Good greetings to all PRRH Inc. members. Summer is half way through and fading right under our nose. Hope you are all well and getting to do the things you had planned and dreamed about when you were daydreaming at work. Anyway, the August meeting of PRRH will be held on Wednesday August 25, 1999 at 7:30 PM at Phillipsburg Town Hall in the cool basement. Entertainment will be the first chapter of the Conrail Tribute brought to you by Jim Mack and Paul Carpenito. Material covered will be the early color schemes and sightings. Next month the tribute continues with Rick Glosser and Ed Beers updating action to the present.

I am very pleased to announce receipt of a grant to PRRH from Bell & Howell Mail Processing Systems in the amount of $500.00. This very kind and generous donation will help us in a great way to improve our cash situation. I am also proud to tell you that our retaining wall project is completed thanks to the efforts of Glenn Terminelli, Derek Long and John Thatcher. Also well to note is the repair and rewiring and re-alignment of our outside lights at the museum. Bob Mantone and Pete Terp were responsible for the success of this project. In progress are projects for a signal type sign for the entrance and repairs to the engine house door. The next phase of work will include extension of the C&S main to a point west of the museum and extending the exhibit tracks to accommodate future equipment arrivals. The cabooses and other standing equipment still need weatherproofing and rail needs to be brought out for salvage, so work parties will be called as required to effect this work. If you are curious as to helping, that makes the officers of this club very happy as we need your help and support to make this club a continued success. The bids for the enginehouse were due to be released the first week of August. We are still waiting on the tower lease. More work has been done by NJER on the trolley sweeper. The T21 application has been sent off for review and, hopefully, approval. To those of you not in attendance at last month's meeting, the T21 is a funding request to stabilize the PU tower, and to fund the expansion of the C&S right of way to the west and dovetail with the town's plans for their own version of interpretive museum. We are receiving guests on Sundays and selling tickets while Norfolk Southern continues to dazzle us with incomprehensible lashups on the track right next to us. Now that's what I call a premiere museum sight! Ladies and gents, see you at the meeting (and I'll read you a funny story you don't want to miss).

J.S./sdw

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