׉?ׁB!בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://NtmXPcxDKDj3qKcOWobJtBsyqEAZzhtaMdUeUWfI6hQ0 `׉ 7cassandra://uI8mTzLezddnYKprnZxb3QwJ0OswcIBxJx2mS58XDUQ͠4`s׉ 7cassandra://IPeN8cg6lexFyLgmQSkBDEa3r38hFIXoMNA6yDNT1Q86`׉ 7cassandra://jRUVKYgFaAAmsvN2Iuf3zpDgALo6egOudOU_yv1X8IUf͠][W:䰍W*.ט(u׈׈E[W:䰍W*,׉E׉ 7cassandra://IPeN8cg6lexFyLgmQSkBDEa3r38hFIXoMNA6yDNT1Q86`[W:䰍W*-[W:䰍W*,(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://VnHvzPnxx_rWytUwHAUKv2m0bIF57fyiqOTT9Z9URZob`׉ 7cassandra://NUw2K0Gk13Y4vIKXxNyYRuvYVdePcKHWnJFN6k1Uhaw͂v`s׉ 7cassandra://8XP-V7k9DYUDl2WZVbAxeZR_CnlP00K-_wSVeU7H4zs*`׉ 7cassandra://zxvKWOYQSaN7OH1KLZHer6C8ZPFHyeD3Kw287lFvUFw2͠][V@䰍W)ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://5KHWXKy6io2E-oO-PEgUGHZorSSvP1qnNcybSt1JlhgF`׉ 7cassandra://Pm5K1dwEfxVZcHDedEMz9QAzCzZbqXQGaMXDmjLfqKw͒k`s׉ 7cassandra://UxNYl7YTaecn25egt6ayGrLW7Gz0O2A45rWtLVXq7Dc.3`׉ 7cassandra://ohPePyGgu0oFEXsVKZ2nXLbCKzPalSVFAfdkEKXj8MoJ ͠][V@䰍W)׉EFeature Articles 3 Departments 2 5 A Day Out With Thomas Martin Den Bleyker President’s Message John Stocker Vice President’s Message Chris Cotty 12 Bel-Del News Les Coleman This past Summer we held a special event, “A Day Out With Thomas”. I’m still amazed that this funny looking little Blue Engine with a face on it could draw over 20,000 people to Phillipsburg in two 3-day weekends. Who would have thought we would be able to host an event like this and pull it off with out a hitch? And how did we do it? It was done with the hard work and dedication of our Volunteers who planned and worked the event. All of you can give yourself a big pat on the back for a job very well done. The positive comments I heard from the Families and People attending as well as all the smiling children was all I needed to know we did something special. It’s what makes us the Special Group we are. And yes I look forward to doing it all again this year! For those who worked the Thomas event, I look forward to seeing you there and working with again this year. For those of you who were not able to help out last year, I hope you can make it at least one day this year, you won’t be sorry. Upcoming work in 2010. Bringing the M1 to Phillipsburg to finish the work on it. Brush cutting along the ROW Coach work Getting the new Bi-Level ready for this summer Tender on the 142 Let’s continue to work together and make 2010 a Great Year for all aspects of our Society! As always, my “door” is always open to you, our members. President John Stocker 2 The Easter egg hunt during the “Easter Bunny Train Ride” 2010 14 Maywood Station Historical Committee Ed Kaminski 16 Shop Talk Martin Den Bleyker Covers Front: Thomas The Tank Engine and our own #142 get ready for a day of trips during “ A Day Out With Thomas 2009” Photo: Ed Kaminski Rear Top: The 1800’s lined up getting ready to leave the property for the East Penn Railroad, who purchased them. Photo: Ed Kaminski Rear Bottom: The 1800’s after arriving at the East Penn Railroad. GP18s 1802 and 1804 rest at Kennstt Square, Pa. on May 8, 2010. Photo: Michael T. Burkhar t 2009 Meeting Schedule & Entertainment ׉ 7cassandra://8XP-V7k9DYUDl2WZVbAxeZR_CnlP00K-_wSVeU7H4zs*`[V@䰍W)׉E U nless you’ve spent this year hiding under a rock, you should know the following: Thomas is a really useful tank engine who works on Sir Toppham Hatt’s railway. He bears the number 1 and is blue. He is also the subject of a British television show wildly popular with children and if you don’t have children yourself, you’re forgiven for not knowing all this. But, you should know he paid us a visit in July. Early in the year, we knew the event was a “go” and the planning started in earnest. There was a lot to do and some of our regular priorities had to change accordingly. The people who own and promote Thomas have a lengthy list of do’s and don’ts. For example, any three-year-old kid, who can tell you each Power Ranger’s name by color, also knows the details here. If we were to place a name on our cars, they would know it’s not the real car (it’s been done). Meantime, this is not just about offering a train ride. In fact, the schedule calls for Thomas to be on the road for 25 minutes of each hour and 35 minutes in the station for pictures. And there are picture sessions with Sir