FOURTH QUARTER ISSUE RAILWAY NEWS
DECEMBER 2005 Edited by Tom Scheffer
NEW JERSEY TRANSIT NJT will upgrade its ticket vending machines (TVMs) to provide faster transactions and allow for joint ticketing with PATH, PATCO, NY Waterway, and SEPTA. The software will be compatible with the new smart technology that the Port Authority is developing. Smart cards will debut on PATH and MetroNorth in 2006. The new machines will have bigger and brighter touch-screens that will be faster and easier to use, and they will also feature faster bill acceptors. NJT will acquire 157 new TVMs to provide machines to stations that do not yet have them and to add additional units to existing TVM-served stations. (New Jersey Transit) The final architectural designs for the new Mount Arlington station have been completed, and construction is expected to begin in the Summer of 2006, with completion in the Fall of 2007. It is at Exit 30 of I-80, and the location is presently used as a park-and-ride for Lakeland Bus Lines. For the moment, it will have 285 parking spaces, though a second lot with an additional 500 spaces might be considered depending on demand. On a historical note, this is the same site that was occupied by the last Delaware, Lackawanna & Western passenger station to serve this community. (Daily Record) LCOR has been chosen to produce a master plan to upgrade the Hoboken Terminal complex. NJT would like to improve intermodal connections and reactivate the historic terminal as a waterfront gateway with a variety of transportation connections and mixed-use development. A more customer-friendly layout to better integrate the various travel modes (rail, light rail, bus, and ferry) and provide enhanced amenities for commuters will be designed. Another rehabilitation project to ultimately restore ferry service to a portion of Hoboken Terminal itself (including reconstruction of five of the six original ferry slips), should be underway shortly and will be finished sometime in 2008. (LCOR, New Jersey Transit) HUDSON-BERGEN LIGHT RAIL Port Imperial Station in Weehawken has opened, temporarily on weekends only. A new pedestrian walkway linking the station with a new ferry terminal is expected to be completed in Spring of 2006. The new extension to Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen, with an intermediate station deep in a tunnel at Bergenline Avenue, is expected to open sometime early in 2006, and weekday service to Port Imperial will be inaugurated as well. (New Jersey Transit) GENERAL ELECTRIC GE has won a contract to provide Chinas Ministry of Railways with 300 locomotives worth about $450 million. These 6,000 horsepower engines will help to upgrade the Chinese fleet of approximately 6,500 units. The first locomotives will be delivered in 2007, with the remainder to follow through 2009. (General Electric) NORFOLK SOUTHERN NS has reported record Third-Quarter income for 2005 of $301 million mostly because of increased coal revenues (+22%) and intermodal revenues (+17%). As a result, NS has indicated that it plans to invest nearly $1.15 billion in 2006 for capital improvements, including 138 new six-axle locomotives. (Norfolk Southern) NS has opened a small museum in its downtown Norfolk, VA headquarters. Open to the public, it displays historical exhibits such as signs, early advertisements, vintage hand tools, an 1880 link-and-pin coupler, and other items donated by employees, customers, and suppliers. The hours are Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. (Norfolk Southern, Virginian-Pilot) AMTRAK The national passenger railroad will team up with the Subway sandwich chain to provide food service on the Empire Corridor between New York and Albany, a route that does not currently provide food service. This will be a test with vendor-operated on-board food that, if successful, might be expanded in the future. A selection of the chains sandwiches will be offered, along with soups and salads. A Subway employee will also offer at-seat delivery of the franchises offerings. This food service will be offered on all trains between New York and Albany, and on trains west of Albany that do not already offer food service (the Toronto train, for instance, has an Amcafe car.) (Amtrak)
Photograph courtesy of Michael Finfer

Santa Train 2005

by John Drennan Santa arrived in western New Jersey by rail on Saturday, December 10th , visiting 2,153 people from Hackettstown, Netcong, Lake Hopatcong, Dover, and neighboring towns. About a thousand children were greeted by one of the three Santas. The weather was just right with snow on the ground and some blue skies. The train consisted of a locomotive at each end (which caused some athletic exercising at Netcong) and nine clean, shiny cars having four toilets (these were much appreciated by the passengers and the volunteers). The three trips ran very smoothly

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Inside this issue.
Santa Train 2005 by John Drennan.. Railway News by Tom Scheffer.. Meeting Notes... An Elfs Diary by Gary Kazin.. Caboose Restoration Work Nears Completion by Dick Brown... Hickory Creek Back on Track by Anthony Troha.. Gleanings from Past Issues by Dick Brown. Equipment Restoration Activity by Don Oberding. Tri-State Calendar of Events.. Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 8
SAVE THE DATE! EastRail, April 22nd
See the Calendar of Events on Page 8 for more information.

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THE BLOCK LINE PUBLICATION STAFF Editor-Overall: Barry Levitt Contributing Editors: Tom Scheffer, Dick Brown, and Anthony Troha Publisher: Barry Levitt
The Block Line is published quarterly by The Tri-State Railway Historical Society, Inc. Material originating in The Block Line may be quoted if proper credit is given. Address all requests for complimentary exchange copies to Barry Levitt, P.O. Box 243, Pine Brook, NJ 07058 or Editor@tristaterail.org. All contents 2005 The Tri-State Railway Historical Society, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Founded in 1964, The Tri-State Railway Historical Society, Inc. is a registered, tax-exempt, non-profit educational organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code. Donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Our goals: To preserve historical railway materials; To collect and to publish meaningful historical railway data; To encourage and support the increased use of rail transportation; To provide a monthly membership forum for ideas and projects.
THE BLOCK LINE, FOURTH QUARTER 2005
THE TRI-STATE RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
Elected Officers 2005 President. Vice-President. Treasurer. Sergeant-at-Arms. Secretary. Mike Del Vecchio Bill Derringer Bob Bodenstein Lou Capawana Dick Brown Appointed Chairpersons 2005 Committee Chairperson Rich Wisneski Bill Derringer None Appointed John Drennan Barry Levitt Anthony Troha Barry Levitt Barry Levitt Tom Scheffer Don Oberding Charles Smith Don Smith
Elections. Refreshments.. Entertainment.. Santa Train. Budget.. Elected Directors 2005 Publications. Term Ends The Block Line. Board Members Archives. 12 / 2006 Tom Scheffer, Chairman Membership. 12 / 2005 John Drennan Equipment. 12 / 2005 Barry Levitt Sparta Station.. 12 / 2006 Ann Miller Delegate to NRHS. 12 / 2006 Don Smith 12 / 2005 Joe Van Hoorebeke

The Tri-State Railway Historical Society is a chapter of The National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) and serves the Greater New York Metropolitan Area. possible Adopt-a-Station Program with NJ Transit is on hold at least until the Spring of 2006 because the imposed legal indemnification requirements may be too stringent. Mr. Drennan produced a memorandum outlining a status report on the Societys Archives. In summary, it stated that the Society holds a large amount of DL&W material, which was discarded by Conrail in 1986. The total cost of storing this material now exceeds $35,000. The space in which these records are kept is inadequate for examination, preparation, or presentation of the items. The membership displays a general lack of interest in working on this project. An ad hoc committee comprised of Drennan, Brown, and Oberding had begun to seek out organizations that might accept the archives as a donation, sort out and catalogue them, and prepare them for public use. There were past discussions with Steamtown and now the Rutgers University Library has been identified as a possible candidate. The Board authorized continued negotiations with Rutgers. It was reported that preparations for the Santa Train are on track. Twenty-five additional signs are now available for erection. Mr. Schmitt, who presented a detailed operating plan for volunteers and the crew, called for additional volunteers. Mr. Wisneski will show slides of the old Rio Grande narrow-gauge operations at the November Membership Meeting. The entertainment portion of the meeting will be kept short due to the election of candidates for the upcoming Society election. Mr. Wisneski reported the number of persons on the Honeywell Security admittance list had been cut to 100, and that persons not on that list would need to make their intention to attend a meeting known to him at least twelve days in advance. The Board thanked Mr. Oberding for his efforts in preparing the DL&W No. 896 Caboose for the meeting that evening. The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 PM. November Chapter Meeting Rich Wisneski presented photographs taken by him and Bob Goin of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic (C&TS) Railroad with a special emphasis on their volunteer efforts with the Friends of the C&TS. December Board Meeting Attendees: Scheffer, Del Vecchio, D. Smith, Levitt, Drennan, Bodenstein, Oberding, Schmitt, Troha, Wisneski. Mr. Scheffer called the meeting to order at 8:06 PM. Mr. Bodenstein stated that the total of cash-on-hand and investments on December 1st was $35,754.55. Mr. Scheffer reported that a substantial number of memberships have been renewed, many including donations for the equipment fund. A new admission list for Honeywell security was completed. The attending membership overwhelmingly endorsed maintaining meetings at the Honeywell site. Mr. Del Vecchio had asked the members to consider having a meeting at a paid location in the future. Mr. Oberding stated that URHS requested that the passenger trucks owned by Tri-State be donated to them for use on a passenger car being restored. The motion was unanimously approved by the Board. It was noted that EastRail will be held on April 22nd at Warren Hills Regional High School in Washington, NJ. The two cabooses located at Port Murray were winterized for the season, allowing volunteers to work through the Winter. The volunteers worked 458 hours and traveled 5,202 miles to the worksite. Thanks to volunteers J. Hemmings, D. Mather, D. Oberding, and J. Quinlan for their efforts on this project. The cabooses will be moved to Whippany as soon as possible. There are several possibilities for the use of the F-3 at Jim Thorpe, PA, but there is nothing firm yet. The roof of Baggage Car No. 2037 was painted by Tri-States Terrence Mulligan and Whippany Museum member Alan Wishengrad. The major portion of the Board Meeting was taken up by details and logistics for the Santa Train. Mr. Levitt requested that Santa Train features and other articles be written by various members. Dr. Troha will be able to spend more time on the Iron-Mine Railways book project next year, as his job obligations will not be as hectic. Mr. Del Vecchio will have more time to concentrate on the Phoebe Snow book and several others that hes contemplating. Mr. Brown, Mr. Drennan, and Mr. Oberding met with Ron Becker, Special Collections Director at Rutgers in November. A report of this meeting is forthcoming. The December Membership Meeting will feature a presentation of vintage slides by member Tom Kelcec. Mr. Scheffer adjourned at 10:45 PM. December Chapter Meeting Election results for 2006s Officers and Directors were announced. Long-time member Tom Kelcec opened his vast slide collection, taking us back to the 1960s, with colorful views of the Erie-Lackawanna in North Jersey and Pennsylvania, followed by recent scenes of rail operations in New England and Nova Scotia.

