Along the Right of Way ...

1880 Train -- Black Hills Central Railroad

Milepost 244

It's vacation time and I'm starting to get some railroad photos from readers who have been "out and about" visiting railroad sites around the country.

Today, I'd like to share some pictures from Jim, a fellow blogger, who was on vacation in the Black Hills of South Dakota near Mt. Rushmore.  He said that he & his family took the Black Hills Scenic Railroad trip between Keystone & Hill City, South Dakota.

I've not been in the area, but this certainly looks interesting to me for a lot of reasons.  First, I've always wanted to visit Mt Rushmore (you thought I was going to say that I wanted to visit the railroad, didn't you??!?).  The Black Hills area has to be among some of the most scenic areas in our great country.  And, yes, this interesting hour and a half train ride through that area would certainly be on my list of things to do.

According to the BHC web site, one of their engines is the one pictured above.  It is a 2-6-6-2T Mallet type logging locomotive.  The "T" designation means that the engine doesn't have a regular tender as most steam engines have.  Instead, the fuel & water are stored on the engine itself.  This was pretty common on smaller engines or in places where water & fuel were plentiful or easy to get to.  The larger engines didn't want to have to stop & restart their trains every few miles just to take on water and/or fuel.  This wasn't a problem for most logging locomotives as they seldom ventured far from their service area.

The locomotive was built by Baldwin for the Weyerhauser Company back in the 1920s.  It changed hands several times until it was purchased by the BHC for restoration in 1999.  Two years later, it was ready to run and has seen service on their scenic railroad ever since.  You can learn more about the engine, other engines on the railroad and the railroad itself by visiting their web site at: http://www.1880train.com 

A special thanks to Jim for sharing his photos and an invitation for others to send any interesting railroad themed vacation pictures to me and I'll see if I can use them.  Until next time...

dlm

"When the Whistle Blows..."

Milepost 243

On Tuesday, July 14th at 1:30 in the afternoon, the Allen County Museum in Lima will be the site of a presentation & book signing by Ms. Fran Cannon Slayton.  Her new book, "When the Whistle Blows," shares the adventures of Jimmy Cannon, a teen-aged youth growing up in a small West Virginia railroad town in the 1940s.  Jimmy is torn between what he wants to do with his life and what his father has planned for him.  Along the way, the author shares his joys, his sorrows, his successes & his failures.  While the book is intended for middle school aged students, people of all ages will be able to relate to the trials & tribulations of growing up.

Prior to Ms. Slayton's presentation, Scott Trostel will speak on the changes that occurred in the country when the railroads converted from steam locomotives to diesels.  This had a direct effect on the Lima community as it spelled the ultimate doom for the then very large Lima Locomotive Works located there.  Mr. Trostel is a noted railroad historian and has written several books on railroad subjects including "Lima's Operation Kindness" and "The Lincoln Funeral Train."

Both presentations should be of interest to those who enjoy local history and railroad lore.  The presentations are free & open to the public.  For more information about the afternoon's events, contact the Museum at 419 222-9426 or visit their web site at:  http://www.allencountymuseum.org/Home.html   Ms. Slayton's web site is located at:  http://www.francannonslayton.com/

Until next time...

dlm

New MTH Catalog

Milepost 242

One of the newest players in the HO scale train market is MTH, otherwise known as Mike's Train House.  Mike's has been very active in the larger scale market for a number of years and has done very well.  As MTH, they have moved cautiously into the HO scale market and have made some rather interesting noises in so doing.

This new catalog is available online as a pdf file and can be downloaded by going to the MTH site at the address below:

http://www.mthhotrains.com/catalog/2009HOV2Catalog.pdf

The catalog features their new 4-12-2 which has been mentioned here previously as well as some other new locomotives and HO accessories.  It is well worth the time it takes to download it and will make for an interesting read.  The pictures aren't bad either.

It is a little hard to figure out where MTH is heading with their offerings.  On the one hand, they have offered some locomotives like the 4-12-2 & the Erie Triplex which has only been available previously in brass.  But just when it looks like they are going to provide us with some long sought after models and fill some of the gaps in HO steam offerings, they come along with another Mikado and Hudson.  Their goal is to provide quality locomotives to the HO market and that they do.  But I'd like to see those quality offerings come in the shape of some locomotives that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg like brass ones do today.

