Category: Rich’s Ramblings

From our President

Those of you that gathered in Hopkinsville last month for our customary satellite meeting were treated to an excellent program by David Hayes. He took us around Ecuador and we didn’t even have to leave our seats.

I saw a couple of recession news items of interest.  Our balance of payments with China should improve a little with the order last fall for six hundred 6000 horsepower locomotives; half from General Electric and half from Electro Motive Diesel.  These have not been too popular in the States and several railroads are turning them in or retiring them, mostly in favor of 4300 horsepower units. But China is trying to modernize their railroads and this is one of their steps in that direction. Most of these engines will be shipped as kits with final assembly in China.

I was somewhat surprised by the number of coal trains that Union Pacific hauled out of the Wyoming Powder River Basin in 2008.  They set an all time record of 13,212 trains hauling 204.6 million tons of coal which was about 5 percent more than the previous year. Last December they moved about 36 trains per day.  Wow!

As I write this we are getting ready to go to Alaska to visit my brother-in-law and we should be riding the Alaska Railroad while we are there. I’ll fill you in later.

I hope to see all of your smiling faces at our next meeting on June 22, at the Center in beautiful downtown Madisonville. We should be having a great program by Wallace Henderson.

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.

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.

Well, it’s almost time for another meeting. Those of you who saw Wally’s excellent movie on Steamtown, USA last time had a real treat.

Since it is almost Spring and weather is on our minds, I came across an interesting article in the Nov. 2008 issue of Trains Magazine.  The article dealt with how some of the railroads including Amtrak are using a service called WeatherData which is owned by AccuWeather.  They use National Weather Service data along with their own resources to make extremely accurate and specific recommendations to their clients regarding high winds, tornados, hurricanes, heavy rains, flash floods, etc. so that the railroads can stop their trains or make other changes.  For instance, they were able to stop the Amtrak Southwest Chief before it entered the path of the tornado that destroyed Holly, Colorado in 2006.  In 2007 they were able to stop two Union Pacific freight trains before they entered the path of the tornado that leveled Greensburg, Kansas.

Mike Smith, the chief executive with WeatherData, is an avid railfan and a model railroader with his own layout so his interest in how he can help the railroads comes naturally.  His father was an engineer for the Santa Fe and his uncle loved trains.  Some of his major customers are UP, BNSF, CN, Kansas City Southern, and RailAmerica.  CSX is also a customer but until recently only for hurricanes in Florida.  That changed after hurricane Katrina buried lines of engines and cars in mud in New Orleans.

Besides allowing the railroads to reroute trains around major blizzards or floods even high winds can pose a problem. In 2006 WeatherData warned its clients about wind gusts that could reach 80mph coming into downtown St. Louis.  The Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis allowed a train to cross a bridge over the Mississippi River just as the gusts came in. Their train seriously derailed and there was a major pile up on the bridge.  The railroad is now a client of WeatherData.

Another interesting event happened in Putney, Vermont in 2005.  WeatherData told New England Central Railroad that heavy rainfall could cause flash flooding and possible washouts at a low spot near Putney.  The dispatcher sent a crew out to investigate and found that a 90 foot section of rail was hanging suspended over a washout.  The fact that this was welded rail kept the hanging rail from breaking and, thus, the electrical signals that went through the rail failed to indicate any danger.  The next train over this track was to be the Amtrak Vermonter in a few hours.  The dispatcher was able to stop the train in time and averted what certainly would have been a major disaster.

There are several other weather service companies that work with the railroads but WeatherData seems to have the bulk of this business at this time.  This is surely a great example of how new technology can improve our lives.

I hope to see all of your smiling faces in beautiful downtown Madisonville for our next meeting on Monday, March 23 at 7pm. The program will be by Jim Pearson who always has an interesting program and beautiful photography.

I hope that all of you have been able to recover from the once in a lifetime ice storm that we had. It was trying but it was a great example of everyone pulling together. We had a very nice meeting in January and the weather cooperated by holding off long enough for us to have a complete meeting and get home before the snow came in.  I checked the weather outside several times during the meeting and was happy to report no activity.

I came across an interesting article in Trains Magazine the other day in the Feb. 2009 issue about this group of railfans in the United Kingdom that built a brand new 4-6-2 Pacific type steam locomotive.  It was the first new mainline steam engine built there since 1960 and the first ever to be built without a fully staffed and equipped locomotive works.  They started saving money and getting donations in 1990 and the engine was completed and tested to 75 mph in Nov. 2008.  It will go into excursion service this spring. The group had 2000 individuals donating and they started out by asking for the amount of a pint of ale each week to have a steady income. They say that this engine is not a replica but actually the 50th engine in the line and has the next number in line after the last one was built a half century ago. It is equipped with more water capacity and incorporates many improvements in metallurgy, safety, and electronics.  This is a truly beautiful locomotive with a certain grace and class that British engines seemed to exude.  These folks are to be applauded for there hard work and perseverance. If you would like more information or to donate to their cause check out their website at www.A1STEAM.com.

I am hoping to see all of your smiling faces at the next meeting at 7pm on February 23, 2009 at the Center in beautiful downtown Madisonville.

