Jim Pearson – Page 46 – The Pennyrail Online Edition

February 2014, The Project Corner

February 14, 2014 Jim Pearson No Comments Project Corner

In The Corner: With Rick Bivins

Why “In The Corner” as the title of an almost monthly newsletter column? Because as a kid, I have fond memories of several corners within the house where I grew up! And, I almost always end up working myself into a corner…somewhere.

As most of you know, I have a fondness for three rail O Gauge trains. After building a layout in the upstairs room of the house I decided and was greatly encouraged by my lovely wife Kathy, to build a building for my trains. Well, it has only taken me two years to build a 16’ by 27’ pole building and an addition (lean-too) 8’ by 27’ of which 18’ of is enclosed (lovely wife Kathy said to build it bigger….I will learn to listen to her one of these days). All of which is sheathed, insulated and has a concrete floor.

As you can see from the pictures I have started to build the layout. The start date of January 9th is significant. My Grandmother Opal Bivins passed away seven years ago on this date. So…my goal is to have trains running by February 9th which at this writing is five days away! I will be able to answer “yes” or “no” to that by meeting night.

Here is the plan…sorta! Lionel is near and dear to my heart so it all starts with Lionel Track, old school tubular rail track, traditional style scenery and accessories. And of course the obligatory PlasticVille structures will adorn the layout. Traditional stops there. The track plan is a point to point, no round and round running which is fine and fun but I want to venture into a little different territory. Well, different for O Gauge three rail anyway.

Trains will run with command control, CTC signals, a dispatcher, a car card/waybill system and at some point a fast clock. Scenery will be as stated; traditional to a point. I hope to use a little more ground cover than days of old but not as radical as some of the layouts others are building and the ones we see in the magazines. The best part? People! I plan to have run sessions and theme nights such as: all New York Central or Penn Central or South West RR’s or GP-7/9 night etc. Variety and interesting scenarios will be “the norm”.

So…while I am building it “my way” I hope others will find “their way” to my place on run nights. Run nights will be at this point planned for the first Monday and third Thursday of each month at 6:30PM. That is of course subject to weather and holidays but I will try to keep things “on track” for those nights. Maybe you can join me “in my corner” of three rail bliss!

Editors Note; To appease my want to keep “The Project Corner” a monthly article, I decided to have Ricky’s first “In The Corner” column be this month’s highlight. After this submission, Ricky’s column will have space outside of “The Project Corner” when he has a story to submit. – Matt Gentry

Rail Flicks: Alaska Volume 2 Seward and Whittier Subdivisions on the Alaska Railroad

February 14, 2014 Jim Pearson No Comments Rail Flicks

Title	Alaska Volume 2 Seward and Whittier Subdivisions on the Alaska Railroad
Producer	Pentrex
Format	Full Screen DVD
Playing Time	45 minutes
Purchased From	Trainvideodepot.com
Date Purchased	1/22/2014
Price Paid	$9.95

The Alaska Railroad consists of 500 miles of single track main line running from Seward to Fairbanks. The Seward Sub is included in this video and it runs from the southern terminus of the Alaska RR in Seward north to Anchorage. The Anchorage Sub then runs north to Fairbanks but it is not covered in this video. We also see the 12 mile long Whittier Sub, which ties into the Seward Sub at Portage.

We see mixed manifest trains, passenger tains, and shuttle trains in this video. The shuttle trains run between Whittier and Portage. Cars, trucks, and buses are driven up onto flat cars and are transported between these towns with their passengers in them. Some of this video was shot from inside the cab of a pickup truck that was being hauled on a flat car of the shuttle train. The railroad is the only way to travel from Portage to Whittier by land.

At Whittier we see railroad cars loaded onto and unloaded from barges that transport them between Seattle and Whittier.

CSX Henderson Sub Track Work

February 14, 2014 Jim Pearson No Comments Photo Section

CSX drops rail plates in anticipation of replacing rail through Madisonville, KY with new and heavier rail. Dec. 28, 2014. (Photo by Bill Corum)

CSX Announces Plans for New Rail Yard

February 14, 2014 Jim Pearson No Comments News

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (February 6, 2014) – CSX Corporation (CSX) today announced plans for its subsidiary, CSX Transportation, Inc., to build a new rail inspection yard in Hopkinsville-Christian County, Kentucky. The new facility will support hundreds of local construction and trade jobs while being built and will initially provide more than 50 on-site jobs servicing the growing freight rail corridor that stretches from the Southeast to the Midwest.

