March - Orange Empire Railway Museum

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RAILWAY MUSEUM, INC.
Vol. 125 No.3
March 2016
PG. 21
PG. 22
PG. 23
About 2 hours after arriving, our newest 'red car' rests on the temporary
connector to the Goetz Road unloading site.
Ken Schwartz
PG. 8
PG. 10
PG. 11
PG. 12
PG. 14
PG. 15
PG. 16
PG. 17
PG. 18
PG. 20
WELCOME SAN DIEGO 1008
1008 ARRIVES IN PERRIS
UPCOMING EVENTS
THE STREETCAR THAT DID IT!
SAN DIEGO PCC 508
JOIN US
PLANT FACILITIES REPORT
MARCH 5TH FESTIVITIES
FROM THE ARCHIVES
ANNUAL MEETING
LEGEND VISITS GRIZZLY FLATS
SP 1006 UPDATE
EASTER BUNNY
CIVIL WAR REENACTMENT
MUSEUMS ADVOCACY DAY
PE 498 PROGRESS REPORT
JIM BANNINGER
STEAM CREW NEWS
COMET CAR UPDATE
HARVEY MUSEUM
DONATIONS REPORT
PRIVATE RAILCAR TOUR
Byron Brainard
Inside This Issue
PG. 1
PG. 2
PG. 4
PG. 5
PG. 6
OERM WELCOMES
SAN DIEGO MTS 1008
By Byron Brainard
J
oin us in welcoming the
newest member of the
OERM collection, San
Diego MTS 1008, a 1980 Siemens
DüWag U2 Light Rail Vehicle
(LRV). It just so happens that the
newest piece of equipment to arrive
on museum grounds heralds from
San Diego just as our very first
Whole No 699
Interior shot of the San Diego MTS 1008
streetcar did 58 years ago, San Diego
Electric Railway PCC 508. In this
edition of the Gazette, you will find
the first of several articles that will
present this LRV, its journey to
OERM, and the rich history behind it
to our members and visitors.
MTS-San Diego Trolley 1008
Arrives in Perris
by Richard Berk
M
Jeff Williams
etropolitan Transit System-San Diego Trolley 1008, arrived at the Museum around 5:15 AM, Tuesday,
March 8th after 35 years of heavy use on the San Diego light rail system and an 80 mile haul from San
Diego to Perris on a purpose built trailer system made by Heavy Transport Inc., for moving light rail
vehicles. The car is complete, operational and looks good, testimony to its design, construction and the effective
maintenance the fleet has received over the years. Jeff Williams captured the arrival and unloading operation in the
series of photos that follow.
Jeff Williams
Heavy Haul Transport's rig is positioned and preparation for detaching the well trailer from the jeep trailer has started.
The combination is 133' long, 12' wide, 15'-11" high and just under 180,000 lbs. overall. The 2013 Kenworth heavy haul
spec'd tractor is powered by a Cummins ISX 600 engine developing 600 brake horsepower.
Jeff Williams
The steerable rear bogie section shown is maneuvered so that the rails on the trailer align
with the track at the unloading location.
Inversion layer fog developed over the moisture laden cold ground as the rising sun warmed the air above.
Predawn air temperature had dropped to 37˚ F. The work goes on, incrementally stepping the
Continued on page 3
well to ground level using the trailer's jack system and blocking.
2 Gazette March 2016
MTS-San Diego Trolley 1008
Arrives in Perris - Continued
Continued from page 2
Jeff Williams
the volunteers who took them
on: Carl Pickus picked up a
Voith Scharfenberg type 35
coupler and drawbar from
MTS in San Diego and
delivered it to Perris.
Although the type 35 is the
most common light rail
coupler in the world, that
technology passed us by and
we need to make an adapter in
order to move 1008 using a
common railroad knuckle
coupler. Carl used his forklift
to fetch, carry and place trench
plate at the spot where the well
trailer's hydraulic cylinders
were to land in order to spread
the ground pressure there.
At ground level with transition rails in place, Paul Dieges projected a tangent
1008 was rolled off the trailer controlled by the line, offset from the trailer
trailer's winch, most of the way. The Museum's
landing spot for 100 feet back so
Case skip loader was used to pull the car
that
a row of delineators could
completely clear of the trailer and spot it in a
safe place.
be placed in a perfectly straight
line as a guide allowing the
Epilog: On February 4th, 2016
trailer's steerable bogie operator to
we received a letter from San Diego
correctly position the back of the rig.
MTS confirming the Executive
Byron Brainard and Jeff Williams
Committees' decision to donate a
brought in and set up light towers for
class U2 vehicle to Orange Empire
work site safety. They used the Case
for preservation. A 'kick off' or
skip loader's box scraper to dress up
perhaps 'kick the tires' meeting was
the grade and clear debris that had
held in San Diego on February 23rd
accumulated at the Goetz Road gate
with Hank Winn. Things started
and Jeff manned the loader to pull
falling in place when we learned that
1008 clear of the trailer. The effort
Heavy Transport's light rail vehicle
paid off. The move was completed
moving group, based in Stockton,
without a hitch. In a follow up eCA, had equipment in Southern
mail, Lorin Sabin, Heavy Transport's
California. That created a window of
Stockton Branch Manager, noted his
opportunity for us as well as for
appreciation for the unloading site
Western Railway Museum in Rio
preparations. Coming from a
Vista, Solano County. WRM had
professional who has 'seen it all',
been gifted a car as well, their
that's a valued compliment.
second. We came to terms on pricing
Note from the Editor: Although
and committed to the move date. 33
the 1008 has been donated, we had to
days after notice that a car was ours,
pay for its transportation and will
1008 was delivered.
need to purchase various spare parts.
Of course, things never, really
Please consider donating to fund
'fall' into place. A project needs to be
C58 to help pay for this great new
carefully thought through, the details
acquisition. Any amount will be
identified and taken care of. Here are
appreciated and will help preserve
some of those preparatory tasks and
the car for many years to come.
A MONTHLY newsletter published
by Southern California Railway Museum, Inc.
DBA Orange Empire Railway Museum
as a benefit for its supporters
Location: 2201 S “A” Street
Perris,CA 92570
Telephone: (951) 943-3020
Fax: (951) 943-2676
E-Mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
Web: www.OERM.org
Submissions for publications are
welcome, and appreciated.
Please email ideas,
suggestions, articles and photos
to Sharilin Peters
[email protected].
Or send to ‘OERM Gazette’
on Facebook
The opinions expressed herein
are not necessarily those of
the Officers, the Board of Directors,
or the Editorial Staff of Southern
California Railway Museum, Inc.
DBA Orange Empire Railway Museum
Board of Directors (term ends):
Byron Brainard (2018)
Joe Fuller (2017)
Zeke Hastings (2018)
Tom Jacobson (2017)
Paul Peters (2019)
Fred Nicas (2017)
Bill Lamb (2018)
Rob Zanin (2019)
Phil Palmieri (2019)
Community Directors:
Barry Busch
Directors meet monthly (except Dec.)
on the 3rd Saturday at 4:00 PM at
OERM’s Town Hall. Members are
welcome to attend
Division Manager, Visitor Experience:
Donna Zanin
ASSOCIATION of
TOURIST RAILROADS
& RAILWAY MUSEUMS
Southern California Railway Museum, Inc. DBA Orange Empire Railway Museum 3
OERM UPCOMING EVENTS
Antique Truck Show: Presented in conjunction with the American Truck Historical Society this one day, Sunday May
1st, 2016, special event features hundreds of restored antique trucks in addition to our trains and trolleys. An incredible
variety of antique transportation equipment will be on hand for your viewing enjoyment. Photo opportunities abound at
this great event. This event is free for museum members.
Civil War Reenactment: May 21 & 22, 2016 step back in time and see what
life was like during the War Between the States. Visit the encampments of the
Union and Confederate Armies. See what life was like in the civilian camp.
Watch one of several battles throughout the day. This event is free for museum
members.
Rods & Rails: June 11, 2016 - Sponsored by the City Of Perris, the 14th
annual car and motorcycle show features classic cars from 1920's thru the
1970's and motorcycles from 1939 to the present. The event also features
games and entertainment for the whole family including 1800's Territorial
Marshall Reenactments, live music and the annual Potato Festival sponsored
by the Perris Valley Historical and Museum Association. Admission to the
grounds is free, regular prices apply for train & trolley ride passes.
