New Amtrak History Web Site

Amtrak recently launched a new Web site, History.Amtrak.com, dedicated to providing a view into its extensive archive and is a place to share in its rich history. The site features a collection of historic photographs, ads, route guides, timetable covers and other resources from employees that celebrates Amtrak's more than 40 years as the nation's intercity passenger rail provider.

The site also offers a guides tour through Amtrak's history by decade and how it became America's Railroad. A frequently updated blog provides year-by-year highlights, a look at recently uploaded items and a recap of the Amtrak 40th Anniversary Exhibit Train's cross-country journey in 2011 and 2012.

The digital and physical archives have been compiled and organized with the assistance of the Special Collections Research Center at George Washington University.

--Modified from Charles Varnes, Wheel Clicks, Pacific Railroad Society.

New Officers Elected at Tonight's Business Meeting

The major item of business at the Annual Business Meeting was the election of officers for the 2012-2014 term.

Newly elected officers are:

William Chappell, General Superintendent

David Flynn, Assistant Superintendent<

James Keena, Paymaster

Dawson Weber, Chief Clerk

Gary Ashcraft, Member At Large

These men constitute the Board of Directors of our Society. As such, they are empowered by our Bylaws and Standing Rules to conduct business on behalf of the Society between regularly scheduled, quarterly business meetings.

Congratulations to them all!

DCC power restored to Vista

DCC is operational again in Vista and West End yards. The power supplies were replaced with linear amplifiers. As a result, power is restored. Doering, Del Mar, and Roundhouse are next. The work is straight forward enough (each requires three wires to be installed) but finding time to do the work is the hold up.

New digital signal installed at Bayshore

Dave Flynn, Electrical Department Head, has installed a new BLMA 2-head signal on the main just east of the Bayshore Station. The signal is held in place with a custom designed base that utilizes magnets. The magnet base is designed so that there is only one way to install the signal base. Best of all the magnet, while strong, will still give way if someone bumps the signal tower while cleaning track.

In order to drive the white, red, and green LEDs the 8 wire leads had to be reprogrammed to work with our digital signal system. After an extensive debugging the software glitch was found and the signal works as expected.

The BLMA signal is top-drawer with see-through mesh platforms, scale ladders and the like. Come on down and see the signal in operation.

The modeler's art

These boxcars are new additions to the web site and were created by artist Dawson Weber. They are, to be sure, heavily weathered. An example of the artist’s work.

Santa Fe 3751 to pull excursions for San Bernardino Railroad Days

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Santa Fe 4-8-4 No. 3751 will pull excursion trains between Los Angeles and San Bernardino in conjunction with a visit to San Bernardino Railroad Days next month. The 1927 Baldwin 4-8-4 was displayed next to the Santa Fe San Bernardino depot for decades following its 1953 retirement. On April 21, the steam special will depart Los Angeles at 10 a.m. for San Bernardino over Metrolink's San Gabriel Subdivision. The train will return April 22, departing San Bernardino at 3 p.m. Source: Trains Magazine, Newswire

DCC power upgraded at Vista Yard

The Electrical Department reports that Vista and West End DCC is operational. The old power packs have been replaced with new linear amplifiers; power is restored. Doering, Del Mar, and Roundhouse are next.

High Standards Mean Good Operation

The recently concluded Open House provided an object lesson of the need for insisting on adhering to high standards for locomotives and rolling stock that run on HPRR rails. Of the 3 days of operation, there ware only 2 instances of cars derailing or not coupling. All other rolling stock and locomotives on the numerous trains operated during Open House preformed flawlessly. In those two instances the cars were pulled and moved to the Wheel Cleaning Room to be repaired after Open House was completed.

Kudos to all members who brought standards-compliant equipment to run during Open House.

2012 Awards Banquet