Vol. 18
September 2010
No. 9
“TRACKSIDE VIDEO MEMORIES PART- 2 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987”
Program by STEVE HUTCHISON
Two years ago I presented Part-1 of my railfan adventures from the 1980’s. Now I have Part-2 ready for your
enjoyment. The 1980’s were “boom” times for railfans in the southeast. The NS Steam Program was in its
heyday with 611 and 1218 running throughout the system. Nickel Plate 765 saw regular duty on the alwaysexciting New River Trains. If you were lucky you got to see an ACL E3 running on the Clinchfield. My wife,
Susan, and I spent a lot of time chasing, riding and photographing these excursions. In Part-2, I have compiled
more of my favorite footage from many of these trips, some of which I had not looked at in 20+ years. Both
steam and diesel are included in locations you’re sure to recognize.
So come and join me at the next Blue Ridge Chapter, NRHS, meeting and relive the sights, sounds and fond
memories of a past time that many of us shared.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010. 6:00 p.m.
Charley’s Restaurant. 707 Graves Mill Rd. Lynchburg, VA.
Blue Ridge Chapter , National Railway Historical Society
Minutes of Meeting - August 11, 2010
President Rick Johnson called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. at Charley’s
Restaurant and welcomed 20 members and 4 guests. He asked everyone to join him
in wishing member Gene Campbell a Happy 89th Birthday! Cupcake with candle
appropriate to the occasion was presented to Gene. Rick welcomed guests Betsy
Gardner, Mollie Ledford, Rita Morefield and Reggie Akers. It was noted that the July
treasurer’s report was incomplete in the July minutes; also Chuck Hladik had won the
50/50 drawing.
Barry Moorefield reported on Rail Day, noting that Dave Callahan will be there. He
will need help from members to man the show, the admission table and the White
Elephant table. It was decided to not set up the chapter display boards this year.
Setup and opening times were announced. Fred Mayer will do the WLNI promo and
VMT has distributed a bulletin about the show to all of its contacts. An announcement
appeared in the NRHS Bulletin this month.
Rick called members’ attention to the WDBJ program on the success of the new
Amtrak NEC train from Lynchburg to Boston and efforts to expand service in the
direction of Roanoke. Earl Guthrow reported on the C&OHS convention which he
attended in Richmond. Members Chris Wiley and Jean Raas are recovering from
their recent illnesses and Norris Deyerle is scheduled for knee surgery on September
15. Rick circulated the membership roster and asked members to check and update
their information. Rick asked for volunteers for the Nominating Committee,
nominations are due in September and the election will be held in October.
No reports from the Vice-President, Editor or Webmaster. National Director Norris
Deyerle called attention to an opportunity to help sell tickets for an excursion trip on
Saturday, November 6 from Roanoke to Danville and on Sunday, November 7 from
Roanoke to Bluefield. Adult tickets are $145.00. Car hosts are also needed.
Rick announced that the chapter picnic is scheduled for September 19 in Altavista.
The next regular meeting will be September 8, Steve Hutchison will present the
program. Ken Attenhofer won the 50/50 and the meeting adjourned at 8:07 p.m. The
evening’s program was provided by Fred Mayer and covered Northeastern railroads in
the 50s, 60s and 70s.
Tom Ledford, Secretary
2
National Director’s Page
by Norris Deyerle
Our Lynchburg Rail Day 2010 Model Train Show was a big success thanks to the hard work by
our members and volunteers. It was one of our best if not the best show that we’ve ever had. If I tried
to list everyone that was involved with the show I surely would leave someone out. I feel that I must
recognize two men that worked on organizing our train show for most of the year. Barry Moorefield
was our show chairman and John Tanner was our table registrar. Without the tireless efforts of these
two men LRD 2010 would not have come together. John will have a detailed financial report at our
regular September meeting. On behalf of our chapter I want to thank all of you that worked before,
during and after LRD 2010! Just think, in less than one year we can do it again! LRD 2011 is
scheduled for Saturday, August 13, 2011. We also have LRD 2012 scheduled for Saturday, August
11, 2012. Both years will be held at the Boonsboro Ruritan Club on Coffee Rd. as in years past.
