Saturday, February 28, 2009

Delmarva Timetable
News of the Delmarva Model Railroad Club
March 2009 Jeff Shockley, Editor
Next Meeting
The next meeting will be our Twenty-fifth annual meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at the Georgia House Restaurant, Delaware Avenue at Broad Creek Laurel, Delaware.

Cash bar 6:30pm, dinner at 7:00pm. Delicious buffet cost $20.00. The speaker will be our President, Rowland Ritte, who has an excellent collection of slides.
Wives and other guests are welcome.

Buffet

Yankee Pot Roast - pepper garlic rub, slow roasted until tender topped with brown gravy onions and carrots.

Buttermilk Chicken - Skinless boneless chicken breast marinated in sweet buttermilk and hand breaded

Mississippi Cajun Catfish - Farm raised filets seasoned with Cajun spices and blackened

Pasta Primavera - Penne Pasta tossed with fresh vegetables in a parmesan cream sauce

SIDES

Sweet Potato Casserole Macaroni & Cheese Redskin Mashed Potatoes Fresh Green Beans Glazed Carrots Creamy Cole Slaw

DESSERT

Homemade Texas Walnut Brownie
Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Library News
Jeff Shockley, Librarian

The cataloging and arranging of the books and magazines continues. The next big project will be redesigning the layout for the computer.

Layout News
All groups report things are progressing smoothly on all the layouts

O-Gauge News
Gary Burlingame

We started to clean up the work room last week (2/19). Did you know there are corners in it? Those haven’t seen the light of day for many a year. We put up shelving on the west side and have a place to store plywood. Thursday 26 back at it, found two more corners! Tim brought his truck and we packed it full! Many thanks to the N & HO guys who helped.

HO News
Adam Fleischer
We started the back half of the Parkersburg yard, we completely ripped it up and relayed down new plywood, the new track for the yard itself will be in by Saturday, in time for the March O0p Session.

License Plate Frames
These fit over an automobile license plate. Available in Black or Chrome. The top has “Delmar,
Delaware” engraved on it, the bottom has
“Delmarva Model Railroad Club”. Price for members $15.00, non-members $20.00. Custom orders are accepted.

Club Shirts
Bill Shehan is accepting orders for club shirts. Two styles are available and come in sizes Small to 4XL.
Styles, Sizes and Prices are:

Golf Shirts (Short Sleeve Only)
S, M, L, XL $22.75
2XL $26.25
3XL $28.75
4XL $31.25

Broad Cloth (Long and Short Sleeve)
S, M, L, XL $25.00
2XL $27.50
3XL $30.00
4XL $32.50

Nomination Committee Report
The Nomination Committee reported, at the February meeting, its slate of Club Officers for 2009 – 2010.

President – Adam Fleischer
Vice President – Matt Schramm
Secretary – John Realini
Treasurer – Bill Shehan
Director – Bill Deeter
Director – Bill Latourney
Director – John Steplowski
Director – Tim Burlingame

Pat Mulrooney was nominated from the floor for Vice President.

Ballots will be distributed to members for voting at the Annual Meeting.

Club Website
Elmer McKay


As most of you know, the club's web site was taken down just before our annual open house due to events beyond our control. There was a replacement site that was put up and posted in a bit of a hurry, and of course didn't have too much on it. Elmer McKay has now taken over the task of getting the web site set up in a proper and appealing manner.
What seems to be lacking is photos of the following layouts: N scale DCC; N scale modular; O scale; and Tin Plate. (Basically all of the layouts except HO) Currently there are some off site links to photos of some of these, but it would be nice if we had some recent photos that we could post on our own site. Photos should be of both completed areas, and areas that are under construction with people in them doing some work. Also, there should be some sort of a write up on each of the layouts telling a little something about it. If you have some photos that can be used, please let me know. DO NOT email me your photos right away. Contact me by email first and let me know how many you have and what they show. I will then coordinate with you about how many to send at a time as attachments. The photos should also be of good quality and sharp. I will not post tiny, blurry, or poor lit photos. The web site is our showcase and should reflect good work. If you want credit for taking the photo, put your name and the date IN THE PHOTO at the bottom right corner. There are several photo editing programs that you can do this with. Otherwise there will be a general statement that photos in the section were submitted by club members. My email address is emckay70@member.afa.org. The subject line must pertain to the message and not just "Hi", or something simple like that, because I trash those without reading them, because I get a lot of Spam.

