The May 2003 meeting of PRRH will be held on Wednesday night May 28 at 7:30pm at the Alpha United Presbyterian Church. Quality entertainment will be given following the business portion of the meeting. Refreshments will be provided courtesy of Charlie Bowlby and Pat Graham.

We would like to advise our membership of our most unfortunate event, the recent act of vandalism committed on our historic CNJ caboose 91197. On the night of May 7, three juveniles broke into the car for at least the second time and set materials on fire, gutting approximately two thirds of the interior. Quick action on the part of two young men, one of them being our local friend, Ron Adam, resulted in a timely response by the Phillipsburg Fire Department. The fire was brought under control in short order. Three juveniles have come forward and have admitted to the act and will be charged in Warren County Juvenile Court. The directors have met to determine the extent of damage and set the damages at over $8000.00. We are looking into the possibility of having the interior repaired professionally. Continued track work will facilitate the placing of our historically significant rolling stock into the engine house for work and more secure storage. This work continues on a weekly basis with priority and will not be overshadowed by other projects until its completion. We are still seeking #4 switch frogs and points. Director John Boner has sent a letter of gratitude to the Express-Times applauding the Fire Department and the two young men that alerted the authorities, thereby saving the caboose from certain destruction.

With all due regard to the above project's priority, several members are planning the first step in the museums rebuilding, that of providing a second exit along the structure's north wall for safety and convenience. A little theatre section is planned once the doorway is in operation and will be reachable by a platform section that will initially extend four feet adjacent to the new exit. It will be constructed to allow subsequent four foot sections to be added on at later stages. We have been anticipating a museum upgrade since last summer and began a cleanup project that resulted in a large rear area of the building now open and reachable after many years of storage only status. Your president has identified a possible funding source for replacing the roof and the siding panels, all of which are in dire need of attention. It will not be known for some time if PRRH qualifies, however we will be working on this and submitting the paperwork necessary for consideration. PRRH would like to express their most sincere appreciation and gratitude to Harry Wyant and Wyant Electric for their donated time and materials to applying electric service to the engine house. Service now is active in the building and volunteers can work with some conveniences not previously available. We have inquired about concrete floor work and are working on quotes to that effect. It is possible that we may apply for a grant to fund that work. We are also grateful to Diane Coopersmith for her donation to the group and to the Lehigh Valley Chapter NRHS for their continued financial support and volunteer time.

Certainly our high point of the month was our May 4 Open House when 27 volunteers worked to provide staffing to our many activities that made it a huge success. Weather was perfect for the day and, despite a slow start, gained in intensity necessitating our continued operations beyond closing time. Many thanks go out to our own Earle Brotzman for the fine circus layout display, to the North Jersey Electric Railroaders for educating so many visitors on the operation of trolleys, and to the Lehigh Valley Chapter NRHS for staffing their Mack Railbus, making it open for all to marvel at. I also thank Frank Eichenlaub Sr and Jr. for bringing a track car for operation, and Bob and Cheryl Daumer for providing another motor car for display and passenger service on our short stretch of track. A new visitor to our event is Ed Kaspriske of Horns Inc. who provided us a rousing demonstration of diesel chime horn music in between the sounds of passing Norfolk Southern freights. Also back was Bob DeSanti who brought his restored GM bus/deluxe motor home and shared its beautiful interior with Open House visitors. The museum building had a special treat with Dale Steigerwalt operating the Carbon Model Railroad Society's portable HO railroad. As always, our volunteers, numbering 27, pulled together to produce the best ever showing to date. Ticket sales were brisk and many C&S riders returned from the Roseland area for another look, albeit with Henry Becker's pleasure from beyond. We debuted our new CENTERVILLE STATION stop platform with Tom Scharpf constructing a great station sign in yellow and blue. Several patrons gave enthusiastic remarks on the sign for its quality. Those who gave of their time included Rick Glosser who groomed the grounds, Tom Scharpf, Frank Sattler, Ed Meyers, Meg and Paul Carpenito, Pete Terp, Dale and Jim Anderson, Pat Graham, Rich Frantz, Charlie Bowlby, Lou Badolato, Glenn Terminelli, John Boner, Jim Mack, Evelyn and Bob Bennington, Becky and Steve Winter, Bob and Rob Hooper, Derek Long, and Tony Hall from NJER. Representing the Mack rail bus was Rod Larash from Lehigh Valley Chapter NRHS. We wish also to thank WEST radio for their generous advertising time given us. We heard some new stories of the Centerville and Southwestern. The gift shop was busy and the various media aids in the building were being used by the curious and interested patron. An excellent day was had by all. We hope to see many of you again in July.

Member Maryann Ignatz operates STEVE'S CAFE at 766 South Main St. and would love to hear from any of you that would like to assist her finding old photo postcard scenes of the area. Maryann is putting together a collage of history, with emphasis on the Morris Canal, and trains and stations of a bygone era. Pay her a visit, have a cold one, and give this historian a hand on her project.

Bob and Evelyn Bennington have donated $100.00 in memory of Henry Becker. A fitting memorial will be created in his honor.

There are a few seats left for the June 15 Fathers Day field trip to the steam-powered narrow gauge EAST BROAD TOP. The meeting next week will be your last chance. Price is $69.00 for the all day adventure and includes two meals and lots of fun.

PRRH CALENDAR OF EVENTS
May 28   Membership meeting
June 7   FRIENDS Open House /annual meeting at the P-Burg train station 9 to 5.
June 15 PRRH FATHERS DAY FIELD TRIP to East Broad Top Railroad and trolley. 6:30am
July 13   OPEN HOUSE at PRRH museum/ Centerville and Southwestern RR

I hope to see you at the meeting for coffee and a chat.

PC/sdw