Pacific Electric “Red Car” Weekend: June 18 & 19, 2016 - Join Dad for a
ride into the past on the Big Red Cars of the Pacific Electric. Although we
operate selected PE cars throughout the year, this is the weekend when we
have the largest group of them out to ride and photograph. On Sunday we'll
also have a family barbeque from Noon – 2:00. Advanced paid reservations
are required for the barbeque. Admission to the grounds is free, regular prices
apply for train & trolley rides.
Perris Appreciation Day: July 16, 2016 - This is an opportunity for all of our
friends that live, work or go to school in the City of Perris to come out, enjoy
the museum and ride the train and trolleys for free.
Summer Evening Trolley Fest: July 23, 2016 - Museum members, it's time
for our annual evening trolley operations featuring special equipment
operations. The evening starts with our member's barbeque and after dinner
it's time for the trolley rides. Don't forget to bring your camera. There are
always lots of great photo opportunities at this event. You must be a member
(or the guest of one) to attend this event. You can buy a membership the day of
the event if you wish. Please make your reservation by calling the museum
office 951-943-3020.
Fall Swap Meet: September 10, 2016 - Southern California's largest outdoor railroadiana swap meet. Buy and sell
railroad related antiques, collectibles, equipment, books, art, models and toys. Gates open at 7:00 AM for vendor/sellers
and 9:00 AM to the general public. This event is free to OERM members. Members in good standing may apply to setup
their booths on Friday afternoon. Please contact the museum office for an application.
Pumpkin Train: October 15, 16, 22, & 23, 2016 – Pumpkin Train is a Fall tradition not to be missed. Ride the trolleys to
the Pumpkin Patch where you can pick out and decorate your own pumpkin. In addition to the train & trolley rides, there
will be a bounce house, a costume contest and a Spooky Caboose. Trolleys depart to the Pumpkin Patch from 10:00 AM –
4:00 PM.
Day Out With Thomas: November 5, 6, 11, 12, & 13, 2016 – Day Out With Thomas is a fun-filled event that provides
children of all ages the opportunity to climb aboard and take a ride with Thomas and Percy as well as participate in lots of
Thomas and Friends themed activities. There is a full day of fun activities and entertainment. Tickets will go on sale March
1st. Purchase tickets before September 1st and SAVE!
Boy Scout Railroad Merit Badge: Scout Coordinator Steve Pesante leads the Boy Scout Railroading merit badge session
on the following Saturdays in 2016: March 26, April 23, May 14, June 4, July 16, August 13, September 24, October 1, and
November 19. Scouts can sign up individually or as a troop. Please call the museum office for more information. 951-9433020.
4 Gazette March 2016
T
By Richard Berk
Canada. Most importantly for us,
Stadtbahn had the attention of
Senator Jim Mills, representing San
Diego in the California State
Legislature.
Through the 1970's,
Senator Mills advocated and
garnered support for
construction of a new mass
transit rail line with
characteristics of a pre-war
suburban / interurban
electric traction line - a light
rail line. It was to be built on
the underutilized San Diego
Arizona Eastern Railroad
right of way for about 15 1/2 miles south from
downtown
San Diego
to the USMexico
border at
S a n
Ysidro.
The initial
segment of
San Diego
New DüWag U2 Vehicles Enter Service on the
Frankfurt Light Rail Network
Trolley Inc.
(SDTI), with
that did it' was motive power that
a proof of concept
revolutionized railroading. The
objective, was
DüWag built U2 Stadtbahn, or light
engineered to
rail vehicle, is also a pillar of an
succeed 'out of the
equally significant revolution, the
box' in order to
light rail revolution. Where the
disprove the
PCC (President's Conference
prevailing notion
Committee) streetcar, with all the
innovative design it introduced, that new urban /
improved speed and comfort for s u b u r b a n r a i l
street railway patrons, it did not transit systems
impact urban travel in any lasting were unaffordable
and that any
way.
The U2 vehicle was designed b e n e f i t w o u l d
to make the Stadtbahn concept never justify the
succeed and it did, grabbing the cost. The pilot
attention of urban planners not only line opened July
in Europe but in Edmonton and 26, 1981 as a bare
Calgary in Saskatchewan Province, bones operation
Image courtesy of the Russell E. Jackson Collection
he coast to coast
demonstration tour of
Electro Motive's model
FT locomotive, the locomotive that
Trains Magazine called 'the diesel
that supplemented and eventually
replaced busses on San Diego
Transit's heavy Centre City / Border
route. The vehicle of choice was
the service proven DüWag U2 with
Siemens propulsion equipment.
In March, 2016, after about 35
years in service, SDTI 1008,
number 8 of the initial order of 14
U2s has entered active retirement at
the Orange Empire Railway
Museum, about 80 miles from its
home base, memorializing
technology that made Metropolitan
Transit System's San Diego Trolley
and Jim Mill's vision the success
that kicked off the light rail
revolution in the United States.
The builder's Light Rail Vehicles prospectus
Southern California Railway Museum, Inc. DBA Orange Empire Railway Museum 5
Image courtesy of the Russell E. Jackson Collection
U2 - The Streetcar that Did It!
San Diego PCC 508
I
n the early 1930's, a group
known as the Electric
Railway President's
Conference Committee (PCC)
started research on a design of
streetcars that would modernize the
streetcar fleet that were being used
to move passengers on the street
railways of North America.
By Paul Peters and Ray Ballash
The San Diego Electric Railway
ordered 25 of the new PCC cars from
the St. Louis Car Co. in July 1936,
and were the very first operator in
Western North America to order and
take delivery of the streamlined
streetcars that were brought into
service in 1937. Three additional
cars were ordered and delivered in
1938.
In April 1949, streetcar
operations ended in San Diego. In
February, 1950, some cars were sold
to El Paso City Lines in Texas, and
the remaining cars were put in the
Adams Avenue barn in San Diego for
storage. In 1957 Jim Walker, Ray
Ballash, and others, went to San
Continued on page 7
Join Us - Volunteers Welcome
WHAT
are we do ing
B oa rd of D ire c tor's M e e ting
H a rve y Girls H is toric a l
Soc ie ty M e e ting & B runc h
H os t / T our Guide M e e ting
A rc hive s C om m itte e M tg &
Sc a nning P a rty
Intro T o R a ilw a y O pe ra tions
& M us e um H is tory
GC O R 2nd D is tric t R ule s
C la s s
N e x t D ate s
A pr 16th
M a y 21s t
M a y 7th
J une 4th
A pr 12th
M a y 10th
M os t
M onda ys
A pr 2nd
J uly 9th
M a y 14th
A ug 6th
W H EN
W H ER E
WHO
T im e
do we m e e t
to C o ntac t with Q ue s tio ns
H e a the r Ga rc ia
m is s he a the rga rc ia @ gm a il.c om
P a t W olve n - 951-833-2338
da ve w olve n@ m s n.c om
Ga ry C oc hra ne
g2c oc hra ne @ ya hoo.c om
D a rre ll C a lvillo 626-826-0381
a rc hive s @ oe rm .org
B ria n N orde n
bnorde n49@ e a rthlink.ne t
B ria n M c L a ughlin
oe rm 5502@ brim a c .c om
Ga ry Sta rre
ga s ta rre @ gm a il.c om
B ria n M c L a ughlin
oe rm 5502@ brim a c .c om
E ric H e ffe rna n
c om pute rguy5001@ hotm a il.c om
E dw a rd B ra ndt
e dw a rd3136@ e dw a rdbra ndt.c om
B ria n M c L a ughlin
oe rm 5502@ brim a c .c om
D onna Z a nin - 951-943-3020
dza nin@ oe rm .org
T om J a c obs on - 951-314-4258
tom @ tom ja c obs onla w .c om
D onna Z a nin - 951-943-3020
dza nin@ oe rm .org
D onna Z a nin - 951-943-3020
dza nin@ oe rm .org
P a ul H a rr - 714-225-7852
P a ulIs la ndO ne @ a ol.c om
D a n P a rks - 626-827-3791
dm p41@ c a s e .e du
D a n W he e le r - 626-919-2134
tc hhort@ ya hoo.c om
H a nk W inn - 951-226-6660
la ke robe rt@ ve rizon.ne t
R od Fis hburn - 818-203-5276
rodfis hburn@ e a rthlink.ne t
U s ual Sc he dule
3rd Sa turda ys (in
4:00pm
D e c 2nd Sa t)
1s t Sa turda ys
9:30a m
(Se pt-J une )
2nd T ue s da ys
10:00a m
(Se pt-J une )
C onta c t D a rre ll
10:00a m
to c onfirm
9:30a m
9:30a m
M otorm a n C la s s
J une 4th
9:30a m
GC O R 1s t D is tric t R ule s
C la s s
J une 4th
9:30a m
C onduc tor C la s s
A ug 6th
9:30a m
B ra ke m a n C la s s
E ngine e r C la s s
T hom a s E ve nt C om m itte e
M e e ting
Iron H ors e / Ste a m punk
E ve nt C om m itte e M e e ting
Sa nta E ve nt C om m itte e
M e e ting
M a y 7-8
O c t 22-23
A pr 2-3
J uly 9-10
9:00a m
C onta c t D onna for
da te s & tim e s
To Be
D e te rm ine d
To Be
D e te rm ine d
N a rrow Ga uge P roje c ts
Ste a m C re w W ork D a y
9:00a m
T ow n H a ll
T ow n H a ll
T ow n H a ll
U s ua lly 3rd
Sa turda ys
1s t Sa turda ys
T ow n H a ll
Grizzly Fla ts /
C a r B a rn # 6
C a r B a rn 4
B y A rra nge m e nt
- C onta c t D a n
L a nds c a ping W ork
Signa l D e pa rtm e nt W ork
D ay
C olle c tions R e s tora tion a nd
E le c tric C a r M a inte na nc e
U s ua lly 3rd
Sa turda ys
9:30a m
9:30a m
Fre d H a rve y
M us e um
T om Gros e
A rc hive B ldg
Y a rdm a s te r's
O ffic e
Y a rdm a s te r's
O ffic e
Y a rdm a s te r's
P le a s e c onta c t
O ffic e
ins truc tor to
Y a rdm a s te r's
m a ke a dva nc e d
O ffic e
re s e rva tion for
Y a rdm a s te r's
c la s s
O ffic e
Y a rdm a s te r's
O ffic e
Y a rdm a s te r's
O ffic e
9a m -5pm M os t Sa turda ys
M a y 7th
J une 4th
T ow n H a ll
Y e a r R ound
9:00a m
M os t Sa turda ys
C onta c t H a nk
9:00a m
M os t Sa turda ys
C onta c t R od
N o te : In a ddition to c onta c t info a bove , you c a n le a ve a m e s s a ge w ith the Sta ff a t 951-943-3020 or info@ oe rm .org
6 Gazette March 2016
San Diego PCC 508 - Continued
Continued from page 6
was used for a while but sitting
outside for many years took its toll
and it began to deteriorate. A group of
well intended individuals started to
restore the car, but soon found out it
was more work than they thought and
abandoned the project.
