Important date change: This program originally planned for Tuesday 10/27
has been rescheduled for Thursday 10/29, just two days later, due to an
important function at the Bickford. Come one, come all, as it should be
a show not to miss.

Hope everyone can make it                    ....Mike Del Vecchio, Tri-State
Chapter NRHS



The next meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society will be on
Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 7:30 PM at the Bickford Theater at the
Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ

This month will feature a very special presentation about the Caldwell
Railway by noted historian and author Phil Jeager. Phil literally wrote
the book on the Caldwell Railway, and anyone possessing his Arcadia
Publishing books about Cedar Grove and Montclair are invited to bring
them to be signed. His program will tell the story through photos and
lecture, and it will conclude with views from 2009 of the extant right
of way. Meetings start at 7:30 PM, admission is free, and all are welcome.

Directions to the meeting are on our web site at
http://www.tristaterail.org/meeting.html


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------------------

New Jersey railroads are the crossroads of commerce.Yahoo! Groups Links

The next meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society will be on
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 7:30 PM at the Bickford Theater at the
Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ

This month will feature a very special presentation about the Caldwell
Railway by noted historian and author Phil Jeager.  Phil literally wrote
the book on the Caldwell Railway, and anyone possessing his Arcadia
Publishing books about Cedar Grove and Montclair are invited to bring
them to be signed.  His program will tell the story through photos and
lecture, and it will conclude with views from 2009 of the extant right
of way.  Meetings start at 7:30 PM, admission is free, and all are welcome.

Directions to the meeting are on our web site at
http://www.tristaterail.org/meeting.html

Michael Finfer
Bridgewater, NJ

When were the FL9s purchased from Amtrak?

Thank you.

dcwarner
wilmington, de

Rare Mileage Caboose Trip on the Dover & Rockaway

Trips originate from the Sussex St. grade crossing in Dover, NJ on
Sunday, August 30..

Family oriented short shuttle trips in conjunction with the Dover Street
Fair begin at 10 AM, running west from Dover. Fare: $6 per person/$20
maximum per family.

Rare Mileage Rail Fan Trip: Trip begins at 1:30 PM and runs to the end
of track in Rockaway, NJ. Photo stops. Fare: $25 per person. Tickets
sold on day of trip only.

Trips are a short walk from the NJ Transit station in Dover.

For more information: Voice mail: 973-656-0707 or e-mail:
mdelvec952@...

From TRAINS:
Maine Eastern eyes passenger, locomotive shop projects
Published: Wednesday, July 29, 2009

BRUNSWICK, Maine - Maine Eastern Railroad wants to extend its passenger service
to Maine's interior and develop a new shop on the site of an old military base,
the Falmouth (Maine) Forecaster has reported. Railroad Vice President Gordon
Page said he wants the shop built on the Brunswick Naval Air Station after the
base closes in 2011, and said he wants to extend passenger trains to Augusta,
Maine.

The short line, owned by Morristown & Erie [see "Passenger," TRAINS, June 2008],
operates freight service over two branches and passenger trains over one. The
passenger train serves the coastal city of Rockland, while ME's other branch,
which runs to Augusta, is freight-only.

Page said a proposed extension of Amtrak's Boston-Portland, Maine, Downeaster to
Brunswick would make passenger trains to Augusta successful. While the Rockland
trains are seasonal and focus on tourists, the Augusta trains would aim to
capture commuters bound for the state capital.

The shop would repair cars and locomotives, and initial goals call for it to
employ 20 people, but this would depend on the railroad's rebuilding an
abandoned rail spur into the base.


Falmouth (Maine) Forecaster:
Maine Eastern Railroad seeks Brunswick base property, passenger service to
Augusta
Published: Jul 29, 2009 12:00 am - By Steve Mistler

BRUNSWICK — Maine Eastern Railroad has been flying under the radar while the
proposed extension of the Amtrak Downeaster to Brunswick, and the operational
funding for the passenger service, has held the attention of local officials and
advocates of rail and alternative transportation for some time.

But now, the privately operated freight and passenger service is hatching plans
that it believes will make significant contributions to the local economy and
transit picture.

Gordon Page, vice president and director of operations for the Rockland-based
company, said this week that Maine Eastern has been negotiating with the
Brunswick Naval Air Station redevelopment authority to build a repair facility
following the base's 2011 closure.

Page also confirmed plans to establish passenger service from Brunswick to
Augusta, a project that could one day supplement Maine Eastern's current
Brunswick-Rockland seasonal excursion service with year-round, commuter-oriented
trains to the state capital.