The Virginia Museum Of Transportation has a new rail cam. View the rail action in Roanoke, Va.
by logging on to http://www.nwhs.org/cam/vmt. This is an interesting site. If a train travels by the
VMT you will see it!
Our BRC Vice President Charlie Long is a railroad crane nut. He has been known to answer his
phone as “Long’s Crane and Rigging”! Enough said? Well, almost except for the following short story
that I want to share with you. I would like to dedicate this story to my friend Charlie since he wasn’t
with us when we saw the following consist. As many of you know that ever have been chasing trains
with me it usually happens at night! Well, this time my friend Lee Hawkins was driving. Lee and I had
attended the Roanoke Chapter, NRHS, meeting on August 19, 2010. Afterwards we started our hunt.
We ended up at the former site of the Virginian Railway Freight Station in Salem, Va. On the siding
there were three Norfolk And Western American cranes, their flat cars and two NS locos. For you
train buffs the consist was: NS Loco SD40-2 #3224, NS Loco GP38-2 #5123, Orange American 4axle crane #NW514877 and orange flat #NW526575, Black American 4-axle crane #NW514891MW
and flat #NW516842, Black American 4-axle crane #NS/NW514880 and Southern flat #152109. It
was a very impressive sight. It would have been nice to be able to get a daytime photo of this consist
to share with you. It was still fun and a sight that I’ll remember for a long time because I was with my
friend Lee and both of us were thinking of our friend Charlie when we saw “Charlie’s Cranes”! Isn’t
friendship what rail fanning is about? Hope to see you trackside, night or day. Ha!
One of our best friends of our chapter, Winston-Salem Chapter, NRHS President Steve
Hutchison, will be presenting our regular monthly show this month. Steve always presents high
quality shows. Please make it a point to attend this month’s meeting. Steve’s show is titled
“Trackside Video Memories. Part II”.
Please plan to attend our annual BRC picnic on Sunday September 19, 2010. Your chapter will
supply the fried chicken and beverages. Please bring a covered dish or dessert to share with others.
Feel free to bring a quest or guests. Anyone that was a worker, vendor or model layout attendee at
LRD 2010 is encouraged to come and bring their friends or family members. A sign-up sheet will be
passed around at this month’s BRC September 8, 2010, meeting. If you can’t make it to the meeting
please contact Rick Johnson at 434-660-1113 and let him know who many in your party will be
attending. I’ll miss being with you this year. I’m scheduled to have my other knee replaced on
Wednesday September 15, 2010. I assure you that I would rather be eating fried chicken with you! I
hope that you all have a great time.
Since September is an odd numbered month we’ll have a “Fun Meeting”. Chapter President
Rick Johnson will announce at our regular monthly meeting if the “Fun Meeting” will be slides or video.
At our July “Fun Meeting” we had multiple high quality slide presenters. It was very enjoyable.
I’ll see you this Wednesday.
Till then… Moo
3
The Wreck of the Old 97
Book-signing event!
Where: Lynchburg Public Library. When: Saturday, November 6. 1:30 p.m.
Author Larry Aaron will show historic images and have the book available for $20, tax
included, at the signing. Free admission!
The Wreck of the Old 97
Larry G. Aaron
With Fast Mail train No. 97 an hour behind schedule,
locomotive engineer Steve Broady, according to legend,
swore to “put her in Spencer on time” or “put her in Hell.”
Through eyewitness reports and court testimonies, historian
Larry Aaron expertly pieces together the events of
September 27, 1903, at Danville, Virginia, when the Old 97
plummeted off a forty-five-foot trestle into the ravine below.
With more twists and turns than the railroad tracks on which
the Old 97 ran, this book chronicles the story of one of the
most famous train wrecks in American history, as well as the
controversy surrounding “The Wreck of the Old 97,” that most
famous ballad, which secured the Old 97 a place within the
annals of American folklore.