Railroading News
From www.railnews.net


Metrolink conductor raised concerns about engineer's cell phone use
The attorney for the only surviving crew member in the deadly Chatsworth crash says his client told NTSB investigators that he had complained to a supervisor about it.
By Robert J. Lopez and Rich Connell
February 6, 2009 Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California

The only Metrolink crew member to survive the Chatsworth rail disaster told federal investigators that he had previously complained to a supervisor about improper on-duty cell phone use by the engineer who crashed the commuter train, the crew member's attorney said Thursday.Conductor Robert Heldenbrand recently told investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board that he saw engineer Robert M. Sanchez using a cell phone during a Metrolink station stop "a couple of months" before the Sept. 12 collision that killed 25 people and injured 135, said San Dimas attorney John Gilbert, who attended the formal interview.

Two days before the head-on collision with a freight train, Heldenbrand asked the same supervisor whether he had addressed the issue, Gilbert said. The supervisor said he was planning to take care of the problem, according to the attorney.Heldenbrand "didn't like the use of cell phones. . . . He told a supervisor it wasn't proper for the operating person to be using a cell phone," Gilbert said.The disclosure suggests that investigators are focusing in part on how diligently Metrolink and a contractor that provides the public rail service's train crews enforced a ban on cell phone use.
The conductor was summoned to the NTSB's Gardena offices two weeks ago after investigators heard of his complaints from another employee.A spokesperson for Veolia Transportation, whose subsidiary Connex Railroad LLC provides Metrolink crews, declined to comment, citing the ongoing NTSB investigation.While on duty the day of the crash, Sanchez sent and received 57 text messages, including one just 22 seconds before impact, federal authorities have said. Their preliminary findings show that Sanchez -- who was killed in the crash -- failed to stop at a red light just before hitting the Union Pacific freight train after two tracks merged into a single line just beyond the signalJust how visible that warning signal was remains one of the disputed details surrounding the worst train crash in modern California history.The Times reported late last year that Heldenbrand and three witnesses said the light was actually green -- meaning the engineer didn't have to stop the train. Based on tests performed after the crash, federal investigators said they still believe it was red. However, another Times report quoted one investigator as saying that the red light was not as bright as the green and yellow lights on the same track-side signal pole.Heldenbrand met with NTSB investigators about two weeks after the crash but was not asked about the earlier cell phone incident or his report to the supervisor, Gilbert said. In his follow-up interview, the conductor told investigators that he saw Sanchez using a cell phone only once while on duty, the attorney said.

It is unclear what, if any, action was taken between Heldenbrand's initial complaint and the crash of Metrolink 111. Connex discipline records obtained by The Times for the eight months before the collision show that Sanchez was not written up for any violations of operating rules.Heldenbrand never confronted Sanchez directly about his cell phone use. But he recounted the sequence of events for the NTSB, Gilbert said.Heldenbrand was in a passenger car when the collision occurred. While recovering from injuries at the hospital, he saw the supervisor again, Gilbert said."The supervisor said he had addressed it . . . but the supervisor didn't indicate when he addressed it" or how, the attorney said.The morning of the crash, Heldenbrand recounted his complaint to the supervisor with a fellow conductor, Gilbert said. It was that employee who alerted the NTSB about Heldenbrand's concerns, the attorney said.The NTSB's wide-ranging, multi-agency probe is expected to take months to complete. The safety board and Metrolink have declined to comment on developments in the ongoing investigation.Heldenbrand's comments to the NTSB echo allegations made last month by attorneys representing victims of the Chatsworth crash. They allege that Connex had received complaints before the collision that Sanchez was using his cell phone on duty, but failed to do anything about it. The attorneys based their allegations on comments of an employee they refused to identify.

robert.lopez@latimes.com rich.connell@latimes.com

Railroad trestle fire
February 9, 2009 The Tribune Greeley, Colorado

A brush fire caught a railroad trestle on fire Monday in northwest Greeley, causing an estimated $1 million damage, according to Union Colony fire reports.The fire attracted attention across the county, as a railroad trestle burned, causing a large amount of black smoke from the creosote in the railroad ties.The fire was reported about 12:30 p.m. Monday in the 5200 block of F Street, north of the Dog Run Park.Fire department spokesman Dale Lyman said firefighters were hampered by the lack of access to the area and they had to carry in water to fight the blaze. In the midst of fighting the fire, winds in the area also increased, creating more problems for firefighters.The trestle is over the Cache la Poudre River. Lyman said Burlington Northern Railway officials were at the scene, and said the track was warped by the fire, and it would cost an estimated $1 million to repair. “They told us they’ll probably have to tear down the entire trestle and replace it,” Lyman said.The cause of the initial brush fire hasn’t been found.