Meeting Notes

October Board Meeting Scheffer, Del Vecchio, D. Smith, Levitt, Van Hoorebeke, Miller, Bodenstein, Brown, Capawana, Oberding, Schmitt, Troha, Wisneski. Mr. Scheffer called the meeting to order at 7:57 PM. Mr. Bodenstein reported that the total of cash-on-hand and investments as of September 30th was $37,256.27. Mr. Oberding stated that work on the two cabooses at Port Murray continues. The secretary was directed prepare a bill-of-sale for the transfer of Erie No. 10 to Mr. Toto. There was a discussion about the fees which the Society should charge to the Whippany Museum for the use of the DL&W caboose on its various trips; the help that the Museum gave to the Society on its Caboose Hops was duly noted and considered in the ensuing deliberation. Mr. Del Vecchio discussed the possible use of the F-3 by the Dining Car Society. Mr. Levitt reported that the Third Quarter Issue of The Block Line would be completed by the end of September. It was suggested that the Adopt-a-Station Program with NJ Transit be put on hold because the imposed legal indemnification requirements may be too stringent. Mr. Olsen, author of the forthcoming New York & Greenwood Lake Branch book, has requested a letter of introduction so that he can acquire more material from various sources. It was reported that the Santa Train Flyer is complete and ready for mailing. A crew call will be made in the next issue of The Block Line. At the October Chapter Meeting, Mr. Preston Cook will give a presentation on his long career at EMD. Entertainment at the November Meeting will be presented by a member so that ample time is available for the nomination of new officers and directors. Mr. Van Hoorebeke read a letter written by Michael Muldowney, Tri-States 2005 attendee at the NRHS Rail Camp at Steamtown, which purported to be his report regarding his week there. Mr. Wisneski reminded the group that nominations for new board members and all officers would be made at the November Chapter Meeting. Mr. Wisneski reported that Honeywell security was concerned with the number of individuals on the Societys admission roster, considering that only about 40 people actually attend the monthly meetings. Honeywell desires that the list be cut to no more than 100 persons. Mr. Scheffer announced that the November Board of Directors Meeting would be held in the DL&W No. 896 Caboose. Mr. Scheffer adjourned the meeting at 9:17 PM. October Chapter Meeting Preston Cook thrilled the membership with his extensive show Inside EMD, a comprehensive pictorial tour of the locomotive manufacturing process throughout the now-defunct EMD Plant Number One in La Grange, Illinois during its halcyon era from the 1960s through the 1980s. November Board Meeting Attendees: Scheffer, Del Vecchio, D. Smith, Levitt, Van Hoorebeke, Miller, Drennan, Bodenstein, Brown, Capawana, Oberding, Schmitt, Wisneski. Mr. Scheffer called the meeting to order at 8:05 PM. Mr. Bodenstein reported that the total of cash-on-hand and investments as of August 31, 2005 was $36,571.13. It was noted that Pay Pal will be used for Santa Train business. Mr. Oberding said that work on the two cabooses at Port Murray continues. A bill-of-sale for the purchase of Erie No. 10 by Mr. Toto has been prepared. There was an inconclusive discussion relating to the fees to be charged by the Society to the Whippany Museum for the use of the DL&W 896 on its various caboose hops. Mr. Del Vecchio discussed the possible return of the ex-B&A F-3 to Morristown and its potential use by the Society on caboose hops. Mr. Levitt reported that the Third Quarter Issue of The Block Line had been completed and mailed. The EastRail event for 2006 has been booked, and a sales table at the Jersey Central Railway Historical Society Train Show in Clark, NJ has been tentatively reserved. The

THE BLOCK LINE, FOURTH QUARTER 2005 An Elfs Diary

by Gary Kazin

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The following is a first-hand account of Tri-States 2005 Santa Train by Gary Kazin, one of the unsung volunteers that make this annual fund-raiser such a success. Its 7:35 AM. We received a foot of snow yesterday and the schools were closed, but the roads are clear now and, while its still cold, the sky is blue and sunny this morning. New Jersey Transit (NJT) has our train for the day ready on Track S-5 in the Dover Yard, just opposite the crew quarters. Its a normal Midtown Direct consist, minus its electric power; ALP 46 No. 4603 sits on the short track leading to the sand tower. Instead, we have a diesel at each end. One will do all the work, while the other is insurancein case we have a problem, we wont need to wait for help to come from Port Morris. The order of the consist, from the west, is Metro-North F40PH-2 No. 4194, Comets Nos. 5544, 6026, 5333, 5395, 5422, 5327, 5238, 5251, and 5011, and NJT GP40PH-2B No. 4214. For our purposes, the cars are numbered 1 through 9, starting from the west. Im working Car 8, to be occupied by Netcong passengers on three moves. Our supplies are in Barry Levitts company truck, which is backed up to the east end of Comet No. 5422. Some members are rapidly distributing the coloring books, pretzels, juice boxes, water bottles, decorations, and other supplies throughout the train. Others are putting wreaths and banners on the two locomotives. I bring along my step box, a snow shovel, and a few personal items. Im soon winding garland around the luggage racks and taping some to the ceiling. Within an hour, were ready to roll. The dispatcher sends us out of the yard westward, moves us east on Track 2, then west onto Track 1, and through the station at 9:00 AM. Train No. 6916 should be moving from the yard for its run to Penn Station in New York, but I dont see it as we leave for Netcong, our first passenger stop. We arrive there at 9:18 AM. The parking lot and platform are packed: a Cub Scout pack came on a chartered Lakeland bus. Im always amazed that we can fill four or five cars in fifteen minutes using only three doors. Everyone seems in good spirits, though a few small children are crying. Santa starts in Car 9, so we distribute the pretzels and drinks. After hes about halfway through the car, I show the engineer hats, bandanas, and whistles. Tri-State grosses $78.00 on this run. Once Santa moves to Car 7, I collect trash. By now, weve gone through Hackettstown Station, the engineer has walked to the other engine (he does this eight times during the day), and we move back to pick up our second group using five doors, so it goes quicker. We stop at 9:49 AM and move on ten minutes later. With over 700 people aboard, we run back through Netcong. I go through my car to see if anyone has any railroad questions. Some passengers are regularsas long as five yearswhile others are first-timers. All seem to be enjoying the ride, especially looking at the Musconetcong River and remains of the Morris Canal. One of them says they saw a large buck. We see bear hunters, but no bears. We reach Netcong at 10:44 AM and get to use four doors with a better spot of the train. This end of the train is empty in eleven minutes and we head on to Hackettstown. I get lunch

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Photograph by Michael Finfer
The author decorates a passenger car before the train leaves the Dover yard.
Enthusiastic passengers boarding the Santa Train at Netcong.
Cub Scouts on a mission to see Santa.

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THE BLOCK LINE, FOURTH QUARTER 2005 An Elfs Diary (continued from Page 3)
and relax; its my only break of the day. I see the old Waterloo turntable pit clearly outlined by the snow. Some friends of mine will board on the second Hackettstown trip, so I go to Car 4 and get off there to find them. I say hi while the first trips passengers detrain, then I help with boarding and head for my car. We leave at 11:41 AM after a sixteen-minute stop. I relax again until we reach Netcong at 11:58 AM. We get four doors on the platform this time and board in eight minutes. We go east before turning for the last run to Hackettstown. The run seems quicker as we hand out the snacks and Santa makes his rounds. This trips sales are $83.00. We again go through Hackettstown station before returning at 1:05 PM. The west end of the train is clear and we leave at 1:12 PM. I collect trash in my car and we reach Netcong at 1:30 PM. We let the second group off and immediately reboard, but with only three doors on-platform this time, the process takes twenty-four minutes. I have a few juice boxes and water bottles left, while two boxes of pretzels remain. We stop at Lake Hopatcong for five minutes at 2:00 PM. This trips sales are $77.00, a total of $228.00 for the day. We reach Dover at 2:17 PM. and spend eight minutes there, being careful not to let regular passengers board, but three do anyway. We go east to Salem Street, and then cross over to go west as we did in the morning, stopping in the station momentarily to let the three people off so they can go to New York. We run west past Mount Olive Station to clear the crossing sensor, then return to let our last Netcong group off. I now take down the garland and other decorations, and then collect trash. I have time to move the pretzels and containers of supplies up to Car 6. We reach Dover at 3:50 PM, unload, and then head back to Yard Track S-5, where our journey began. I take my step box, shovel, and other things to my car, and then help unload the train. By 4:20 PM, were done and nearly all of the Tri-State volunteers are heading home. Rich Wisneskis total passenger-count: 2,153, including babes-in-arms. Another successful event!