There are rumors that they are working on some other interesting projects that would fill some of those holes but so far, they are just that.  A recent email to them inquiring about future plans got the predictable response of "we are working on a variety of projects and will make announcements at the appropriate time."  So much for my chance to offer a breaking story here.  : )

Enjoy the catalog download... until next time.

dlm

2009 American Soldiers' Homecoming in Dennison, Ohio

Milepost 241

I just received information about the American Soldiers' Homecoming at the Dennison Depot for 2009.  This seemed like an appropriate post for July 4th.

Until next time...

dlm

 

 

 

AMERICAN SOLDIERS HOMECOMING FEATURES VIETNAM WALL, OHIO FLAGS OF HONOR AND WWII REENACTMENTS!

On August 7-9, 2009, The Dennison Railroad Depot Museum in Dennison, Ohio will hold its Third Annual American Soldiers Homecoming Festival which is held each year to honor and remember American heroes past and present, both on the Homefront and in the military.

This year’s event will focus upon thanking our Vietnam Veterans.  Special features will include the Traveling Memorial Vietnam Wall and the Ohio Flags of Honor, both free for viewing and open 24 hours a day throughout the festival.  The wall will be escorted into town, traveling from Cambridge through Uhrichsville and then Dennison on Thursday, August 6, arriving with its motorcycle escort at approximately 4p.m.

Thirty-one hundred wooden crosses made by local veterans will also be on display representing all Ohio Vietnam Veterans.  The names of these veterans will be read, and wreaths will be placed on the crosses for all local Tuscarawas County veterans.  All veterans names will also be read at the Ohio Flags of Honor.  A variety of programs will be held throughout the Homecoming at the site of the Wall.

The Homecoming always includes WWII history as Dennison was the site of a WWII Homefront Salvation Army Servicemen’s Canteen that served 1.5 million soldiers and earned Dennison the nickname “Dreamsville, USA”.  To this day, there is always hot coffee in the railroad Depot lobby for any visitor, keeping the homefront hospitality alive.  Throughout the Homecoming Festival, the Canteen will be open once again offering free hot coffee and cookies to visitors.

Three WWII Battle reenactments will take place as well as a Youth Reenactment inside the Homecoming’s Battlefield.  Each year the battle plans change and this year, WWII trenches and bunkers will be added to the battle site.  General Eisenhower will also be on hand in the Battle Field for an encore performance.

Other highlights of the Homecoming include:  A Ticker Tape Parade, USO Dance with the Big Band Recollections, Speakers and Roundtables on the Vietnam War, after effects and the Korean War Troop Train Wreck, 1970s Musical Show by the Trumpet in the Land Singers, Dancing by Teresa’s School of Dance, Military Exhibits in the Masonic Temple, and all the exhibits in the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum, including its new feature exhibition: “Presidents, Trains and Whistle Stops”, sharing photographs and the history of all the presidents that stopped in Dennison.

This event is FREE for all veterans, current military and WWII Canteen volunteers.  They are encouraged to call and register in advance to receive their ticket packets.  Veterans are alsoencouraged to ride and be recognized in the Ticker Tape Parade.  Transportation in the Parade is provided.  To register, contact the Depot toll free at 1-877-278-8020 or depot@tusco.net.

Many of the Homecoming events are free including:  The Vietnam Wall, Ohio Flags of Honor, outdoor bands, food and souvenir vendors.  Battle Passes are required for the general public  for those who want to attend the battles, USO dance, Museum, roundtables and speakers, living history and WWII campground.

Battle passes are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $6 for students 7 to 17, and under 7 are free.  All Battle Passes are good for THREE DAYS.  Wendy Zucal,  museum director, shares that it is a tremendous bargain as Museum admission alone is regularly $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $4 for students. 

Family Battle passes are also available at $25 per family.

Early Bird Prices are available for Battle Passes from now until June 30th, saving $2 per ticket.

The Dennison Railroad Depot Museum, located in the center of the Homecoming Festival, houses a restaurant, gift shop and museum.  The Museum fills the largest portion of the Depot and continues throughout a new wing inside railroad cars attached to the Depot.  Many family fun activities can be found in the Children’s Interactive Railroad Car, Presidents exhibit and Model Train Room.  A rare WWII hospital car restored with Save Americas Treasures dollars houses the Museum’s WWI and WWII Canteen collection. A popular “Bing Scavenger Hunt” is available for kids, named after Dennison’s heroic WWI mascot Private Bulldog Bing. 