Update: Greeley trestle fire stops railroad traffic
February 11, 2009 The Tribune Greeley, Colorado

A fire to a Great Western Railway trestle northwest of Greeley will shut down that area of the tracks for weeks and possibly months, according to company officials.The fire, which is being investigated as an arson, burned part of the trestle Monday. It is located in the 5200 block of F Street, just north of the Rover Run dog park and near the Poudre Trail.Mike Ogborn, a manager for Great Western, said it will take at least seven weeks to get the material needed to repair the burned trestle, then they will start the repair work. “We’ve placed an embargo on the line now,” Ogborn said. “It’s not safe to put any railroad traffic on the trestle.”The 80-mile branch of the railway connects Greeley, Windsor, Fort Collins, Loveland, Johnstown and Longmont.Ogborn said the company has been working with customers to make sure shipments can still be made without the railroad.

Pastor talks railroad safety with FS students
February 11, 2009 Fort Scott Tribune Fort Scott, Kansas

Local pastor Reed Hartford recently taught the students at Eugene Ware Elementary School how to "Look, Listen and Live."

As part of their physical education safety unit, the students learned how to stay safe around railroad tracks. Hartford explained to the students the importance of following specific rules to make sure they are protected from trains that are passing by.

After discussing some of the rules with the children, Hartford cautioned the students against breaking any of the safety guidelines.

To drive his point home, Hartford briefly explained to the students about a motorist who was stopped at a railroad crossing fully equipped with gates and flashing red lights. After the train passed through the crossing, the gates stayed down and the lights continued to flash. Becoming impatient, the motorist drove around the gates. Unfortunately, before the vehicle could make it to the other side of the tracks, a second train smashed into the automobile.

"We need to pay attention," Hartford said. "As long as the lights are flashing and the bell is ringing, it is against the law to go around."

Although the train conductor will try to stop the locomotive if something is in the middle of the track, it is unlikely he or she will be able to halt the train in time. According to Hartford, if a train is driving 55 miles per hour, it will take one mile for the train to come to a complete stop.

According to Kansas Operation Lifesaver, http://www.ksoli.org/, almost 50 percent of the crashes that occur on a railroad crossing happen at a crossing equipped with automatic warning devices.

KSOLI, a non-profit international public education program created in 1972 to put an end to crashes, deaths and injuries which occur on railroad crossings, said that every two hours in the United States there is a collision between a train and a vehicle or a train and a pedestrian. It is more likely a person will die in a collision with a train than as a result of a car wreck, the Web site said. Knowing and following certain safety procedures can save lives, according to the Web site.

It is important for automobiles as well as pedestrians to look both ways before crossing a railroad crossing, the KSOLI Web site said. If a vehicle stalls while driving over a railroad crossing, everyone should get out of the vehicle immediately and move far away from the tracks even if there is no train in sight. Next, it is important to inform local law enforcement of the situation and wait for them to respond, according to the Web site.

In 2007, there were 57 crashes involving trains in Kansas. There were nine fatalities that resulted from those crashes.

Hartford's presentation taught the students several important strategies for staying safe around trains. Summing up the information he gave the students, Hartford and the students shouted, "Stay off. Stay away. Stay alive."