Member Barry Levitt graciously donated the use of his company truck to transport decorations, food, beverages, and railroad novelties to the Santa Train.
Santa Train Committee Chairman, John Drennan, briefs the volunteers at the morning meeting prior to preparing the train for its yuletide rle.
Volunteers Bill Derringer, Lloyd Leone, and Lou Capawana listen with rapt attention to John Drennans briefing.
Mark Schmitt gathers the garland to transform an ordinary New Jersey Transit passenger car into part of the Santa Claus Special.
Excited children and their parents anxiously wait to meet Santa while boarding at Hackettstown.
The Belltones, a barbershop quartet, kept our guests musically entertained.

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Saint Nicholas comes to town in grand style aboard the Santa Claus Special.
Santa Train 2005 (continued from Page 1)
under the masterful management of Rich Wisneski, and his work with Mike Klufas produced an excellent schedule. Lou Capawana, Ann Miller, and Charles Smith achieved almost invisible coordination of supplies on board. Our warm and effective Santa Clauses were Bob OGrady, Mike Del Vecchio, and Bill Derringer, who were assisted by Elves Jill Terbell, Debbie Davidson, Krista Leone, Jody Kanner, Kathy Garlick, and Denise Pluciniak and her daughter Becky. The passengers were welcomed and served by Car Hosts Joe Van Hoorebeke, Sandy Shaw, Charles Smith, Mark Schmitt, Fern Deconcilio, Bob Barton, Tom Scheffer, Tom Shields, Dave Timmer, Jeffery and Randy Porte, Gisele Drennan, Helen Holland-Moritz, Bob McDonald, Lloyd Leone, John Hemmings, Gary Kazin, Dan Kanner, John Welsh, and Emmet Murphy. Mike Finfer and Ken Miller handled the collection of tickets. The very busy Bill Wilkie, Tom Kelcec, and Bob Rush kept the customers on the station platforms happy. Our hotline voice-message servicehad been attended by Bill Derringer, Joe Van Hoorebeke, Sandy Shaw, Lloyd Leone, Betty and Don Mather, John Quinlan, Tom Scheffer, and John and Gisele Drennan. Behind the scenes work was done by John Hemmings, Lou Daddea, Don Oberding, Tom Dolan, and many others. An unseen but extremely important job was ticketing, run almost exclusively, and at all hours of the night, by Barry Levitt. Barry brought us into the computer-automated age with great success. Mark Schmitt, as Crew Caller, did a great job staffing the train. Another behind the scenes crew were those who posted roadside signs: Charles Smith, Tom Scheffer, Anthony Troha, Bill Wilkie, Lloyd Leone, and Bob Bodenstein. The Belltones, a barbershop quartet, Becky Pluciniak, a flutist, and Tina Smith, in her guise as Ms. Claus, provided strolling musical entertainment for the riders enjoyment. We benefited from the competent and proactive services of Train Master Rajan Murphy, train crew members Charles Osei-Frimpong, Salvatore Laspisa, and Anthony Gonzalez, and engineer, Mike Babio. This fourteenth running of the train was a great success, primarily due to the high level of cooperation by members of Tri-State.

Some children simply are not impressed when they meet Santa for the first time.
he Morris County Traction Companys first trolley car rumbled through Dover on a glorious day in 1904. Eventually, the company operated about 50 miles of lines in New Jersey, extending from Lake Hopatcong and Boonton through Dover, Morristown, Summit, and other communities to Union and Maplewood, with connections to Elizabeth and Newark. Now the companys story is told in the upcoming revised and expanded version of Morris County Traction Company by Larry Lowenthal and Tri-States own Bill Greenberg. This 144-page bookoverflowing with new maps and pictureswill be offered for sale at $29.95. Be sure to reserve your copy now at the reduced prepublication price. Books will be mailed early in 2006.
Make checks payable to Marker Press Prepublication offer ends April 1, 2006
The appearance of this announcement neither constitutes an endorsement nor a recommendation of this product by the Tri-State Railway Historical Society and is solely to inform those members of the Society who may be interested in adding this tome to their personal libraries. The Tri-State Railway Historical Society has no association with the preparation, production, or publication of this work.

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Photograph by Dick Brown
Don Oberding surveys the Port Murray siding from Raritan River No. 10, which is coupled to the L&NE No. 580.
Caboose Restoration Work Nears Completion

by Dick Brown

Tri-State members were pleased to see Delaware, Lackawanna & Western (DL&W) No. 896 in all her restored glory at the various caboose hops last Summer, or they may have looked her over at her Winter home at the ex-Morristown & Erie (M&E) station (the present Whippany Railway Museum) in Whippany, NJ. This reporter overheard many well-earned comments during the caboose hops regarding the faithfulness of the restoration and the high quality of the workmanship displayed. Two more cabooses are currently being restored and may be back in revenue service by late Summer of 2006. Tri-States caboose restoration program began in 1986 when Conrail offered to donate a large number of out-of-service and un-needed cabooses to interested organizations. A Tri-State delegation, led by Ben Friedland, culled DL&W No. 896, Lehigh & New England (L&NE) No. 580, and Raritan River No. 10 from the line and took possession of them. Restoration work was begun on all three cars and was concentrated on the exterior paintwork, but interest lagged and the cars laid fallow until 1999, when Don Oberding and fellow members of the Equipment Committee re-commenced the work. Work was initially concentrated on the DL&W No. 896, which was ready for service in 2000. By then, the Raritan River No. 10 and L&NE No. 580 had been moved to Port Murray on the Port-Morristo-Philipsburg ex-DL&W line and work on those cars began in earnest during the Spring of 2002. The Port Murray site is an idyllic one. The siding once served an old feed mill, station, and freight house. The silos once connected to the feed mill still stand, as does the old DL&W station, which is partially restored. It has been a wonderful place to work. From time to time, a Norfolk Southern freight train goes by, sometimes stopping to examine the progress, and always with a toot of the whistle. The owner of the siding is a rail fan, and has been very supportive of Don and his Tri-State crew. Port Murray is a nice place to visit. One can always look over the cabooses, and remains of the Morris Canal can be examined at a number of nearby spots. The Equipment Committee members (the Loyal Order of Caboosateers), who have worked so long and hard, and who are now within reach of their objective of restoring all three of the cars, are Mike Del Vecchio, Joe Van Hoorebeke, Tom Luckey, Don Mather, Al Welter, Frank Harpster, and John Quinlan. Other society members have put in a few hours from time to time. One can easily imagine the great sense of achievement and satisfaction these loyal volunteers will feel as Tri-States three cabooses, all with bright new paintwork and being faithful restorations of cars that once plied New Jersey rails while in service, take part in some future caboose hop, perhaps (and this is a dream, that could conceivably also come true) lead by Tri-States own ex-Bangor & Aroostook F-3 locomotive.

Hickory Creek Back on Track

by Anthony L. Troha

On June 26 , the restored Hickory Creek, the former New York Central (NYC) car that once formed the tail end of the famous 20th Century Limited, made its inaugural run, departing from Penn Station in New York as the hind car of Amtrak Train 287, bound for Niagara Falls. The passengers spent the next two days visiting the Canadian side of the Falls before their return trip on June 29th. This was the climax of a dream begun when the United Railway Historical Society (URHS) obtained the car in 1991 and contracted Star Trak, Inc. to restore it. Now the refurbished car has made trips to Albany, NY, Chicago, IL, Montral, Canada, and Savannah, GA. More trips are scheduled, and these excursions are open to the general public. For more information, see the URHS website at www.urhs.org.
Don and Barbara Oberding beside the Hickory Creek at the Rensselaer (Albany) Amtrak Station in August of 2005.

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TRI-STATE CALENDAR OF EVENTS: SPRING 2006
January 5 monthly Board of Directors meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society at Levitts, Edwards Road, Parsippany, NJ. Columbia Turnpike, Morristown, NJ.
TRI-STATE RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.,
P.O. Box 1217, Morristown, N.J. 07962-1217 Voicemail: 973-656-0707 Webpage: www.Tri-State-Rail-History.org Contact E-Mail: info@Tri-State-Rail-History.org GLEANINGS FROM PAST ISSUES Edited by Dick Brown
From the Summer, 1978 Issue: It was reported that Conrails Chief Operating Officer, Richard D. Spence, was fired on very short notice. The report contained a great deal of pessimistic data, including the fact that Conrail lost nearly $600 million in its first 15 months of operation. There were recitations of a number of poorly handled operating problems, such as 34,000 cars bottled up in Conrail yards, which created a nation-wide car shortage, and $2.3 million in ICC fines for failure to return cars. The prediction was made that Conrail would never be profitable and should require Federal cash subsidies almost in perpetuity, along the lines of the Amtrak financial model. From the Summer, 1985 Issue: The Editors of The Block Line reported on their trip to Conrail Headquarters to examine the multi-volumed public offer for Conrail stock prepared by a consortium of investment bankers valued at $1.8 billion. Norfolk Southern made a separate competing offer. Committees from both houses of Congress were investigating the matter. Conrail made $55 million on revenues of $803 million during the First Quarter of the year, despite reduced car loadings caused by a heavy winter. From the May, 1987 Issue: It was noted that Conrail was sold to the public for $1.65 billion, some 11 years after its formation by the Federal government. From the October-November, 1990 Issue: It was stated that Conrail earned $72 million dollars, on revenues of $837 million during the Third Quarter of 1990.

