March 2004 Newsletter

Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

PRRH Logo

Phillipsburg Railroad Historians, Inc.
PO Box 5104, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865
www.prrh.org

MARCH 2004 NEWSLETTER VOLUME XIV NUMBER 3

Entertainment this month features:
To be announced

Your Directors at PPRH would like you to know that they have been discussing new and exciting plans for the organization as we herald the approach to springtime. It is only a handful of days away as I write to you and the future looks bright and promising for Phillipsburg and its railroad heritage. Winter has been long, dreary, and cold, but our first Open House in May is not too far off. I've seen flocks of robins and it looks like the daffodils are popping out. We just initiated our first work session last Tuesday as we prepare the engine house for stone. We wiII need much volunteer help for the March 27 Saturday/Sunday work session. Please find some time to help us get this massive project complete. We will tie all loose ends the following weekend. Later projects will include resumption of switch and track work to get the two full size track ends connected. The North Jersey Electric Railway Historical Society has laid about 150' of new track out the east end door of the engine house. This enables us to pull out the trolley to finish up the stone and tamping work necessary for the big project this month.

Downtown Phillipsburg will echo to the sounds of hissing steam and whistle blasts as passenger service will return to the area in the form of a tourist passenger train which will operate each weekend from May 1 until Labor Day. NYS&W 2-8-2 #142 will operate at those times with the Delaware Turtle Brill gas car alternating during peak ridership periods. We are working out a joint venture that will enable either rail operation to advertise the other attraction in Town. Our Spring Open House will coincide with the first weekend of steam train operation on Sunday May 2. PRRH is planning our event as always with operation of the Centerville & Southwestern, along with the engine house inspections for the public that include the PS trolley 2651 and the Chestnut Ridge Railbus. We are hoping to include layout displays and rubber tired side attractions. As always, the museum and gift shop will be in operation. The Town of Phillipsburg is planning to run a shuttle bus that will connect the Steam Train, with Union Station and the Phillipsburg Railroad Historians museum.

Coinciding with the topic of enhanced attractions is the issue of keeping the museum open every Sunday from May to September. Previously, the dedication of two or three members kept it open during non attraction Sundays. Now we are faced with the need to remain open each Sunday for about four hours. I will be needing some members to give a few hours a month to staff the gift shop and show people around. I'm not asking for a lot, considering that the more members that help, the less often we would need you. The addition of a new attraction will, no doubt, stimulate exposure to PPRH. I will rely on the dedication of our volunteers to enter this new and exciting time. Please consider helping your organization as we need you now more than ever.

PRRH had a fine showing at the Jersey Central show at Mother Seton on March 7. Along with the frequent visitors watching our videos on screen, we were able to net nearly one hundred dollars in sales. The show was well patronized, owing to the fine weather and the fact that the vendor list was sold out long before the date. We also signed up a new member at the show, Frank Battito, of West Orange NJ. PRRH extends a welcome to you. We thank Ed Beers and Meg Carpenito for watching our table.

It seems that the good news gets better with two donations arriving in the mail. One was from Walter Appel who sent $100.00 with his dues. The other donation was a very large one made on the condition of anonymity. PRRH truly appreciates your overwhelming show of support to this growing organization. To all of you who have given to our financial well-being and to all of you who put in the fruits of labor, we sincerely thank you. We also thank Jim Anderson for bringing cans to salvage and realizing a $46.00 profit to the club.

Several members have asked us about our policy on dues. Dues remain at $25.00 per year. We do not send out renewal notices as of yet, however the topic is being considered for future discussion. Generally, a member's dues entitle you membership from January 1 to December 31. We try to encourage your prompt payment, but understand that circumstances sometimes cause dues to be paid late. If you are not paid by March 31, we can only assume your intentions are to cancel your membership. If you are new here and join after September 30, we will roll over your dues payment to include the next year in full. Those previous members not paid by the end of March will be dropped from the newsletter mailing list.

The opening of our gift shop in the spring will include a ton of new and exciting merchandise for the rail enthusiast. Videos and books will be available from our own members works, and selections by Kalmbach, TRP Publishing, Arcadia, and Heimberger House will be featured.

We have paid our deposit for reserved space at the pavilion of the Hugh Moore Canal Park. Our picnic will be held on Sunday August 29. Details to follow.

Our annual Field Trip will depart Phillipsburg on Sunday June 13. It will be feature a day with coal mining, iron making, trolley, steam, and ice harvesting. We will have an all day tour guide to take us to the Lackawanna Coal Mine, where we will ride deep below the earth's surface. We will then proceed to take an exciting ride on the Lackawanna County trolley out to the iron furnace and tunnel. After lunch, we'll take a tour of Steamtown and ride the steam powered yard shuttle. The ladies can opt to do some shopping at the Steamtown Mall if they are so inclined. Enroute home, we will pass the former DL&W stations at Gouldsboro and Tobyhanna. Our final lesson will be the art of ice harvesting and an inspection of a historic Boston & Maine boxcar along the lake. Our usual dinner buffet will be included in the price. You will receive a flyer next month with an order form. Only one bus wiII be run due to space limitation on the tours.

This is a last call for the Saturday night April 17 annual banquet at Ryan's Parkside Restaurant. If you have not reserved by the March meeting, we will not be able to accommodate you. Please let Meg know if you need to make special arrangements.

I have appointed Steve Winter to serve as secretary for PRRH. Steve had been our man for quite some time, but was unsure if his new and heavy work schedule would allow him to perform the same quality service to this organization that we have come to appreciate for so long. While initially turning down the nomination for this position, Steve never actually left the post for one moment. The Directors breathed a sigh of relief when Steve agreed, upon my pleading, to re-think and then accepted.

We regret to inform you of the illness of Director Rocky Rockafellow who was admitted to Hunterdon Medical Center this past week. Rocky was in intensive care for a time, but was expected to be returned to a private room upon improvement to his condition. Our best wishes for a swift recovery are conveyed to him.

And finally, The monthly meeting of PRRH will be held on Wednesday night March 24 at 7:30pm at the Alpha United Presbyterian Church. The refreshments are being provided by Lou Badolato and Ed Beers. After the business portion of the meeting, we will watch video entertainment to include a safety film on the PB&NE RR, the carrier that served the Bethlehem Steel rail complex and Norfolk Southern's RAILROADING IN AMERICA, a safety and security film they distributed along the property.

~ Paul M. Carpenito ~

PC/sdw