Survivor recounts train crash
Local Kiwanis Club officer tells a group he continues to ride the rails despite the traumatic effects.
By Veronica Rocha
February 13, 2009 Glendale News Press Glendale, California

GLENDALE - Glendale businessman Richard Slavett survived the deadly Sept. 12 Metrolink crash in Chatsworth and continues to ride the train because, he said, it is the safest form of transportation.He still gets shaky and nervous when he rides the train from Glendale to his home in Thousand Oaks because of the crash, which occurred Sept. 12 when Metrolink 111 collided with a southbound Union Pacific freighter, killing 25 people and injuring 135 others, including him.“Traveling in a train is the safest form of transportation there is,” Slavett told the Kiwanis Club of Glendale during a meeting Friday at the Elks Club.Seven days after the crash, the 69-year-old rode a Metrolink train again.“I really wanted to get the fright out of me,” he said.Slavett sat with another passenger, who provided him support as the train rode through tunnels, which he said frightens him, and the spot where the two trains collided.Two weeks after the crash, Slavett rode the train for a second time, and he went into the same passenger car and sat in the same seat that he was in during the crash.“I started to shake,” he said.He wanted to ride in the same seat to determine how he landed from the back of the train to the front train during the crash.Slavett is the lieutenant governor of Kiwanis’ Division 3, which includes Glendale, La Crescenta, Montrose, Verdugo Hills, Eagle Rock, Hollywood, Los Feliz, La CaƱada Flintridge, Sunland, Tujunga and Highland Park.Kiwanis member Laurel Patric was in Montana when she found out that Slavett was involved in the crash.“I was really worried about Richard while I was up there in Montana,” she said.The day of the crash, Slavett, who owns Glendale Tire Co., decided to take the earlier 3 p.m. train from Glendale to his home in order to greet his daughter-in-law, who was flying in from New York to Burbank. He usually took the 4.36 p.m. train.He began taking the train instead of driving because gas was expensive, Slavett said.He estimated that he would have saved $4,800 last year if the crash hadn’t enticed him back to his car.When he boarded the train that day, he sat in the third car and last seat, stretched his legs into the aisle and took a nap.“I was totally asleep,” Slavett said.During his sleep, the crash occurred.La Crescenta resident and Metrolink 111 engineer Robert Sanchez sent and received text messages from his cell phone just seconds before the train collided with the freighter at a combined speed of 83 mph, according to federal investigations.“By disregarding the red light, both trains were on the same track,” Slavett said.He woke up lying in the front of the train next to an unconscious woman and a bloodied man.“I collected my thoughts and turned around and looked down the aisle,” he said.Chairs, debris and laptops were scattered throughout the passenger car, Slavett said.He tried to get up, but he said he couldn’t because “the pain was too much.”Slavett called his longtime partner to tell her what had happened, and she advised him to get out of the train.The exit door then opened, and he pushed his briefcase, which he said contained the tire shop’s daily money deposits, outside the train.Slavett moved slowly to the outside of the train, where two men grabbed and carried him to a safe spot, he said.“As I waited, all I saw was body bags and badly injured people passing me by,” Slavett said.He was carried again and placed on a green tarp for less serious victims.Slavett spoke on the phone to his son, who was driving through the San Fernando Valley and saw smoke from the crash. His son and daughter-in-law went to the crash site to be with him, Slavett said.He was eventually placed on an ambulance with two other victims, who had broken ribs and legs, and was taken to Kaiser Permanente.Doctors took X-rays of his body, but they found no broken bones, Slavett said.They found that he had severely pulled his right groin, and it took him about eight weeks to recover from his injury.“I am very lucky because I was in the last train,” he said.Slavett has been coping with the long-term side effects, such as post-traumatic stress, flashbacks, memory loss and back pain caused by a shifted vertebrae, since the crash.But Slavett has begun to look at life differently.. Every . . “I believe everything happens for a reason. moment is precious,” he said.
VERONICA ROCHA covers public safety and the courts. She may be reached  at (818) 637-3232 or by e-mail at veronica.rocha@latimes.com.

Rockies by rail: a great idea
By K.C. SUMMERS

February 22, 2009 Monterey County Herald Salinas, California

For some time we've wanted to visit the Canadian Rockies by rail. Probably in June or July we'd fly to Vancouver, then tour by train. But there are so many itineraries and options that it's hard to choose. Can you give some guidance about which railroad and what not to miss?

A The Canadian Rockies offer some of the most jaw-dropping scenery in the world, and traveling by rail is a smart way to see it up close. Three train companies serve the area; choose depending on your budget, your time frame and how much pampering you require. Prices below are in American dollars and include lodging.