Equipment Restoration Activity Updated December 2005 by Don Oberding

Equipment

DL&W Caboose 896 Raritan River Caboose 10 L&NE Caboose 580 Baggage Car 2038 Baggage Car 2037 Erie 10 Safety & Tng. Car Ex-B&A F-3 Diesel Locomotive Flat Car E-L 9621
a 501(C)(3) non-profit historical and educational organization. January 12 monthly meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society at Honeywell,
January 21, 22, 28, and 29 Friends of New Jersey Transportation Heritage Center Open House, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, 178 South Main Street at the Phillipsburg Train Station. For more information, call (908) 246-6554. February 2 monthly Board of Directors meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society at Levitts, Edwards Road, Parsippany, NJ. February 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, and 26 Friends of New Jersey Transportation Heritage Center Open House, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, 178 South Main Street at the Phillipsburg Train Station. For more information, call (908) 246-6554. February 9 monthly meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society at Honeywell, Columbia Turnpike, Morristown, NJ. March 2 monthly Board of Directors meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society at Levitts, Edwards Road, Parsippany, NJ. March 9 monthly meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society at Honeywell, Columbia Turnpike, Morristown, NJ. March 12 Jersey Central Railway Historical Society Train Show, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Mother Seton High School, Clark, NJ. For more information, call (732) 247-4116. March 25 Industrial Heritage Tour of Oreland. Explore Morris Countys only ghost town and the remnants of the Oreland Branch of the Wharton & Northern Railroad. This walking tour, led by historians Joe Macasek and Bierce Riley, will survey the remains of Oreland, a late 19th-Century mining town. This is an archeology tour over uneven terrain. The tour starts at 10:00 AM. A fee of $3.00 per person will be collected at the assembly point. Participation is limited, so pre-registration is required. Please contact Dolores Ramiza of the Morris County Park Commission at (973) 829-8666 or via E-Mail at dramiza@MorrisParks.net for more information. April 1 Friends of the New Jersey Transportation Heritage Center (NJTHC) Annual Symposium, Moving On, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Drew University, Madison, NJ. Please see the NJTHC website for more information: www.njthc.org. April 1 Industrial Heritage Tour of Chester Iron Furnace. Long-time historian, Len Taylor, will give participants an opportunity to explore the site of the Chester Iron Furnace, located near Furnace Road. Built in 1878 by the Jersey Speigel Iron Company, the blast furnace was used to make Spiegeleisen, a variety of pig iron. Portions of the Central Railroad of New Jerseys Chester Branch and the furnaces internal railroad will be hiked. Participants are advised to wear sturdy shoes. The tour starts at 10:00 AM. A fee of $3.00 per person will be collected at the assembly point. Participation is limited, so pre-registration is required. Please contact Dolores Ramiza of the Morris County Park Commission at (973) 829-8666 or via E-Mail at dramiza@MorrisParks.net for more information. April 2 or 9 (date tentative) Tour of the Ferromonte Railroad in Mine Hill, NJ. Contact Dr. Troha at ferromonterailroadtour@tristaterail.org for more information. April 8 Industrial Heritage Tour of the Rockaway Valley Railroad. Tri-States own Bill Wilkie will lead this tour of a 3.5-mile-long stretch of the right-of-way, starting from the remnants of the Mendham Depot, passing through the remains of the Pitney Station, and finally ending at the site of the Brookside Depot. Participants are advised to wear sturdy shoes. The tour starts at 10:00 AM. A fee of $3.00 per person will be collected at the assembly point. Participation is limited, so pre-registration is required. Please contact Dolores Ramiza of the Morris County Park Commission at (973) 829-8666 or via E-Mail at dramiza@MorrisParks.net for more information. April 8, 9, and 15 Easter Bunny Express 2006 at the Whippany Railway Museum, Route 10 West & Whippany Road, Whippany, NJ. Advance mail-order ticket reservations are strongly recommended. For more information, call (973) 887-8177. April 13 monthly meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society at Honeywell, Columbia Turnpike, Morristown, NJ. April 22 EastRail, rail-related multimedia presentations, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Warren Hills Regional High School, 41 Jackson Valley Road, Washington (Warren County), NJ. For more information, contact the United Railway Historical Society (URHS) at (732) 928-7758 (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM) or send E-Mail to info@urhs.org.

Location

Whippany, NJ Port Murray, NJ Port Murray, NJ Madison, NJ Whippany, NJ Madison, NJ Jim Thorpe, PA Wh.-Mtown

Next Milestone

Whippany Caboose Hop. Move to Whippany. Move to Whippany. In Storage. Remove Stored Items. Leased. Future usage to be determined. Leased to M&E RR.

THIRD QUARTER RAILWAY NEWS
SEPTEMBER 2006 Edited by Tom Scheffer
NEW JERSEY TRANSIT NEWS BRIEFS The Bergen-Hudson Light Rail Line will be lengthened approximately one mile to Eighth Street, following approval by the NJT Board of Directors to construct the extension. The new trackage is planned to run south, parallel to Avenue E, to an elevated platform at Eighth Street, with a station building featuring architecture similar to the old Central Railroad of New Jersey station that once stood near the site. The extension is expected to open in late 2009. River LINE service will be expanded next Summer as a result of $1.3 million in signal improvements, thereby permitting late-night operation between Camden and the Route 73 Park-and-Ride in Pennsauken, providing more transit options for second-shift employees and those attending evening events in the city. (New Jersey Transit ) MUSIC CITY STAR As reported in an earlier issue of The Block Line, a start-up commuter rail line began running on September 18th between Nashville and Lebanon, Tennessee, a 32-mile-long ride. The service commenced using three F40s from Amtrak along with eleven gallery-style, bi-level coaches from METRA of Chicago. Six round-trips are presently being run on the five-station line, operating from 5:50 AM to 6:30 PM on weekdays only. Tickets are being sold on-line and via on-platform vending machines, which apparently had some opening-week glitches. (Music City Star )
Photograph by Michael Finfer
Southbound car No. 3511 arrives at Thirty-Sixth Street Station in Camden while we await our special train.
A Tour of the River LINE Maintenance Shops
by John W. Burlage, Jr., Editor Emeritus
On Saturday, August 19th, the Tri-State Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society sponsored a tour of New Jersey Transits River LINE shops in Camden. The plan, according to trip director Lou Capawana, was to take the 8:45 AM departure out of Trenton, ride to the south end of the line in Camden, then take the 10:15 AM northbound train to Thirty-Sixth Street Station in Pennsauken, arriving at 10:31 AM, where we would be met by a
River LINE is a Service Mark (SM) of New Jersey Transit
AMTRAK NEWS BRIEFS By November 1st, Amtrak trains between Philadelphia and Harrisburg will be faster and more frequent. Electric locomotives will be back, enabling trains to run up to 110 mph (versus 90 mph for a diesel), shaving between 12 to 30 minutes from the entire 104-mile-long trip. Three additional weekday trips and one additional weekend train will be added using rebuilt, ex-Metroliner equipment. The same number of trainsets can handle the additional service due to the accelerated schedule. Amtraks State of California Capitol Corridor has increased train frequency from 24 to 32 weekday trains between Oakland and Sacramento, and now 14 weekday trains travel as far south as San Jose. Amtrak has assumed full responsibility for maintenance of its high-speed Acela trains, officially terminating its contract with Montral-based Bombardier Inc. and the French engineering firm Alstom that jointly built the sleek, but problem-plagued, trainsets. This transfer of management and maintenance supervision from the international consortium is seven years ahead of schedule. The manufacturers will still provide engineering data, technical advise, and replacement parts as needed. The transfer of maintenance stems from a 2004 agreement between Amtrak and the consortium, which settled legal disputes over the Acelas production, delivery delays, and early technical difficulties. (Amtrak, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Cinders, Amtrak California, Reuters) CONNECTICUT DOT / METRO NORTH A new fleet of electric commuter rail cars, the M-8s, will be built by Kawasaki Rail Car for the New Haven Line of Metro North. An initial order of 210 cars will be constructed with an option for 170 more. This will enable Metro North and the Connecticut DOT to gradually retire the M-2 series of cars, dating from the 1970s. (State of Connecticut Governors Office) K-4 NUMBER 1361 RESTORATION UPDATE The ex-Pennsylvania K-4 steam locomotive that has been under restoration at Steamtown will not be ready for Railfest at the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona at the end of September, but will hopefully still be restored by late 2006. The Railroaders Memorial Museum will award bids this Fall for a quarter-roundhouse in the yard to shelter No. 1361 and other rolling stock. The 1361 restoration project has undergone numerous delays, in part due to purportedly shoddy workmanship performed during the initial restoration effort and the unexpected poor condition of the locomotive. (The Altoona Mirror ) ST. LOUIS METROLINK A new eight-mile extension of the St. Louis Metrolink light-rail line opened on August 28th. The nine-station Cross County Extension sprouts from the present line at Forest Park and runs down to Shrewsbury, southwest of St. Louis. (St. Louis Metro) SIEMENS Siemens Transportation Systems has delivered its first diesel-powered, self-propelled rail car (DMU) to Californias North County Transit District. It is the first in a 12-car order that will be utilized on a new commuter railroad line, dubbed the Sprinter, running from Oceanside (where it will connect with San Diegos Coaster service, Los Angeles Metrolink, and Amtrak) east to Escondido. There will be 15 stations on the 22-mile-long line, with a maximum expected speed of 55 mph. (Siemens, North County Transit District )

(continued on Page 5)

Inside this issue.
A Tour of the River LINE Maintenance Shops by John Burlage... Page 1 Railway News by Tom Scheffer.. Page 1 Meeting Notes... Page 2 Elves Needed for Santas Train by Mark Schmitt. Page 3 NRHS Twenty-Five Year Membership Pins Awarded by Anthony Troha... Page 12 Members Enjoy Annual Picnic by Rich Wisneski. Page 13 Gleanings from Past Issues by Dick Brown.. Page 14 Equipment Restoration Activity by Don Oberding. Page 14 Tri-State Calendar of Events... Page 14
Save the Date! Santa Train, December 16th
See the article on Page 3 for more information.