To receive a detailed schedule of events for the American Soldiers Homecoming or to purchase Battle Passes, contact the Depot toll free at 1-877-278-8020, www.dennisondepot.orgor depot@tusco.net.

The Dennison Depot is located in Tuscarawas County where State Routes 250, 800 and 36 meet, 15 minutes from New Philadelphia.  Dennison is exactly halfway between Pittsburgh and Columbus and 40 minutes south of Canton.  Other nearby attractions include:  Warthers Carvings, Amish Country, Trumpet in the Land, Historic Schoenbrunn Village and the Uhrichsville Clay Museum.

Tresspassing!

Milepost 240

Make no mistake about it, railroad tracks and the surrounding areas are private property and the railroads have the legal right to restrict people from being on that property.  While I'm not aware of anyone ever getting arrested for being on railroad property unless they were doing something that they shouldn't have been doing, I'm not an advocate of ignoring the posted signs.  But as you can see from this picture, not everyone... errr... everything obeys those rules.  This appears to be flagrant defiance of authority!

But to be more serious, stay off of railroad right of way.  Cross tracks at designated crossings.  This is for your safety.  The railfan who steps onto the tracks to get a better look or to just see around the corner is setting a bad example for others AND setting himself up for disaster.  Respect their property... most of all, respect the size & danger potential of those trains.

Now I know, train watching must be for the birds... until next time.

dlm

High Speed Rail Service for Ohio???

Milepost 239

THE COURIER recently published an editorial about high speed rail service in Ohio.  http://www.thecourier.com/opinion/editoral/2009/Jun/11/ar_ed_061109.asp?d=061109,2009,Jun,11&c=e_0

The editorial was not supportive of the effort of both the federal and state governments to spend stimulus money on this plan.

I wrote the following supporting the paper's position with some additional thoughts.  The letter was published but I was asked to trim it down to a more reasonable size.  My original submission is as posted here.

The one additional point that was not in The Courier's editorial about high speed rail service was the attitude of today's travelers.  True, a century ago, almost every little town in America had a railroad station that was the life-line of that community to the rest of the world.  People, provisions and mail arrived at the station on trains that criss-crossed this country.  The only other practical way to travel was by horseback & horsedrawn carriage or to a limited extent, by water.  The "attitude" of the traveler of the day was geared to these early forms of public transportation.
 
But the automobile and the subsequent construction of a vast system of interconnecting highways changed that attitude forever.  No longer was a traveler bound to the schedules and limitations of the travel network.  The traveler realized that they could go out, get in their car and drive to most anyplace in the country whenever they wanted to.  Now, we are expecting that attitude to be changed again by high speed rail service?
 
Imagine a trip by train from Findlay to Toledo... keep in mind that the train isn't going to stop every half mile like public busses do so you must first get from home to the local railroad station.  There, you wait (you don't think these trains are going to come every fifteen minutes, do you?) for the next train north.  Finally, it arrives and you take your seat and begin your travel north.
 
First stop... North Baltimore... yes, North Baltimore.  If not to take on additional travelers, certainly to wait for trains traveling on one of the most heavily used east/west rail lines in the country.  You may wait 10, 20, even 30 minutes before it is safe to cross.  Then it's on to Bowling Green for another stop to pick up/leave off passengers.  All along the way, you will be able to see "anti greens" driving along on I-75 and in most cases, passing you as they travel along at about 60-65mph.  Your next stop is probably somewhere around Walbridge or East Toledo before the train finally takes you downtown.  Of course, somewhere along the line, you will have to pull off of the main track and wait to allow the southbound train to pass; there is only one rail line, you know...
 
Great!  You are finally in Toledo... but wait!  You wanted to go to the mall.  Once again, you wait... you wait for the next bus to take you to the area where the mall is in the northwest part of town.  On this ride, the bus DOES stop every half mile or so to pick up/drop off passengers.  Finally, you arrive at the mall to begin your shopping... about three or four hours after you left your home!  And you get to shop for the rest of the day but need to plan on a three or four hour trip back to Findlay at the end of the day.  Chances are, you could have jumped in your car, driven to the mall, made your purchases, had lunch and been most of the way back to Findlay in the time it took you to arrive there by... high... speed... rail...  Oh the wonders of modern travel!  This kind of scenario will certainly change a lot of attitudes about travel.
 