Taking it from the top, Royal Canadian Pacific is the luxury offering, with restored vintage train cars and lots of cosseting. The six-day Royal Canadian Rockies Experience starts and ends in Calgary, Alberta, stopping at Banff and Lake Louise, Kicking Horse Pass, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park and other marvels. Lodging is on board, in private staterooms. You pay one (whopping) price, but everything is included: airport transfers, all food and beverages, and some pretty spectacular side trips. Two trips are scheduled this year, leaving July 31 and Sept. 14. Cost is $6,563 per person double. Details: 877-665-3044, http://www.royalcanadianpacific.com/.

The Rocky Mountaineer train has three routes through the Canadian West, including Vancouver to Calgary, via Banff. Its six-day Canadian Rockies Highlights trip includes some meals, guides, a glacier helicopter tour and a ranch lunch. Lodging is at hotels along the way. Three levels of service and accommodations are available; costs this summer are $1,886, $2,911 and $3,198 per person double, plus a 5 percent fuel surcharge. Shorter trips are available. 877-460-3200, http://www.rockymountaineer.com/.

VIA Rail, Canada's national railroad, travels the same routes as the sightseeing trains; you can create your own itinerary and stop off at Jasper or Banff for as long as you like, or buy a package tour. The eight-day Rockies Circle West trip, for example, travels from Vancouver to Jasper, then switches to a motor coach to explore the mountains before returning to Vancouver. Two levels of service and accommodations are offered this summer, at $2,593 and $3,364. 888-842-7245, www.viarail.ca.

Still confused? Lori Grant, of Canada's Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, recommends mixing and matching: for example, taking VIA Rail from Vancouver to Jasper, renting a car and driving to Banff, then taking the Rocky Mountaineer back to Vancouver. Driving some of the route, she said, is the best way to have "a true, authentic experience of the Rocky Mountains." Whichever company you choose, don't miss the glacier-studded Icefield Parkway, she said.

Q: Are there any in-the-airport massage services at New York's JFK?
A: Yes, but don't expect an hour-long seaweed wrap. XpresSpa, which has six locations at JFK (terminals 1, 4, 5 and 7), offers 10-minute massages that focus on the head and neck. Foot massages also are available at the same price: $25 for 10 minutes. Details: 718-751-2235.

Q: We're traveling to New Orleans in March. Can you recommend a romantic B&B or boutique hotel in or near the French Quarter?
A: If private balconies, 350-thread-count linens and feather beds do it for you, try the W New Orleans French Quarter, with 98 rooms and four carriage houses (504-581-1200, http://www.starwoodhotels.com/.; from $169).

Another option, a little farther from the Quarter: the House on Bayou Road, a B&B with antique-filled rooms, screened porches, gardens and ponds (504-945-0992, http://www.houseonbayouroad.com/.; from $135).

Long Island Rail Road marks 175th anniversary
February 23, 2009 Newsday New York, New York

NEW YORK – The Long Island Railroad is marking its 175th birthday by giving riders Broadway tickets and other prizes. The railroad has announced monthly customer appreciation days with free prize drawings, starting Tuesday at Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan. Railroad officials say free tickets to several Broadway shows are this month's prize. The LIRR was chartered on April 24, 1834. It has become North America's busiest commuter railroad, carrying more than 87 million riders last year. The LIRR says it is also the oldest railroad still operating under its original name.

A ‘model’ citizen: Houma man builds on his hobby of model trains
By Laura McKnight

February 23, 2009 Daily Comet Lafourche Parish, Louisiana

There’s a striking mountain scene in Colorado called Eagle Pass.

But this particular Eagle Pass, and the entirety of its western-style surroundings, exists only in a building behind Arthur Houston’s house in Houma.

Houston, 63, a longtime model-railroad enthusiast, spends most of his days creating and fine-tuning intricate terrains for his miniscule trains to travel.
“It’s creating a miniature world that mimics or copies the real prototype of railroads,” he says.

Beginning modelers often copy prototyped designs to the detail, but Houston’s designs, called “layouts,” represent a more-developed point in the pastime.

“At my stage of the hobby, it’s more about designing and building a layout that exists in my mind,” he says.
Houston, wearing a blue-and-white-striped engineer’s cap decorated with a Southern Pacific Lines logo, a throwback to railroading’s steam-engine days, is just beginning his largest and most complex layout to date.

This also marks the first model railroad Houston designs using a computer program. Until now, Houston used drafting skills learned in high school to draw blueprints.

A combination of retirement and a new building has allowed Houston the time and space to take his hobby to the next level.