Toppham Hatt as well. The line for him was usually longer, but then, the photographers were able to work from both sides of Thomas simultaneously and that sped things up. It’s called a “Day Out With Thomas” and that’s because there’s so much to do. Beside the train and photos, there is an entire tent city located beside the platform and in the parking lot above. Imagination Station is where kids can color, paint, get a tattoo and watch model Thomas trains. A story telling tent also features movies on two TVs. A small stage featured Bindlestick Bill, our popular entertainer from the Polar trains. We purchased what is commonly known as a “moon walk” in the shape of a pumpkin. After Thomas, it will be in the corn maze. The Phillipsburg Railroad Museum had a model train layout. There were also concession tents for food and Thomas merchandise. Getting to this point was not easy. However, many of the improvements become a normal part of the operation. For example, eventually, there will be an interpretive display at the Morris Canal arch beside our platform. As part of Thomas, we installed part of the crossing that passes to there from our path to the platform. An identical second was placed a car-length away. They served as loading platforms for our regular train and a place to photograph Thomas. Two “shipping crates” were built to stand children on and were labeled with Bel-Del Railway or Phillipsburg on them. The majority of Thomas customers did not know we exist and these help to Thomas working hard early one morning pulling our LIRR coaches on his 25 minute trip ( 8 times a day). Photo: Ed Kaminski 3 ׉ 7cassandra://UxNYl7YTaecn25egt6ayGrLW7Gz0O2A45rWtLVXq7Dc.3`[V@䰍W)[V@䰍W)(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://ahmuem3krKMGzqkCR3HwOHjHWpYAwWbWTLsNBNDtxjY2 `׉ 7cassandra://3ZkpJ3n8JG5kjo8HpDsYdiQcCggLNaayVcnHNu2XS9w͐`s׉ 7cassandra://T2QMGoFNgOiAvmyHJxhyvOjkZYr0JYm5CGEmdxncFyY*`׉ 7cassandra://-tGVkHnMHSgIoSV-fYB1baBjI5ew47XF7WVBRMn1SWY ͠][V@䰍W)ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://MlN8PyQ7V_uzghlGHoAv9kGzG8Rsly3RYP5wd8my2Yg`׉ 7cassandra://3zN91WFJJJO66M-RbxsbbNwTUAHhWrf6GDvY1MCSTOw͒`s׉ 7cassandra://ZryGQ1xDUH964Xxnrq54Lej689wQmheeW8u3qWh3X34,s`׉ 7cassandra://vGSYQv2xwDgPwgvppdbu18F0hbgjCxl7SUSBJZ6LnVI,͠][V@䰍W)׉EEA Day Out With Thomas is a very family oriented event. As evidenced in this picture the crowd was mostly Mom, Dad and the Kids. identify us in the photos. The “regular” train, also running, used the Metra bi-levels, but in order to do so, we installed slider windows in place of the emergency pull-outs so we could use them without the power car to provide air conditioning. It also got rid of the green tinted windows in the process. The large field adjacent to the station was leveled, but the ground proved too muddy. Not wanting to go down that road again, tons of stone were dropped to raise and firm up the site. We acquired metal handrails. A base was devised out of tie plates and the uprights were attached. These were buried in the ground and the lateral rails connected. They formed two queue lines for the photos and a protective railing next to Thomas’ stopping place. Thomas needed water every trip. A fire engine was placed on the platform. Hose was laid from the street, through a water conditioner to the engine. Another hose lay along the track to Thomas’ spot. The entire area needed electricity and a PA system to play music and announcements. That, of course, was Bob Wyatt’s job and, as usual, he had an extra touch. He placed a signal leaving the station for show and could control the aspects from the station building. The building itself needed an air conditioner installed for our character actor. The Sir Toppham costume is large, heavy and hot. The actor works for 20 minutes and rests for 30 in the air conditioning. It turned out, about the only improvement we can think of is here, next time, hire two actors to get twice the time for photos. In order to keep the merchandise tent hopping, we rented a garage adjacent to the parking lot. Our stock of merchandise was kept here, handy to reload the shelves in the tent across the street. This “warehouse” was retained and well worth it for its storage space. Picnic tables had to be obtained and assembled for the food area. A special train schedule was issued to run two trains at the same time for two three-day weekends. The list seems endless, but somehow, it got done. And after it was all done on July 2nd, and we realized it’s tomorrow, we rested as best we could and held our breath the next morning. After the 8 am briefing, the diesel and the bi-levels were brought up to Lehigh Junction. 