Full story:
http://www.theforecaster.net/node/22787

Gary R. Kazin
DL&W Milepost R35.7
Rockaway, New Jersey

http://www.recordernewspapers.com/articles/2009/06/26/roxbury_register/news/doc4\
a383859e02b3088028147.txt

http://www.recordernewspapers.com/articles/2009/06/26/roxbury_register
/news/doc4a4486b4b0b35476128396.txt

Roxbury and the County are having a hissy fit over rebuilding it!

Gary R. Kazin
DL&W Milepost R35.7
Rockaway, New Jersey

Anyone know about extending the Downeaster?


Government
Waldoboro economic committee talks to railroad, Maine & Company
By Daniel Dunkle
The Herald Gazette Business/Associate Editor

WALDOBORO (June 17): Waldoboro's Economic Development Committee has met with
Maine Eastern Railroad and will meet next month with Maine & Company as the
committee puts together a plan for bringing businesses and jobs to the town,
according to Planning and Development Director Patrick Wright.

The committee met recently with Vice President and Director of Passenger
Operations Gordon Page and Vice President and General Manager Denny Mohn of
Maine Eastern Railroad.

Page said they talked about what it would take to have a passenger train stop in
Waldoboro. At present, the Maine Eastern Railroad trains do not stop in the
town, and Page said there are no immediate plans for such a stop.

Page said there was also some discussion of creating a freight business, with
the trains stopping near a Waldoboro industrial park.

Maine Eastern Railroad's primary business is freight now and it offers
excursions for its passenger service. Page said passenger service will be
increased when the Downeaster is extended to Brunswick and the railroad becomes
an Amtrak service, a change anticipated for late 2010.

At that point, Page said, there will be discussion about where stops may be
added on the rail line.

Wright said that the meeting was a learning opportunity for the committee and
that freight and passenger rail service could serve as a benefit to economic
development in the town.

Page said the railroad is pleased that the town of Waldoboro has shown such an
interest.

During the recent election Selectman Theodore Wooster said he would like to see
a fully developed railroad depot in Waldoboro. He hopes to see the town linked
by rail to Brunswick and Portland.

The committee will meet with representatives from Maine & Company Thursday, July
9 at 4 p.m. at the town office.

Maine & Company has been involved in efforts throughout the state to bring new
employers, often from out of state, into Maine communities. In many cases, the
company has helped match buildings or facilities that have been vacated with new
businesses.

In November 2007, athenahealth Inc. Chairman Jonathan Bush announced that his
firm would buy the former MBNA Phase I building in Belfast. Maine & Company was
involved in that project as well as in bringing Boston Financial Data Services
Inc. to the former MBNA complex on Rockland's waterfront.

Wright said the former Osram Sylvania site on Friendship Street and the Best
Felts building on Winslows Mills Road have been identified as potential sites of
new business development in Waldoboro.

The 70,000-square-foot Osram Sylvania plant was torn down last fall. Osram
Sylvania closed the filament production plant in 2005. At the time the company
announced the closure, the Waldoboro facility employed 134 workers who operated
approximately 395 machines, manufacturing the tiny filaments that give off light
inside light bulbs.

Best Felts was a textile business.

Wright said the town's work force has traditionally been employed in
manufacturing jobs and has skills in that area.

The Herald Gazette Business/Associate Editor Daniel Dunkle can be reached at
207-594-4401 or by e-mail at ddunkle@....

Gary R. Kazin
DL&W Milepost R35.7
Rockaway, New Jersey

The next meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society will be on
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 7:30 PM.

at the Bickford Theater at the Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road,
Morristown, NJ  07960.

This month's entertainment will be long time Tri-Stater and current
president of the Jersey Central Chapter Mark Schmitt.  He is a master
researcher and collector.  At the May meeting, he will present a great
accumulation of images showing the glory days of the Erie Lackawanna.
The show will favor the east end, but there will be scenes from across
the system, from Hoboken/Jersey City to Chicago and many of the
branches.  A few images may seem familiar, but many will be new to us.
Mark's stories and anecdotes will make the night a treat!

A printable flier and directions are available on our web site at
http://www.tristaterail.org/meeting.html

Everyone is welcome!

