R&LHS-Specific Material

Annual meeting activities:

The publication of complete minutes of director and membership meetings was discontinued after the May 3, 1985 meeting.  9-85/5-7

• 1980 Chicago:  Fri. evening-Sun, May 2-4.  Fri . evening Director’s meeting.(Minutes not reported) Visited Stokie Swift shop and rode it and visited the Museum of Science & Industry. Al Lind spoke at dinner meeting on I.C.’s commuter service with 64 attendees. Sunday A.M. members annual meeting. Geo. Krambles honored on retirement as C.T.A’s director.  2-81/1

• 1981 Sacramento. 325 attended due to opening of C.S.R.M., page of pictures. Minutes annual Board meeting 4-30-81. Bill Withuhn suggested an annual awards program for authors. 2470 members (other items indexed separately below). Member annual meeting on Sunday 7-81/3.

• 1982 New York.  Complimentary and Honorary Memberships discussed, #1 problem is no archive research center,  7-82/2;  Details of agreement with C.S.R.M. for archive storage presented. C.S.R.M. will not be charged to borrow anything they want for a display and charges that CSRM has will also apply to the Society with money going to CSRM. Contract to be per letter from CSRM’s Stephen Drew 5-4-82. Artifacts not on display at Edaville and after the five year lease to Mus. Of Trans. expires should go to Sacramento now. Bob Buckley received permission to computerize.  Financial secretary and president to be given annual allowances of $300 and $400.

• 1983 Pasadena.  Friday National Officers meeting in A.M. and Board of Directors in the P.M. with Southern Cal. Chapter monthly meeting in the evening.  Saturday tour of L.A. harbor was not railroad oriented. Banquet in evening with awards and speaker on Pacific Electric System. Sunday’s annual meeting had Ward Kimball speaking.  3-83/3.  Good review of year’s doings Sp-93/1-2

• 1984 at Washington, D.C. had 98 members and guests with a tour of the B. & O. Museum at Baltimore and a tour of the transportation section of the Smithsonian 8-84/1

• 1985 El Paso Friday evening RR historical progress in El Paso.  Saturday  to see EP&SW #1 and University’s museum, Slide show of #3420, El Paso newly renovated RR station, speaker on Southwest history.  70 members and guests attended. 6-85/2

• 1986 Sacramento. 156 attended. Tours of S.P. Sacramento back shop, Roseville diesel shop. Rode tourist train at Sacramento. 5^th anniversary of CSRM the museum being made possible by the RLHS. Visited light rail shop at Sacramento. Rollin Bredenberg, SP general mgr., discussed the upcoming merger of the SP and SF as to changes expected.  6-86/1-2.

  • 1987  Chicago.  Tours on Saturday were to Amtrak’s servicing facilities and tower and in P.M. to the Belt Ry of Chicago.  Arthur Dubin showed slides of pass. trains.  Canadian member Omer Lavallee spoke Sunday morning on his C.P.R. railroad experiences. 7-87/1-2

• 1988 North Conway, NH annual meeting included Mount Washington Cog Ry trip, North Conway Scenic Ry trip and awards  9-88/2.  Reporting on 1987 results, the last year of Fred Stindt’s presidency: Membership 2750 with 340 contributing, sustaining 20. Increase in general fund and endowment for the year $29,441.  Fred Stindt honored at retirement  on June 12, 1988 with a Distinguished Service Award 9-88/2.  The former separate officers and director meetings have been combined.  Wm. Withuhn is new president.

• 1989  Los Angeles.  Includes visiting the Pomona Fair Grounds, Grizzly Flats RR, S.P.’s intermodal terminal, L.A. light rail, and speaker W. Graham Claytor president of Amtrak. Sunday attended 50^th anniversary celebration of Union Station. 6-89/1.

    National Society will sponsor one of the sessions of the annual meeting of the Society of the History of Technology, the leading historical society for technological history.   Proposed by President Withuhn to enhance the R&LHS’s stature in the community of historians.  The presentation is the afternoon session on Oct. 13, 1989 “Technology and the RR Industry.”  Four from the R&LHS will do presentations. 9-89/3.

