IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE that summer is but a memory and we are well into Fall. Thoughts are turning into Halloween, Pumpkin Pie and Christmas wish lists. The Officers have a wish for you to attend our monthly membership meeting to be held at the ALPHA UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH on Wednesday night October 25, 2000 at 7:30PM. Entertainment will be a continuation of Ed Beers's video on contemporary and past rail subjects.

During this past month, the enginehouse construction has resumed and the building is now fully enclosed. Concrete work and track installation remains and will be addressed as soon as possible. Centerville & Southwestern track construction has progressed to the point where temporary track has been laid through the building and beyond to the seabox where the train consist has been stored. The train is no longer isolated and some trackwork will continue until darkness sets in early. The Tuesday sessions will continue for a few more weeks. Meanwhile, the Saturday work party aided by the North Jersey Electric Railroaders has done significant trackwork and sessions will continue. Our new Thursday work sessions have begun under the direction of John Boner and are aimed at equipment restoration. The initial focus is on the cosmetic repair of the CNJ caboose. If you have an interest in restoring one of these old babies, we welcome your participation on Thursdays starting at 3:00PM. It can be very rewarding to see your efforts result in a comeback that is both pleasing to the eye and attractive to visitors to our site.

The C&S operated on Saturday September 30 during the Open House sponsored by Friends and the museum building and grounds were open for guests to see the fruits of our labors this year. The C&S now can operate between two end points not able to be seen at one time. There were several bus tours available to tour the area and the Pump House housed Ken Miller's diorama depicting the future State Site at Phillipsburg. Our salute goes out to Bill McKelvey and Friends for a day well put together.

Our volunteers for the day did a wonderful job of staffing the site and Earl Brotzman brought up his circus display for all to enjoy.

With time passing so quickly, we will be taking nominations for the upcoming elections. You may nominate members at the October and November membership meetings and the resulting slate of names will be voted on during the December meeting.

Matt Winter has been appointed Secretary for the remainder of this year replacing Alan Bellis who has been named newsletter editor. Alan has done a fine job in creating a newsletter that is both easy to read and professional in appearance.

August Volunteer Report by Ed Beers:
In August, sixteen PRRH members donated 246 volunteer hours. These were for C&S trackwork, full size trackwork, staffing the museum building on weekends, and weed removal. PRRH members also disassembled blocks from the Newark City Subway for possible future use as C&S ties. A set of borrowed freight car trucks was loaded onto Glenn Terminelli's flatbed trailer for shipment to Winslow Jct. Non PRRH members donated 72 hours on full size trackwork and placing 2x10 lumber at the base of the enginehouse. Total August manpower hours was 318 hours.

As you can see, volunteerism is up and the progress has been steady and the comments by our visitors is telling us that too.

Welcome aboard to PRRH goes to our newest member, Jim Danner, our railfan coach driver who welcomes us aboard too as a driver for Trans Bridge Lines, our carrier of choice.

We have ornaments for sale. Give one as a Christmas gift to a loved one and support your club. All for now and I'll see you over a cup of coffee soon.

~ Paul Carpenito ~

PC/ab/sdw