This new layout, started in October, is designed to include a mainline track running more than 850 feet in length and covering three tiers circling the inside of “Paw Paw’s Train Room.” The design, modeled after mountainous areas in the western U.S., features more bridges, more-elaborate scenery, such as canyons, and more-detailed trees than his previous work. Houston has worked with model railroad groups on larger layouts, but so far has tackled none of this magnitude on his own.

When finished, the layout should encompass much of the 850-square-foot building housing Houston’s main retirement pastime.

Houston has painted his own landscapes, such as backdrops of forests and mountains, since 1999.
Some advanced modelers replicate certain landscapes to the detail, but Houston prefers to use real places as inspiration and take his own track on the details.
The most daunting part of the hobby comes in the modern electronics involved, he said. Most model railroads are now operated by computer, as are their real counterparts.

“Paw Paw’s Train Room” includes just the beginnings of the large layout, which Houston expects to require at least three years to finish - or mostly finish.

Most model railroads are never completely finished, as their creators are compelled to continually add on or fine-tune, the Houma resident says his last model railroad, completed at his former home in Harahan, took about seven years to build.

The Houstons moved to Houma last November to be near their two grandchildren. Houston retired last February after 37 years as a salesman, more than 20 of those years spent working for tobacco giant Philip-Morris. Houston’s wife retired last June, giving the couple more time to travel, follow their interest in NASCAR and visit Disney World with their grandchildren.

The couple’s 11-year-old grandson enjoys operating the model railroad, and his friends are eager to learn, Houston says.

Houston’s fascination with model railroading began in the 1950s when at 9, he watched his father build a Lionel train in the family’s spare room in the Uptown area of New Orleans.

Houston says he remembers spending a lot of time in that room, watching and helping as his father added on to the toy train’s miniature surroundings.

“The Lionel trains were very common,” he says. “They still are today.”

The toy train company kept modelers like Houston hooked with a steady stream of new additions, such as the coal loader, and trains that produced smoke, an impressive technological feat in that time.

The family’s interest in model railroading springs from a history in real railroading.

Houston’s uncle served as general superintendent of motor power for Southern Pacific Railroad during World War II. The uncle wanted to join the military, but was told his skills would better serve the military through Southern Pacific, one of two main railroads that supplied troops and ammunition to the Pacific Theater of the war, Houston says.

Another of Houston’s uncles served as an engineer for Southern Pacific.

Houston’s father paid his way through college by working on steam engines at night for Southern Pacific.

Houston’s interest in model railroading grew during childhood, but lapsed during high school and the beginning of college, he says.

“Then we got married, and the trains started again,” says Houston’s wife, Carol.

Arthur Houston returned to model railroading, this time using the much-favored H0 Scale Model Train, the type he still uses, while the newlyweds were living in married-student housing at LSU.

Like most, Houston started modeling by imitating designs found in books, but by his college days, had moved on to designing and building his own landscapes.

Houston next built a model railroad in the second bedroom of a “not-so-big two-bedroom apartment” at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. Houston, then a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, worked with another lieutenant to build the layout during their six months in Killeen.

Houston’s hobby followed him to Harahan, where he and Carol lived from 1972 until their move to Houma.
The house in Harahan had a two-car garage. “We had a car in the garage for only one day,” Houston says.

The garage played host to three different model-train layouts through the years, as Houston would complete one, then tear it down and start over, a habit known as building a “chainsaw railroad.”

The model railroads later moved into the family’s pool house, which Houston eventually remodeled into a train room, before gaining his dream “train room” in Houma last fall.

Houston says he not only enjoys the hobby itself, but likes meeting people through his model railroading hobby.

“It’s brought me a tremendous amount of friends,” he says.

And he’s looking for more, especially those who like to paint western scenery, he adds.

