News for Members
Our next membership meeting is on Thursday, October 4, 2007 at 7:00 p.m.
C&NW #11, an RS11, slowly makes it up the mountain with a load of loaded hoppers enroute to the Power
Company at Trace Fork on the Apple Valley Model Railroad Club layout in Hendersonville’s Historic
Railroad Depot. The photograph was taken during a recent operating session by Clinton Smoke.
NSRHA Gathers at Old Fort Depot on October 6
Join members of the Southern Railroad Historical Society for an interesting day of railroad modeling clinics starting at 9:00 a.m. and continuing until 4:00 p.m. at the historic Old Fort Depot. The cost is $10.00. This is a good chance to see what SRHA is all about and meet some of the club’s members. You may recognize a few familiar faces. For more information contact the editor.
Our Model Railroad Modules are on the Road in October
Our modules will be out in the public twice in October. The first showing is on October 6 at Jackson Park in Hendersonville. Loading starts at the Barn about 3:00 on Friday afternoon and set up starts at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday. Show time is from 9:00 a.m. until about 4:00 p.m. This is a great opportunity to showcase model railroading in general and our club’s efforts in particular. Help is needed for loading, set up, and running. Please contact Superintendent Fred Coleman for your assignment. You can contact him at or at 699-0983.The second showing is at the Train Show in Hickory on October 20. Due to travel times, loading starts at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. Show time is from 9:00 am until 4:00 p.m. We will be promoting our hosting of the SER Conference in 2008. Once again help is needed for loading, set up, and running. Please contact Superintendent Fred Coleman for your assignment. Help your club by participating in these events.
Other Model Railroad Activities
Also on October 20, Tim Wagner and friends are showing their G-scale layout at the Black Mountain Depot from 9:00 a.m. until 3 p.m. They could use some help, especially from folks who may have helped at previous efforts at Black Mountain. Contact Tim Wagner at 299-0176.And don't forget that the French Broad Empire Train Show and Narrow Trak 07 are on Oct 12 and 13. Details regarding these events was published previously in The Semaphore.
Our train show is coming soon. Time to get the word out! Please post the flyer on page 4 on a public bulletin board in your community.
The End of the Line for the Carolina and Northwestern
The last day of August 2007 was the last day of service on one of Southern Railway’s most storied shortlines. On that date the Caldwell County Railroad ended service. The CWCY had operated the northern-most end of the C&NW since 1994. But the effort to allure Google’s headquarters to Lenoir required that the railroad cease operations over concerns about tremors brought on by the train. Lenoir has had continuous rail service since 1884 when the Chester & Lenoir Narrow Gauge entered the town. The C&L was reorganized as the C&NW in 1896. Passenger service was discontinued 60 years ago in 1947.
Four views from the GSMR Railfest in Bryson City
|
|
|
|
Upper right: Southern Railway’s famous diesel locomotive #6133, ready to take the regular excursion train from Dillsboro. This engine, from the NC Transportation Museum, was built in 1950, and is typical of the engines that ran here up until the 60s. In 1976 the #6133 was renamed Joseph Hewes for the bicentennial; and ran special excursions, such as the “Skyland Special” (from Asheville to Old Fort). In 1979, #6133 was retired and one year later donated to the museum. In 1990 it was restored by museum volunteers to her “as-delivered paint scheme” of May 1950.
Lower left: Several rail cars in operation.
Lower right: Tim Cooper’s Smokey Mountain Trains in Bryson City, the one of the nation’s largest Lionel collections. There was something there for everybody. All photographs by Clinton Smoke
NEW CAROLINA RAILROAD
The identity of the bondholders is not known here, but the work of construction will be done by the Appalachian Construction Company, recently chartered here and the builders contemplate an expenditure of $7,000,000. Many state convicts will be used in the work of construction, and the state, under an act of the legislature passed last session, will accept stock in the new company for this convict labor. From the Roanoke (VA) Times - September 13, 1907.DUES ARE DUE!
If you have paid your dues, thanks. If you have not paid your dues, please take a moment to send your check for $12.00, payable to WNC
Model Railroaders, Inc. to:Div 15/WNCMRR Paymaster Jim Fugua at 2813 Hampton Drive, Hendersonville, NC 28791