Michael Finfer
Bridgewater, NJ

Roxbury officials protest $6M in stimulus funds for Chester Branch Rail Line
by Lawrence Ragonese/The Star-Ledger
Wednesday May 06, 2009, 7:43 PM

ROXBURY - A $6 million infusion of federal stimulus dollars to Morris County for
an upgrade of a deteriorating freight rail line would be a "disaster" for
Roxbury's Horseshoe Lake recreation area, according to protesting town
officials, who have urged town residents to complain to the county freeholders.

They say improvements to the Chester Branch Rail Line would cause safety
problems, putting trains within feet of residents who use a busy town-created
biking-and-walking trail that abuts the lake. It also could hamper use of
recreation fields and put a damper on local events held at the site, they said.

But surprised county officials countered today they are only planning to improve
the lightly used rail line, taking advantage of a one-time shot at federal
dollars for a service that could be used by local businesses. They said many of
the concerns could be resolved through "amicable dialogue" between the town and
county.

"We have an opportunity to purchase this rail line and use federal stimulus
dollars to fix it - a shovel-ready in the ground project," said Morris County
Administrator John Bonanni. "We understand it's a sensitive matter for Roxbury
and Randolph, and we look to work cooperatively with them, to address as many of
their concerns as possible."

The key issue for Roxbury officials is the southern-most portion of the rail
line, which runs past Horseshoe Lake and veers off to the Westinghouse
commercial site in Randolph. That would put trains virtually on the town's
pedestrian trail and near the lake.

"That would be getting into the heart of our recreation area," Roxbury Township
Manager Christopher Raths said tonight. But the trail was built in the 1990s on
rail right-of-way without permission, said county officials - a contention Raths
said he is investigating.

Bonanni said upgrading the entire Chester line would make rail service available
to Westinghouse, which has 900,000 square feet of commercial space, and could
result in jobs and tax dollars.

However, that would not result in a major flow of trains, said County Planning
and Development Director Frank Pinto. He said only a few trains now run on it
each week. And even if use increased a bit, Pinto stressed the county could
limit the number of trains and times of operation.

The Chester Branch line is four miles long, running from the NJ Transit
connection north of Berkshire Valley Road, south to Route 10 and ending at the
Randolph and Roxbury border, near Horseshoe Lake. It connects with the county
owned High Bridge freight rail line, which is leased by the Morristown & Erie
Railway.

The Chester line now is owned by Jack Holland, owner of Holland Manufacturing,
which is located on Main Street in Roxbury and which uses rail service for its
adhesives business. Rail service also would be essential for Kuiken Brothers
lumber company, which is adjacent to Horseshoe Lake and has gotten Roxbury
Planning Board approval for expansion, including a required rail link.

Holland has offered to sell the line to the county for one dollar in return for
county funding to fix the rails, which are in poor shape and have resulted in
some derailments.

"The present dilapidated condition of the track has caused numerous derailments,
which have delayed rail car deliveries and cut into customers' production
schedules," the county wrote in its request for federal stimulus dollars.

Pinto said the county long sought state funds to improve the line but with no
success.

He met with Roxbury officials several weeks ago. But Roxbury officials said
today they were concerned their voices were not being heard. So they went public
with their issues. They contended trains would create a safety issue, impact
access to Horseshoe Lake Island, impact the number of events held at the lake
facility and negatively impact aesthetics.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/05/roxbury_township_officials_pro.html

Gary R. Kazin
DL&W Milepost R35.7
Rockaway, New Jersey

http://www.trainweb.org/sussexctyrrclub/09show.jpg

Does anyone know where M&E stuck WT SW-1# 738?
Just wondering,
Ken Gear

Perhaps to Honesdale?

Sandy

--- In MorristownAndErie@yahoogroups.com, Rich Dean <richard_l_dean_07405@...>
wrote:
>
> Could it be that they were on the way to the M&E operation in Maine via NYS
Thruway/I-87 and I-84?� That is the suggested route to most of New England
posted along I-287 in Mahwah.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Rich Dean, Butler, New Jersey USA�� 07405
> Please try these groups if they interest you:
> www.yahoogroups.com/group/Firepics
> www.yahoogroups.com/group/FirematicEvents
> www.yahoogroups.com/group/Railpics
> www.yahoogroups.com/group/RailfanEvents
> www.yahoogroups.com/group/Train_Shows
> www.yahoogroups.com/group/Roadgeek
> www.yahoogroups.com/group/RoadsideFans
> �
> ��
> �
>
> --- On Wed, 3/25/09, yonkersrails <yonkersrails@...> wrote:
>
>
> From: yonkersrails <yonkersrails@...>
> Subject: [MorristownAndErie] Fwd: Morristown & Erie truck on I-87
> To: MorristownandErie@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 9:26 PM
>
>
> FORWARDED FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY RAILS YAHOO GROUP
>
> This morning, WED MARCH 25, at 0855 HRS, a Morristown & Erie truck went
through the toll booth at exit 16 Harriman heading NORTH on 1-87.
>
> There was what appeared to be a motorized wheel set in the back.
>
> Wonder where they're going?
>
> Michael Foley
> YONKERS RAILS
>
> --- End forwarded message ---
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>

To their subsidiary, the Maine Eastern...