In 2005 Sharilin Peters mother,
Barbara Meyer, started making
regular donations towards the future
restoration of the streetcar she
probably rode on as a child growing
up in Old Town San Diego. In May
2007 Paul and Sharilin Peters
presented a restoration plan for the
car, but as there were not enough
funds to actually start the project, it
was placed on hold. In February
2012, with enough funds to start
work on car the restoration, the plan
was updated and, after the museum
board approved the plan, a contractor
was hired to perform the metal work
and painting of the car's exterior.
Work started in October of 2012 and,
through the generosity of many
museum members, the 20th Century
Electric Railway Foundation, and the
Ludwick Foundation, funds became
available to work on the interior of
the car. Work is still in process as of
today, with all of the painting and
most of the interior work completed.
After the interior and exterior
lettering, some electrical work, the
rebuild of the cars trucks, and the
doorways, it is expected to be back in
service sometime in 2016. Additional
money is needed to complete the
restoration. Donations to fund C33
are welcome and very much
appreciated.
Courtesy of BillVolkmer
Diego to look at car 508 and the
remaining San Diego PCC cars
which then belonged to a junk man
located in Rose Canyon. 508 was
sold to the Orange Empire Railway
Museum for $1,200. Ray remembers
that he thought the museum took a
beating on the price, but all were
happy to acquire the car. The
museum kids (as Ray is fond of
calling themselves) were intending
on moving the car to Travel Town in
Los Angeles where the Orange
Empire Trolley Company was
currently located, and were planning
to lay a couple lengths of track for it.
As it turned out, with the purchase of
the property in Perris, the car was
moved to the new location and was
the first streetcar to arrive at the new
museum grounds in 1958. The car
San Diego 508 PCC as seen in service at 5th and Broadway in San Diego.
Southern California Railway Museum, Inc. DBA Orange Empire Railway Museum 7
Plant / Facilities Report
by Hank Winn,
VP / COO / General Manager
8 Gazette March 2016
Rod Fishburn
W
e have successfully
begun the 2016
Spring special event
season. Due to the scheduling of
Easter this year, only one weekend of
B u n n y Tr a i n w a s h e l d . T h e
following weekend was the Iron
Horse, a Family Steampunk
Carnivale. There were many
infrastructure requirements for this
event so we could be ready to
entertain large crowds of visitors for
this two day event. Following that,
we have Rail Festival on April 9th
and 10th, followed by the Truck
Show on May 1st. Later in the
summer season we have Pacific
Electric Days. Rob Zanin and Dan
Wheeler are the two volunteers who
are primarily attending to the
infrastructure needs of the Spring
Special Events.
R o n R u ff u l o , o u r m a s t e r
electrician, has experienced a recent
medical issue but continues to
support the Plant & Facilities
Division with his knowledge and
material inventory. Without Ron's
efforts over many years, much of the
museum would not have been
constructed as rapidly and
professionally. Let us offer many
thanks to Ron for what he has done.
Rob Zanin and Hank Winn have been
handling the museum's electrical
needs to the best of their ability. It
would be greatly appreciated if
anyone with electrical skill, either
construction or maintenance, could
offer even one day per month. This
would go a long way toward being
able to stay ahead of the routine
issues such as florescent lamp change
out, receptacle and photocell
renewal, etc.
Dan Wheeler, Chuck Tobin and
Hank Winn recently completed an
evaluation of the trees on the
museum grounds and are formulating
a plan for managing the situation.
Several categories of work have
presented including trimming, limb
Paul Dieges grading near Car House 1
thinning, topping and the removal of
diseased trees when necessary. This
work will be accomplished by a
combination of volunteer and
professional forces. We have a large
number of eucalyptus trees and they
have problems with shedding limbs.
We still have a small number of
pepper trees; over the years a number
have failed. These need special
examination and attention to prevent
major limb failure. Dan is also
resuming work on the irrigation
system along the 'A' Street property
frontage. The existing old-style
sprinkler system is being replaced by
a drip irrigation system that will
efficiently deliver water only to the
vegetation that needs it with a
resultant cost and material savings.
Dan is still asking for help. Once
again, even one day per month would
make a big difference. Come on out
and help maintain the excellent
image that our venue presents.
Danny Giles and The Baker
Brothers, Tom and Jim, continue
their fine job of sorting the OTM
(Other Track Material) we have on
hand. They have nearly completed
sorting the tie plates and are
preparing to sort our joint bars. This
is very tedious work that requires the
use of templates to ascertain the spike
hole punching dimensions. The
number of spike holes, the hole
punch pattern and whether the plate
is flat or canted must also be taken in
to account. Our thanks go them for
doing this work, without which it
would be a much lengthier job of
doing any track construction--sorting the material out as one builds
is not fun.
Phil Palmieri and Hank Winn
are beginning construction of a new
equilateral turnout that will be
located midway down the spur that
will be the new home of the rail yard
in the easternmost part of the
museum. This will allow for two
tracks through the area and facilitate
the movement of rail on flat cars to
track project locations. Rail will be
loaded with a fork lift, transported by
train to the job site and then off
loaded either by fork lift or by using
our Burro crane.
Zeke Hastings has been quite
busy preparing the area to the east of
Car Barn 7 for the new 4 track storage
yard that will be built there. There
are vehicles and stored material in the
way of the future tracks. After these
have been moved to a different
storage location, the grading for the
yard can be completed, followed by
the construction of the tracks
themselves.
Greg Wasz continues with his
Continued on page 9
Plant / Facilities Report - Continued
Continued from page 8
project of tie replacement along the
loop track, beginning at the northeast
corner and proceeding down the east
side and then proceeding down the
south side until track that has already
been renewed is reached. This area
of the loop was constructed in the
1960's with ties that were used at that
time. Greg can use a hand if anyone
would like to come out and help.
Work consists of digging out the dirt
from around the old ties, unspiking
the tie and then removing the tie. The
digging can be accomplished at any
time, even when Greg is not out. If
you are interested, please call the
museum and I will be happy to set up
a day convenient for all involved.