 • 1990 Denver .  Regular activities began on Friday with director’s meeting in the morning and ride on Georgetown Loop RR, Colo. RR Mus.,  Saturday Trip on Manitou & Pikes Peak RR and visit to Cripple Creek.  Sunday rode the Fort Collins Birney car. Su-90/1-3

      President Bill Withuhn resigns. Su-90/1  Search committee formed at annual meeting.  Fred Stindt becomes interim president and Arthur Lloyd executive V.P.,  F-90/1.  In the meantime Messrs Lloyd, Hauck, Zlatkovich and Schlachter will handle affairs. Su-90/1. Membership secretary is having problems. Su-90/1

   Midyear director’s meetings planned due to fast pace of activities Su-90/2.

• 1991  Sacramento. Annual meeting dinner at “Rail Fair” had 285 members, wives and guests Su-91/1. An expanded archive center is needed at $100,000 cost Su-91/1.

• 1992  Southeast Chapter. Meeting had 36 members and 35 guests. Visited Auto Train at Sanford, dome lounge car, Jacksonville people mover, inspected CSX Waycross, Ga. Classification yard.  Withuhn named vice president of archives and awards Sp-Su-92/1-2.

• 1993 St. Louis.  Visited Alton & Southern Gateway Yard, St. Louis light rail, Barriger Library, and Mus. Of Transport Su-93/1  Arthur Lloyd gets up to 20 inquiries a week. J. Pryor is part-time and paid equally by P.C.C.. and National.  Meeting at St. Louis W-93/2 with brief history of RRs in St. Louis

• Grants sought. W-92-93/1    

•1994 Pomona.  President Lloyd resigned 4-28-94  and at his suggestion Wm. Howes was elected president.  Muncy facility will be moved to Sacramento “to make it more available.”   Sp-94/1, 3.  Will tour new light rail and Metrolink, Orange Empire Ry Museum W-93-94 [insert] commuter rail network F-93/3.

• 1995 Newark, N.J.  Will cover the Newark subway on Thursday, Hoboken terminal, Grand Central Station and N.Y. City Transit Museum in Brooklyn Fri., & Sat.  Su-94/1, F-94/1, 2, & W-95/insert.

• 1996 Reno, Nev.  Bus trip to Nevada State RR Mus. and Feather River RR Mus. and ride on their tourist railroad F-95/1, Su-96/1, 2, 3.  Discussion on making archives more friendly, strengths and weaknesses of RLHS collection, accessioning and deaccesioning, DL&W locomotive 952 situation Su-96/3.

• 1997 Ogden. To visited Promontory Point and the Golden Spike National Historic site W-97/4.  (There was no report  on the convention.) H. Arnold Wilder honored Sp-97/7.

• 1998 Scranton F-97/3, 4, adv. & Sp.-98/3, 4,8.

• 1999 Sacramento with NRHS with “Railfair ’99” in connection with 130^th anniversary of transcontinental railroad Su-98/2.  Special Pullman car, “Dover Harbor” will go from Washington, DC and return, 16 days trip $4299 W-99/3.  Membership gradually increasing toward 2500.  R&LHS ownership interest in 952 transferred to Lackawanna Chapter Su-99/3.  1200+ attended Rail Fair ’99 W-00/4

• 2000 Chicago, Annual deficit has risen to $10-20,000 a year with interest income just offsetting it. Membership is 2350  Su-00/13

• 2001 Jacksonville: Discussed ways to increase revenue, long range plan for Archives. Archives includes 200,000+ photos, rule books, employee's imetables, passes, public timetables, advertising literature.  All inquires for help to go to Jacksonville and not to Sacramento. Su-01/6-8, 9.

• 2002 Colorado Springs to see the A.A.R’sPueblo Test Center, tourist train, log railway. W-02/5-8, Su-02/3-4, 8-9,11, Sp-03/12-13

• 2003 Baltimore with NRHS, “Star Spangled Rails” with numerous locomotives under steam planned and the B&O Museum (Note: Other activities substituted when B&O Museum sustained major damage in February storm.