4 Please don't feed the animals! Gary Shea and Les Coleman pose with the petting zoo sign. The diesel would sit on the siding as protect power. At 9 am, there were already patrons in the station enjoying the attractions. When Thomas showed up with his train at about 9:20, you could hear the squeal (of delight) from the parking lot above. After all the planning and all the work, and with Ma Nature holding off the showers but for a couple of light hints, the day went off without a hitch with no notable changes to the plan. However, we quickly decided to add an extra trip to the Thomas schedule starting the second day. With only 24 hours notice, it was still a near sell-out. We started to handle around 4,000 people a day and the only complaints were from the kids crying they didn’t want to leave yet. Nature cooperated for the entire six days. After the cold and wet June that carried into July, days 2, 3, 4 and 6 were gorgeous. Day 5 returned to chance of showers, but once again held off until the last train. We lucked out. In all, about 23,000 people were carried in the six-day event without any major hitch. There is only one reason this can happen and that is the people doing it. Special thanks go to the folks from the Strasburg Railroad who brought and handled Thomas, and to Kean Burenga from the railroad and his bulldozer operator, Gil. Kean couldn’t express his praise sufficiently about the professionalism of our train crews. They certainly stepped up to quickly fill the roster for six days and, despite some closely spaced moves on the schedule, kept things moving along efficiently with few late intervals. And thanks to all the other people, both from the Society who worked whatever was required and the local folk who normally work as ticket booth and mine/maze attendants, and others from the town who helped staff tents, sell balloons, crowd control or just keep the place clean. Without all of you, this event would not and could not be a success. Sir Toppham takes his Hatt off to you. ׉ 7cassandra://T2QMGoFNgOiAvmyHJxhyvOjkZYr0JYm5CGEmdxncFyY*`[V@䰍W)׉E Vreally able to plan and spend months preparing for a near perfect event. As always, all of our key members wear many hats. To pull off an event like this we all must do more than run the trains. Each of us pulled from our varied areas of professional skills. Bill and Ilene Doran managed the Thomas Store, John Cannizzaro managed the “ Imagination Station” ( think thousands of kids a day), Gary Shea handled the merchandise and ordering, Les Coleman handled the money, Bobby Charkowski ran the computer and Point of Sale network, Bob Wyatt ran, literally, miles and miles of wires, Bill Lammers constructed the hay bale maze, and as usual, Gary Matthews was put to work building an amusement park while simultaneously putting together coaches and the steam locomotive. What's amazing is how many people came together to make this happen. The cooperation from the mayor and council was superb, better than any town we have ever dealt with. We have made so many friends in Phillipsburg, especially Helene Meisner, who is our conduit to the local charities. Last year we were able to donate back $7,000 dollars to charities in the town. Just about every civic organization helped! What consists of over 140 volunteers per day, 2 large circus tents, 8 smaller tents, video viewing tent, live musicians, a full onsite food court with two locations, miles of wires, 15 portable toilets, a Thomas and friends department store, a fire department, rescue squad, a forty foot inflatable pumpkin, model train layouts, a hay bale maze, Sir Toppem Hat, story telling, coloring books, spin art, two live steam trains, our police department, the gem stone mine, a $100,000 line of credit, and a petting zoo? Well, that would be the “ A Day Out With Thomas”. Last year was the first year we ran this event, and I am happy to say, it went