Charlie De Ghetto, Phil Palmieri
and Hank Winn renewed the switch
ties in the Car Barn 4 lead switch.
This track leads from the Alpine
Drive platform area out to Car Barn 7.
The switch in question allows entry
into Car Barn 4. Over 15 ties were
unspiked, followed by removal of the
ties from the track structure using our
backhoe, operated by Charlie. We
then positioned the replacement ties
using our tie crane. Charlie then slid
them into the track structure by
pushing them in with the bucket of
the backhoe. We then had to replace
a number of joint bars and tie plates
that were either the wrong size or not
the right ones for the particular
application at hand. Two special tie
plates were manufactured using our
Buffalo Ironworker. Using a 60
pound pneumatic spiking hammer
the ties were all spiked and the rail
gauged. Following the tie renewal,
Phil tamped the complete turnout
using our 8-head McWilliams spot
tamper. This was, in turn, followed
by ballast regulation utilizing our
Kershaw ballast regulator. The
availability of mechanized track
equipment has made track work
possible at a much faster and easier
pace at our museum.
Paul Dieges and Zeke Hastings
are busy doing the preliminary earth
work for the construction of the track
that will lead from our recently
installed dual gauge turnout on the
north side of the loop onto the
transfer table that is positioned
between Car Barn 1 and Car Barn 3.
This dual gauge track is one more
step toward realizing our goal of
restoring the transfer table and using
it in our operations at the museum.
Following the earthwork, the Line
Department forces will set and install
a pole for the overhead wire. Then
we will lay ties, install the rail, ballast
and tamp the track and celebrate
another project completion.
Speaking of Line Department
n e w s , J R L o w e a n d Wa r r e n
Buchanan have been busy working
on the connecting track project.
When the track was rebuilt it was
constructed on a more proper
alignment than the original track
installation. This alignment
correction has necessitated the
overhead trolley wire be moved over
as well. JR has spent many days
preparing trolley wire pull offs for
installation followed by many hours
of time in the bucket truck installing
the materials and removing old span
wires. The project is nearing
completion and will greatly enhance
the ability of the museum to operate a
more diverse variety of cars in
weekend tourist service on the loop
track.
Southern California Railway Museum, Inc. DBA Orange Empire Railway Museum 9
March 5th Festivities
by J. Michael Donnelly
S
Paul Dieges
a t u r d a y, M a r c h 5 t h
dawned cloudy, with a
threat of rain, but
fortunately, it held off for the day and
early evening.
We hosted a total of 168 swap
meet sellers and 658 visitors through
the front gate. Of these totals, 229
were members. As at past OERM
Railroadiana Swap Meets, there was
a variety of goodies to peruse and
buy. Along with the usual rail items
such as dining car dishes and
silverware, antique tools and
hardware (locks, specialty tools, etc.)
were specialty jewelry and clothing
items with a railroad flavor.
A major event this year was the
public opening of the Fred Harvey
Museum, in the new archives
building. The OERM Harvey Girls
Historical Society members hosted
visitors as they toured the displays.
More on this event is covered in a
separate story in this Gazette issue.
The OERM Annual Meeting
was held at 3:00 pm, after the swap
meet. More on the annual meeting is
elsewhere in this Gazette.
After the annual meeting, 80
members came to Town Hall for a
dinner of chicken and tri-tip and cake
for desert.
Our own Chef Laurie
Knight and her Sous Chef, Tina
Jones, prepared the wonderful meal.
Tina had so much fun at OERM she
joined up as a member, welcome
Tina! The dinner was served by
members Paul & Sharilin Peters,
Gary Knight and Pat & Dave
Wolven.
Brian McLaughlin
Chefs Laurie & Tina get a round of applause for their delicious dinner
Randy Doss
Brian McLaughlin
Swap Meet vendors and buyers enjoy a beautiful day
Chef Laurie Knight and Sous Chef Tina
Jones in the Town Hall kitchen
10 Gazette March 2016
A speeder was brought to the Swap Meet to try to drum up
interest in the speeder club
FROM THE ARCHIVES IX
BASIC MAGNESIUM CORP
W
Ty p i c a l l y e s t a b l i s h e d
companies were selected to manage
these war time projects. However a
need for magnesium, which was
used in the production of steel,
caused the establishment of the
Basic Magnesium Corp. which set
up a plant near Henderson, Nevada.
It is likely that the magnesium
produced was sent to the Kaiser
Steel Co. in Fontana, Calif. and
perhaps to the plants of the
Columbia Steel Corp. located in
Torrance and Pittsburg, Calif. and
Geneva, Utah.
The Defense Plant Corp.
(DPC) purchased a number of
locomotives to equip or augment
the plants they established. The
DPC also purchased some railroad
locomotives including a group of
ALCO 4-6-6-4's for the Denver &
Rio Grande Western. A single
Baldwin 660HP diesel switcher
numbered 101 was built for the
Henderson Plant for switching the
Basic Magnesium plant and
interchange with the Los Angeles &
Salt Lake (Union Pacific RR)
Boulder Branch. At the end of the
war, the plant was closed and the
equipment put up for disposal. It is
known that the locomotive was
stored for a time, then leased to
contractor General Shea Pacific
Corp. as #1001 and used to
construct the Kaiser Steel Corp.'s
Eagle Mountain Mine railroad in
Riverside County.
A Southern
Pacific locomotive classification
book, in my collection, notes that
the engine was leased to them from
August 20, 1946 to June 28, 1949
and used on the Los Angeles
Division In 1953, the locomotive
was sold to the Willamina & Grand
Rhonde RR #1001 of Grand Rhone,
Oregon. This company was
affiliated with the Long-Bell
Lumber Co. and hauled forest
products. In 1955 the name of the
operation was changed to the
Longview, Portland & Northern RR
#1001.
The locomotive was
scrapped at an unknown date.
Photo courtesy of John Kirkland Collection-OERM
hile sorting a
g r o u p
o f
locomotive
builder's photos, I came across a
Baldwin photograph of a switcher
built for the Basic Magnesium
Corp. of Nevada. This engine was
also used in California. I became
curious about the engine and what
happened to it. This short article is
the result of what I was able to find.
When the United States was
faced with enlarging industrial
capacity prior to entry into World
War Two, it was soon realized that
new investment would have to be
made in essential processes that
provided transportation, raw
materials and machine tools. In
response the U. S. Government
established the Defense Plant
Corporation to define goals, plan
and put into action, organizations to
meet these objectives.
The
Defense Plant Corp. provided
capital for many of these industrial
processes and their transportation
needs.
By P. Allen Copeland,
OERM Archives Group
Basic Magnesium Corp. #101 was photographed prior to delivery at the Baldwin plant in Eddystone, PA. The locomotive was
built as Baldwin order #41505-L, Serial 64250 and shipped April 3, 1942 as a 660HP model VO-660. The locomotive weighed
204,000-lbs. as built.
Southern California Railway Museum, Inc. DBA Orange Empire Railway Museum 11
By Heather Garcia,
Newly appointed
Corporate Secretary
2016 Annual Meeting
12 Gazette March 2016
Chuck Painter accepts the President's
Award on behalf of himself and his
daughter Liz
Randy Doss
Randy Doss
T
Gary Cochrane accepts an award from
Donna Zanin for his many hours of
volunteer service
B a l l a s h - Wa l k e r Ruffulo Member of the
Year Award to Richard
Berk who has worked
on the diesel and
electric fleet and
maintenance-of-way
vehicles, and worked
with numerous
individuals who have
greatly benefited from
Richard's time and
experience.
M r . N i c a s
Continued on page 13
David Ley accepts the Curation Award
from Rod Fishburn
Randy Doss
Donald Rudy is recognized for his
many volunteer hours
Randy Doss
Randy Doss
he 2016 Annual
Meeting was held on
March 5th in Grizzly
Flats. Joe Fuller, the President/CEO,
introduced the Officers and Division
Managers.