• 2004 Ogden W-04/10-11 & Su-04/4 & F-04/8-15 (includes 1997 convention photo for comparison)

• 2005  Indianapolis Ride on Indiana RR and Whitewater Valley RR/ 3-05/1-2,  7-05/1

• 2006  Pagosa Springs, Colo with train rides on Cumbres & Toltec RR and Durango & Silverton RR 707/3,  F-05/5

 

 

Archives – Research Center

• 200 boxes and framed pictures comprising RLHS archives moved from Kresge Hall and Baker Library to storage at Framingham, Mass. Costing $1600 plus storage fees. The ultimate hope is to have a history research center where we have a chapter  at San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago or New York. 7-81/1

• V.P.  C. Hauck is in charge of finding a new location 3-82/2.   C.S.R.M. appears best location and a half time cataloger should be gotten for the one year task. Expected that the Society will become the #1 railroad research center in the U.S.  Considerable expense envisioned with special donations requested.  All donations to archives will be published in Railroad History  7-82/1-2.

• Oral history tapes from upper Michigan received 7-82/5.

• Materials from Boston area moved to C.S.R.M. in Dec. 1982. A cataloger will be hired 3-83/1.  Boston Museum items moved to Westwood, Mass.

• Archives consists of 345 cubic feet corporate materials, timetables, scrapbooks, publications and periodicals, RLHS records, personal collections, photographs , and government documents. Being organized and cataloged by railroad by Thomas Norris and to take a year with P.C.C. paying half the cost of $9800.  We need a volunteer member to head the research center. 8-83/7

• Research center available for scholarly research.  Has 350 linear feet of archives. Research will be handled by C.S.R.M’s staff 3-84/1-2

• Thomas Norris quit and replaced by Mrs. J. Pryor 8-84/2

• 5000 negatives at Sacramento being catalogued by four people headed by J.  Pryor. Lowell negatives to be included 9-87/2.

• Cataloging should be virtually completed by 7-1-85. Volunteers needed to catalog incoming collections 3-85/1.  Cataloging to be completed by end 1985  9-85/7.

• Collection donations: Geo. E. Pettemgo--railroad books; John F. Zwicky--Oregon St. and interurban records 6-85/2

• Mrs. Pryor spent two months at 4 hours per day sorting 13,000 public and employee timetables 9-85/5 & 7.

•Douglas Richter will be the archives collection manager. Mrs. Pryor’s catalog largely done and her work cut back to two days a week. 12-85/2

• Collection of Francis Guido photos and negatives and complete set of the Western Railroader given to Archives. 3-86/1

• Collection of the RLHS’s oldest member, Thomas Annin, given to the society with delivery to the Muncy facility when it was organized.  3-87/1

• Karl Schlachter donates 650 western negatives of his father's 6-87/3.

• Cataloging of 150,000 photos at Sacramento virtually completed.  Corporate ephemera will now be cataloged. 3-87/1.

• Library has received from Ray McKnight  300 pages of 16”x16” mounted western railroad photos, timetables, ads, etc. 12-87/2

• Fred Jukes collection of 550 negatives cataloged.  The catalog is $4.

• Map case given by Gary Taylor. 6-88/2.        Archival records increased by Tom Taber’s trips to Harvard and American Antiquarian Society and planned trips to Chicago, St. Louis, and Washington. 9-89/1

• The photo albums formerly used for the photo bank, about 60, have had their 2000 pictures removed and refiled with all other prints at Sacramento 9-89/1.

• Sacramento has received four collections – Fred Stindt of eastern railroads in 1930s, Charles Dunbar Conrail material, George Kennedy includes ticket stub collection, and Lynn Farrar pictures western railroads. Su-90/2

 • The Society is heading for the establishment of the greatest Reference library in the nation. Su-90/2.

•  Bruce Heard donates a bell and timetables, Gilbert Kneiss Nevada RR correspondence and P.C.C. start-up info. Francis Guido collection of transit and railroad photos of northern Calif., Don Thrall gave his collection  W-90/2

•  An expanded archive center is needed.  Will cost $100,000, Su-91/1 V. B. Norte gives $5000 for archives Su-91/2.