off without a hitch! The event took place the first two weekends of July, and even Mother Nature cooperated with beautiful weather! The event may have taken place in July, but planning started over two years earlier. We have a long history of taking on projects that push our limits. I think if we aren't out there defying the odds, we just aren't happy! We have always run large trips such as the Susquehanna excursions to Bairds Farm and most notably Dunellen Railroad days on NJT. That is perhaps where the idea for the Thomas event was sparked in my head. During Dunellen Railroad Days, we operated a real live carnival complete with rides, food and games. It was a precursor of things to come! With our new beautiful permanent home on the Belvidere & Delaware River Railroad, we were Over 4,000 people a day attended the event. In this picture both the #142 steam train to the mine and the Thomas train are in the station. 5 Well 2010 is here, and we are getting ready for “A Day Out With Thomas 2010, A Celebration Tour”. Planning, advertising, cleaning, repairing and everything it takes to make this happen has been going on for over 6 months already. I am sure this year will be an even bigger success. Please come out and give a hand, you won’t be sorry, the experience is extremely rewarding. On the following pages I have compiled a collage of the 2009 Thomas event. These pictures only capture a very small amount of what actually went into and took place during the event. Please don't let the children view the pictures on page 10, it could be rather traumatic. ׉ 7cassandra://ZryGQ1xDUH964Xxnrq54Lej689wQmheeW8u3qWh3X34,s`[V@䰍W)[V@䰍W)(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://ikU9THL0cVvZu5uF-TvSpDiQsJWOiTTA6bnA-labAmo(`׉ 7cassandra://Y8to_Ox9xQnKAsV53fg9zGbudYzT30Kl68v2EvN-Ol4͏`s׉ 7cassandra://vXtziZT8X-7MeLKCoDW3j7Mu9gW3QawltCEyrK7qZ6o1`׉ 7cassandra://4keMDUwoXmmvHOgedSplWG82MLSURdTncqrSIuw9m8Y±͠][V@䰍W)ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://dBe4KHFlcrdO6ZF9eFAShSpLW1SB9XY4QYSP25MAO6w۹`׉ 7cassandra://Ia6oXd_SbYwZ42ydQZQn8URre-3E-q_jtQpQnOFKTag͔"`s׉ 7cassandra://j_rVBTfBwnCLnvVUo3-HWRdVwmxN-hXqBvT-NcoADCI3F`׉ 7cassandra://nPKgwYlvf3wvEnhRzZ1jMDKNLIi0C-t5VbGnmChUaZkc͠][V@䰍W)׉E׉ 7cassandra://vXtziZT8X-7MeLKCoDW3j7Mu9gW3QawltCEyrK7qZ6o1`[V@䰍W)׉E׉ 7cassandra://j_rVBTfBwnCLnvVUo3-HWRdVwmxN-hXqBvT-NcoADCI3F`[V@䰍W)[V@䰍W)(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://Qb8Fm1rSByovaOz0xUbeGbHH9JaAwaFviUnstWMc3mU`׉ 7cassandra://kS5fgRNIsj4uRTgO9a2RocdPkseB1mbHpH-TOK9Rsisͅ`s׉ 7cassandra://Xdqpet6PKe2Mndk8VSaYVjkkuqRsuqGrfHMzxkYRcps-@`׉ 7cassandra://I3fU5TDO4PLkwt5o1-GcicrzRjwR96uBNJ0wUKxloeUǪ͠][V@䰍W)ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://jX9QkpAtx3ep01jxxaEH0HgKdJxMAGjiPiT_FwuURlE`׉ 7cassandra://dMYPO-Ugmd6kh8VZfXgmYsx-WC1vSRNlj19zcg7zLvkͦH`s׉ 7cassandra://eO2fakafwfH-9FWoV2WahCD_7AFkZcO4DHUzAw7KG9A4`׉ 7cassandra://Nd8_WLr7UaoX4hAxA5DUYHNj9UJqChbQBgomOzZZLCAP͠][V@䰍W)׉E׉ 7cassandra://Xdqpet6PKe2Mndk8VSaYVjkkuqRsuqGrfHMzxkYRcps-@`[V@䰍W)׉E׉ 7cassandra://eO2fakafwfH-9FWoV2WahCD_7AFkZcO4DHUzAw7KG9A4`[V@䰍W)[V@䰍W)(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://1xxCS0QnT9PIRGbfx2EAs6gXo7NMG8LhswZb0xa57y0&`׉ 7cassandra://np8YRot8aBsYRqBPi2Gz1XBbIKz8dE4HlvjYxz2RFiE{`s׉ 7cassandra://MVsiQwe8mW0TodAqJ3RKhqNcRNTu6DFIlgpJfokxHSA,`׉ 7cassandra://cqZp191Qu1tHoLw3ygYh063exqrD7Bamj8hWWNtmgAgj,͠][V@䰍W)ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://SLvy29B-K5-qhtDJeUkSA285Du77DimvBhVv6Sm4Wp8[[`׉ 7cassandra://uD1cXLuGffvUuqPlFADh4fLrZIOB3Ke7KajMGqqgGnU͚`s׉ 7cassandra://SoppMpXZeLV5M0bLHoc1ZgSgevVfFsocrYnepZG7YYk,T`׉ 7cassandra://dUVuDElju8v2WFJPA1hW1Tt4r_9s0NR_-SFKNunXXIU, ͠][V@䰍W)נ[V@䰍W)LR9ׁHhttp://railroad.netׁ ׁ Јנ[V@䰍W)169ׁHhttp://road.netׁ ׁ Ј׉E׉ 7cassandra://MVsiQwe8mW0TodAqJ3RKhqNcRNTu6DFIlgpJfokxHSA,`[V@䰍W)׉EBelDel News Spring 2010 Operations As I reported in the last issue, we had a very busy and successful year in 2009. Well, 2010 has started right where we left off. We ran 3 days of Easter Bunny train rides, and had a 25% increase in ridership over last year (4100 riders), so much so we needed to add the bilevel cars to the train set to guarantee enough seats would be available. We actually sold out 2 trips, something we had never done before. Kean Burenga, owner of