“More efficient rail service to Kentucky customers means a more vibrant economy and more opportunities for business expansion throughout the state,” said David A. Hall, resident vice president, state relations CSX.

The proposed facility will stage trains for inspection and fueling, primarily supporting coal unit trains servicing local Kentucky mines. The facility will expand the capacity and efficiency of the network, allowing CSX to serve the increased production levels of customers in Kentucky while also providing the infrastructure to support the expected ongoing growth of commodities along the entire corridor spanning Evansville, Indiana, Birmingham and Chattanooga.

“We are excited about CSX’s investment in Christian County as it will support our region’s growing economy,” said Christian County Judge Executive Steve Tribble.

Hopkinsville Mayor Dan Kemp agreed adding, “I am extremely pleased to see the continued growth of our local employment base with the addition of this important rail infrastructure and the high quality jobs it brings to our community.”

The CSX facility will initially create 50 to 70 jobs, with the potential to add more jobs as traffic volumes continue to grow. Hundreds of local construction and trade jobs will also be supported during construction.

“CSX’s project will also allow businesses to quickly and efficiently transport products to regional markets and beyond,” said Pembroke Mayor Paulette Stewart.

Current yard development plans call for a multi-phase expansion that aligns with growing traffic levels. CSX expects to complete construction by 2015 to meet the increased demand. As plans for the yard are developed, CSX will work with the community to ensure the facility considers the needs of the community and local economy as well as CSX customers.

CSX already has a longstanding presence in Kentucky. It employs more than 2,400 people in the state and invested more than $98 million in its Kentucky network last year.

source: http://www.csx.com/index.cfm/media/press-releases/
Submitted by Steve Miller

The engine yard at Johnny Dawson’s by Matt Gentry

February 14, 2014 Jim Pearson No Comments Matt Gentry

A Visit to Johnny Dawson’s

February 14, 2014 Jim Pearson No Comments Matt Gentry

The first view upon coming down the steps into Johnny’s basement.

by Matt Gentry

I’m not exactly sure when I was talking with Ricky Bivins that he mentioned a trip to Hawsville, KY for a visit to Johnny Dawson’s (member of the Owensboro NRHS) layout, but from what I had heard of the layout, I knew that I wanted to go. Having his layout largely influenced by western railroads, mostly Union Pacific, I knew it would be right up my alley! What a lot of you may not know is that within recent years I have become infatuated with railroad super power; i.e. Cab Forwards, Challengers, Big Boys, Gas Turbine Electrics (all three variants), GE U50, EMD DDA40X, and so on. The size of Johnny’s layout, that I had come to understand, had to be able to accommodate some of the locomotives! Rest assured, I was not disappointed.

Upon entering Johnny’s basement, a layout I can only describe as awesome, was laid out before my eyes! His layout, although not totally finished with scenery, was a sight to see. The track work and track plan is wonderful! This is the first personal layout that I have been to with such use of grades from one level to the next, without the use of a helix, all on the same line. The bridges incorporated into the layout are incredible also, creating wonderful photo opportunities of a single train or of a meet.

The next surprise was the wall of locomotives. That list

When the passenger trains can’t get you to your destination, there is always the airport.

of super power locomotives listed above? Yea, they are mostly all accounted for! This was the first time I have seen a model of the Union Pacific Coal Turbine in person. And true to the real monstrosity, this model is huge. I will have to be back and witness it in action. I am also very happy to see Johnny’s collection of modern day diesel locomotives, such as the Union Pacific SD70Ace Heritage units. (Honestly, I’m happy to see that Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern has a Heritage Fleet, period. I wish some other Class I railroads would do the same!)

In the end, I came away with many new ideas to incorporate into a layout of my own, whenever that day

will come. I want to personally thank (again) Johnny Dawson for his hospitality and opening his layout and home for us to come for a visit. The next open house Johnny has, if you can manage, I highly suggest making the trip.

February 2014, The Prez Sez

February 14, 2014 Jim Pearson No Comments Tommy Johnson

By Tom Johnson, Chapter President

Greetings, fellow Chapter members!

I think we got off to a pretty good start for 2014 with our January meeting. We had sixteen members present, which is a decent turn-out for us. Everyone seemed to enjoy the video that was shown, Santa Fe 3751 Return to Steam, and those egg salad and ham salad sandwiches that the “First Lady” made for our refreshments were a big hit.

