transportation had reached an eleventh hour agreement to fund the Hoosier State Line

If you live in Indiana, can you send a message to Gov. Pence thanking him for doing the right thing and saving the Hoosier State?

This victory demonstrates that a strong, people-powered campaign can make a big impact.

Thousands of you mobilized to save the Hoosier State, the lifeblood of so many communities and families in Indiana and Illinois. You came to the rallies, spoke up at public hearings and sent thousands of messages to Gov. Pence and other elected leaders.

Quite simply, we could not have won this without you. Let’s let Gov. Pence know he made the right choice by listening to our voices. Click here to send him a note. (This link only works if you live in Indiana.)

This victory is about more than just one Amtrak line. It’s about the future economic viability of our entire region–of millions of Midwestern families.

Thank you for all that you do.

Sincerely,
Rick Harnish
Executive Director
Midwest High Speed Rail Association
4765 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
Join Us at MidwestHSR.org/Join

– submitted by Bill Corum