Thomas Visits Tennessee Valley Railroad
Starting April 24
February 24, 2009 The Chattanoogan Chattanooga, TennesseeThomas the Tank Engine is set to roll into Chattanooga for the Day Out With Thomas 2009: The Hero of the Rails Tour. The event, which takes place April 24, 25, 26 and May 2 and 3, will be hosted by the Tennessee Valley Railroad and presented by HIT Entertainment and sponsored by The LEGO Group. For its 14th consecutive ride on the rails, the Day Out With Thomas 2009: The Hero of the Rails Tour will visit more than 40 cities in the United States and Canada. Day Out With Thomas is the only place for families to take a ride with a 15-ton replica of Thomas the Tank Engine, and enjoy Thomas-themed activities at the Imagination Station, including stamps, temporary tattoos and hands-on arts and crafts. Each year the tour grows, traveling to new destinations, adding new activities and welcoming new visitors. In addition, exclusive Thomas & Friends merchandise is available at Day Out With Thomas events including a 2009 Day Out With Thomas passenger car and commemorative T-shirts, pennants, engineer caps, frames, and more.

Thomas the Tank Engine, star of Thomas & Friends, on PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS Sprout will be kicking off his Day Out With Thomas 2009: The Hero of the Rails Tour in March and is expected to welcome more than one million passengers through December. During the Day Out With Thomas 2009: The Hero of the Rails Tour, children will ride with Thomas up steep hills, around deep, blue lakes, and help him rescue his engine friends—if only in their imaginations. Day Out with Thomas 2009 activities include:A 25-minute (approximate) ride with Thomas the Tank Engine.The opportunity to meet Sir Topham Hatt, Controller of the Railway.A Thomas & Friends Imagination Station; featuring stamps, temporary tattoos, hands-on arts and crafts activities and coloring sheets.Storytelling, video viewing, live music, and more. During the Day Out With Thomas 2009: The Hero of the Rails Tour, children will also be provided with a “Tour Map,” that guides them through the four station stops – the Imagination Station, the Meet & Greet with Sir Topham Hatt, the Storytelling/Video Viewing area and the gift shop - after receiving four stamps on their map, each child will receive a 3-D Thomas poster with glasses (while supplies last).The tour provides an interactive family experience at every station, offering a variety of entertaining activities that reflect the local flavor of each stop. At the Tennessee Valley Railroad activities will include: magic shows, mini golf, bouncy tent, crane demonstrations, and much more. The approximately 25-minute train ride with Thomas the Tank Engine will depart every hour, rain or shine, with departure times at 9 a.m. through 6:30 p.m. daily. Tickets for the Day Out With Thomas 2009: The Heroes of the Rail Tour are $18 plus tax for ages two and up.Tickets are on sale now by calling toll-free (866) 468-7630 or logging onto www.ticketweb.com/thomas. For more information and directions contact the Tennessee Valley Railroad at www.tvrail.com or call 894-8028.

Miami-Dade County: Locomotive thieves sought
February 25, 2009 Sun-Sentinel Miami, Florida

Authorities are asking for the public's help to find those who stole a CSX 120-ton locomotive over the weekend, a CSX Railroad spokesman said Tuesday.The diesel locomotive disappeared from the Kendall area late Sunday night, where it was parked in storage while awaiting assignment, CBS 4 reported. Railroad personnel and Miami-Dade County police found the missing train early Monday about 7 miles away, near Homestead, according to the station."We don't know what the intentions were and don't know what the individual or group of individuals planned," CSX spokesman Gary Sease said. "We are appealing for anyone who might've seen anything in the area.Anyone with information is asked to call CSX at 800-232-0144 or
Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

For A Laugh (emails from internet friends)

2 Englishmen and 1 Irishman
Two English businessmen in London were sitting down for a break in their soon-to-be new store. As yet, the store wasn't ready, with only a few shelves set up one said to the other, "I bet any minute now some idiot tourist is going to walk by, put his face to the window, and ask what we're selling." No sooner were the words out of his mouth when, sure enough, a curious Irishman walked to the window, had a peek, and in a thick Irish accent asked "What might ye be sellin' here?" One of the men replied sarcastically, "We're selling ass-holes." Without skipping a beat, the Irishman said, "You're doing well.... only two left."

Top Ten Country Western Songs
10. I Hate Every Bone In Her Body But Mine.
9. I Ain't Never Gone To Bed With an Ugly Woman But I Woke Up With a few.
8. If The Phone Don't Ring, You'll Know It's Me.
7. I've Missed You, But My Aim's Improvin'.
6. Wouldn't Take Her To A Dogfight 'Cause I'm Scared She'd Win.
5. I'm So Miserable Without You It's Like You're Still Here.
4. My Wife Ran Off With My Best Friend And I Miss Him.
3. She Took My Ring and Gave Me the Finger.
2. She's Lookin' Better with Every Beer.