•  Muncy facility will be moved to Sacramento to make it more available.   Sp-94/1, 3

•  Franklin M. Swengel 7000 loco. bldr photo collection goes to Sacramento Sp-96/3.

 

Awards Program

Note: Instituted by Bill Withuhn with first awards in 1982 presented in handsome framed certificates. Visualized to recognize academic scholarship and outstanding writing for the popular audience.

• Endowment program for Railroad History Awards with goal of $15,000. 3-84/1.  The book and photographic awards of the four awards are being paid for, $5,000 each, by Geo. Hilton and Fred Stindt.  3-85/1,  7-82/1-2,  8-83/1  8-84/1-2

• Publicity in Trains Mag and Railfan & Railroad Mag  gave about 2 1/2 pages coverage for the 1983 awards  which were reproduced in the N.L. 8-83/3-5 Comparable publicity reported 9-85/1 & 9-87/1. 

• Suggested nominations for book and article awards advertised for by members beginning in 1995  F-95/Insert

•Wm. Withuhn resigns as chairman in Sept. 1997  Su-97/4 Bob Post resigns as Awards chairman Su 00/13.

 

Appreciation award 1990 to John H. White Jr.

 

 

Books – Publications

• Three new member written books:  “The Great Yellow Fleet” concerning refrigerator cars by Jack White will appear shortly.   All profits will be given to the Society. Don Hofsommer book on SP 1901-1975 and Fred Stindt’s NWP volume 2.  12-86/2   

• The “Railroad Historical Research Guide” in preparation by Tom Taber now has 500 pages. Taber requests members to help in their area 12-88/1,  project described 12-89/3, 3-90/2, Su-90/2, F-91, W-91

•     Von Gerstner translation book project by Frederick Gamst includes support by RLHS headed by Karl Schlachter F-90/1   John Decker nominated for the Aurora Borealis Price for his translation of this book. Sp-99/3.  “Early American RRs” translation of Von Gerstner book Sp-97/4. 

• Von Gerstner new cemetery monument paid for by the society and site visited with photo W-90/2 & Sp-91/2-3.

• “Railroad History in Photographs” produced by members Thompson, Church & Pryor as fund raiser for RLHS, 80 pages, 92 pix.  F-96/3 & 11. Sp-97/4

• “Ogden Rails: A history of railroads in Ogden, Utah 1869 to todaty” published by the Golden Spike Chapter F-97/9

 

Cable Car Museum

• Fred Stindt researched the many types of cars and had member George Rahilly of Ft. Lauderdale make models.  The museum is in the cable car barn 3-82/3

• Created Powerhouse Gift Shop at Cable Car Mus 7-85/5.

•  Chapter will rebuild the cable car museum; 3-83/2. 

• Collection moved to Embarcadero for 20 months while cable car building is rebuilt  3-83/2

.• With restoration of cable car service in May the Cable Car museum and Gift Shop will move back from Embarcadero Center #4 to the newly rebuilt Washington/Mason cable car barn. 8-83/6 

• Cable Car Museum is being redone with chapter paying $15,000 of the $45,000 cost.  Museum being redesigned by professionals. 9-87/3.

•  Designer Richard Steinheimer and Shirley Burmman working on it 12-81/3. 

• Cable Car Museum refurbishing now a $150,000 project 3-88/2

• Architects plans to improve Cable Car museum drag along W-90/3. 50 car models by Geo Rahilly in storage. P.C.C. paying part of the rehabilitation.

(The reconstruction of the museum was regularly reported in the Newsletter in 1990 and 1991.)

• PCC to close Cable Car museum after $24,000 loss in 1992  Sp-93/5.

• Museum closed 3-31-93. after 19 years due to losses and security. Chapter to dispose of its artifacts  Su-93/4

 

California State Railroad Museum Activities:

      Plans for dedication of the Calif. State RR Mus. 5-1-81 as part of 1981 annual meeting, May 1-3. 2-81/3.