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THE BLOCK LINE PUBLICATION STAFF Editor-Overall: Barry Levitt Contributing Editors: Tom Scheffer, Dick Brown, and Anthony Troha Publisher: Barry Levitt Layout: Anthony Troha
The Block Line is published quarterly by The Tri-State Railway Historical Society, Inc. Material originating in The Block Line may be quoted if proper credit is given. Address all requests for complimentary exchange copies to Barry Levitt, P.O. Box 243, Pine Brook, NJ 07058 or Editor@tristaterail.org. All contents 2006 The Tri-State Railway Historical Society, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Founded in 1964, The Tri-State Railway Historical Society, Inc. is a registered, tax-exempt, non-profit educational organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code. Donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Our goals: To preserve historical railway materials; To collect and to publish meaningful historical railway data; To encourage and support the increased use of rail transportation; To provide a monthly membership forum for ideas and projects.
THE BLOCK LINE, THIRD QUARTER 2006
THE TRI-STATE RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
Elected Officers 2006 President. Vice-President. Treasurer. Sergeant-at-Arms. Secretary. Mike Del Vecchio Bill Derringer Bob Bodenstein John Welsh Dick Brown Appointed Chairpersons 2006 Committee Chairperson Rich Wisneski Bill Derringer Mike Del Vecchio To Be Appointed Barry Levitt Anthony Troha Barry Levitt Don Oberding, John Drennan Tom Scheffer Don Oberding Charles Smith Ann Miller
Elections. Refreshments.. Entertainment.. Santa Train. Budget.. Elected Directors 2006 Publications. Term Ends The Block Line. Board Members Archives. 12 / 2006 Tom Scheffer, Chairman 12 / 2007 Lou Capawana Membership. 12 / 2006 Ann Miller Equipment. 12 / 2007 Mark Schmitt Sparta Station.. 12 / 2006 Charles Smith Delegate to NRHS. 12 / 2007 Joe Van Hoorebeke
The Tri-State Railway Historical Society is a chapter of The National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) and serves the Greater New York Metropolitan Area.
Ohio Railway Museum of Worthington, OH were discussed and the Board unanimously decided to pledge $1,000.00 to help finance this endeavor. Mr. Oberding noted that work on the two cabooses at Port Murray continues on schedule and the results are terrific. Mr. Toto will accept acquisition of Erie No. 10 in the near future, so the items stored in that car must be moved to the ex-DL&W Baggage Car No. 2038 soon. Additionally, DL&W No. 2038 needs its roof scraped, primed, and repainted, so the Equipment Committee is seeking volunteers to perform this task. Mr. Del Vecchio reported that the Caboose Hop tentatively planned for October 22nd on the Dover & Rockaway Railroad has been cancelled due to scheduling conflicts. It was noted that the Santa Train Committee was still functioning without a chairperson. All procedures required to advertise the event are being implemented by various members of the Committee, and Ms. Miller has volunteered to place advertisements in local newspapers. The other requisite actions are being carried out by different Committee members in a timely fashion. Railroad novelties will be sold at the Jersey Central Railroad Heritage Festival on September 24th, at the Whippany Railroad Museum on October 1st, and during the Italian-American Days festival in Madison, NJ on October 7th. Mr. Capawana reported that the tour of the River LINE maintenance shops, lead by the knowledgeable Mr. Rich Viesz of New Jersey Transit, was a thoroughly enjoyable experience that enthralled the participants and exceeded their expectations. A letter of thanks was composed by Mr. Capawana to be sent to Mr. Viesz to acknowledge the gratitude felt by the trip attendees. Dr. Troha reported in Mr. Levitts absence that the Second Quarter Issue of The Block Line is nearly ready to go to press. It will be published as soon as the staff obtains a photograph of the former CNJ freight station in Dover, NJ taken prior to the recent renovations. Dr. Troha also noted that more historical information for the Iron-Mine Railways book had been uncovered. Mr. Del Vecchio stated that he anticipates being able to commence work on the long-awaited Phoebe Snow book this coming year, once his new computer has been properly configured and the necessary software installed. Members of the Archives Committee will meet with the representative from an interested institution in Phillipsburg, NJ on September 11th. A letter written by Mr. Schmitt to New Jersey Transit concerning their lengthy research report on the Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex Commuter Rail Project was read and discussed. A website domain name change was requested by Dr. Troha in order to replace the unwieldy Tri-State-RailHistory.org with the more succinct tristaterail.org which the Society already uses to route Internet traffic to our site. It was felt that a shorter domain name is more memorable and would readily facilitate E-Mail correspondence. The Board unanimously agreed to the change, authorizing Dr. Finfer to contact the Internet service provider to implement it. Mr. Scheffer adjourned the meeting at 10:40 PM. September Chapter Meeting A moment of silence was held to mark the recent passings of Bill Derringers wife, Carol, and Tom Scheffers mother. It was also announced that past-president Chris Mazzei had been in an automobile accident and was recuperating. Lou Capawana and Rich Wisneski received NRHS 25-year pins for their quarter-century of continuous membership [Editors note: see the article in this Issue]. Noted author and photographer, and long-time member, Jim Boyd presented a fantastic program about 1960s rail action at Union Station in St. Louis, MO and environs.

Meeting Notes

July Board Meeting Attendees: Scheffer; Del Vecchio, Capawana, Schmitt, Van Hoorebeke, Miller, Bodenstein, Brown, Oberding, Drennan, Troha, and Levitt. Mr. Scheffer called the meeting to order at 7:55 PM. Mr. Bodenstein reported that the total of cash-on-hand and investments as of July 6th was $43,124.38. Mr. Oberding reported that work on the two cabooses at Port Murray continues. Mr. Del Vecchio reported that nothing had been done with respect to the move of the Societys F-unit from Pennsylvania to Morristown. The move of the two Port Murray cabooses to Whippany is also still in limbo while they await paperwork for their UMLER (Universal Machine Language Equipment Register) tags to be processed. Mr. Levitt and Dr. Troha reported that the First Quarter Issue of The Block Line would be completed by the end of June, and that preparation of the Second Quarter Issue would commence shortly thereafter. Whippany Museum caboose hops that will use DL&W No. 896, and therefore require a Tri-State host, are scheduled for July 9th, July 23rd, September 10th and 17th, and October 8th. Other planned Tri-State events are the Annual Picnic on August 13th, the River LINE Camden Shop Tour (exact date still undecided), and the proposed Caboose Hop along the Dover & Rockaway Railroad in Dover, NJ on October 22nd. Future railroad novelties sales sites include the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) Festival at the former CNJ Terminal on the grounds of Liberty State Park in Jersey City, NJ on September 24th, the Madison Harvest Festival on October 7th in Madison, NJ, and the Whippany Railway Museum's Pumpkin Festival on October 1st. Dr. Troha reported that he had collected more material for the Iron-Mine Railways book and was planning a trip to the Hall of Records in Morristown. Regarding the final dispensation of the Archives in Phillipsburg, Mr. Drennan described how the Societys collection would systematically pass through the chain-of-command at the National Park Service if it were donated to Steamtown as proposed in the Archive Committees report to the Board. Mr. Levitt stated that he would provide a truck and driver to move the Archives to Scranton, PA, if required. The Board indicated to Mr. Levitt that this was an extremely gracious gesture and would constitute a significant donation to the Society. No evaluation of certain common, non-historical items in the collection previously proposed to be auctioned on-line has been made yet. Mr. Scheffer opened discussion of the Santa Train issue by pointing out that no candidate for the position of chairman of this event has been nominated, and no volunteers have presented themselves. The letter to New Jersey Transit had not been mailed or even prepared, and was about a week overdue. After discussion, Mr. Schmitt undertook to provide a copy of the letter sent in 2005 to Mr. Del Vecchio, who agreed to use that letter as a model, and to promptly prepare the 2006 letter and to mail it to New Jersey Transit. Mr. Levitt stated that he would manage the ticket ordering process again this year. It was announced that Honeywell intended to close its gate at 7:30 PM and that no one would be admitted to the business campusand, therefore, to the Chapter Meetingafter that time. It was agreed to move the start of the Membership Meeting to 7:10 PM, and to shorten or eliminate the Current Events section in order to conclude the meeting by 9:30 PM as required by our corporate host. Mr. Scheffer adjourned the meeting at 9:17 PM. July Chapter Meeting Long-time New Jersey railfan and accomplished photographer Rich Taylor presented a slideshow entitled New Jersey Shortlines, consisting primarily of shots from the Sixties and Seventies of the Morristown & Erie, Raritan River, Rahway Valley, Hoboken Shore, and others. August Board Meeting No meeting scheduled. August Chapter Meeting It was announced that member Ken Miller had been involved in an accident while obtaining a piece of equipment for the Friends of the New Jersey Transportation Heritage Center, and that he was on the mend. Mitch Dakelman opened his film vault once more and entertained the membership with the shorts Steam Locomotives in Action on the Delaware & Hudson, Transportation in the U.S., and Big Trains Rolling. September Board Meeting Attendees: Scheffer; Del Vecchio, Capawana, Miller, Schmitt, Bodenstein, Oberding, Drennan, and Troha. Mr. Oberding graciously assumed the rle of secretary in Mr. Browns stead. Mr. Scheffer called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM. Mr. Bodenstein reported that the total of cash-on-hand and investments as of September 7th was $42,465.64. The attempts of the United Railway Historical Society (URHS) to acquire Erie No. 5012, a gasoline-electric Doodlebug motorcar, from the

All Members Take Note!

Tri-State Website Name Change
Tri-States website has been changed to tristaterail.org. The old address, www.Tri-State-Rail-History.org, will redirect you to the new one. Please note that mail sent to user name@Tri-State-Rail-History.org will bounce. Instead, you must change the domains of all old Tri-State addresses to user name@tristaterail.org. The links on the new website have been updated, and mail sent through those will be delivered. Please remember to bookmark the new site and to augment the old addresses in your address books.