the Black River & Western and our partner on the BelDel, held a day of classes for all the operating personnel on both railroads one Saturday in April. It was a nice blend of information and socializing with the members of the BRRHT. In addition to the annual safety class and breakout classes by craft, a general history of both railroads and an address from Kean on safety and the history behind the different levels of communication/publications enlightened us all. The regular season started off on the first of May with diesel power (more on the 142 below) and has shown gains in ridAfter a long hard day of operating “The Easter Bunny Train Ride & Egg Hunt” the crew relaxes to a nice dinner at one of the local eateries. For many years we have dined together almost every Saturday night and this “family” tradition is looked forward to by all! 11 ership almost every weekend. May also saw the addition of BRW SD-9 #9581 as our diesel power, and has drawn rave reviews from the train crews for its ride, ease of operation and power. Planning for this year’s Thomas event started in January, with Chris Cotty and Les Coleman working with the Thomas people, the town and our various vendors/suppliers to make this year’s Day Out With Thomas even better than last year’s. I will let you know how it went in the next issue. 142 and the Fleet As I try not to duplicate what Martin says in his Shoptalk column, it is worthy to not e that this year’s winter 142 maintenance took on a whole new direction one quiet February afternoon. Gary Matthews, during his routine inspection of the boiler, found that the 2” flue pipes had decayed to the point of needing unscheduled replacement. There are 96 of these tubes in the boiler. Needless to say this took on the title of #1 priority, with the old tubes taken out, the superheaters inspected and repaired, new tubes had to be purchased, swedged, shipped to Phillipsburg, and installed. As usual, steam team members Ken and Kurt Christenson, Steve James, Greg Ruch, Devin Stasek and Larry , with newbies Joe and Tom Hart, did an awesome job getting this all done in record time. Due to the timeliness and long list of projects that needed to get done, the THS Board voted to hire Chris Hutsebaut full time, on a temporary basis, to assist. He has been a great re-addition to the team. You can find more details and pictures of the work on the 142 on railroad.net under New Jersey Railfan, Bel-Del thread. While this was happening the work on the tender and normal work on the 142 got done, and was up and running again by Memorial Day weekend. Great job guys! And please forgive me if I missed anyone. Not to get lost in all the goings-on, Don Chadruc has purchased and has been hard at work reviving an old 45 ton switcher engine with side rods. This engine has spent its entire life on the Bel-Del, working at the Holland power plant switching coal hoppers until they switched to oil about 10 years ago. It was spotted behind the quarry hut and he and others have been hard at work rebuilding the motors, scraping and painting and making it look brand new. Look for it to be handling switching duties at the shop later this summer. (more on railroad.net) After Easter, the 533 was put into the shop area for floor replacement. Many of the tiles had come loose as had the others before it. Chris Cotty and Devin Stasek spent a weekend tearing out the old floor and dismantling the counter, so Joe Trench could come in and tile the floor. When it’s finished, the counter will be reinstalled, this time with a hinge so we can have standup access behind. Also, Keith Dorn has returned to work his magic on the seats so they will flip over like the seats in the 530 he did last year. This makes 3 interiors done in the past 3 years, leaving just the 532 (Wine Car) left to be redone. Work on the last bilevel #201 was started, with cleaning and scrubbing off graffiti, fixing the ripped seat cushions and removing the luggage racks. New sliding windows ׉ 7cassandra://SoppMpXZeLV5M0bLHoc1ZgSgevVfFsocrYnepZG7YYk,T`[V@䰍W)[V@䰍W)(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://1x0z6WySebH7zh9RcUvaQ8hLLcvt3OtQtH8d94rMw7AP`׉ 7cassandra://TsVMt873R3uaX4C7auMVlBoiO2YLwvb62w-ifQ0FVPUx`s׉ 7cassandra://Q_5NKLxTjRLnsFTUgJyDmpAJCIbw4FoAllvVYuHJZVs$n`׉ 