It seemed that the idea of having a discussion for each meeting on a previously announced railroad related subject was well received. It was suggested that we announce the topic in the Pennyrail each month so that members will have a few days to gather some facts to share in the discussion.

The subject for discussion during the February meeting is “foreign power.” Why do we sometimes see locomotives far from their home tracks in service on another railroad? What are some of the scenarios that would cause this to happen? How and when are these locomotives returned to their home tracks? How is the home railroad compensated when its locomotive is used by another railroad? I hope all will put some time into researching the answers to these questions and that we can have a good, informative discussion on the subject during the February meeting.

I hope to see all of you at 7:00 PM on Monday night, February 17, 2014, at our next meeting.

The next month, I found myself in a similar situation, sitting at my desk working on another school project and *ding*, there it was again. This time as I was looking through, I asked myself “Why don’t I ask about being the editor of The Pennyrail?” Then I let reality grab hold; I was going to school full time, when I wasn’t at school, I was working as a Graphic Designer at a local sign and banner shop, I wasn’t allowed any time to attend the chapter meetings due to work, school and other life activities. I just didn’t feel it was a viable option to take on responsibility of something that I felt needed more time that I wasn’t anywhere near capable of dedicating to the publication!

I graduated college in May of 2010 (boy, I’m glad I have completed that!), and fast forward to the fall of 2012. I was not working in design, let alone at the sign and banner shop, but I had a job that allowed me to attend the chapter meetings. After being able to attend a few meetings at the end of 2012, I made it my goal to attend all meetings during 2013. And yes, I made it Birk Fischer’s goal as well, whether he knew it or not (haha!).

On to May of 2013; unfortunately my job was not as stable as I had thought it to be and I ended up leaving it before it got way out of hand (you know, don’t burn any bridges). So I found myself trying to expand my mowing business by finding more repeat customers and I started offering landscaping services. This ended up working well, in my eyes. I could get started working when I wanted and I could make my own schedule. But most of all, I could do more of what I really enjoy doing and that was spend more time with chapter members and chasing trains!

Now we find ourselves with 2013 winding down. Unfortunately, Bill Thomas’ job situation would not allow him the time for being editor of The Pennyrail, and Ricky Bivins was going to make an attempt at it. It wasn’t too long after that Ricky and I were conversing through text message that he asked what my thoughts of becoming the editor were. I shared with him that I had thought about it in years past and just did not have the time. But now I didn’t have anything really stopping me. So, it was at the November meeting that I accepted the position of the new editor of The Pennyrail.

Hopefully, I can continue to do the publication justice as my predecessors have done. I look forward to being able to share your submissions with the rest of the chapter. Remember, this is your newsletter. Without your submitted content, I don’t have much more to share. So go through those old photos! If you have hard copies with coinciding information, I can scan the photos (no slides yet) for publication and return them to you.

Happy New Year West Kentucky NRHS!

Chapter Christmas dinner

January 20, 2014 Jim Pearson No Comments Chapter News

The somewhat annual Western Kentucky Chapter, National Railway Historical Society Christmas Dinner was held December 13 (Friday the Thirteenth!) at 6:00 PM as planned. My lovely and understanding wife Kathy and I were both very apprehensive at first but as the evening went on we realize how nice and enjoyable it was to show off our home. The food being pot luck style was as expected, exceptional. The conversations and periods of entertainment (trains via CSX) was a lot of fun. I am very happy as to the results and efforts made by so many. While everyone said in one form or another, “Thank You”, I am the one that must say Thank YOU, for a delightful evening.

Those in attendance were: (I think this is a complete list).

Donnie & Betty Knight, Bill & Mrs. Ferrell and Blair, Steve & Marilyn Miller, Rich & Karen Hane, Keith & Allyson Kittinger, Chuck & Shirley Hinrichs, Jim & Kathy Kemp, Birk Fischer, Matt Gentry, Tom Johnson, Bill Thomas, Jim Pearson, Kathy and Rick Bivins.

If I left someone out please speak up at the next meeting. Again, Thank You from Kathy and Rick Bivins

Rail action at Jacob, IL by Matt Gentry

January 20, 2014 Jim Pearson No Comments Matt Gentry, Photo Section

Rail Flicks by Tommy Johnson

January 20, 2014 Jim Pearson No Comments General Post

This DVD is a must have for those who love steam!