Museum awards were bountiful
at the Annual Meeting. Pat Wolven,
President of the Harvey Girls
Historical Society, honored Laurie
Knight for her dedication and never
ending commitment to the Harvey
Girls of Orange Empire Railway
Museum. Ken Schwartz, from
Railway Operations, recognized
Brice and Rick Brummett, Jim
Sutterlin, Chris Baldwin, and
M o n i k a S e i t z - Ve g a f o r t h e i r
dedication to Operations; then Gary
Starre recognized Ken Schwartz for
his dedication as the Superintendent
and being Jingles during our “Santa's
North Pole Special” event. Donna
Zanin acknowledged Randy Doss,
Dennis Stevens, and Mike Donnelly
f o r t h e i r s u p p o r t t o Vi s i t o r
Experience; also, recognized were
Maria Nira with 723 volunteer hours,
Rhonda Bye with 826 volunteer
hours, Donald Rudy with 983
volunteer hours, Gary Cochrane with
1,281 volunteer hours, and finally
Rob Zanin with 2,160 volunteer
hours! Rod Fishburn bestowed the
Curators Award to David Ley. Paul
Harr recognized Cris Cesena for his
hard work and helpful hand in diesel
maintenance. Hank Winn awarded
Dan Wheeler with the Golden
Hardhat Award.
M r. F u l l e r p r e s e n t e d t h e
President's Award to the family team
of Chuck & Elizabeth Painter, who
have distinguished themselves
through their tireless work and
dedication keeping our diesel
locomotives in their best visual
livery. Mr. Fuller also presented the
Dan Wheeler says a few words after accepting the
Golden Hardhat Award from Hank Winn
2016 Annual Meeting - Continued
Maria Nira is excited to be recognized
for her many hours of volunteer service
Randy Doss
Randy Doss
Continued from page 12
Richard Berk accepts the BallashWalker-Ruffulo Award from Joe Fuller
Randy Doss
Rob Zanin is recognized, by his wife
Donna, for his many volunteer hours
Randy Doss
Randy Doss
Rhonda Bye gets recognition for her
volunteer service
Randy Doss
introduced the current Board of
Directors.
Mr. Fuller had a State of the
Museum presentation which focused
on new names, light & heavy rail
collection restorations, current
events and logos, proposed new
events, Perris Connection dedication
and construction status, outcome of a
few of the 2015 events, the grand
opening of the Fred Harvey
Museum, and management goals for
2016-17.
The Election Results were
presented by the Assistant Secretary,
Heather Garcia. Ms. Garcia
expressed gratitude to Mike
Donnelly, Daniel Parks, Maria Nira,
Mike Fitzgerald, Bill Travis, Gary
Cochrane, and James Bunoan for
their helpful hand in the 2016 Board
of Directors Election process. A total
of 1,400 ballot packages were mailed
out, 502 envelopes with valid ballots
returned, and 1,502 total votes were
counted. The candidates who won
the election were: Phil Palmieri with
348 votes, Rob Zanin with 310 votes,
Paul Peters with 303 votes. The
remaining candidates were: Rod
Fishburn with 299 votes and Sharilin
Peters with 238 votes; there were
four single vote write-ins, as well.
Rick & Brice Brummett, Monika Seitz-Vega and Jim Sutterlin are recognized
by Gary Starre and Ken Schwartz for their service to the Operations Dept
Laurie Knight is presented an award by Pat
Wolven
Southern California Railway Museum, Inc. DBA Orange Empire Railway Museum 13
Animation Legend
Visits Grizzly Flats
By Beth Weilenman
Famed illustrator Drew Struzan
created this poster for Floyd Norman's
filmed biography, "An Illustrated
Life," by Michael Fiore Films and
released earlier this year.
14 Gazette March 2016
television series and other studios'
features, including “Toy Story II”
and “Monsters, Inc.” for Pixar. He
also has run his own production
company.
While he worked around and for
Kimball and was friends with Ward's
son John, Norman never saw
Kimball's railroad collection back
when his boss became the first
American to have a full-scale,
operational railroad in his back yard.
He made up for that on January
30th, 2016, when he visited the
museum and participated in the
filming of a promotional and
informational film that will be shown
in the Grizzly Flats building.
He also had heard about the
rides Kimball would give
neighborhood children, and even
heard Kimball talk about how some
If Norman hadn't been part of
Kimball's train collecting, he did
participate in another one of his
boss's activities – music. Kimball
also was a well-respected jazz
musician whose band, The Firehouse
Five Plus Two, released 13 albums.
‘I had a battered old alto
saxophone (animation director) Art
Vitello had bought,” Norman said. “I
would be playing along and a key
would stick.” Kimball told Norman
to play the “hold” notes, rather than
trickier musical elements that might
run afoul those sticking keys.
Jon Tucker, with the help of his
assistant, Daniel Sandoval, filmed
the interview in which Norman
described his first encounter with
Kimball. Norman was hired in 1956,
and one day he was walking around
Continued on page 15
Kenny Mitchroney and Beth Weilenman
I
n a historic
encounter at the
Orange Empire
Railway Museum's Grizzly
Flats Engine House 6, the
award-winning Disney
Animation Studios
animator, Floyd Norman,
finally saw the locomotives
and other railroad
equipment formerly owned
by his former boss Ward
Kimball.
Kimball, who died in
2002, was one of the
studio's “Nine Old Men”
who worked closely with
the studio's founder, Walt
Disney.
Norman, 80, himself
designated a Disney
Animation Studios legend,
is Kimball's last surviving
Floyd Norman is being filmed while sitting at the front of Ward Kimball's Chloe locomotive.
assistant from that era.
His credits range from a number of his San Gabriel neighbors weren't
Norman's film biography, “An of Disney Animation Studios as fascinated with steam locomotives
Animated Life,” directed by Eric classics, such as “Sleeping Beauty” as he.
Sharkey and produced by Michael to “101 Dalmatians” and “The Jungle
“To be here and to see it in
Fiore, has just been released.
Book,” as well as multiple animated person – it's all real!” Norman said.
Animation Legend
Visits Grizzly Flats - Continued
little on
paper.”
T h e
assistant
learned to
translate
those quick
squiggles –
an oval for a
head, a line
for a body into the
cartoon
i m a g e s
enjoyed by This picture of Floyd Norman was taken with his first 35mm camera
a n i m a t i o n in G-Wing in the Disney Studios' Animation Building. "It was my
first year on Sleeping Beauty, and I believe the year was 1957,"
fans of all
Norman said.
ages.
“He put it down fast – incredibly well taken care of – I'm happy to be
fast,” Norman said. “He would do a here and finally see it,” Norman said.
Special restricted funds have
day's work in a couple of hours.”
been
established to underwrite the
And then Kimball would catch a
quick nap before running off to his projects going on in the Grizzly Flats
area of the museum. One is B18
beloved trains, he said.
“
Grizzly Flats Railroad
Norman said he was glad to have
some time at OERM, and promised a Roundhouse” fund and the other is
return trip to get another look at the C57 “Emma Nevada \ NC2
refurbishment” fund. Contributions
Grizzly Flats and its contents.
“To have worked with Ward and are welcome to both.
his family, and to see the collection
SP 1006 Update
W
ork continues on the
Southern Pacific
1 0 0 6 S W 1
locomotive.
Dennis Blakey refurbished one
of the ground lights that was
damaged. One of the two original
light fixtures was totally gone.
However we had the correct spare
parts on hand. Dennis then wired the
main generator load regulator to the
battery field resistor and battery field
contactor.
Frank Kunsaitis replaced a
missing brake pipe feed valve with a
spare obtained from storage. We
know that most of the air brake
portions on the locomotive have not
By Dave Althaus and Tom Platten
been overhauled for many years and
will address that when the
locomotive is closer to being
functional. Frank also connected the
control air pressure gauge that had
been installed but not connected. One
of the next tasks will be to either
locate a correct engine temperature
gauge for the engineer's console or
attempt to have the capillary tube
replaced on the existing gauge. These
gauges are extremely hard to find
with the correct capillary bulb and
fitting.
Carl Pickus, John Bateson, and
Tom Platten teamed up to move items
adjacent to Carbarn 7, which belong
to the SP 1006, to a location out of the
path of the planned new tracks.
Apparently there will be four new
sidings. Zeke Hastings and Carl have
been teaming up to move stored
equipment out of the path of these
tracks. Carl will use his crane to
move items that are too heavy for
forklifts.
In addition, we have moved
equipment over to the area near
Carbarn 7 where sandblasting
occurs. The first items to be
sandblasted will be the brake
cylinders for one of the trucks for SP
1006. Once the cylinders have been
cleaned, they will be overhauled then
painted with primer.
Southern California Railway Museum, Inc. DBA Orange Empire Railway Museum 15
Courtesy of Floyd Norman
Continued from page 14
the studio's second floor, “looking at
all the cool stuff on the wall.”
Everyone else had gone home
except Kimball. “I recognized
Ward,” Norman said. “I'll never
forget.” Kimball paused and asked
Norman; “See anything you like?”
then kept walking.