And the Number One Country & Western song is...

1. It's Hard To Kiss The Lips At Night That Chew Your Ass All Day Long

How to Tell the Sex of a Fly
A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband stalking around with a fly swatter'What are you doing?' she asked.'Hunting Flies', he responded.'Oh. ! Killing any?' she asked.'Yep, 3 males, 2 females,' he replied.Intrigued, she asked. 'How can you tell them apart?'He responded, '3 were on a beer can, 2 were on the phone'.
The Super Bowl Tickets
A man had 50 yard line tickets for the Super Bowl. As he sat down, he noticed that the seat next to him was empty. He asked the man on the other side ofthe empty seat whether anyone was sitting there.
"No," the man replied, "The seat is empty.""This is incredible," said the first man. "Who in their right mind would have a seat like this for the Super Bowl, the biggest sporting event in the world,and not use it?"
The second man replied, "Well, actually, the seat belongs to me. I was supposed to come with my wife, but she passed away. This will be the first Super bowl we haven't been to together since we got married in 1967."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. That's terrible. But couldn't you find someone else -- a friend or relative, or even a neighbor to take the seat?"
The man shook his head. "No, they're all at the funeral."

Male vs. Female
If Laurie, Linda, Elizabeth and Barbara go out for lunch, they will call each other Laurie, Linda, Elizabeth and Barbara.
If Mark, Chris, Eric and Tom go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla, Peanut-Head and Scrappy.

EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mark, Chris, Eric and Tom will each throw a $20, even thought it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators. MONEY A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.. A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need, but it's on sale.
BATHROOMS
A man has 5 items in his bathroom: a toothbrush, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap and a towel from the Marriott.
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify most of these items.
ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
FUTURE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
SUCCESS
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
MARRIAGE (Too true to be considered humorous)
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change and she does.
DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage, answer the phone, read a book and get the mail.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.
NATURAL
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed (or so they think).
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.
AND FINALLY....
A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of mules, jackasses and pigs, the wife asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?"
"Yep," the husband replied, "in-laws." The fight is now officially on.

How Was I born
A little boy goes to his father and asks “Daddy, how was I born?”
The father answers, “Well, son, I guess one day you will need to find out anyway. Your Mom and I first got together in a chat room on Yahoo. Then I set up a date via e-mail with your Mom and we met at a cyber-cafe. We sneaked into a secluded room, where your mother agreed to do a download from my hard drive. As soon as I was ready to upload, we discovered that neither one of us had used a firewall, and since it was too late to hit the delete button, nine months later a blessed little popup appeared and said: You've Got Male!”

Married Life According to Rodney Dangerfield
You have two choices in life: You can stay single and be miserable, or get married and wish you were dead.

A woman inserted an ad in the classifieds: "HusbandWanted" Next day she received a hundred letters. They all said the same thing: "You can have mine."

When a woman steals your husband, there is no better revenge than to let her keep him.

If you want your spouse to listen and pay strict attention to every word you say - talk in your sleep.

First guy says, "My wife's an angel!"
Second guy says, "You're lucky. Mine's still alive."

Up-Coming Shows in the Area

Wilmington, DE – Nur Temple Train Show
March 1, 2009 – Nur Temple Hall
http://www.trainshows.com/

Hartly, DE – Hartly VFD Spring Model Train & Toy Show – March 14, 2009. Hartly Fire Hall. 9:00am - 3:00pm $3 (Under 12 Free) Contact: Allen Metheny, Sr 302-492-3755.

Edison, NJ – Greenburg’s Train & Toy Show
March 14 – 15, 2009 – New Jersey Expo Center
Greenberg's Train & Toy Show

Severna Park, MD – National Capital Division TTOS Swap Meet & Train Show – Earleigh Heights VFD, RT 2 & Earleigh Heights Road. March 15, 2009. 9:00am - 2:00pm. $5 (under 12 free). Contact: Bill Dyson 301-621-9728.

East Coast Large Train Show – York Fair Grounds,
York, PA. March 27 – 28, 9:am – 6:pm. $10 kids under
12 free. Contact: (908) 361-2117 or
jjproductions@atlanticbb.net.

Evesham Fire Department – Marlton, NJ. March 28,
2009

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