The Ghost Train Journal

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Jeffrey Ricard, Editor

Volume 5, Number 11, November, 1997

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Please welcome 8 new members to our chapter. They are David Baker, Judy Baker, Frank Fascione, Darlene McCarthy, John Voorvaart, Patie Griffin, Carl Anderson and Diane Anderson. All eight members were voted into the chapter at the November meeting. We currently have 192 members on our membership listing.

Just a reminder - - Please make sure you send in your membership dues form for 1998. We would like to try and keep our membership as close to 200 as we can!

On the Editors Desk ......

Here we are in a brand new year, 1998, which means that we will be starting volume six of the Ghost Train Journal. I am proud to say that we have successfully completed the five years without missing one single issue and delivering them to you on time. Not many organizations can say that of their newsletter. However the newsletter staff (me) needs some help. I would welcome assistance from any member that would be willing to write a news story or two, or from a member that would be willing to take over as the editor of The Ghost Train Journal. If you a interested in submitting an article, please send it to the chapters mailing address.

We will need members who are willing to work our table at the Amherst Railroad Show on the Big E fairgrounds , Jan 31st and February 1st. This is a huge event and admission will be free (if you will manning our table). Please call Jeff Laverty for additional information or if you want to help out. If you're interested you need to get with Jeff right away. Call him at 429-7961.

Anyone wishing to ride coach can do so, we finally received the delivery of our two New Haven coaches. They arrived onsite in December without any problems. We would like to thank the P&W railroad and NEC railroad for their help in the move, and a special thank you to Bill Jeske and his crew for getting the coaches ready for shipment.

Order Board

Just a reminder that we have started work sessions during the day on Tuesdays at 9:00am. If you can volunteer your time please contact Burt Turcott or Dick Sobielo. Their phone numbers are listed on the back page of the newsletter.

And The Winner Is ........
Elections were held at the October meeting for chapter officers. The current slate of officers was presented by the nominating committee and an offer was made for additional nominations from the floor. No additional nominations were made. Members unanimously voted in Joe Cerreto as President, Howard Bidwell as Vice President, Morgan Steele as Treasurer, Bill Jeske as National Director and Jeff Ricard as Secretary. We pledge to do our best during the 1998 year.

Thanks to the following members that have made contributions to the Locomotive fund for the month of October: Bill Mihancki, Engineer Class.

Several locomotive designs were submitted for the 25 ton locomotive in our recent contest. The committee had a very difficult time narrowing the field down to 5 from 31. A winner was chosen by paper ballot at the October meeting. Jerry Griffin's design came in with the most votes.

Speaking of the 25 ton locomotive, Jerry has volunteered to be the restoration chairperson for this project. Jerry would like to request that all members that are interested in working on this get in contact with him. He will be having a meeting very soon to discuss the restoration and would appreciate any input.

As this issue of The Ghost Train Journal goes to press, the 1998 dues notices are at the mailing house and should be in the mail shortly. It is a great help to our membership chairperson if you could promptly forward your renewal back to the chapter. Also while you are renewing, think about those on your holiday list that would like a membership as a gift or making a donation to help fund some of the chapters activities. Remember no donation is too small or too large!

Entertainment for November -
Jeff Laverty will be showing a video called New Haven in the 50's. It is a short color video with footage of the Willimantic area.

And at the December meeting... Mr Carl Byron from Groton Mass will be showing slides of New England railroading.

Get your 1998 Connecticut Eastern Railroad Calendar!

The new 1998 Connecticut Railroad Stations Calendar is hot off the press. It is now up to our members to get involved and start selling, selling, selling! The price per calendar is $3.00 for our members and we request that you sell them to the public for $4.00. Please contact Jeff Laverty or an officer listed on the back of the Journal for information. We will also be glad to mail them for $5.00 each. Railroad Shows around the State

Oct. 26 Waterbury
Nov. 8 NH RR Tech. Soc. - No. Haven
Nov. 9 Westport - Staples High School
Nov. 23 Cheshire - Cheshire High School
Nov. 29-30 Greenburg Show Big E Springfield
Dec. 14 Newington High School

If possible we would like some of our members to
attend each of these shows and ask the vendors if they would be interested in attending our show. Please coordinate this effort with Bill Robinson.

The chapter is currently looking to create a committee to write up some operating rules for movement of the locomotives down at the museum site. It is felt that now is the time to create these rules to prevent any accidents that could occur while equipment is being moved around. If you are interested in being a part of this committee, please let one of the officers know. We are going to make the rules simple but effective and publish these rules to all members. As a sample I have listed some whistle signals. I will try to publish as many rules as possible in the newsletter.

-	When stopped, air brakes applied, pressure equalized.
--	Release brakes, proceed.
OO	Acknowledgement of hand signal no otherwise provided for.
OOO	When stopped, back up; acknowledgement of hand signal to back up.
OOOO	Request for siganl to be given or repeated if not understood.
-OOO	Flagman protect rear of train.
OOO-	Flagman protect front of train.
----	Flagman may return from west or south.
-----	Flagman may return from east or north.
--O-	Approaching public grade crossing.
O-	Inspect brake system for leaks or sticking brakes.

A series of short blasts is sounded in an emergency!

Note: Any signal not understood shall be considered a stop signal.

Anyone violently waving any object from track side is considered a stop signal, including hands waved over head.

Signals governing train movement should be given by the operating personnel only!

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