Phillipsburg Railroad Historians, Inc.
PO Box 5104, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865

JULY 2003 NEWSLETTER VOL. XIII #7

The July 2003 membership meeting for PRRH members and guests will be held on Wednesday night July 23, 2003 at 7:30pm at the Alpha United Presbyterian Church. Quality entertainment will follow the business portion of the meeting and refreshments will be served through the kindness of Rich Frantz.

MAY 2003 WORK HOURS REPORT by JOHN WARD
Activity resumed big time in May, thanks largely to the support of the May 4 Open House. On-site hours totaled 380.75, including work on the 5/4 Open House, track, CNJ caboose, enginehouse, museum, grounds, and fire recovery. Off-site work, consisting of administrative and bookwork and attendance at related activities, registered 84 hours. The combined work hours totaled 464.75 for the month. (The aggregate hours for 2003 is 739.25, as of 5/31/03.

Despite a solid month of gloomy, rainy, cloud-laden weekends, PRRH members and friends enjoyed blue skies and sunshine for the Fathers Day field trip to the East Broad Top Railroad and Rockhill Trolley Museum, ironically the first Sunday of sunshine since our May 18 trip on the Hudson. Transbridge Bus Lines and operator Jim Danner whisked us away to a land where time seems to have stood still. Approaching the Orbisonia area, several alert passengers spotted a plume of coal smoke rising above the tree line, only to find an extra chartered run of narrow gauge steam heading back in our direction. The five car wooden passenger train became our prime attention as we were able to stop and experience several runbys in prime photo locations not originally planned for. This set the stage for an excellent day of steam and trolley rides for our group as we advanced on a long deserved day of fair weather. We were given a very comprehensive tour of the East Broad Top shop complex, courtesy of General Manager Stanley Hall. This followed an excellent and delicious picnic-style tent lunch arranged by Gearhard Solomon and the staff of the Rockhill Trolley Museum. The afternoon consisted of a spirited trolley ride behind a real Septa Brill Bullet car, operated by Solomon, and an impromptu photo stop out along the line at a passing siding where we sat side by side with an inbound car. Solomon's kindness on the return trip was again evident as he allowed several guest motormen to operate the car by taking turns at the controls. Our group had more opportunities to ride another car which took us out to an outlying carbarn, where we met the afternoon steam train. Upon departure from Orbisonia, we headed for the surprise stop of Mount Union, where we viewed the former engine house of the EBT, and took a self-guided tour of the dual gauge yard in the woods where the ghosts of the past repose in the storage of over 100 former EBT hoppers and other car types. We inspected the dual gauge tracks and switches and the small diesel of the Mount Union Connecting Railroad. On our way to dinner, we took the liberty of a stop at Lewistown to check out what Amtrak and Norfolk Southern had coming our way. Luck struck again as we bagged two long freights in a half hours' span. Our usual trademark lavish buffet was the crowning touch to a very busy and productive day. Our organization appreciates your continued support of our field trips and we will plan an exciting one for next year.

Another summer Open House will be history by the time you read this and we will give a recap on the day's events in next month's newsletter.

PRRH volunteers have been very busy making progress with the full-size trackwork project despite the heat of summer. Grading and ballasting has progressed to the point that we have reached from the two disconnected segments of the north track. The creation of a new switch is the immediate task at hand, bringing the west sections of the north and south track together moving east toward the enginehouse. Another work crew led by Pat Graham, has cut open the museum at mid-length to cut in a new rolling door. This accomplishment has led to a better air flow in the building and relief from the terrific heat that has plagued us in the past. The second door also provides us with the safety of an alternate egress should an emergency occur requiring quick exit. A set of steps will complete phase 1 of this project. The restoration crew, led by John Boner, has removed the shredded tarps from several of our historic pieces to allow drying, since we had a very wet spring this year. The directors will commence some discussion to determine how best to continue protecting these pieces from the weather. PRRH would like to thank Rick Glosser and Andrew King for working hard to manicure the grounds. A look back into the old days when we first got the property will drive the thought home that we have done miracles to make the grounds look so good.

CENTERVILLE & SOUTHWESTERN NEWS
The legend of Henry Becker Dairy Farm will live on thanks to the generosity of his widow, Pauline Becker. Mrs. Becker has donated a staggering wealth of Centerville & Southwestern Railroad and Becker Dairy memorabilia to PRRH through the handling of members Bob and Evelyn Bennington. Bob was in train service on the C&S during the golden years at Roseland. Pauline has sent many items including photos, badges, brochures, a patented lock developed for passenger equipment, and an incredible deluxe album of large photos depicting people and trains on the Becker property. Your Directors will be working to best determine how to present and property display this most wonderful gift to our organization. The ticket Office painting project has begun as of this writing. Your ticket to ride the train now is stamped with the original CENTERVILLE impression on the back. We continue to anticipate the arrival of the C&S RR video tape.

We have made application to the Municipal And Charitable Conservancy Trust Fund Committee in Warren County in an attempt to secure funding to replace our roof and outer siding at the museum, a much needed repair. It is not known at this time if we qualify and meet the conditions necessary for inclusion. Estimates have been secured by member Bob Marinelli and would include the reworking of the roof to make the structure appear more in line with a freight house. An excellent diagram of the proposed roof was drawn by member Keith Muldowney. The cost for the work approaches $13,000. Phillipsburg Town Council approved a motion in support for the improvements and necessities. PRRH publicly thanks Council for their support.

The juveniles responsible for the caboose fire in May were to have their hearing on Monday July 14.

PRRH will have a table at the Lehigh Valley Chapter train show at Dieruff High School on Sunday September 28.

We also would like to thank Thomas M. Cooney of Linden NJ for dropping in and presenting us with two very historical RR hats worn by a relative as station caller in Newark NJ years ago. These priceless pieces are already in our display case and carry fond memories for me as a youth as I frequented Penn Station for many years prior to my moving to Pennsylvania.

PRRH welcomes Herman Ytkin of Easton as a new member to our fold.

If this newsletter seems a little different in the way it is laid out, it is because my computer tower would not accept the floppy disk necessary for the proper production of this gem. If all you computer whizzes would please not race up to me to tell me how stupid I am when it comes to alternate solutions, I would be otherwise grateful. I destroyed a week of free nights trying to jam it in to work, sometimes on my belly with screwdriver and flashlight in hand trying to find the little gremlin so I could squash him, only to get some dust bunnies crawling up my nose to make me sneeze and cause me to tears. You best leave the subject alone unless you want an earful and a basket case on your hands. Don't worry, someone is coming over to fix it.