Includes first-hand accounts of survivors and
witnesses
Publishing date is in time for the Old 97 Rail Days
event
Provides history of the hit country song that followed
the wreck
THE AUTHOR
Larry Aaron is associate editor of Evince newsmagazine and
a published historian from Danville, Virginia. He has received
first-place awards for his writing from the Virginia Press
Association and also edited the award-winning book Danville in the Civil War by Lawrence McFall. Among his
published works are Aaron Ancestors of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, a genealogical study; Keppy’s War, the
memoirs of Captain John Kepchar in World War II; The Race to the Dan, a history of events in the southern
campaign during the American Revolution; and Pittsylvania County: A Brief History, published by The History
Press.
Sightings
08-15-10: Seaboard PS covered hopper #4760 with AEX reporting mark, NS Freight 37Q, Roanoke, Va. Robin
R. Shavers
08-19-10: HLCX, Ex Union Pacific #5965, GMTX 6 axle Ex EMD’s #’s 9057 & 9082 in their original EMD
Blue/White Demo Paint Scheme. O. Winston Link Museum, Roanoke, Va. Norris Deyerle & Lee Hawkins
08-21-10: Ohio Central U-boats #’s 3613, 3616, 7063 & 7064. CSX Bryan Park Terminal, Richmond, Va. Robin
R. Shavers
08-23-10: RTEX SD40 #1272 sporting an interesting paint scheme on CSX freight Q438 entering Acca Yard at
12:35 a.m., Richmond, Va. Robin R. Shavers
09-03-10: HLCX #7915, BNSF Green/Orange Paint Scheme, HLCX Ex-UP #5972, yard engines on the
Lynchburg Wye, Lee & Jan Hawkins, Norris & Peggy Deyerle
4
Blue Ridge Chapter, NRHS 2010 Calendar of Events
52nd Anniversary of the Blue Ridge Chapter
Virginia’s Rail Heritage Region Partner
Compiled By Norris Deyerle
September 2010:
09-08-10: {Wednesday} Regular BRC Monthly Meeting, Steve Hutchison, Winston-Salem Chapter, NRHS
President, DVD, “Trackside Video Memories”
09-11-12-10: {Saturday and Sunday} “The Great Lehigh Valley Train Meet”, Merchant’s Square Mall, 1901
South 12th. Street, Allentown, Pa. Info: www.valleygoto.com/train.html. Courtesy the “Lancaster Dispatcher”
09-19-10: {Sunday} Annual BRC Picnic, Noon – 4:00 p.m. English Park, Altavista, Va. See Norris’ National
Director’s Page in this newsletter for details.
09-22-10: {Wednesday} BRC “Fun Meeting”
09-24-26-10: {Friday-Sunday} Ntrak National Show: “The Crossing at the Dan”, Danville, Va. Info:
www.trainweb.org/nrmrc/2010show/. Courtesy “Lancaster Dispatcher”
October 2010:
10-02-03-10: {Saturday and Sunday} Altoona Railfest 2010: Railroaders Memorial Museum, Altoona, Pa. Info:
www.railroadcity.com Courtesy the “Lancaster Dispatcher”
10-09 & 16 & 23-10: {Saturdays} Old Dominion Chapter, NRHS, “The Autumn Leaf Rambler”, Train will depart
from the Buckingham Branch Railroad Station, Highway U.S. 15, Dillwyn, Va. Info: www.odcnrhs.org Courtesy
Of Robin R. Shavers
10-13-10: {Wednesday} Regular BRC Monthly Meeting, Kurt Reisweber, Historic Railroad Postcards
10-14-16-10: {Thursday thru Saturday} Eastern Division Train Collectors Association Train Meet, York Expo
Center, 334 Carlisle Ave., York, Pa, 17404. Info: www.easterntca.org. Courtesy the “Lancaster Dispatcher”
10-30-31-10: {Saturday and Sunday} “The Great Scale Model Train Show”, Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200
York Road, Timonium, Md. Info: www.gsmts.com. Courtesy the “Lancaster Dispatcher”
November 2010:
11-06: Book-signing event. “The Wreck of the Old 97” by Larry G. Aaron. 1:30 p.m. Lynchburg Public Library.