Norman said he continued to
hang around the studio's Ward
Kimball unit. “That's where all the
cool stuff was,” he said. “That was
years before I got a chance to work
for the master.”
As a friend of Kimball's son
John, Norman often found himself at
John's house, in the company of the
family during weekends. He'd take
those chances to speak with Kimball
about animation, learning as much as
he could about their chosen industry.
“I had Ward all to myself, one on
one,” he said.
Later, Kimball would request
Norman as his assistant on Ludwig
Von Drake cartoons. Kimball was an
excellent artist, and his employer,
Walt Disney, called him a genius. But
when it came to the designs he gave
Norman to complete, “he put very
From the Easter Bunny
O
Brian McLaughlin
nce again I visited the
Orange Empire
Railway Museum for a
weekend with a lot of great kids.
Your museum is one of my favorite
p laces to g o . I very much
appreciated the help on the train
from the cadets of the California
Military Institute. I hear they also
helped with the other activities
OERM had for the visitors. There
was a bounce house, bunny hop
sack races, Easter baskets of
goodies, miniature train rides,
streetcar rides, and car barn tours by
the Museum's docents.
Thank you to Donna Zanin,
events coordinator, for inviting me
to come and play trains. She says
there were 1557 visitors, even more
than came to see me last year. I
have been invited back next year
and am really looking forward to it!
I always enjoy seeing all the kids
and making new friends.
L Greg Johnson
A little girl looks very happy to get a special pink egg from the Easter Bunny
Thanks again,
E. Bunny
I'll see you next year
16 Gazette March 2016
L Greg Johnson
Brian McLaughlin
Bunny Hop Sack Races
Decorating Easter baskets
Civil War Reenactment
I
answering your questions. Gain an
insight to American History and life
in the 1860's along with the soldiers,
civilians, both men and women, as
they help portray life in the Civil
War camps. Two battles will be
held each day, and of course the
railways and the rail yards will be
used as a historic backdrop. The
cannons will roar, the sound of
muskets will cut through the air, the
movements of troops, all done to
period tactics; and the general quiet
of camp life will be on display.
Saturday evening we offer period
entertainment; a Lyceum (talent
show) will be the featured
entertainment this year. OERM
members are welcome to stay for
the evening festivities.
Any students or teachers out
there? What better way of teaching
history than observing it?
Teachers, we encourage you to give
extra credit to your students who
attend the reenactment and write a
report. Students, ask your teachers
if you can get any extra credit for
attending and writing a report about
the Civil War reenactment.
Note from the Editor: One of
my most memorable classes ever
was history in Jr. High where my
teacher often dressed in a Civil War
costume and would shoot tissues, at
the chalkboard, out of a Civil War
era firearm. I wasn't interested in
history until then; he made it come
to life.
Come join us on the third
weekend in May as Orange Empire
becomes a rail hub in Northern
Virginia, and both armies fight to
control the town.
Norm Buchanan
n the years of 1861-1865
the country was embroiled
in “The War Between The
States”. This was the first time
trains were used to transport men
and supplies to the battlefield, and
the wounded taken to hospitals; it
changed the face of war forever.
The use of trains was vital to both
sides; trains, tracks, rail yards, and
supply depots were all targets
during the conflict.
During the weekend of May
21-22, 2016 Orange Empire
Railway Museum will host a Civil
War reenactment showing how
important the use of the railroads
were to the Union and Confederate
sides. There will be camps for both
sides that you are welcome to visit
and ask questions of the reenactors.
All of our reenactors are very
approachable and would enjoy
by Dave Grimsrud,
President of the
American Civil War Society
A reenacted battle takes place near Grizzly Flats
Southern California Railway Museum, Inc. DBA Orange Empire Railway Museum 17
Museums Advocacy Day
by Peter Gagnon
Courtesy of G. Mark Ray
T
his February, several
hundred museum
staffers, board members
and supporters gathered in
Washington D.C. to take part in the
eighth annual Museums Advocacy
Day. The event is hosted by the
American Alliance of Museums
(AAM) and sponsored by dozens of
state, regional and specialized
museum support organizations,
including our own Association of
Tourist Railroads and Railway
Museums (ATRRM). Nine people
from ATRRM affiliated museums
and railways attended. They
represented member organizations
from eight different states.
The purpose of Museums
Advocacy Day is to have participants
make individual and group visits to
elected officials to help those
officials understand and recognize
the value of museums in our
communities and our nation. To
ensure that these visits will be
productive, AAM offers training
sessions and written materials to
prepare participants for their visits to
Capitol Hill. It is probably fair to say
that AAM's training is in effect a brief
seminar on best practices in
advocacy. While many of the
participants are repeat attendees at
Advocacy Day, some ten or fifteen
percent of us were first timers, like
me, who really appreciated the
training.
Core topics for everyone
included the impact of museums on
American life, with facts and figures
to back it up, and issues of concern to
the ongoing health of museums that
our elected officials can help with. A
few selected facts that I found both
interesting and surprising included
the following:
Ÿ Arts and culture is a $698 billion
The group from ATRRM: Scott Lindsey, President, Steam Operations Corporation,
Birmingham AL; Kelly Alexander, Director, No. Carolina Transportation Museum,
Spencer NC; Trey Davis, Board Member, Virginia Museum of Transportation,
Roanoke VA; Mark Ray, President, Association of Tourist Railroads & Railway
Museums, Chattanooga TN; Paul Hammond, Director, California State Railroad
Museum, Sacramento CA; Peter Gagnon, Investment Committee Chairman, OERM,
Perris CA; Lynette Rickman, Executive Director, Association of Tourist Railroads &
Railway Museums, Covington GA; Jim Porterfield, Director, Center for Railway
Tourism, Elkins WV; Howard Betts, Track Supervisor, Belfast & Moosehead Lake
Railroad, Brooks ME
industry, comprising 4.32% of the
entire U.S. economy. That is more
than construction ($586.7 billion)
or transportation and
warehousing ($464 billion).
Ÿ Museums sustain more than
400,000 jobs and directly
contribute $21 billion to the U.S.
economy each year.
Ÿ There are approximately 850
million museum visits each year,
more than all major league
sporting events and theme parks
combined.
Ÿ Museum volunteers contribute 1
million hours of service every
week (some 50 million hours each
year!).
Augmenting this hard data were
a variety of sessions. These were
geared towards first time attendees
that provided tips on how to have a
successful visit, and how to get
around physically on Capitol Hill.
They included less tangible items
such as the value of establishing a
personal connection at the outset,
being polite and saying thank you for
past support, being prepared and
having your facts right, remembering
to invite the official and his/her
staffers to visit your museum when in
their home district, and following up
with a thank you note. Once on the
Hill, watching the more experienced
participants smoothly and gently
hitting all of these bases was a lesson
in its own right, and a thing of beauty
to behold.
Advocacy day this year
addressed two key issues. The first
was to help legislators understand the
value of charitable donations and the
importance of protecting the full
Continued on page 19
18 Gazette March 2016
Museums Advocacy Day - Continued
Andrea Caldwell
Continued from page 18
scope and value of charitable
deductions. This has become an
issue with comprehensive budget
reform proposals being advanced
that in some cases seek to limit
charitable tax deduction percentages.
The second was continued support
for the very modestly funded ($31.3
million) yet highly effective Office of
Museum Services, part of the
Institute of Library and Museum
Services.
Among the best features of the
gathering was the opportunity to
meet and work with people who
share an interest in helping museums
to flourish. AAM organized
attendees by state, and encouraged us
to collaborate and support each other
in our hill visits. There were nine
representatives from California's
museum community. Two of us were
f r o m AT R R M m e m b e r
organizations.
I made a total of six Hill visits,
all but one of which was in the
company of one or more of the nine
participants from California. In
working together this way towards a
shared goal, we all made new friends
both for ourselves and for our
museums.
For its part, ATRRM had a
dinner meeting w ith its nine
participants during which we talked
about ways that ATRRM could focus
and expand its advocacy role to better
serve the specific needs and issues of
concern to its member institutions.
Among the top level objectives
would be enhanced visibility of
railway heritage preservation, and a
voice in influencing elected
representatives to adopt policies
supportive of our field. This would be
in addition to ATRRM's ongoing
support for the more general needs
and objectives of the overall museum
Sarah Saetren, Education Assistant, Foundation of the American Institute for
Conservation, Washington DC (California native); Andrea Caldwell, Government &
Community Relations Manager, San Diego Zoo, San Diego; Paul Hammond,
Director, California State Railroad Museum, Sacramento; Pamela Zielske, Advocacy
Coordinator, California Association of Museums, Santa Cruz; William Harris, Senior
VP Development & Marketing, California Science Center Foundation, Los Angeles;
Patricia Arteaga, Masters Student, Museum Education Program, George Washington
University, Washington DC (California native); Greta Nagel, President, Museum of
Teaching and Learning, Fullerton; Peter Gagnon, Investment Committee Chair,
OERM, Perris; Not in photo, but participating: Elsa Bailey, Director/ Principal, Elsa
Bailey Consulting, San Francisco.
community being championed by
AAM.