Learn from history people... the railroads dropped passenger service many, many years ago for one simple reason:  not enough people used it to make it economical.  The money allocated to this folly would be much better spent to repair, renovate, maintain & upgrade our current highway system that gave us travel freedom in the first place.

-------------------------------

Until next time...

dlm

 

Railroad Notecards

Milepost 228

The Fostoria Rail Preservation Society had a table at a recent train show that I attended.  Among other things there were these really neat note cards of railroad structures in the Fostoria area.  They are being printed & sold as a fundraising activity of the Society.

There are six cards in the set.  The structures are the three shown here plus the Lake Erie & Western station, the Chesapeake & Ohio station and the Toledo and Ohio Central station.

The artist's renderings on the cards were done by rail artist Bob Lorenz.

The cards are approximately 4.25" x 5.5" and come with envelopes.  I don't remember for sure but I believe the cards were $5 per set.

The Fostoria Rail Preservation Society has been very active in preserving the rich railroad history in and around the city of Fostoria.  They have secured a tourism grant from the State of Ohio and are in the process of making way for and eventually building a railroad park that will be a favorable place for the many people who come to Fostoria to watch trains.

The Fostoria Railroad Preservation Society can be contacted at:  Post Office Box 421, Fostoria, Ohio, 44830.

Until next time...

dlm

Wheeling & Lake Erie Timetable...

Milepost 237

An opportunity to acquire an old piece of railroad history came my way recently.  The Nickel Plate Historical & Technical Society auctioned off some railroad "paper" that included a timetable for the Wheeling & Lake Erie District of the NKP.  The district was so named because it was the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad prior to being taken over by the Nickel Plate.  I was particularly interested in this piece because I grew up only about 100 yards from the "Wheeling" tracks in Tiltonsville.

A railroader's timetable is far more informative than a simple schedule of trains.  Many of us are familiar with schedules; you know, if you want to take the bus from New York to Chicago, you consult the schedule and find that the bus leaves at certain times of the day or night and that it follows a specific route.  Simple enough.

But a railroad employee's timetable is far more informative.  Take the picture at the left; note that the timetable takes effect at midnight on September 10, 1950.  This is significant in that any previous information prior to that date is rendered completely null & void by this more recent release.

Timetables were important because in many cases at that time, the time table actually governed the operation of the trains on the railroad.  This was before the widespread use of more modern signaling or the use of radios.  Often it was only the timetable that told railroad employees when to expect trains, what sections of the line were being used and similar information.

Each train was assigned a number.  That train ran on a regular basis as prescribed by the timetable.  Train number 93 went north through Tiltonsville at 7:55pm daily.  Train #94 went south through town at 7:25am daily.  If there were any local trains working in the yards near the mills around Tiltonsville, they knew that they had to be clear of the main line to allow these trains to pass.  Thus the importance of the employees' timetable.

The timetable also contained information about the railroad itself.  If there were certain areas that a train had to slow down, it was on the timetable.  Trains needed to know where water & coal could be taken on; this was on the timetable as well (yes, steam was still king in 1950).  Where were sidings?  Consult your timetable.  How long were they?  That was in the timetable as well.  The timetable stated that the siding in Tiltonsville would hold 51 cars, etc.

But the timetable had some other material of interest as well... let's say that you were injured while on the job.  The timetable lists local doctors who were available to treat injuries or illnesses that weren't anticipated.  Do you need to know where "official" railroad clocks were located to set your watch?  Consult the timetable.  Were there specific restrictions on certain bridges?  The timetable would tell you.

Things are really different today with Centralized Traffic Control and radio dispatching.  Often, an operator hundreds of miles away controls train movements with a computer terminal and a microphone.  But timetables are still important and continue to be published on a regular basis.

Perhaps next to the railroad rule book, the employee timetable was the most important document to be found along the right of way...

Until next time.

dlm

A "Kitbashed" Locomotive...

