July 2002 Newsletter

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

JULY 2002 NEWSLETTER VOL. XII #7

Entertainment this month features:
To-Be-Announced

Happy July, if you like heat that is. The usual August hissing locusts are already out, one month early. The blazing sun makes many of us desireless and brainless. Air conditioning is standard equipment anymore, and rightly so. Just remember these days when you are out on the street in January waiting for the bus and wondering where your kid is while the wind bites off your ear. The July membership meeting of PRRH will be held on Wednesday night July 24 at 7:30pm at the Alpha United Presbyterian Church. After the business portion of the meeting, entertainment will be video by Meg Carpenito of our Hudson trip and a few slides by Paul Carpenito on the same subject. Refreshments are courtesy of Louie Badolato and Earle Brotzman.

As many of you happy ticket holders already know, the Hudson Flyer fantrip was a marvelous success. Serious threats of rain and gloom (where are you now?) were erased at 10:30am when our commuter train pulled away from Cold Spring, New York and the sun broke out for most of the remainder of the day. Two busloads of sleepy fantrippers slipped away from Phillipsburg early morning under threatening skies. By Suffern, clouds and drizzle greeted our arrival into New York State. Our first scenic stop was the magnificent Hudson Highland area of Bear Mountain where our Trans-Bridge coaches dug into a small road stop for the view. In the fog ominous shrouded view of Iona Island Trestle, a CSX intermodal train glided south with but a whisper of sound. Packing onboard, we next plotted a course for Croton-Harmon, where our group made their way down to platform level. What a menu of Metro- North equipment awaited our view from the platform as a parade of trains slid by at our fingertips. At 9:42am on the advertised, our Genesis diesel came to a halt as we literally and figuratively overwhelmed the five or so poor regular passengers on the platform. The two conductors got a taste of reality as 110 PRRH pilgrims stormed the two doors leading into our own reserved air-conditioned coach. After wisely granting us a second car, we marched out of town, now some 25 minutes late, thanks to us. I gave a short summary to those gazing out the window as the mighty Hudson glistened, about to give us the sunshine beckoning behind the clouds. The one poor guy sitting in our car was crouching down low in his seat in a fetal position with ears covered.1 doubt understand why he didn't want to hear my narrative. At Cold Spring, we detrained to waves at the engineer and a round of horn- blowing. Our group took over the town as we went abrowsing and any view of any street showed only the familiar faces of Phillipsburg people. Lunch was served outdoors on the patio of the Depot Restaurant. Sipping a cool ice tea, we were thrilled to the passage of a fast Amtrak train and two commuter trains. Reboarding our buses at high noon, we motored farther up the Hudson passing through Breakneck Ridge Tunnel. Jumping across the Hudson, we entered the dock area of Newburgh while CSX trains passed in both directions within fifteen minutes. With a refreshing headwind at our faces, we glided down the Hudson to view the high cliffs and a grand view of Bannerman's Island Castle, seemingly haunting from an unreachable distance. Upon reaching the West Point complex, we turned to head back as several Metro North trains whizzed by us. With a thunderstorm to greet us at the dock, we dropped anchor back at Newburgh in time for the storm to pass, again greeted by a CSX auto-rack train. The buses took us to the ornate and historic New York Central station at Poughkeepsie where we boarded for another look at the Hudson as we rode Metro North to Peekskill. Located in a scenic cove, Peekskill boasts of a beautiful river view park with the convenience of being at the station. We hung around long enough to view Amtrak's Lakeshore Limited, which had two private cars on the rear to commemorate the anniversary of the Twentieth Century Limited. Bidding goodbye to the region, we took one last glimpse of the Hudson while reflecting on a day of constant action. The evening was capped by a delicious buffet meal with an ontime, albeit a late, arrival at Phillipsburg.

I wish to thank my wife Meg Carpenito for putting together the nucleus of the trip and making many calls to ensure its success. Also to Trans Bridge Lines and our extraordinary, sometimes legendary, fellow member bus driver Jim Danner who knows his stuff and driver Mark who learned the ropes of railfan bus behavior.

May 2002 MANHOUR REPORT
by Ed Beers

In May, we had 27 PRRH members and 4 NJER members donating a total of 320 hours at the site. These were for C&S maintenance and operation, setting up displays for open house, Open House, full size track work, grounds maintenance, caboose restoration, manning museum and gift shop. Other hours used for PRRH purposes include 45 hours for newsletters, mailings, bookkeeping, publicity, website work, and representing PRRH at URIFS monthly meetings. I began keeping track of that this month. I will retroactively credit Ed Meyers and Jack Quinn for their time since January. It will be included in year to date totals. TOTAL HOURS for MAY 365. Retro hours 24. Year to date 835.

With many projects in the planning for PRRH, we respectfully ask for your volunteerism. We get together on Tuesday afternoons. Recently, it has been dangerously hot, as the trend of summer 2002 seems to be going.

As a result, we have lost a bit of the momentum with the temperature soaring at the site to near 100 degrees. We have planned full size track work, building C&S sidings and improving roadbed. A new roof is planned for the ticket office as well as roof and siding improvements to the museum. Charlie Bowlby will be spray painting the seaboxes when the weather calms down. Fellow members can also help with the oral history project. If you know of anyone to ask, we can use some good leads for retired railroaders.

Sunday September 8 is the annual PRRH picnic at Hugh Moore Canal Park from 11 to 6. All are invited to attend. Food will be provided, however you should bring your own beverages. Bringing a special dish to share would also be a plus, but is not required.

Please visit our gift shop as it is stocked with new material of local interest.

URHS has raised its dues structure due to rising costs and the end result will be that PRRH will have to contribute $100.00 where previously we paid $50.00.

PRRH regrets the passing of the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Quinn. Our hearts and prayers are with you both during this difficult time.

Fellow members, please make an effort to attend a meeting and have a great time.

See you all soon.

~ Paul Carpenito ~

PC/ab/sdw