7cassandra://eV0VcfyVNDD8LsoGM9EJavry2p0ERMLrKvLpul5-lc4 ͠][V@䰍W)ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://KdrvCWuPcody86Em2Pyui7OvorBr_Jbq0vuzf_QcQ7EE`׉ 7cassandra://pK2EQkVAMxSCHSAxS0avNpSQTv4qEHd2-k2hQg7G1Mc͎t`s׉ 7cassandra://rJHWU7Xfen_Xl0658pZGvhS4BiM5OxZxbULWuhafmZY)`׉ 7cassandra://BlLaW9lMgfmI9NxjB4k3DQBTbYmwRe0uO09R1H9t3dc͠][V@䰍W)נ[V@䰍W)Áց̻9ׁHhttp://www.maywoodstation.comׁ ׁ Јנ[V@䰍W)Ł̷9ׁHhttp://www.maywoodstation.comׁ ׁ Ј׉E^Some of the Easter Bunny Train Ride crew poses for a picture after the last trip. Left to right front: Bill Doran, Roxane Doran, Chris Cotty, John Stocker, Kevin Griggs, Easter Bunny (Devin Stasak), Doc Koscker and Joe Hart, Back, left to right: Ilene Doran. Peter Jaquette, Chris Hutsebaut, Shirley Hutsabaut, Dave Hutsabaut, Warren Dasczynski, Steven James, Myron Biggar, Bob Wyatt, Kurt Christenson, Ken Christenson, Jon Andreasen, Tom Hart, Jim Stevens, Martin DenBleyker and Wayne Jennings. have been ordered and should be installed in June. We hope to get this car finished and painted in time for Thomas. Another item of importance, the power car we have been using on loan from THS member Rob Mangles, blew a piston during Polar Express. The THS Board voted to purchase a ‘new’ power car from THS member Ken Bitten, and in addition we will be receiving 3 other cars for our use on loan. These will need work before putting them into service, and we have yet to decide when, how and where they will fit the operation. Last but certainly not least, the M-1 had several work sessions done on it over the winter, when engine work was done, all air lines replaced, all 8 wheel brake valves have been rebuilt, and the air valves have been replaced, It is 1 work session away from being ready to ship to Phillipsburg, where the new tile floor will be installed and then returned to service. As soon as Gary has a ‘free’ day he will finish up the brake valves. Members News Promotions Peter Jaquette to Conductor Elections Bob Wyatt, Ed Kaminski and Walter Booth to Trustee Honorary 12 Martin DenBleyker, Wayne Nilsen and Ed Quinn were granted lifetime membership status due to their many years of service to the society. In Memory Member Peter C. Wolle passed away on October 07, 2009. After a long illness, Wayne Jennings mother, Dianna Jennings, passed away on May 18, 2010. ׉ 7cassandra://Q_5NKLxTjRLnsFTUgJyDmpAJCIbw4FoAllvVYuHJZVs$n`[V@䰍W)׉ESThe Maywood Station Museum Announces its 2010 Open House Schedule By Ed Kaminski Santa Made his Annual Visit to Maywood Station! A HOLIDAY TRADITION CONTINUES Santa made a special visit to Maywood Station for the 8th Annual Santa at Maywood Station on Saturday, December 19, 2009. Santa met with each good little boy and girl and every child received a "goody bag" courtesy of Myron Corporation, WellConnected Gifts, Operation Lifesaver, Atlas Model Railroad Company, PhibroChem, CNBC-TV, the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway and the Maywood Station Historical Committee. Each child attending was also given a free chance to win special raffle prizes including a BMW Child's Riding Car courtesy of Park Ave BMW; which was won by Matthew Pintade; a PIKO G-Gauge Starter Train Set courtesy of Silvergate Distributors, which was won by Matthew Tieleman; and an H.O. Scale Starter Train Set courtesy of Atlas Model Railroad Company which was won by Steven Masson. As always, the event was well attended and even the cold temperatures an ominous weather forecast of a heavy snowstorm did not deter the holiday cheer. At several times the line waiting to see Santa stretched around the outside of the station! Santa said he's going to try to make a visit again next December but said you must remember to be good little boys and girls in 2010! The MSHC wishes to extend a special thanks to Tom Richards for his help and support of the event. The Maywood Station Museum will mix things up a bit in 2010 by having Open House’s on both Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings this year. The change this year was brought on in response to numerous requests to open on weeknights as well as the usual Sunday afternoons between April and November. In 2010, there will be one additional Museum Open House as compared to previous years. Admission to the museum