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Elves Needed for Santas Train

by Mark Schmitt

On Saturday, December 16th, Tri-State will hold our Fifteenth Annual Santa Train, an event that the Society relies upon for its very existence. Few people realize that membership dues provide barely enough funds to keep our organization solvent. After printing costs and postage for The Block Line and other mailings, and paying monthly bills and insurance policies, together with the general process of running the Society, there's not much money left to finance equipment restoration, publish new books, sponsor excursions and outings, or perform other public outreach. Raffles and railroad novelty sales help fund some of our activities, but don't provide sufficient income to support the Society for an entire year. In order to grow, we must have major fund-raising efforts. The larger the fund-raiser, the more we need the intelligence, strength, determination, and creativity of a large fraction of the membership to bring the project to fruition. As always, there are ample opportunitiesand a significant need for chapter members to assist with the Santa Train effort. While many members cannot resist any chance to ride on a train, no matter what is required of them to do so, there are other tasks that must be accomplished to ensure that our customers have a safe and enjoyable experience, and that they will return next year. Our Santa Train Committee does not have a chairman this time, but the chapter officers are working on different aspects of the project as they do every year. Many of our fellow members, their spouses, and families regularly form part of the Santa Train staff, but we always find that a few more volunteers could have made the operation run smoother. Please consider helping us create a successful event and ensure another year of activities. Ticket Sales Staff: While much of our attention is focused on the operation of the train itself, there is a real need for volunteers to help process customer orders. Barry Levitt will once again be managing the telephone orders through his store in Parsippany. He needs a small team of people to assist him in order processing, taking credit card orders, stuffing envelopes, et cetera. If we can form a group that will assemble at Levitts one or two evenings per week, this important task can be handled very efficiently. You do not need to volunteer for every session, but whatever assistance you can provide will be appreciated. Advertising: This is something all of us can do. We need people to place flyers in their local stores, supermarkets, and bulletin boards, in addition to hanging signs in appropriate places along busy roads. Any assistance in this regard will help make the Santa Train a greater success. Santa: There are a limited number of opportunities to play the main character, but the more the merrier! Santa visits with the children and families aboard the train, making his way through several cars each trip. He speaks with each child and provides a photo opportunity for parents. This is probably the best job on the train. Elves & Helpers: There are a number of openings for cheerful elves and other helpers, regardless of size. These magical folks are teamed with a Santa, assisting him with the distribution of candy canes and gifts for the children. This is a great job, not only for our members, but also for spouses and adolescent children. Sales Crew: We always try to sell railroad novelties on the train, so we could use three or four people to keep an eye on the inventory and ensure that each car has an adequate supply. While we dont

Photograph courtesy of Michael Finfer
Some of the volunteers who worked on the 2005 Santa Train are shown listening to the final instructions given by then-Chairman John Drennan prior to the decoration of the train during the morning of the event.
Left: Members decorate the engine New Jersey Transit selected to pull the 2005 Santa Train. Right: Saint Nick waves to the throngs just before the train departs.
wish to annoy our customers by hawking these items, we want to have souvenirs available for those who desire them. Platform Agents: Having a couple of knowledgeable representatives on the station platforms at Netcong and Hackettstown (and, to a lesser extent, at Lake Hopatcong and Dover in the Afternoon) to greet the customers and answer ticketing, parking, and scheduling questions is a great benefit to our riders. We have had the able assistance of several stalwart members for many years, but we could always employ another person or two. Car Hosts: We need two hosts for each coach, plus several additional car hosts to help cover the absentees and provide relief or emergency coverage. This amounts to about twelve people. Car hosts decorate the coaches, assist our passengers in boarding and detraining, help groups find seating together, distribute drinks and snacks, and sell souvenirs to interested passengers. Most importantly, they present the friendly face of our Society to the general public. This sounds like a lot of work, but it's sequential and easy to perform. If there are certain people with whom you would like to work, let us know and we will arrange it. Most of our members have participated in this effort for many years and are eager to teach first-timers the tricks of the trade. Why not join us? There will be sign-up sheets at the October and November membership meetings, or you can see Barry Levitt, or one of the chapter officers, or you can contact our crew caller, Mark Schmitt, at (973) 584-4043. Please support your Societys most important fund-raiser. Sure, it takes a little of your time, but it's fun and easy. No job assisting the Santa Train effort is unimportanteach position needs someone like you to carry it out intelligently, thoroughly, and correctly. Join your fellow members in making this years Santa Train a great success. Thanks in advance for your help. G

Our host, Trainmaster Rich Viesz, makes a point as he shows us around the maintenance bay. Mr. Viesz provided an enjoyable, informative, and thorough tour.

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This c. 1908 view shows a southbound train stopping at Riverton. The train was most likely headed to PRRs Federal Street terminal in Camden and probably originated in Trenton or South Amboy. The station stood south of the Main Street grade crossing, which can be seen between the second and third utility poles on the right. The single-tracked Camden & Trenton Railway (later Public Services Riverside Line) operated along the east side of Broad Street, the road to the left of the station. This interurban line paralleled the PRR from Trenton to Camden. The turnout in the foreground led to a coal trestle owned by J. S. Collins & Son, a coal and lumberyard. Currently, the line is single-tracked through Riverton. The PRR station was removed, which allowed Broad Street to be straightened. The River LINE station is on the east side of the remaining track, nearly opposite the site of the PRR depot. The spur to the coal trestle is now gone, but before the River LINE was built, one could see vestiges of it and the concrete piers of the trestle.
Tri-State Railway Historical Society Digital Archives
Bordentown Branch was completed in 1838 between its namesake town and Trenton. Along the way, we paralleled the route of the Delaware & Raritan Canal to Bordentown. In Trenton, the right-of-way is now NJ Route 129, but south of the city, the abandoned main canal prism, now overrun with vegetation, is immediately west of the railroad. The remains of an old canal boat and the west end of the canal were visible as we crossed the Crosswicks Creek into Burlington County. Just south of the Bordentown Station,
the Bordentown Branch swung onto the mainline of the C&A, a junction once controlled by BO tower, formerly located at the Blacks Creek bridge. The wooded area east of the railroad south of Bordentown once hosted the C&A shops. It was here, in late 1831, that Master Mechanic Isaac Dripps assembled the C&As first locomotive, the British-built JOHN BULL. Continuing south, we traveled through Kinkora, the junction point of the abandoned Kinkora Branch [Editors Note: this line connected with the PRR-owned Pemberton & Hightstown
Railroad at Lewistown], then passed by buildings of the defunct Roebling Works (a steel-cable manufacturing facility), where two derelict General Electric (GE) centercab diesels could be seen. South of Roebling Station, a concrete abutment of the Camden & Trenton Railway (an interurban line later taken over by Public Service) was visible. This trolley line paralleled the C&A, sometimes at a distance, providing an alternative to Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) passenger trains. Just beyond the Florence freight station (one of the few remaining PRR structures on the line) was the active connection to the Florence Branch, a two-mile-long railroad constructed in 1872 to serve what is now Griffin Pipe Products Corporation. From Florence Station to the East Burlington Yard, the C&A is tripletracked, with one track for freight service only. Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CSAO) East Burlington Yard was rebuilt by NJT as part of the River LINE project, and serves local industries. Between

Page 7

the south end of the yard and the Assiscunk Creek bridge, the C&A crosses the abandoned right-of-way of the PRRs Burlington & Mount Holly Branch. In 1895, this branch was electrified with trolley wire, using a line voltage of 11,000 V AC, as an experiment in railroad electrification. The experiment ended in 1901, when the Mount Holly powerhouse burned, and the branch was largely abandoned in 1925. About one-third of the River LINE is single track, but historically this was a doubletracked railroad between Bordentown and Camden. The only exception was Burlington City: the PRR never got permission to double-track this segment, and so it remains today, a single track
Note: CSAO has trackage rights on Amtraks Northeast Corridor and the River LINE through Trenton. SEPTAs (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) R7 Line operates trains on the Northeast Corridor between Philadelphia and Trenton.

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Photograph by John W. Burlage, Jr.
Brother, can you spare a DIME? Well, no, actually. Forty such devices were fabricated out of angle irons, two for each River LINE LRV. Weighing 22 lbs. apiece, the DIME (Deer Impact Mitigation Equipment) is secured over the coupler face using two thumbscrews. It shields the vulnerable coupler electrical connections and hoses from collisions with deer.
The prime mover in the River LINEs equipment, a 12-cylinder Mercedes-Benz engine that gets two miles to the gallon. The engine, housed in the LRVs center section, generates the electrical power that drives the wheels, just like a diesel-electric locomotive. Thus, these LRVs are also designated as diesel-electric multiple-units (DMU). This arrangement produces a much quieter rail vehicle than many people who were initially apprehensive about the River LINE anticipated.

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This is a view of the wheel-truing machine in the main shop building. This device, situated mostly below track level, imparts a new profile to a pair of LRV wheels following excessive or unusual wear. This mechanism slowly rotates and grinds the running surfaces of the wheels smooth and even. With this equipment, it is possible to re-profile wheelsets without removing the trucks from a vehicle.
flanked by Broad Street on both sides. South of Burlington, the River LINE enters a long stretch of double track, some of which is otherwise inaccessible. At Edgewater Park, the railroad crosses a bridge originally constructed by the Camden & Trenton Railway.