The FL9's are in Morristown, getting ready for the excursion season.

Gary R. Kazin
DL&W Milepost R35.7
Rockaway, New Jersey


--- On Wed, 3/25/09, yonkersrails <yonkersrails@...> wrote:
> This morning, WED MARCH 25, at 0855 HRS, a Morristown &
> Erie truck went through the toll booth at exit 16 Harriman
> heading NORTH on 1-87.
>
> There was what appeared to be a motorized wheel set in the
> back.
>
> Wonder where they're going?

FORWARDED FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY RAILS YAHOO GROUP

This morning, WED MARCH 25, at 0855 HRS, a Morristown & Erie truck went through
the toll booth at exit 16 Harriman heading NORTH on 1-87.

There was what appeared to be a motorized wheel set in the back.

Wonder where they're going?

Michael Foley
YONKERS RAILS

--- End forwarded message ---

The next meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society will be on
Tuesday, March 24 at 7:30 PM at the Bickford Theater at the Morris
Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Rd., Morristown, NJ

This month's entertainment will be long-time member Bob Goin, who has
been taking railroad photos around New Jersey for decades.  He has
amassed an amazingly diverse collection of railroad photos which form
the basis of a portion of the new all-color Morning Sun book, Trackside
Around the Garden State, 1950-1975 with Bob Goin and John Dziobko, Jr.
Join us as Bob guides us down memory lane with many rare and unusual
photos.  Copies of the book will be available for sale, and Bob, of
course, will be available for autographs.

Directions to the meeting, a map, and a printable flier are available on
our web site at:  http://www.tristaterail.org/meeting.html

Michael Finfer
Bridgewater, NJ

--- On Thu, 3/19/09, Gary R. Kazin <gkazin@...> wrote:

<snip article>
>
>
>
> Um, nothing can cost 'five times less' than
> something else.  It could cost one 'fifth as much'.
>
>
>
> Don't hold your breath for the first train.
>
>
>
> Gary R. Kazin
>
> DL&W Milepost R35.7
>
> Rockaway, New Jersey

Gary,

"Five times less" (or whatever) is, in fact, a legitimate expression. One will
frequently find such a construct where time or speed are concerned, e.g., "three
times faster," just as an HO scale train is "eighty-seven times smaller" than
the car or locomotive on which it is based.

Dieter Zakas

How does a train trip from Honesdale to Hoboken strike you?  Plenty of people
would like to see the bygone transportation restored.

Al Siebold, director of safety and security for Morristown & Erie Railway, Inc.,
says passenger train service is a "very viable" future endeavor, something Wayne
County could see in the coming three years.  A glance to the past shows November
13, 1942 as the last passenger service out of Honesdale via Erie Railroad.

A meeting was held last month with Dave Williams, state director of the
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau; Woodloch Pines; Settler’s Inn and others in the
tourist industry, along with Siebold, managing director of the Stourbridge
Railroad - all interested in bringing tourist trade in from the New York area
via rail.  Williams says they’re looking at bringing tourists into the County
and the opportunity for local residents to travel into New York also.

Siebold says, "The train would be run as a tourist service from Hoboken to the
local resorts, probably on a Friday night.  On Saturday, the train 'could' take
local residents to NYC for sightseeing, dinner & theater and return them on
Sunday morning.  This would position the train for the weekend tourists to
return to Hoboken on Sunday evening."  As to commuter service, Siebold says that
would "probably be the domain of a State authority due to the huge investment in
equipment and signaling that would be needed."

The tourist trade would bring extra income and jobs, Williams says.  "Here we
are, in a world economy where a lot of people are losing their jobs, what that
would create would be a tremendous amount of extra income coming to the resorts,
to the restaurants and people like that."  The farmer would benefit because a
lot of local restaurants and resorts buy food directly from them, Williams said.
Plus, farmers could arrange "farm tours" with resorts and their guests to tour
their horse farm, creamery, etc.