is free. Donations are welcome. The Museum Operating Schedule listed below: Sunday, April 18, 2010 – Noon to 3pm Wednesday, May 26, 2010 – 7pm to 9pm Sunday, June 27, 2010 – Noon to 3pm Wednesday, August 4, 2010 – 7pm to 9pm Wednesday, September 8, 2010 – 7pm to 9pm Sunday, October 3, 2010 – Noon to 3pm Sunday, November 7, 2010 – Noon to 3pm Saturday, December 11, 2010 – 10am to Noon (Annual Santa at Maywood Station) Please note – other special events may be added to the above Museum Operating Schedule. Please check our website at www.maywoodstation.com for any changes. JUST RELEASED! Maywood Station O-Scale Models! First it was the H.O. (1/87th) scale models…..then it was the Nscale (1/160th) scale models…..now….. Atlas Model Railroad Company has released the Maywood Station O-Scale Model Kit! Maywood Station™ is the prototype for this museum-quality, laser-cut, O (1/48th) scale model kit produced by Atlas Model Railroad Company. This model is a full scale replica of the actual Maywood Station™ built in 1872 by the New Jersey Midland Railroad (predecessor to the present-day New York Susquehanna & Western Railway) in Maywood, New Jersey. Stations built to similar Victorian-era designs could be found at one time in small towns and suburbs of larger cities on railroads across the United States. O-Scale Model Kit Features Include: • Full scale replica of the 1872-built Maywood Station™ • Separate window glazing • Separate platform base • Many small detail parts including roof finials • Approx. finished size (including base): 18.5” x 9.5” x 6” * Please Note - The O-Scale Maywood Station™ Model is a craftsman type model and is available as an unpainted kit only. Assembly time may require 8-15 hours depending upon the skill of the modeler. The O-Scale Maywood Station™ Model Kits are available for $125.00 each at Maywood Station on Museum Open House dates and seven-days a week at Maywood Hardware, 39 West Pleasant Avenue, Maywood NJ. The Kits are also available by mail order through our website at www.maywoodstation.com. All proceeds go to further preservation and maintenance of the historic Maywood Two brothers pose on Santa's lap for a photo at the 8th Annual Santa at Maywood Station event on December 19, 2009. (Photo by Ed Kaminski) 13 ׉ 7cassandra://rJHWU7Xfen_Xl0658pZGvhS4BiM5OxZxbULWuhafmZY)`[V@䰍W)[V@䰍W)(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://wDpOwCUaj2NCzk9eJqSw2nSsesGa47K_p_JPfV7YiAUʓ`׉ 7cassandra://pO48Fl_flcDUDTSxCyRvOXdtnLOcRXeolGW_579oHuM͓`s׉ 7cassandra://JJ8av-9waaUG-H8EqWqGdA3o3qwDU-YZKu9cMgdYDbs']`׉ 7cassandra://_CrXj7D1tu8cCgr2EUWvMqubHkI2Vz97YvQ2wIlgg3o͠][V@䰍W)ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://jpOA4vGucN1X5wE2hYE0f-toXgkuVzkE524HC9-sG3A`׉ 7cassandra://cclGU_6XAWdmwNFWY5XdR-Eibiv6DWCUd85JGIVaivQk`s׉ 7cassandra://s2261rzRJnwxr1b_r3V126Ol8RHtit9VVZM_i2WspsM(`׉ 7cassandra://UXkG3y8MYwP-trp5x2f5R85px8mWjWA5UxKnYaQYR28$͠][V@䰍W)őנ[V@䰍W)ȁ!x9ׁHmailto:cal@nyswths.orgׁ ׁ Ј׉Ebgot an upgrade with new seat cushions. Each year, I try to add some feature from the movie. For 2009, I created another Pennsylvania Railroad style sign that read “11344 EDBROOKE” for the station building and hung a clock on the ticket office that was set to 11:55 as you walked down the path. Returning customers saw 12:05 on their side, not really in the movie, but obvious. The down side is that, with all the normal year-end A nyone who thinks we “take some time off” after the steam season ends, couldn’t be more wrong. After the Thomas visit, we chugged along more or less as usual until November 1st. October proved dismal as every Saturday rained and Sundays weren’t usually much better. The next weekend was, of course, beautiful and warm for November. Just as well as we were quite busy with the usual and some unusual activity. Polar Express has added eight trips for 2009 and, even so, sold out by midNovember, so it was time for some serious preparation. Cleaning the train commenced during the first week even before Thursday, when the consist was made up for the Polar Express. Then we went to the out of service track where we store unused equipment and took it all up to the Baer Yard. Seventeen months earlier, member Don Chaudruc purchased two dinky locomotives from the power plant in Holland Township. He