Additionally, a small group
from ATRRM met with supporters of
the History Relevance Campaign – a
group of history professionals posing
questions about what makes history
relevant today. The campaign
proposes to identify how and why
preserving and celebrating our
heritage benefits individuals and our
communities. That knowledge will
allow history/heritage organizations
to better connect with today's
audiences and public policy-makers;
increasing visitation and support for
our organizations that will help
ensure their future.
Getting to take part in the
higher-level workings of American
democracy was fun and rewarding. In
addition to the opportunities for
personal growth and new friendships
already mentioned, Advocacy Day
provided an opportunity for all of us
in the museum world to come
together and speak with a single
voice in support of issues that matter
to our institutions. Working together,
Advocacy Day participants
conducted 368 visits on Capitol Hill.
This collective action greatly
increases the chances that we will be
heard and heeded by those who
represent us in our national
government. In addition,
participation by ATRRM leaders and
member organizations help to
provide much deserved visibility to
the field of railway heritage
preservation at the national level.
During the event, together with
my California museum colleagues,
we visited more than half of
California's representatives in
Congress. The congressional offices
I personally visited were those of
Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator
Barbara Boxer, Representative Susan
Davis (District 53, my home district
in San Diego), Representative Mark
Takano (District 41, Riverside and
Perris), Representative David
Valadao (District 21 and member of
the House Appropriations
Committee), and Representative
Mike Honda (District 17 and member
of the House Appropriations
Committee).
Southern California Railway Museum, Inc. DBA Orange Empire Railway Museum 19
for the fare indicators.
Doug White and I were at
the Museum on Saturday
March 5. Doug matched up
the conductor's fare
indicator panels and
reassembled them. There
are four of these panels.
We are now at a point
on 498 that allows the car to
be moved out to a new
location for electrical
testing and truck removal
for truck repairs. The
Ralph Nenn putting pins in the yoke
remaining painting can be
done in the new location as it only have obtained the cast iron bar stock
needed to machine the rollers. We
concerns the undercarriage.
will
also be obtaining the necessary
Doug and I were out again on
pins
and bushings to complete the
March 11th to install the pins for the
project.
It was last reported that
brake yokes as well as some further
priming on the under carriage. Doug Ralph Nenn has been researching the
worked on the conductors fare box, lettering for PE 498 both in our
and remounted the dials in the car. We archives and other sources. Rod
looked again at the lettering purchased two Southern Pacific font
sets that appear to be correct for the
requirements.
Rod Fishburn reports that we car.
Memories of Jim Banninger
J
im Banninger joined the
museum in 1958 as
member number 67. Jim
and his first wife were regulars on our
early (1950s-1960s era) streetcar fan
trips. They seldom missed a trip and
we got to know each other as the
years went by. He spoke of riding the
Pacific Electric Redondo Beach line,
with his father, in the early 1940s and
how it was really out in the country
then.
As a youngster, Jim worked with
his father, who owned several local
"country weekly" newspapers, doing
whatever was needed. For 30 plus
years Jim was a Linotype operator for
the Los Angeles Times newspaper, at
First & Spring Streets, commuting on
the PE to and from work. He retired
about 20 years ago and would print
many of the Museum's tickets in
20 Gazette March 2016
by Ray Ballash and Alan Fishel
OERM's own print shop. He always
loved printing and, in addition to
printing tickets and PE style business
cards, he printed all types of specialty
items. In the later years his wife
became ill and Jim was rarely out to
help with the printing.
He was an early contributor and
volunteer at the museum and seldom
missed an SCERA / ERHASC
(Southern California Electric
Railroader's Association / Electric
Railway Historical Association of
Southern California) meeting, until
his wife fell ill. After his wife passed
he became active in volunteering
again and, with his new wife
Dorothy, they always were together
at meetings and volunteering. They
moved to Hemet to be closer to the
museum before moving to Las Vegas
to be close to family as they aged and
Alan Fishel
T
here were many items
completed by the group
during the past month.
John and Mike Suchan have
reinstalled the brake system with new
pins and bushings. There are a few
parts that need to be repaired or
manufactured. There are two roller
cam followers on each side of the
truck frames that guide the brake
levers connected to the brake beam
that need bushings and may need
resurfacing. At two locations on
Pacific Electric 498 the rollers were
replaced with square steel blocks by
the previous owners of the car. They
should be replaced with rollers that
we will have to make.
Robert Morris reassembled the
conductor's fare box shaft after the
shafts had been repainted by Ralph.
The actual fare box itself is waiting
for cleanup and possible painting. It
is said to be extraordinarily
complicated mechanically. Ralph
and Dave repainted the number dials
By David Ley
David Ley
PE 498 Progress Report
Jim Banninger – July 30th, 2005 on an
evening run of LARy PCC 3001
could do less. He was always friendly
and was great at story telling.
Jim passed away in October
2015. He is interred at a little
cemetery on Gage Ave in Bell, CA.
RIP Jim.
V
entura County Ry. No. 2
operated for the
February steam
weekend on February 21st and 22nd.
Over the weekend, the locomotive
developed a worrying chattering
sound coming from the right
cylinder. During the day's runs, the
crew ran the locomotive with
different combinations of operating
conditions to try to isolate what was
causing the noise.
On the next work weekend, the
crew opened up the cylinder to
inspect it for damage. Todd Mowrey
and Brian Smith undertook the
substantial task of removing the front
cylinder head, which is quite heavy.
They also removed the front valve
chest cover to allow an inspection of
the right valve. Justin Legg and Bill
Lamb removed the cylinder cocks.
Once removed, they looked in the
cylinder cocks to see if any metal
shavings had been ground off the
cylinder liner and drifted down into
the cylinder cocks. Fortunately there
weren't any metal shavings.
Dan Parks removed, labeled,
and cleaned the lubricator chokes for
both sides of the locomotive. The
lubricator chokes are pieces of metal
with a small metal hole drilled in
them. The oil for the valves and
cylinders passes through the hole in
the choke. The oil then comes in
contact with the steam passing to the
cylinders and gets dispersed in tiny
droplets around the area that needs
lubrication. Brian Smith used a
micrometer to measure the diameter
of the cylinder along its horizontal
and vertical axes. In an ideal world,
the cylinder would be perfectly
round, but over time cylinders tend to
get worn into an oval shape because
gravity pulls the pistons down and
makes them wear more on the bottom
of the cylinders. Amazingly, the right
cylinder was only 0.002” away from
being perfectly round, which is
practically perfect for our purposes,
by Dan Parks
especially since the
cylinder is 18” in diameter.
Bill Lamb and Justin
Legg brought USAF 7441
to the Car Barn 4 yard to
pull no. 2 out of the barn.
Wi t h h e l p f r o m J o h n
Mobley, we rolled the
locomotive back and forth
over a distance of about 40
feet. We listened carefully,
but we didn't hear any bad
noises.
The pistons on a steam
locomotive typically have
two or three packing rings
that provide a seal to
minimize the amount of
Bill Lamb (left) and Justin Legg hold one of the
steam leaking past the
wrenches
they used to remove the cylinder cocks
piston. The rings are
from the locomotive. We have even bigger
mounted in grooves around
wrenches too!
the outer circumference of
the piston. The rings are under cover back into position. They used a
compression, and spring out against torque wrench to precisely tighten
the walls of the cylinder, providing a the nuts that secure the valve chest
tight fit. Inspecting all of the rings cover and cylinder head. (High-tech
requires removing the piston from for a steam locomotive!) Dan Parks
the locomotive, which is a substantial reinstalled the lubricator chokes with
undertaking that we didn't want to get help from Justin Legg and John
into. However, it is possible to easily Mobley, and Justin Legg and John
inspect the outer circumference of Mobley lapped and reinstalled the
the front ring, because there is about cylinder cocks. The crew isn't quite
¼” of play between the piston and certain what was causing the
cylinder. Dan Parks cut a wood block chattering noise. Our best theory is
to fit inside the cylinder, and Brian that the lubricator choke for the right
Smith and Todd Mowrey used a pry cylinder became obstructed, which
bar to lift up the piston so that they prevented oil from reaching the
could inspect the circumference of cylinder. This probably caused the
the front piston ring, which looked packing rings to overheat, and forced
f i n e . G i v e n a l l t h e a v a i l a b l e them to expand too much in the
evidence, it is likely that the cylinder, leading to binding between
locomotive has three packing rings, the piston rings and the cylinder.
but there probably isn't anybody alive Hopefully with proper lubrication the
problem will be resolved.
today who knows for sure.