The centerpiece of the River LINE project was a new steel arch bridge over the Rancocas Creek between Delanco and Riverside that replaced a swing bridge with wooden approaches. As the Rancocas Creek is a navigable waterway, the new bridge
Car No. 3516 seen in the paint booth, which is the same type used to spray coat trucks and other large vehicles. This booth permits the coating process to occur in an isolated atmosphere, thereby eliminating the possibility of contaminating the environment. Thus, maintenance personnel clad in protective suits can apply paint to an LRV, while a continuous flow of re-circulated, filtered air whisks away clouds of excess paint. This airflow also aids in curing the coating in the temperaturecontrolled enclosure.

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was designed with a clearance of 24 feet at high tide, adequate for any watercraft operating that far upstream. The steel arch is 210 feet long, 40 feet wide, 60 feet high, and weighs about 800 tons. Once across the bridge, our LRV made a stop at Riverside. This station is in the shadow of the imposing Philadelphia Watchcase Building, and across Pavilion Avenue from the still extant ex-PRR station. Three more station stops were made before crossing the Pennsauken Creek into Camden County. About halfway between the Route 73 and Thirty-Sixth Street stations, we passed beneath the Atlantic City Line at Delair. This is one of the few places where two NJT rail lines cross, but do not connect. This situation is expected to be remedied by the construction of a joint, bi-level station between the two lines. Additionally, NJT has just signed a contract to upgrade the signaling between the Thirty-Sixth Street and Route 73 stations so that River LINE service can operate to the latter station late at night [Editors note: see Railway News in this issue for more details on these enhancements]. The Delair Bridge is still double-tracked, with NJT operating over the north track, and freights utilizing the south track. South of the Atlantic City Line bridge, the Fish House Branch off the Delair Bridge joined the C&A at Hatch Interlocking. This branch is essentially South Jerseys rail link to the outside world, and is heavily used by both CSX and Norfolk Southern (NS) freights. Leased units and foreign power are routinely seen. From Hatch south to Pavonia, there are a minimum of two freight-only tracks, and one River LINE track. We arrived at Thirty-Sixth Street Station about twenty minutes prior to our expected arrival for the shop tour. While we waited,
northbound LRV No. 3514 stopped at 10:31 AM, and shifting activity could be seen to the south in Pavonia Yard. A few minutes later, another southbound train arrived. Time passed, but as yet there was no shuttle. Had NJT forgotten about us? We had to find out. I had parked my car at Thirty-Sixth Street Station, so Lou and I drove over to the shops. After gaining entry, we spoke with Trainmaster Rich Viesz. Oops. Yes, indeed, we were scheduled for a tour, but it slipped his mind. Mr. Viesz more than made up for the memory lapse. The three of us headed out to the ready tracks, where he fired up coupled units Nos. 3501 and 3502 (the lowest numbered LRVs on the River LINE), and brought them up to the Thirty-Sixth Street Station, where our party boarded. Instead of immediately going on the shop tour, we decided to traverse the balance of the line. After the next southbound train cleared Thirty-Sixth Street Station, he moved the train beyond the home signal north of the River Road overpass, reversed direction, and ran express south to the end of the line at the Waterfront Entertainment Center (WEC). On the way, we passed along side Pavonia Yard, the largest freight yard in South Jersey. Just north of the Twenty-Seventh Street Bridge was the abandoned connection to the Camden & Burlington County Railway, another PRR subsidiary that formed a portion of a cross-state route between Camden and Bay Head Junction, often referred to as the Back Road. The only segment of this railroad extant today is between Pennsauken and Mount Holly. Once across the Cooper River and Admiral Wilson Boulevard (US Route 30), the River LINE dropped to grade-level nearing downtown Camden. It is here that there is a triple-level rail crossing: the River LINE at grade, the CSAO Millville

Photograph by Rich Viesz; Courtesy of Michael Finfer
The group stands in front of an LRV in the shop at the conclusion of the phenomenal tour given by Mr. Viesz, who gladly snapped this picture for us. Front row (left to right): Michael Finfer, Jill Terbell, Jody Kanner, and Andrew Wisneski; Back row: John Drennan, Chris Dorey, Mel Deighton, John Welsh, John Hemmings, Lou Capawana, Dan Kanner, John Fiorilla, John W. Burlage, Jr., and Mitch Dakelman.

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Westbound freight CA01, lead by lease unit GCFX No. 3081 and CSX No. 5836 (a GE B36-7), waits at Cove Road in Pennsauken for eastbound CSX freight Q417 to clear the Delair Bridge. The dedicated River LINE track is in the foreground. Meets here between freights and LRVs are fairly common. GCFX No. 3081, an EMD SD40 built in August of 1966 (its exactly 40 years old), served the Canadian Pacific as No. 5506, during which time it was upgraded to SD40-2 electrical specifications. It was transferred to Alstom Canada Incorporated in 2000 and refurbished as part of their rental fleet. It appears to be in good shape, considering that less than a year has elapsed since it was involved in a grade-crossing accident along the CSX Northern Branch (the Eries Northern Railroad of New Jersey). On September 28, 2005, it struck a stalled Audi at Prospect Avenue in Tenafly, NJ. Fortunately, the train was only traveling at 10 m.p.h., but it still pushed the automobile 60 feet before coming to a halt.
Secondary above grade, and the PATCO (Port Authority Transit Corporation) Speedline below grade (in the Mickle Street Tunnel). From this point, the River LINE operates either alongside or in city streets, and must obey motor vehicle traffic lawsincluding using directional signals when turning corners! Milepost 0 on the River LINE was passed on Delaware Avenue outside the Nipper Building, now refurbished condominiums known as The Victor [Editors note: the building was constructed in 1909 to house manufacturing facilities for the RCA Victor phonograph company; the structure was named after Nipper, the emblematic dog shown listening to a gramophone on the corporations logo; in 2004, the building was converted to luxury apartments and renamed to honor its former commercial occupant ]. After a short layover at WEC, Mr. Viesz then headed north before the next scheduled train. Approaching the south end of the shop complex, Mr. Viesz took the train down the lead track and into the shop on Track 1. This track houses the car washer on the south end, and an inspection pit on the north end. Here, we detrained for a tour of the facility, which hosted three other LRVs aside from our train. Mr. Viesz recalled that one of the most vexing problems the River LINE has faced was collisions with deer. Much of the railroad runs through wooded areas, so collisions are not uncommon, with the coupler taking the brunt of the damage. The force of the collision would often damage the MU (multiple-unit) connections and hoses, putting the LRV out of commission. As this was an ongoing (and expensive) problem, an ingenious River LINE mechanic devised a coupler cover. Fabricated out of angle irons, secured by two thumbscrews, and weighing 22 lb., the Deer Impact Mitigation Equipment (DIME) fits over the coupler face, shielding the vulnerable

parts of the coupler. Each LRV is equipped with two DIMEs, and this innovation has saved the River LINE hundreds of thousands of dollars. Upon conclusion of the shop tour, we posed for the mandatory group photo, then re-boarded our special train for the short trip through the yard back to Thirty-Sixth Street Station. While we were waiting for the next northbound train, CSX freight CA01, led by a lease unit, passed the station, heading westbound. Within a few minutes, a regularly scheduled River LINE train arrived to begin our return journey north. Editors Note: The River LINE is a design-build-operate-maintain (DBOM) contractual project managed by Bombardier under the sponsorship of NJT, with the Model GTW (Gelenktriebwagen) 2/6 low-floor, articulated DMUs (diesel-electric multiple-units) provided by the Swiss tramcar builder Stadler. As such, the line is actually overseen by Bombardier employees, including those who facilitated the realization of this tour. Following this trip, Tri-State Board of Directors member Lou Capawana, who helped to organize the outing, wrote a letter to Mr. Dan OHara, Assistant Superintendent for Transportation and Service Delivery for Bombardier, to thank him and Mr. Viesz for allowing the members of Tri-State to participate in this extraordinary tour of the River LINE maintenance shops. In order to publicly acknowledge their thoughtfulness and professionalism, and their time and effort spent in this endeavor, we have decided to publish this letter here: Dear Mr. OHara, On behalf of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society, Id like to thank you and Rich Viesz for your courtesy and efforts regarding our trip and tour of the River Line Light Rail Facilities on Saturday, August 19, 2006.

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After discharging the Tri-State tour group at the Thirty-Sixth Street Station, River LINE Supervisor Rich Viesz takes LRVs Nos. 3501 and 3502 (the lowest numbered units) back to the ready tracks north of the shop building. Note the ex-PRR dwarf position signal at the switch for the shop lead track.
The trip was appreciated by all who participated, especially the special train that was made available to us and enabled us to tour the entire line. The shop tour was most informative and Rich Viesz, in my opinion, went over and above in his effort to give us the most information that he could. In fact, he remarked to me several times that he didnt know what else he could show us. I reassured him that he was doing a fine job and I was most appreciative of his in-depth narration. We finished with a discussion on the dispatch center followed by a group photo in front of our train in the shop.