sold one, which was trucked out of the plant. After much work just to get his other engine, a GE 45-ton, out of the plant on the track, it was finally time to tow it up to Baer, using our boom truck. It was placed behind the shop to get some much-needed attention, after which it will be leased to us. On Saturday, the 142 was towed up to Kent to our water supply to get its boiler wash. At that point, the engine has been readied for the cold weather and will be awaiting tear-down for the winter maintenance session. It was then tucked away inside the shop for a long winter’s nap. By Sunday, the train interior has been decorated with Christmas lights and other maintenance done, including some fresh paint on the power car, needed to light up the bilevels. Next step was to wash the train exterior before festooning it with more lights. A few weeks earlier, our third bilevel arrived on the railroad, but it won’t see service before next July. After the wash, the exterior of the train was festooned with lights as usual, but with one change. Last year's lights were not to be found, which is not surprising. The brush along the right-of-way knocked many of them out and they weren't worth keeping, so the right-of-way was deScrooged of potential flora that would hit the train. It seems to have worked. This year we sprang for new LED lights, which should prove more durable. The new lights have a soft glow that received many compliments. Other maintenance during the remaining month included new brake shoes and air lines for the L.I. coaches that didn't already have them, repairs to the steps on two of them and some other body work. Our ticket office counter was extended so a third window could be used to speed up the lines. Even the golf cart 14 activity, M-1 sits in Butler in the middle of a brake valve change-out. It was started, but didn’t get completed before the Polar priority took over. It wasn’t until the Monday after Christmas the job continued. An additional day lent to the job later was interrupted by the workers being ordered out of the shop building by someone concerned that a dam was about to burst upstream during the spring rains. We hope that job will be completed soon after 142’s winter maintenance and the car shipped out to the Bel-Del, where it will get the additional attention it needs. Not trying to sound like a broken record, but if all goes well this time, it should be part of 2010 activities before the year ends The winter 142 maintenance program had its problems also. The flues needed replacement a few years earlier than we expected and it wasn’t until that was completed a pressure test could be conducted. That’s when this year’s supply of weeping staybolts appeared. Yes, it’s a fact that our priorities changed when we moved from RDCs to steam as the primary focus in our operating department. That change started immediately after we started running M-1 and were just too popular for a one-car train. But when you consider that we just had our biggest grossing year in our history, you understand that such decisions, while emotionally hard, are for the greater benefit. Still, we’d like to see a three-car RDC train make the occasional trip someday. While we’re not up to hiring additional paid help just yet, if more of our volunteers lent a hand (here it comes – you knew it would), we could get more of our backlog of projects finished. The “Technical” part of our Society is to refurbish this equipment for its use and display it to the public, which is our “Historical” educational purpose. You can get information on how at Mechanical@nyswths.org. Boiler work on #142 Photos left to right, top to bottom: 1. Ken and Dave preparing the tubes. 2. Steve and Ken cutting to size and cleaning the tubes, prior to insertion. 3. Gary working on removing the 2” tubes (all 96 of them). 4. Jessie inserting the new tube in the front end. 5. “rolling” in the new flues. This work is being performed inside the combustion chamber, inside the firebox. 6. Working inside the firebox, inside the combustion chamber the flue sheet is prepared prior to the “rolling” process. 7. This year we had to replace 10 stay bolts and this takes the skills of specialized professional welder. 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