"It’s an untapped area for families to come," Siebold said.  "The way things
are today, people are looking for short trips, weekend getaways."

"The reason that a passenger train was considered is due to the success we
achieved with similar train service in Maine (with the Maine Lobster Festival). 
It became a very successful, regional passenger excursion service," he said. 
People likened the train’s arrival to having "a 747, big aircraft, landing on
Main Street every day," Siebold said.

The train and the track are already in place, to get from Hoboken to Honesdale,
Williams said.  "We can go all the way to New York City, provided we have the
proper insurance," he said.  Since the insurance would be expensive, Williams
said he’s trying to get "part of the stimulus package to overcome this
insurance problem.  For government, that’d be no more than bonding, probably."

Siebold agrees that the big problem for passenger service is insurance.  He says
it would require $150,000,0000 in coverage. "If you can’t get the insurance
costs under control, the ticket would be far too expensive," he said.

The Morristown & Erie Railway Inc., operator of the Stourbridge Railroad,
already has "a dozen or so" passenger cars, Siebold said. They’d just have to
rebuild them to spec - to be able to travel as fast as Amtrak travels, 79 miles
mph, Siebold said. "The train would be made up of locomotives and railcars that
were recently retired by Amtrak.  These cars would be refurbished with luxury
appointments as we did with our Maine excursion train.  It would include parlor
service and dining," he said.

They’re also looking into securing state grants to help "bring the track up to
speed."  From Hoboken to Honesdale is 130 miles of track. "Most of it is already
up to speed," Siebold said.  Hoboken to Port Jervis is already 79 mph track.  He
says they’re working with Susquehanna Railroad to upgrade their portion of the
track, 23 miles; while Morristown & Erie Railway, Inc., would need to upgrade 25
miles of track.

Rebuilding freight rail service

Siebold, managing director of the Stourbridge Railroad, says they’re currently
concentrating on rebuilding the freight service.

With the railroad trestle restored in Hawley, they’re now reconnected to the
National Railway System via Lackawaxen.  Morristown & Erie Railway, Inc. based
out of Morristown, NJ, is the operator of the line on behalf of Paul Brancato,
who has owned the Stourbridge Railroad since May of 2008.

Mr. Brancato has proposed building an Ideal Steel Supply warehouse near the
tracks in White Mills.  "We’re in the site plan stage," Siebold said. 
They’d use the train to bring in stock steel to fabricate into saleable
products, he said. Headquarters for Ideal Steel Supply Corp. is on Long Island.

Freight service

Siebold says they’ve had inquiries from local quarries wanting to ship out
stone.  Stone could be shipped all over the northeast, Siebold said, with some
used for railroad ballast, the stone under the tracks.  Siebold says they’ve
also talked about bringing in road salt via train, propane heating gas, lumber
and various other products.

Williams, state director of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, says they’ve been in
talks with a large fertilizer company about opening up a fertilizer distribution
point along the rail lines.  "Rail is about five times cheaper than trucking, in
large commodities like that," Williams said.  Siebold says one railcar is equal
to about four tractor trailers.

"And of course, this part of the country has had problems during the peak
seasons even getting fertilizer, which is one of the hindrances of farming.  And
would cut the cost down tremendously. Input costs is what kills farmers,"
Williams said. Fertilizer costs went from $150 per ton to as much as $1,300 per
ton last year, he said.  It takes about one ton of fertilizer to cover 10 acres
of field, he said.  "Many of the farmers haven’t been able to afford it.  So
the nutrient value, naturally goes down in the crops ...And they’ve been
waiting until the price goes down."

"Machinery could be brought in by rail.  Commodities could be shipped out, such
as hay.  There is an overseas market for hay right now ... We’re looking at
products coming into the feed mills, we’re looking at machinery, also many of
the products that the businesses use here," Williams said. "So many things can
come out of that rail for agriculture."

"It’s really a definite part of the agriculture world, the train is ... it
could open up a lot of new doors for us here in Wayne County."

http://www.wayneindependent.com/news/x599202415/Tourist-train-envisioned-from-NY\
C-area

=====

Um, nothing can cost 'five times less' than something else.  It could cost one
'fifth as much'.

Don't hold your breath for the first train.

Gary R. Kazin
DL&W Milepost R35.7
Rockaway, New Jersey

The next meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society will be on
Tuesday, February 24 at the Bickford Theater at the Morris Museum,
Morris Twp., NJ.