Once again, many thanks for a most enjoyable day. Very truly yours, Louis M. Capawana The Society would also like to thank Mr. Dave Morgan of NJT Light Rail Operations for placing the group in contact with Mr. OHara. Finally, the editors are grateful to Editor Emeritus Burlage for once again gracing the pages of this publication with a fantastic article, and we would like to thank Dr. Michael Finfer for contributing a large number of photographs to this piece. G
NRHS Twenty-Five Year Membership Pins Awarded
by Anthony L. Troha, Ph.D. At the September Membership Meeting, Director Ann Miller, our Chapter Delegate to the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS), presented Lou Capawana and Rich Wisneski with sterling-silver lapel pins commemorating their being members of the NRHS for twenty-five years. The awards are bestowed upon NRHS members who have attained a quarter-century of continuous membership in the organization. Lou and Rich both joined TriState and the National in 1981, and have been very active in the Chapter over the intervening years. Lou served several terms as Sergeant-at-Arms before becoming a Director in 2006. Rich has been the Elections Committee Chairman for many years. Both gentlemen have participated extensively in our
Photograph by Anthony L. Troha
Congratulations abound as two Tri-State members receive their Twenty-Five Year NRHS Membership Pins. From left to right: Award recipient Director Lou Capawana, Director and Chapter Delegate to the NRHS, Ann Miller, recipient Rich Wisneski, and Chapter President Michael Del Vecchio. Lou and Rich have been very devoted to the Chapter, spending countless hours on a myriad of projects and endeavors.
Santa Train excursions, in addition to being two of the pivotal driving forces behind the
annual Chapter Picnic. We are very appreciative of their efforts and the invaluable contributions
that they have made to the Society, and their work in the years to come. G
Photograph by Rich Taylor

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Left: An NJLS engineer gives two picnic participants a ride on a largescale model flatcar pulled by the exquisitely detailed recreation of Bangor and Aroostook Railroad (BAR) Locomotive No. 330.
Photograph by Tom Scheffer
Members Enjoy Annual Picnic

by Rich Wisneski

On August 13th, a large contingent of Tri-State members and guests enjoyed a wonderful picnic at the grounds of the New Jersey Live Steamers (NJLS) in Liberty Corner, NJ. As in the past, this event was jointly sponsored by the NJLS, Tri-State, the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) Veterans Association, and the CNJ Historical Society. The weather was superb, and there were plenty of trains to ride and many others to view, along with the bountiful amount of great food that is always provided at this event. All this for the low cost of only $5.00 per person. Thanks go to the many Tri-State members who volunteer to make this event happen every year, and to chairpersons Frank Reilly, Lou Capawana, and Rich Wisneski. If youve never attended in the past, consider joining us next August! G

Above: Our volunteer cooks for the event were, from left to right, Mark Branibar, Pete Wisneski (kneeling), Lou Capawana, John Hemmings, Frank Reilly, Andrew Wisneski, Bob Barton, Fern DeConcilio, and Rich Wisneski. These culinary masters kept the members of the participating societies happy with their savory creations.
Right: Chairman Frank Reilly takes a well-deserved break from his cooking duties and enjoys a ride aboard a miniature New York Central (NYC) train operated by one of the many NJLS members who volunteered to work at this outing.

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TRI-STATE CALENDAR OF EVENTS: FALL 2006
October 1 Pumpkin Festival 2006 at the Whippany Railway Museum, Route 10 West and Whippany Road, Whippany, NJ. For more information, call (973) 887-8177. October 5 monthly Board of Directors meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society in DL&W Caboose No. 896 at the Whippany Railway Museum, Whippany, NJ. October 12 monthly meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society at Honeywell, Columbia Turnpike, Morristown, NJ. October 14 Metro-North Harmon Shop Open House, Croton-Harmon Shops in Croton-onHudson, NY, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Take a close-up look at locomotives, work equipment, and passenger cars at Metro-Norths largest maintenance and repair facility. See what it takes to transport more than 74 million people annually on Metro-Norths lines. A great event for train buffs of all ages! Its completely free. For more information, call (212) 499-4398, visit http://www.mnr.org/mnr/html/harmon_openhouse.htm, or E-Mail groupsales@mnr.org. October 21 Plainfield on the Move 200 Years of Transportation in New Jersey, at the Plainfield Public Library, 800 Park Avenue, Plainfield, NJ. Exhibit opening and reception, 11:00 AM 2:00 PM, featuring guest speaker Gordon Fuller of the Morristown & Erie Railroad. The exhibit runs through December. For more information, call (908) 757-1111 or visit the Librarys website at http://www.plfdpl.info. October 28 Sixth Annual Pumpkin Festival, sponsored by the Phillipsburg Railroad Historians, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, Phillipsburg Railroad Historians Museum on the corner of Cross Street and Pine Alley (off South Main Street) in Phillipsburg, NJ. Ride the historic Centerville & Southwestern miniature railroad and tour Public Service Car No. 2651. For more information, call (908) 859-1146 or E-Mail contact@prrh.org. November 2 monthly Board of Directors meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society in DL&W Caboose No. 896 at the Whippany Railway Museum, Whippany, NJ. November 4 Industrial Heritage Tour of Edison Mines. Led by Joe Macasek and Tri-States own Bill Wilkie, this day-long archaeology hike will explore the remains of Thomas Edisons massive mining operation, which sought to concentrate low-grade iron ore in the late 1890s. Although his efforts failed, this technology later dominated the industry. The buildings are long gone, but hikers will still experience every aspect of the endeavor, plus they have the opportunity to walk portions of the Ogden Mine RR and the narrow-gauge mine railway. Participants are advised to wear sturdy shoes and to bring a lunch. The tour starts at 10:00 AM. A fee of $3.00 per person will be collected at the assembly point. Participation is limited, so pre-registration is required. Please contact Dolores Ramiza at (973) 285-6542 or via E-Mail at dramiza@MorrisParks.net for more information. November 4 NJ Transit Newark Light-Rail Tour, sponsored by the New York Division of the Electric Railroaders Association. Starting at Newark Penn Station, the group will ride the new Broad Street Station Extension in Newark and tour the Grove Street Light Rail Maintenance Facility. The price is $15.00, which includes two one-way trip tickets for the route. NJT requires participants to have photo-identification. For more information, please either visit the Associations website, http://erausa.org/nydiv/, call Larry Furlong at (718) 784-3643 (evenings only), or E-Mail him at furlong@erausa.org. November 4 The Farewell to the M-1 Fan Trip on the Long Island Railroad (LIRR), sponsored by the Long Island-Sunrise Trail Chapter of the NRHS, in co-operation with the MTA / LIRR, is operating its first Multiple-Unit excursion to commemorate the final days of the LIRRs M-1 fleet. They entered service in 1968 and are to be retired by the end of 2006. Ride a train solely consisting of M-1s for a special trip with lots of photo run-bys and a planned itinerary that includes the VD Yard in Brooklyn, Penn Station, the West Side Storage Yard, Long Island City, the Hillside Service Facility, the Garden-Mitchel Secondary, East Williston, and the Far Rockaway Branch. A lunch stop is scheduled at Penn Station (lunch is not included in the price). Prices: $55.00 per adult and $45.00 for each child under 12 years of age. The trip leaves Jamaica Station promptly at 8:30 AM, returning at 5:00 PM. Visit the Chapters website, http://www.nrhs-list.org, for details and ticket order form. November 9 monthly meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society at Honeywell, Columbia Turnpike, Morristown, NJ. November 11 Veterans Day Special, Steamtown National Historic Site, located in downtown Scranton, PA. All veterans, current members of the United States Armed Forces, and their families will be treated as guests of Steamtown, with entrance and activity fees waived for the day, in order to express the gratitude of our Nation to the men and women who have given their all to protect our country. Proof of veteran or military status required. November 17 noted railroad historian Dave Rutan will present a slideshow on the Delaware, Lackawanna & Westerns Sussex Branch at the monthly meeting of the Canal Society of New Jersey (CSNJ). The meeting will be held at the Morris County Cultural Center, 300 Mendham Road, Morris Township (Morristown) at 7:10 PM. Please see the CSNJ website, http://canalsocietynj.org/page12.html, for directions to the Center. December 7 monthly Board of Directors meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society at Levitts in Parsippany, NJ. December 14 monthly meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society at Honeywell, Columbia Turnpike, Morristown, NJ. December 16 Fifteenth Annual Tri-State Railway Historical Society Santa Train. For more information, call (973) 656-0707 (voice mail only), E-Mail santa@tristaterail.org, or visit http://tristaterail.org/santa.html.

TRI-STATE RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.,
a 501(C)(3) non-profit historical and educational organization.
P.O. Box 1217, Morristown, N.J. 07962-1217 Voicemail: 973-656-0707 Webpage: tristaterail.org Contact E-Mail: info@tristaterail.org GLEANINGS FROM PAST ISSUES Edited by Dick Brown
From the October, 1978 Issue: A photo of a Conrail freight fighting its way uphill over the Starrucca Viaduct illustrated an article about the opening of Luciana Park, in Lanesboro, PA. The land was donated by the Luciana family, and the town used Bicentennial funds to level the land, cut out brush along the Delaware & Hudson (D&H) line that ran under the viaduct, and to build restrooms, picnic tables, and other amenities. From the May, 1986 Issue: This issue ran a photo, taken by John Sobotka, of a little 0-4-0 yard gas- or diesel-powered locomotive, built by Whitcomb in 1921, and still in use in 1986 at the Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) Clifton facility. From the March, 1988 Issue: A nice photo of the first of a number of New Jersey Transit rebuilt GP40FH/2 locomotives purchased and put into service in December of 1988 appeared in this issue. From the May, 1990 Issue: This issue ran an illustrated article on the New Jersey Transits new ALP44 locomotives. These machines replaced the ill-fated E60s. The ALP44s weighed 207,000 pounds, produced 7,000 horsepower, and cost $4.6 million.
Equipment Restoration Activity Updated September 2006 by Don Oberding

Equipment

DL&W Caboose 896 Raritan River Caboose 10 L&NE Caboose 580 Baggage Car 2038 Baggage Car 2037 Erie 10 Safety & Tng. Car Ex-B&A F-3 Diesel Locomotive Flat Car E-L 9621

Location

Whippany, NJ Port Murray, NJ Port Murray, NJ Madison, NJ Whippany, NJ Madison, NJ Jim Thorpe, PA Wh.-Mtown

Next Milestone

Dover Caboose Hop. Move to Whippany. Move to Whippany. In Storage. Remove Stored Items. Leased. Move to Morristown. Leased to M&E RR.