• Opening celebration 5-1-81.    2-81/3

• Added an M-K-T business car and Pacific Electric’s presidents car 7-81/5

• A society member needs to be at CSRM to represent our collection and interests and answer inquiries now being done by CSRM staff. 8-84/4

• RLHS owned UP #4466 0-6-0 in use on tourist train 8-84/4.

• Toy train exhibit opening 8-84/3

• Ground broken 1-8-85 for Central Pac Frt. Station 3-85/1

• SP #1771 2-6-0 given to CSRM from Placerville, Cal.  6-85/1

• Two special meetings at CSRM arranged by the Pacific Coast Chapter on 8-26 and 10-28 1988 had turnouts of over 200 at each session. Organized by Robt. Church,  Dennis Anspach and Bruce Kleinschmidt 12-88/3

• An encore of the two CSRM-RLHS sessions last year will be given at RR Museum of Pennsylvania at Strasburg, Pa. which is sponsoring the show Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 1989.  Several RLHS members will be involved. 9-89/3.

• CSRM and RLHS plan “Rail Fair” for May 1991 at time of annual meeting  F-90/2

• Rail Fair ’91 described Sp-91/1.

• Collection policies of archives under review by CSRM Sp-97/4.

 

Chapter Activities

Chapter officers photo W-04/1

Routine chapter reporting will be discontinued and replaced by feature article on one chapter each issue W-93-94/1

 

New York Chapter organized 1933

•     Sponsors 1982 annual meeting.  Rode the Valley RR in Ct. Friday evening meeting had George Cuhaf slide presentation on RR safety. Sat. evening had Joseph F. Sprengy, general mgr of Conrail’s Metropolitan Region, speak on N.Y. area commuter service. 1982 2-2/1

•     Members provide programs 7-84/3

•     Norfolk Sou speaker talked on taking over Conrail, 9-86/3

 •   Meetings are a combination of historical and current railroad subjects and are wall attended 12-86/2

•   Chapter profiled Sp-99/8

•   Chapter has 72 members F-01/7

 

Chicago Chapter organized 1937.

• Speakers on Milwaukee Road activities before line west of Miles City closed. Rock Island RR  and Golden State Ltd. 1949 blizzard, Cuba steam by a chapter member, member auction  3-81/2-3

• Reprinted Stennett’s C&NW book “Yesterday and Today.” Cooperated with Postal Service on two RR stamp cachets 8-81/4.  Chapter membership is 75-80  7-82/5

• Chapter continues having meetings with films and speakers outside the chapter membership 8-83/6

• Chapter plans reprinting another book 8-84/3

• Running a special series of meetings on Chicago suburban services 8-84/7

• Chapter is helping dispose of deceased member’s collections by sale to dealers, individuals or donations to museums.3-85/2

• Chapter to reprint the Fulton Narrow Gauge R&LHS Bulletin issue. 9-85/3

• Members provide the programs 12-85/3

• Doc Yungmeyer cultivated railroad executives to speak to the chapter in the 1940s and 1950s when Chicago had many railroad executives W-93-94/3-4.

 

Pacific Coast Chapter  (P.C.C.) Organized in 1937.  (See also California State RR Museum, Cable Car Museum, and Mile Post One.)

• Plans for dedication of the Calif. State RR Mus. 5-1-81 as part of 1981 annual meeting, May 1-3. 2-81/3.

• Added an M-K-T business car and Pacific Electric’s presidents car 7-81/5

• Brian Thompson replaces Fred Stindt as chapter chairman after 33 years chairmanship. Chapter now has 643 members. During his years membership greatly increased. With profits from railroad tours he supervised restoration of 40 locomotives and cars; then spearheaded the drive to create Cal. State RR Museum and in San Francisco the Cable Car Museum in 1973 He researched the many types of cars and had member George Rahilly of Ft. Lauderdale make models.  The museum is in the cable car barn 3-82/3.