This month's entertainment will be a special and rare showing of the
films of the late Don Ball. Best known for his clever and well-composed
still photography, and as a pioneer of the all-color railroad book era
that we enjoy today, Don "Rusty" Ball also shot movies on his travels.
Long-time member and film archivist Mitch Dakelman will show the Ball
films, and an Alco-produced film.  All are welcome, admission is free.

Directions to the meeting are available on our web site at:
http://www.tristaterail.org/meeting.html

Michael Finfer
Bridgewater, NJ

The next meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Societ will be on:

Tuesday, January 27, 2009, 7:30 PM.

at the Bickford Theater at the Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road,
Morristown, NJ  07960.

This location is only a quarter mile west of our former location at
Honeywell, just off Columbia Tpk, Route 510, between Route 24 and
I-287.  Meetings will start at 7:30 PM.

This month's entertainment will be a terrific look at the "Erie side" of
the Erie Lackawanna railroad with Rich Taylor during the 1960's and
'70's.  The main lines and branches will be seen, including the
now-abandoned line through Passaic.  Younger fans will love to see what
these areas looked like before NJ Transit!

Directions to the meeting are available on our web site at:

http://www.tristaterail.org/meeting.html

Michael Finfer
Bridgewater, NJ

Morristown line expands into other states
Railway takes over freight service on 28 miles of track in eastern Pa.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
BY GABRIEL H. GLUCK
Star-Ledger Staff

As the coursing waters of the Lackawaxen River rushed by off to his left, Al
Siebold could see there was a problem with the rails up ahead -- the hard clunk
that shud dered through the truck cab simply confirmed it.

Siebold was inspecting the track along the Stourbridge Rail road in eastern
Pennsylvania on Thursday, only to discover that a section of rail had shrunk so
much in the recent cold snap that the connecting bolts were sheared off where
the rails were once joined, leaving a 2-inch gap where there should be none.

MORE:

http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1227417436161150.xml\
&coll=1

Gary R. Kazin
DL&W Milepost R35.7
Rockaway, New Jersey

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=18646

Staten Island Railroad, CSX launch dedicated intermodal service

On Monday, CSX Corp., the New York City Economic Development Corp., Port
Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ) and New York Container Terminal Inc.
held a ceremony at Arlington Yard in Staten Island, N.Y., to commemorate the
launch of dedicated intermodal service on the Staten Island Railroad to and from
the New York Container Terminal.

CSX Intermodal will provide long-haul service five days a week westbound and
four days a week eastbound. The Class I will move containers daily to Chicago,
Detroit, and Columbus, Ohio, and on alternate days to Cleveland, East St. Louis,
Ill., Kansas City, Mo., and Worcester, Mass.

The parties spent about $600 million to transform the terminal into a 38-acre
on-dock rail facility and warehouse. The eight-mile Staten Island Railroad —
which was reactivated in 2007 — provides service to the container terminal and
a Staten Island sanitation transfer facility.

“By connecting Staten Island’s container port to the national rail network,
Staten Island residents and workers — as well as residents throughout New York
City — are now enjoying the benefit of 45,000 fewer truck trips on their
streets each year,” said U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) in a prepared
statement.

Gary R. Kazin
DL&W Milepost R35.7
Rockaway, New Jersey

The next meeting of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society will be on
Tuesday, November 11, 2008 (NEW DATE), 7:30 PM.

at the Bickford Theater at the Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road,
Morristown, NJ  07960.

This location is only a quarter mile west of our former location at
Honeywell, just off Columbia Tpk, Route 510, between Route 24 and
I-287.  Meetings will start at 7:30 PM.

This month's entertainment will be Mark Schmitt with "Shays in the
Hills!"  For our November meeting we'll ride on board steam-powered
freight and mixed trains as they climb heavy grades exceeding 10% in
West Virginia.  In 2007, rail fan Carl Franz chartered special trains
just for photography on the Cass Scenic Railroad for three days of
varied consists, all of them powered by Shay locomotives.  Each
locomotive was lettered for historic Mower Lumber Company, and much of
the equipment is authentic to the region.  Located in Cass, West
Virginia, the railroad is the nucleus of a state park dedicated to the
preservation and interpretation of the rich history of logging in the
Mountain State.  Shay locomotives were invented by New Jersey native
Ephraim Shay specifically for the purpose of hauling timber out of the
woods.  Admission is free.  All are welcome.

Directions to the meeting are available on our web site at
http://www.tristaterail.org/meeting.html

Michael Finfer
Bridgewater, NJ