While all this was going on,
Once everything was checked
out, the 7441 pushed no. 2 back Martin Rosa, an expert on radios and
inside the car barn. Todd Mowrey electronics, continued his repairs on
coated the inside of the cylinder with the electrical system that powers the
a generous amount of steam oil, then VC 2's radio. We are very grateful for
he, John Mobley, Uwe and Raffa his help! We'll fire up the locomotive
Wissmann, and Brian Smith lifted the for the March run weekend, and see
cylinder head and front valve chest how the cylinder behaves.
Southern California Railway Museum, Inc. DBA Orange Empire Railway Museum 21
Dan Parks
Steam Crew News - February 2016
COMET CAR 5113
The Fred Harvey Museum
22 Gazette March 2016
by Laurie Knight
Randy Doss
T
Fred Harvey Museum
entrance
Renee Orton giving a guided tour
Randy Doss
he Fred Harvey Museum
opened to the public on
March 5th, 2016. The
first visitor to the museum was Tom
Peters followed by a long line of
guests. The Harvey Girl Historical
Society had a booth in front of the
museum selling cookies for the
annual Spring Railroadiana Swap
Meet. The opening coincided with
the monthly meeting of the Harvey
Girl Historical Society and the
Harvey Girls were well represented.
The museum guests were impressed
with the beautiful exhibits, especially
the large collection of photographs
and the china cabinet with original
Fred Harvey plate settings. The
Harvey Girls gave guests guided
tours and answered many questions.
The Fred Harvey Museum will be
open Saturdays and Sundays from 10
am to 4 pm. Come visit us and learn
about the exciting life of Fred Harvey
and the Harvey Girls. Visit our web
site at www.fredharveymuseum.org.
Chuck Painter
a brush, and washed it down with have tried paint remover, acetone,
Carl Pickus' pressure washer. The lacquer thinner, Mr. Clean Magic
white and yellow paint came off Erasers, Scotch Brite pads, lots of
fairly easily. The red is probably an elbow grease, and of course the Super
a c r y l i c , m a k i n g i t e s p e c i a l l y Sauce.
resistant. After the third application,
If you would like to pitch in, we
it finally started to break loose. Next are onsite most Saturdays. Or
time we will try applying the Super contact us at [email protected].
Sauce with a solvent sprayer which There are six of these cars out by the
we just ordered. Fortunately, the Pie Yard, so there is always plenty to
material is a gel and a small amount do.
covers a lot of
surface.
Once we
are satisfied, we
have a sample
of an aluminum
cleaner that is
supposed to
return the
surface to the
original shine.
Liz Painter uses a pressure washer to remove graffitti
So far, we
on Comet Car #5113
Randy Doss
S
ince our last report, we
have obtained a graffiti
remover called Cantol
GAT GEL. It is used by Amtrak and
a number of transit agencies. For
simplicity, we will refer to it as Super
Sauce.
S e v e r a l w e e k s p r i o r, t h e
manufacturer gave us some aerosol
spray cans to test. It worked well
enough that we were inspired enough
to try it in bulk. The graffiti on the
exteriors has had time to set, making
it quite difficult to attack. We
followed the instructions. First, stir it
up. We used a piece of electric
conduit as a stirrer. Anything with
paint on it would cause the material to
react. After the appropriate “bubble,
bubble, toil and trouble” (that is from
the TV show Home Improvement, not
Hamlet), we were ready to start.
We brushed it on, agitated it with
By Liz and Chuck Painter
A few of the OERM Harvey Girls - Pat Wolven, Rene Orton,
Jane Daly & Lucy Murray
DONATIONS IN FEBRUARY 2016
Paul Dieges
Cash contributions totaling $18,703 were made to the following funds in February 2016. Our sincere thanks to the following
individuals and businesses:
·General Fund - Anonymous, Kevin Hogan, Les Phillips, Harry Roesener,
5 Olive Hill LLC, Boeing Co Employee Giving (Matching Funds)
·Grizzly Flats RR Round House (Fund B18) - James Mandel
·Memorial Brick (Fund B20) - Lizzie Brewster
·Perris Connection Construction (Fund B22) - Mel Johnson,
Gerald Krizek, Linda Lawson, Alfred Lingo, Keith Newsom, Neil Ryle,
Brian Smith, James Vaitkunas
·Keeler Water Tank Construction (Fund B39) - John McHenry
·LATL 2601 Refurbishment (Fund C2) - K. Szager
·ATSF 98/108 Refurbishment (Fund C41) - Ron Mack
·VC2 Ventura County No 2 (Fund C51) - Anonymous
·Emma Nevada NC2 (Fund C57) - Verne Anderson
·San Diego LRV 1008 (Fund C58) - Brian Norden
·BRR 127 Bullet (Fund M15) - Charles Long
·Richards Unrestricted Endowment (Fund E1) - Anonymous,
Randy Doss
·Peter Gagnon Steam Endowment (Fund E5) - James Mandel
Jeff Williams, Byron Brainard & Richard Berk
pose with the new San Diego LRV
·Material Donations - Becky Smallwood, Phyllis Vandeventer
2016 Tours Onboard Private Railcar
Exclusive
Private Hearst
Castle Tour
August 12-13, 2016
Experience what it was like to be an honored
guest of William Randolph Hearst!
Our
exclusive 2-day getaway includes travel from
Los Angeles to the Central Coast area and
back aboard vintage private railcar Colonial
Crafts, a special, behind the scenes tour of
Hearst Castle conducted by a Museum
executive, and a private catered dinner at the
Castle.
Armed
Forces Day
on the USS
Midway
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Our exclusive all-day tour includes travel
aboard vintage private railcar Colonial Crafts
from Los Angeles and Orange County Amtrak
stations to San Diego and a special behind-the
scenes tour of the USS Midway conducted by
Scott McGaugh, Midway Museum Marketing
Director, historian and author of three books on
the USS Midway.
Fare: $249 per person
All-inclusive fares start at only $1,299 per
person, double occupancy.
Please visit our website at www.ColonialCraftsRailcar.com, contact Colonial Crafts toll free at (877)
224-1150, (818) 203-5276 or by email at [email protected] for a color brochure,
additional information, reservations and booking for the Hearst Castle and USS Midway Tours.
Colonial Crafts in association with California Zephyr Railcar Charters and other tour operators offers private car tours to destinations
throughout the US. Colonial Crafts is also available for custom personal charters. Please check our website and Facebook page
for more information.
Southern California Railway Museum, Inc. DBA Orange Empire Railway Museum 23
OERM Partners
Pacific
Maritime
Association
CORONA, CA
To: Orange Empire Railway Museum
DONATION REQUEST - (Tax deductible receipt will be mailed to you)
P.O. Box 548
Perris, CA 92572-0548
Amount
General Fund:
GF General Fund
Supports Operational Budget
$__________________
E1
Richards
Supports Unrestricted Projects
$__________________
E3
Niedrich
Supports Restoration Projects
$__________________
E4
Red Cars Endow
Supports Pacific Electric Program
$__________________
E5
Gagnon
Supports Steam Program
$__________________
Current Capital
B11
Archives Building Provide Space for Archives and Harvey Museum
$__________________
and Restoration
B22
Perris Connection
OERM Track to Perris Depot
$__________________
Projects:
C2
LATL 2601
1930 LATL Street Car
$__________________
C33
SDERy 508
1936 SDERy Street Car
$__________________
C36
PE 498
1913 PE Interurban
$__________________
C41
ATSF 108
1967 FP-45 Locomotive
$__________________
C56
SP 1006
1939 SP SW-1 Locomotive
$__________________
Endowment Funds:
Other Projects:
_____ _______________________________________
$__________________
_____ _______________________________________
$__________________
Total $__________________
Member Number:_________________
Cash: $____________
Name:__________________________________
Check: $____________
Credit Card: Visa
Master Card
Date:___________________
American Express
Discover
Card No: _______ _______ _______ _______ Sec Code: ______ Expires:________ Signature: ______________________
Thank You