It is a fantastic DVD in its own right but to get the full significance of it, the first DVD in this two part series should be viewed. The first video is titled “Santa Fe 3751 the Restoration.” I reviewed that DVD back in April and I believe I also presented it as our entertainment that month.

We are shown in this video scenes from the maiden run of the 3751 after her ten year restoration. We follow the 3751 from San Bernardino to L.A., from L.A. to Barstow, from Barstow to Bakersfield, from Bakersfield back to Barstow, and from Barstow back to L.A. The trip began on Friday, December 27, 1991.

The highlights of 3751’s distinguished history are as follows:

– May 1927 The 3751 was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works as the first 4-8-4 northern type locomotive to be purchased by the Santa Fe and the first one of its type to be built by Baldwin.

– 1936 The 3751 was converted from coal to fuel oil. At that time she had 73″ drivers and her boiler had a steam capacity of 210 psi. Her tender had a 15,000 gallon water capacity and a 5000 gallon fuel oil capacity.

– 1938 She received a new tender with 20,000 gallons water capacity and 7000 gallons fuel oil capacity.

– 1941 MAJOR rebuild included 80″ drivers, increased boiler capacity to 230 psi, 30″x30″ cylinders, and Timken roller bearings. This made her capable of 90 MPH and she and her sisters who had been similarly rebuilt were then used in run-through service from Kansas City to Los Angeles.

– 1953 The 3751 was retired from service.

– 1958 The 3751 was donated by the Santa Fe to the city of San Bernardino and placed in Viaduct Park.

The 3751 sat in the open in Viaduct Park from 1958 to 1986. Some preliminary restoration work was begun in 1981 by the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society, which had been formed for the specific purpose of restoring the 3751. Things really started happening in earnest when the SBRHS bought 3751 from the City of San Bernardino for $1.00 and moved her indoors to an abandoned steel mill building in Fontana, CA, in May of 1986.

Steam lovers, buy this video! Better yet, buy both this one and the one that shows the restoration, “Santa Fe 3751 the Restoration.” Also, a visit to the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society’s web page would be worth your time.

http://www.sbrhs.org/index.html

Railfan photos by Matt Gentry

January 20, 2014 Jim Pearson No Comments Matt Gentry, Photo Section

January 2014 Ricky’s Final Replies …as president

January 20, 2014 Jim Pearson No Comments Ricky's Replies

by Rick Bivins, Outgoing Chapter President

Out with the Old and in with the New. Happy New Year everyone, may 2014 be a blessed year each and every one of us. Having decided to not seek re-election as President for the 2014 year brings about change, which will be a good thing. I have no doubt as to Tom being a productive and fun President. Change has come about for me as well; my Mother’s passing in October of last year creates both a void and a need. I have always been close to my parents and now I will be keeping a closer eye on my Dad. My plans now are to take advantage of my work shop/train building that is coming along nicely. I will be having “The Guys” over a few times a month to enjoy model trains, real trains and train talk. I hope to create a pleasant environment for anyone wanting to join in. At this point I am finishing up the building and I already have some bench work in place (for the three rail trains). The grand-daughters enjoy riding their cars on the concrete floor so who knows what adventures one may seek there in!

As for Chapter activities, I plan to approach the Chapter with a few ideas and perhaps spearhead them as well. As President I felt the need to put wheels into motion to make things happen which was not always the case. As President I did not feel it was my duty to “do them”. I will take a more active role in getting things done on the Chapters behalf.

I recovered my artifacts from the Nortonville Museum. I had heard “through the proverbial grapevine” the new Mayor of Nortonville wants to do away with the museum, library and even the building which is the old grade school. I was afraid for my “stuff” being caught up in what “could” come about. I did however leave the a few things such as duplicate paper items and the old heavy glass and wood cabinet that I restored and donated years ago. While talking with “Miss Martha”, which is always a hoot, she asked about Dennis! She was saddened and shocked to hear of his passing. Hopefully the Nortonville Museum has a long term future.

As we make our way through 2014 I will present my “ideas” for the Chapters consideration. I think some are good and some are better! It will be up to the Members to decide whether or not to adopt them. Meanwhile I hope everyone joins me in welcoming one of our newest members and this year’s President, Tom (Da Man) Johnson.