Milepost 236

A while back, I posted about changing the gearing in an old AHM 4-6-0 "Casey Jones" locomotive that I bought.  Because of bad memories, frequent nightmares and various & sundry other unpleasant experiences with that project, I'd rather not rehash it.  But it did lead me to (probably wrongly) believe that I was ready for a more challenging project.  Yes, I know... a glutton for punishment.

When my brother passed away, I brought most of his train collection home with me.  After years of neglect and sitting in a damp basement, a lot of it wasn't really usable any more.  But there were a few engines that had been kept in his room that were still in very good condition.  One of them was an AHM 2-8-8-2 Mallet.  The Mallet was a nice model but suffered from a rather poor motor.  So I decided to change it.  That's how I met Mel.

When it comes to changing motors, Mel is a real whiz.  He graciously & patiently shared with me many of his secrets for taking out the old AHM motor (easy) and putting in a newer, more powerful & more efficient one (not so easy).  Since Mel's railroad interests are along the lines of the Southern Pacific, he has re-motored many of the AHM Cab Forwards for his pike.  An older model, a new motor and a little work equals a fleet of fine running locomotives for him.

This post isn't about re-motoring though; it's about the photo that he sent me of a "kitbashed" Southern Pacific AC-9.  According to Mel, the conversion is actually pretty easy although tedious & somewhat time consuming.  Basically, he took an AHM Cab Forward, removed the domes, grafted on a "skyline" cobbled from a couple of Bachmann GS-4 locomotives and the project was done.  He did use a portion of the GS-4 cab on the cab of the AHM loco and the pilot came from there too but he "says" that is about it.  Oh yes, as you can see, he moved the location of the drawbar to turn the new engine around.

Mel has entered his locomotive kitbash in to the MODEL RAILROADER contest for the same.  I like his chances in the contest but more important, I like his locomotive conversion.  I'm going to bug him about more photos; when I get them, we may be able to take a little more in-depth look at a truly unique locomotive that one may find along the right of way...

Until next time.

dlm

Big Changes at Bowser...

Milepost 235

It was only about ten months ago that I visited with Lee English & the fine folks at Bowser Manufacturing over in Montoursville, Pennsylvania.  Although the factory was not in operation that Friday, Lee very graciously showed me around and patiently answered all of my questions.  It was a very enjoyable visit and I'm very glad that I went.

But things have changed rather quickly.  I recently received a newsletter from them that stated that almost all of their manufacturing has ceased here in the US.  Like so many other companies have been pretty much forced to do, they have shifted most manufacturing overseas so that they can remain competitive, price-wise.

Bowser has been a pioneer in many ways in our model railroading hobby.  They are perhaps best known for their steam engine kits that were a mainstay of many layouts, especially during the 60s, 70s & 80s.  These fine locomotive kits were supplemented with a wide variety of car kits as well.  Originally, Bowser pretty much focused on Pennsy equipment but through the years, their lines have expanded to include many other railroads.  These car kits were well detailed, featured quality workmanship and were proudly made in the USA.

But the recent shift in our hobby to more and more RTR items has left little demand for their locomotive kits.  And, with consumers expecting assembled cars instead of kits, Bowser no doubt felt the bite and had to give in to the overseas manufacturing trend to stay competitive.

Rest assured that Bowser will continue to produce the older models that we have come to appreciate and that they will also be introducing new models as well.  But it looks like the fine kits are a thing of the past.  They do have a very limited number of kits available and will supply parts while they are still in stock.  This sad turn of events makes me especially happy that I went back to their shop to purchase an Atlantic loco kit.  Now, those kits are no longer available.

It is somewhat disturbing to see that state of our hobby today.  At one time, true craftsmen fashioned realistic looking models from far fewer materials than we have available today.  Now, many won't even take the time to assemble a simple kit that requires no more than the ability to read instructions and turn a screw with a screwdriver.  As I mentioned, what this says about us as a hobby and, in a greater sense, what it says about us as a nation is disturbing.  Will we be totally dependent on someone else for all of our physical needs?  Are we so lacking in manual dexterity that we won't even be able to change a light bulb some day?  This goes far beyond simply assembling kits for a hobby; it is having a profound effect on our way of life.

So rejoice if you are still among the dwindling few who build kits of locomotives, rolling stock and other structures along your right of way... we may be the last of the true builders in model railroading.

Good luck to Lee English and the fine folks at Bowser Manufacturing as they enter this new chapter of their company's story.

dlm