(details above)
11-06 & 07-10: {Saturday and Sunday} Roanoke Chapter, NRHS, Fall 2010 Excursions, Saturday trip Roanoke
to Danville, Va., Sunday trip Roanoke to Bluefield, WV. These trips are special Amtrak excursion trains. Please
do not call Amtrak or Norfolk Southern regarding these charter trips. Their operators do not have information.
For ticket sales and more information please contact our Blue Ridge Chapter, NRHS representative Garland
Harper. Phone Garland at 434-660-1218.
11-10-10: {Wednesday} Regular BRC Monthly Meeting, Blue Ridge Chapter Vice President Charlie Long, DVD
11-13-14-10: {Saturday and Sunday} Pocahontas Chapter, NRHS Model Train Show, Bluefield, WV, Info:
www.nrhs.com/chapters/pocahontas.htm
Attention: No BRC “Fun Meeting” due to the Thanksgiving Holiday.
December 2010:
12-04-10: {Saturday} Annual BRC Christmas Banquet, 6:00 p.m. till… Pre-paid reservations required. Guests
welcome. Location: Former Southern Railway Depot, Altavista, Va.
12-04 & 11-10: {Saturdays} Old Dominion Chapter, NRHS, “The Santa Claus
Train”, Train will depart from the Buckingham Branch Railroad Station, Highway U.S. 15, Dillwyn, Va. Info:
www.odcnrhs.org Courtesy Of Robin R. Shavers
12-08-10: {Wednesday} Regular BRC Monthly Meeting, Blue Ridge Chapter President Rick Johnson, Slides
12-18-10: {Saturday} Annual BRC Kemper Street Station Christmas Gathering, Guests welcome. Location:
Lynchburg, Va. Amtrak Station.
Upcoming Railroad Related Events Information: Visit: www.vmt.org, www.linkmuseum.org,
www.RailServe.com, www.trains.com, www.TrainFinder.com or www.gserr.com. Additional links to
other NRHS Chapters, Railroad Historical Societies and Museums available at www.blueridgenrhs.org
Virginia Museum Of Transportation Rail Cam: http://www.nwhs.org/cam/vmt
Roanoke, Va. Rail Cam: http://128.173.197.94:443/RRCmov
Lynchburg Rail Day 2011 {Saturday} August 13, 2011
Lynchburg Rail Day 2012 {Saturday} August 11, 2012
5
CHAPTER OFFICERS AND STAFF
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
National Director
Editor
Historian
Webmaster
Rick Johnson, 104 Mowry Ln. Lynchburg, VA 24502
434-660-1113
notch8@aol.com
Charlie Long, 106 Pacos St., Lynchburg, VA 24502
434-239-3521
cwlongjr@mindspring.com
Tom Ledford, 2186 Woodcrest Dr., Lynchburg, VA 24503
434-384-2013
tomledford@hotmail.com
John Tanner, 209 Pocahontas Dr., Forest, VA 24551-1235
434-525-1318
flytrains@ verizon.net
E. Norris Deyerle, Jr. 744 Chinook Pl., Lynchburg, VA 24502
434-237-4912
railcow@msn.com
Garland R. Harper, 3920 Harbor St. Lynchburg, VA 24503
434-384-7210
GRHarper@aol.com
Rick Johnson, 104 Mowry Ln. Lynchburg, VA 24502
434-660-1113
notch8@aol.com
John Siegle 1225 Krise Cir. Lynchburg, VA 24503
434-384-6951
jas65@comcast.net
The BLUE RIDGE DISPATCHER is published by the Blue Ridge Chapter, National
Railway Historical Society. Opinions expressed are those of the editor and
contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Blue Ridge Chapter or the
National Railway Historical Society unless otherwise stated.
Blue Ridge Chapter, NRHS
P. O. Box 11731
Lynchburg, VA 24506-1731
www.blueridgenrhs.org
blueridgenrhs@yahoo.com
6