Meeting Minutes
2008
The meeting was called to order at 8:02 p.m. Attendance: 10 Members and 1 Guest. Officers present: President, Vice President/Historian, Secretary/Treasurer, National Director/Publicity Director and 1 Advisory Director. The minutes of the 12/1/07 were approved as written upon a motion by Richard Culin and seconded by Bill Kovacs.
Treasurer’s Cash Reconciliation: FOR DETAILED INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT A CHAPTER OFFICER.
Communications/Member News: Gary Dillon spoke with both Bob Lods and Francis Sage recently. Bob said there has been no change with Sylvia’s health and that he is “stiff & old”-something we can all relate to. Francis who turned 90 last June has suffered two strokes. He is using a walker to get around, but sounds sharp on the phone. Many memories and stories of Conductor F. Sage were then shared and enjoyed. Jim Arcaro ran into Randy Wolfe at Hillcrest Hospital. On 12/26/07, after a long illness, George Warrington, the former president of Amtrak, passed away. George had been an advocate for mass transit development and operations.
National Director’s Report: On January 21st there will be a strategic board meeting in Dallas, TX to discuss the closing of the National Offices. Fernley & Fernley, a professional management firm specializing in non-profit organizations, will be taking over administrative functions and office operations in February. Lynn Burshtin’s position in the National office will be phased out. The library and film collections relocation will also be discussed.
Historian’s Report 100 Years Ago: In Clayton, NJ, the Pennsy tested an electric locomotive belonging to the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. The locomotive attained a speed of 92 mph. Although it was shown that trains could be run safely at 90 mph, it took considerably longer to stop a train at that speed and the air brakes become less effective. In Washington, DC, the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen filed a complaint that the Missouri Pacific railway had unsafe track sections. The complaint was documented with photographs of the unsafe sections. The NYC announced from Cleveland that numbers in train orders must be spelled out. Too many mistakes were being made when trainmen read numbers. Reading numbers in word form prevented misreads. From Dover, OH, it was announced that Cleveland & Pittsburgh railroad employees had to be tested for proper hearing and eyesight-including color recognition. The exam was required by law to be conducted every two years. The PRR provided an excellent Christmas dinner between 11 am and 2 pm to all employees required to work on Christmas. This was to compensate them for not being able to go home for their midday holiday meal. Also in Canton, the Carnahan Stamping and Enameling Company had a single day record of 19 carloads of finished enameled products ready to ship on the PRR. The company manager bragged that this shipment was not only a company record, but also probably the largest single day’s shipment by any plant in the country making a similar line of products. The PRR announced that at least 150 foreign European workers traveled by train out of Canton on the first leg of their trip back to Europe. They were returning to winter jobs and would return to Canton in the spring when the weather warmed. In addition to the money some were able to save to take back to their families, the most important thing they took with them was their alarm clocks. According to a travel agent, a steerage ticket from Canton to Budapest cost $37.50. On the traction scene, Canton was connected to Youngstown by interurban rail lines. The Stark Electric Line, running from Salem to Canton, was connected to the Salem Division of the Y & OR that ran from Youngstown to Salem. The Massillon, Wooster and Western Railway was incorporated and there were plans to build an interurban rail line between Massillon and Mansfield.
Roundhouse/MRPS Report: John Marn reported that we are still not permitted to enter the Roundhouse until the roof over the CSX portion is fixed. MRPS and Mittal Steel are coordinating efforts to fund the roof repair project. Repair costs are currently estimated at $100,000. Broken and rotted beams on the turntable are being repaired and replaced. On the interior of the 90 car, the lock mechanism is being replaced, a broken window repaired and a search is on for the roof leak. The old office is being converted to a meeting room. A new member has donated a PC with a flat screen monitor. The next Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 15th. Presently five excursions are planned for 2008—the Medina Loop, Glenwillow to Canton, the Kent shuttles, Glenwillow to Kent and the Glenwillow shuttle. Plans have not been finalized yet, but further details are expected in February.
Committee Reports: None
(OVER)
Old Business: DUES ARE DUE! Current memberships expired at the end of 2007. Please contact Gail Kovacs at 440-832-8839 if you did not receive your renewal statement or have any questions. Please remit your dues payment now to keep your membership continuous.
Dennis Sautters, who was unable to attend the December meeting, was formally sworn in by Steve Zayac, our official swearer-in person.
New Business: Dave Mangold reminded us that 2009 is the 150th anniversary of the Pullman Sleeping Cars. In late April 2009, there will be a symposium in Chicago at the Historic Pullman Village. Help is being requested. So, if you have some time and/or secret talents to offer, please contact Dave for details. Also, 2010 will be the 80th anniversary of the Cleveland Union Terminal. Dave has been approached by Tower City about the possibility of hosting another symposium. This is still in the discussion stage.
Announcements: The Chapter will have a table at both the Valley Forge High School (January 19 & 20) and the Parma High School (February 3) Train Shows. Help would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Bill Kovacs for details.
A motion to adjourn by Richard Culin and seconded by John Marn was accepted and the meeting was adjourned at 8:54 p.m.
Following a brief refreshment break, Dave Mangold spoke about the Atlantic & Great Western and the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago depots. Included in the show were copies of vintage postcards depicting the depots in their glory days. There were also some photographs of the current status of these buildings. It was very interesting to see what was and what is.
Respectfully submitted,
Gail Kovacs
Secretary