From the Superintendent’s Desk

By Fred Coleman , Division 15, Superintendent

I am taking this opportunity to give a great big THANK YOU to all of you that helped to make Smokey Mountain Rails a very successful convention and train show. With your help before, during and after the show, I do hope that everyone concerned felt some gratification of the success of the convention and show. I received so many compliments on the show and the convention I can’t begin to cover all of them. Several said that this was the best SER Convention they had ever attended and one couple said it was the best convention of any type they had ever attended.

We had an impressive array of attendees from the model railroad industry that were equally impressed, which really gives all a pat on the back and another big

THANK YOU !!!

Any of you that I have not thanked personally I do want to apologize for not doing so. I really feel that this is a really great effort that we all pulled together to show the region that we are dedicated model railroaders. Thanks again.

Because of our commitment to participate in a train show in Charlotte on June 28, we will not have any operating sessions at the barn in June. If you can help with that commitment (travel and set up on June 27 and show on June 28), please talk to me at the meeting on June 5. This should be a great showing for us.

Keep on track.

Fred Semaphore Signal

From the Caboose

Submitted by Clinton Smoke

Wow! What a great weekend. By many measures, our SER conference was a success. Great weather, great location, and many workers made for a great event. We had 242 register for the conference, more than usual. We had over 20 clinics, seven layout tours, and a train show that filled two buildings. Many worked hard before and during the event to make it go well. To them I add my thanks and well done!

We should all be grateful to Fred Coleman who had the courage to undertake this event, and the sense of duty to see it through. He worked hard and long in preparing and delivering this, and is to be applauded.

We have a few pictures to share on these pages. For those who attended, may be a pleasant memory of what happened. For the others (an amazing and disappointing 70 percent of our members), you missed a great show and we missed your help, support and company during a delightful weekend.

We will have more about Smokey Mountain Rails 2008 in future issues. Next year we go to Pensacola, Florida, June 12 through 14, for Rails to Sails 2009, hosted by the Gulf Division.

Schedule for Operating Sessions in April and May

The LOST railroad will have an operating session on Saturday June 14, from 2 to 4 pm. and on Sunday June 22, from 2 to 4 pm. For those who are attending the Charlotte trian show on June 5th, you are welcome to come and run your trains, but helping setup or packing up is needed.