June 2002 Newsletter

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Phillipsburg Railroad Historians, Inc.
PO Box 5104, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865

JUNE 2002 NEWSLETTER VOL. XII #6

Entertainment this month features:
To-Be-Announced

Hope all of you are enjoying the advent of summer as much as the squirrels and bunnies are at our little farm. We've already spent almost two hundred dollars in birdseed, a set of binoculars to watch them, and an encyclopedia to identify them. Maybe we should start a charge account at our local Agway store. Anyway, we are enjoying the beginning of summer too. The dedicated members of PRRH have been working on our full-size track and I am proud to report that the trackage has been extended out of the west end of the enginehouse and will continue to an eventual hook-up with the existing track layout. We have had assistance also from the Lehigh Valley Chapter in our efforts. You know, at one time, our site was the location of a yard for the Central Railroad of New Jersey. Vintage photographs reveal other clues such as a locomotive servicing area located on the north side of the mainline where once laborers toiled to prepare steam and diesel power for ready movement. Recently, our volunteers uncovered a cornerstone dated 1908 from the original engine terminal area along with hidden foundations of buildings that once stood while doing some extensive brush cutting. These are some of the rewards of being PRRH volunteers. You can always attend one of our two Tuesday work sessions where you can assist in the restoration of our CNJ caboose or help with full-size or C&S trackwork. You need not be strong as Paul Bunyon, but your presence is appreciated even in lending moral support. On rainy Tuesdays, we will continue the clearing out of the museum building in an effort to get it ready for renovations.

Our Hudson Flyer fantrip has been sold out for a month even with a second bus ordered. In fact, it was so well received that Meg has a waiting list for tickets to fill a third bus and then some. Those of you lucky enough to get in on this early have done so with good reason. A full report on this event will appear in next month's newsletter. Thanks to all of you that have patronized our events. Our oral history project has been introduced as a means of preserving the wealth of railroad history out there that begs to be told. We are going to expand on this concept, but we need the memberships' help to find those retired railroaders out there that do not know PRRH and its efforts at preservation at all levels. Oral history will be created in video format and enhanced by our two resident videographers, Rick Glosser and Pete Blaess. When interviewing is complete, this material will be available to show in our newly expanded museum building for all visitors to see, truly a tribute to those who labored long and hard at the tracks.

It is a good time to remind you that our July 14 Open House is just around the corner. We hope to line up a good program. We will have some vintage military equipment along with some antique trucks available for viewing. We hope to include Volunteer Railroaders Association track speeder car. If you haven't yet seen Public Service Trolley 2651, you owe it to yourself to climb aboard and pay your coin to make the firebox ring. The North Jersey Electric Railroaders are making steady progress in their restoration efforts. The gift shop will be open and refreshments will be served. And you can enjoy heavy Norfolk Southern train action from a safe legal location. Bring the family for a day of fun; we will be open from 10am to 4pm.

APRIL 2002 MANHOUR REPORT
by Ed Beers

In April, we had 21 PRRH members and 2 Lehigh Valley Chapter of the NRES members donating a total of 212.5 hours at the museum site. These were for building cleanup, grounds maintenance, equipment maintenance, C&S work and history with reporter, site planning / surveying, recycling, constructing wood train table, assembling weed cutter, and full scale track work. Also, Steve Winter is credited 30 hours from March for web site and State of NJ paperwork. Matt Winter donated 5 hours for NJ paperwork. Also for April, Steve Winter donated 30 hours for website and publicity while Sharon Winter donated 10 hours for publicity. Hours for newsletter, bookkeeping, mailing, etc, total 24 hours. Note that I am giving Meg Carpenito more hours for finances / bookkeeping to more accurately reflect the time she is putting towards these responsibilities, where previously she was only given time for newsletter prep. Total Hours for APRIL 311.5. Year to date 493.5.

I wish to thank Ed Beers for his time also in compiling this monthly report. As you can see, we have been rewarded with the dedication of those members by reviewing the hours for April. Hard work is put into preparing the grounds for inspection at our Open Houses. Some of the tasks are not overly visible, but nevertheless, must get done. What we have accomplished over time has come steadily and the cumulative results have been reflected in an overall good looking property. As always, many thanks to all our supporters.

PRRH wishes to welcome new member Howard Bell of Phillipsburg. Howard is an enthusiastic supporter of our group and is now a familiar face at meetings.

And finally, the monthly PRRH membership meeting will be held on Wednesday night June 26, 2002 at 7:30pm at the Alpha United Presbyterian Church. Quality entertainment will be provided and the refreshments this month are courtesy of John Boner and Jim Anderson.

I hope to see all of you there. Come out for a nice summer night ride.

See you all soon.

~ Paul Carpenito ~

PC/ab/sdw