By Rich Hane

I hope that everyone has survived the Holidays. We had a very nice time visiting the grandchildren and we were even able to get some rare mileage in that I am sure Wallace Henderson and Don Clayton do not have yet. Of course, they may not count urban light rail but the rails were 4 ft 8 ½ in. apart and standard gauge is standard gauge.  We rode the Phoenix (Arizona) Metro Light Rail system about 3 days after it opened in late December.  This system is about 20 miles long at this time and they hope to add to it in stages over time. The fare was $1.25 to anywhere within 2 hours and 1 detraining.  One can get an all day rail/bus pass for just $2.50. The firm that my daughter works for (Sundt Construction, Inc.) constructed it so it was a thrill for her. It was quiet, smooth, and fast. The railcars are in pairs and receive power from an overhead catenary system using pantographs.

I am sorry that the Christmas Party did not work out but the weather just did not cooperate.  Hopefully, we will have better luck this year.

Please remember to pay your dues to Wally Watts if you have not yet done so. This will make his job easier if he doesn’t have to remind you good folks.

I am looking forward to seeing all of your smiling faces at the next meeting at 7pm, Monday, January 26 at The Center in beautiful downtown Madisonville.

From from our President

November 2008 Rich’s Ramblings

We have had a lot of fun activities this fall. Earlier, we had the annual picnic in Crofton, KY hosted by the bunch from Hopkinsville. Then, the train ride in Tennessee was enjoyed by many of us and the scenery was beautiful.  Thanks to Don Clayton for setting up the program and getting our tickets and organizing so well.  The food, sidewalk vendors, and the car show in Monterey made for a nice midday stop. On November 1st Don and Wally had their annual open house which provided some more good food and conversation with friends and of course the chance to see a world class model railroad.

This month is the election of Chapter officers.  It is not too late to throw your name in the hat if you would like to help and guide the Chapter. We have a great group and I always look forward to spending time in good conversation and enjoying the programs.

Speaking of programs, if someone has any ideas for a program at the Christmas Party on December 15 at Bart’s in beautiful downtown Madisonville, feel free to bring it up with one of the officers.  Usually we have a show and tell time or someone might relate an interesting train story or happening in the past.  We have had some entertaining slide programs, too. We will have an open area on the second floor at the front of the building so we will be by ourselves for the most part.

Having the Party on Monday evening should be good as Bart’s is usually fairly empty at that time and there should not be much of a problem from any smokers that may be there.  The ventilation is quite good at the front of the building.

I will be looking forward to seeing your happy faces at the next meeting on Monday, November 24, 2008, at 7pm at the Center and again at the Christmas Party on December 15th. There is no formal meeting in December.

Rich’s Ramblings

Last month’s program was very interesting and was provided by Wally Watts to fill in for Tim Moore who had an unscheduled family matter come up.  It was about the investigation of a train wreck on the Rio Grande in Colorado. The refreshments were provided by Jim and Thomas Bryan and were excellent. The fish from Lake Barkley probably thought otherwise.

On Saturday, Oct. 4 we had the annual picnic in Crofton and it came off very well. It was well attended and the CSX provided at least 5 nice trains for our enjoyment. Thanks to the Hopkinsville bunch for bringing the drinks and setting it up. Also, the displays set up by Steve Miller, Wally Watts, Wallace Henderson, and Steve Gentry were enjoyed by all. Thanks, fellows.  The weather cooperated and was quite pleasant. The opportunity to relax and enjoy ourselves with each others company in the shade of the pavilion was great.

During the October meeting we will be accepting nominations for our officers.  The election will be held during the November meeting. Let me take a moment to encourage anyone that would like to be an officer to consider it and realize that we are a very friendly chapter and all offices are to be considered open and no one will feel bad if someone runs for a position.  It is a serious responsibility and an opportunity to take the Chapter in a different direction and perhaps accomplish other things that are not being covered now. We are always open to input and your opinions.

Keep  Saturday, November 1st open for the annual open house to be held at Don Clayton’s house and hosted by Don and Wally Watts.  This is another chance to enjoy the friendships and interests that we have developed over the years and to see a first class model railroad in action.

I will be looking forward to seeing your smiling faces at the next meeting on Monday, Oct. 27, at 7pm at The Center in beautiful downtown Madisonville.

Rich’s Ramblings
by Rich Hane

We had some good news about one of our oldest members, Ron Stubblefield. On Tuesday, September 9th, Ron came home from the hospital after a 14 day stay fighting a bout with pneumonia. He is still tired and sore and will be recovering for a number of weeks. We all wish him well and look forward to seeing him back at our meetings.

Speaking of meetings, our last program of recent slides taken in Indiana by Jim Pearson, Chuck Hinrichs, and Bob McCracken was great. They provided the slides and narration for their recent trip along with Chris Dees. It was very well done and the photography was great. I hope that all of you members have been enjoying the excellent Bulletins that have been coming regularly in the mail. They are coming close to getting back on schedule and the quality of the publications is outstanding.

As always, I look forward to seeing your smiling faces at the next meeting on September 22, at 7pm.