• RR historical research scholarship established  at the Univ. of Cal. Davis 9-82/5. Two scholarships at $3000 each 8-84/7

• Joint meeting with Southern Cal. Chapter at San Louis Obispo with 120 with Gerald Best speaking on the Pacific Coast Ry and two railroad movies were shown 3-83/2

• The chapter’s annual meeting had 72 members and guests attending 3-84/4 & 8-84/3

• Chapter members and wives (but not as official chapter trips) have gotten together for sojourns to Mexico, Alaska, and parts of the U.S. with England now planned.  (These trips have continued into the 2000s) 8-84/3

• Oregon members have issued a commemorative “logo” for 100th anniversary of through rail service Portland to San Francisco. 9-87/3

• Chapter the past several years has gotten several additional locomotives and put them on permanent loan to CSRM 6-88/3

• In October 1988 members and wives and friends will ride the Empire Builder, Coast Starlight , Southwest Chief and the “Mississippi Queen” river steamer on the upper Mississippi. 9-88/3.  28  were on the tour 12-88/3

• Donates $10,000 for repair of S.P. #2472 4-6-2 F-90/3

• Chapter will be involved with CSRM  “Railfair.” 3-90/2

• There are 32 Sacramento area members, but none want to be involved with the research center. (about 1986-87)

• PCC membership at 775, highest since 1969. F-92/3.  Monthly meetings alternate between San Francisco and Sacramento

• Actively working with Golden Gate RR Museum F-93/4

• Working on Folsom railroad exhibit and Mile Post 1 bookstore Sp-98/9

•Nine day trip planned for northern Ontario, Quebec and Maritimes Sp-00/8

 

Southern California Chapter.  Organized 1953.

• Acquires NKP business car #6 for Pomona Fair Grounds. Annual chapter meeting 65 members and visited live steam RR of Seymour Johnson. Established a research library in an ex S.F. horse car. Two signals made operational. Monthly newsletter is “Observation Platform.” 2-81/5-6   

• Maintaining the display at Pomona Fair Grounds requires much chapter work each year. 7-81/4

• Equipment at Pomona must be moved to another location at the park 3-84/2.

During 1983 there were 12 work days at the Fairgrounds. Recently acquired a Kalamazoo track motor car  3-84/2

• Income to offset expenses at the Fairgrounds is generated by sale of duplicate items. 8-84/3

• Chapter now has 182 members, its highest ever 8-84/3.  Exhibit at Pomona Fair Grounds being moved. Annual meeting at Barstow using Amtrak’s “Desert Wind” in both directions.  3-85/3

• U.P. Centennial diesel #6915 acquired by chapter and put in Pomona Fair Ground.3-85/  .

• Chapter activities concerned with the annual three weeks Fair Ground being opened.  Will travel to Santa Ana to view new Transportation Center pass. station   12-85/7 & 3-86/2

• Fair Grounds opened 17 days in Sept. and 15,000 visited the chapter’s exhibit. 12-87/3.  Equipment moved 6-29/3

• Bill Fletcher long time chairman and sparkplug for chapter activities and the Fair Grounds retired 3-88/1.

• Chapter membership jumped 25% in 1992 to 250,  Sp-93/  .

• Got a Union Refrigerator Transit Co. steel ice bunker reefer #URTX 67806 built 1950.  Sp-91/3

 

Southwest Chapter organized  1981

• Organized 3-82/1.  First activity was placing S.P. #3420 back into running order. 3-82/1

• Participated in reopening of El Paso’s Union Station and steamed up #3420 three times 3-83/2

•  New home and a mile of track for S.P. #3420  8-83/6

• Planning a tour of #3420 around Texas on Texas’s 150^th birthday.  8-84/3

• #3420 will double head SP #4449 on El Paso – San Antonio Run 5-19-84.  Publicity has resulted in doubling chapter membership. 3-84/2

• Has acquired a 1926 Pullman, a chair car and baggage car in preparation for the Texas 150^th special train 1985.  14 section sleeper is ex S.F. James Watt being refurbished 3-86/2. Loco. #3420 being sent to Steam Expo at Vancouver, B.C.9-86/3

• Chapter spends all its time on #3420 and promoting a light rail service using stored PCC cars 12-86/3

• Chapter getting involved with the Cumbres & Toltec RR 6-88/3.

• Glowing  description by Bill Withuhn on the chapter 3-89/2

Organizing 400 boxes of S.P. material at Univ. of Texas, El Paso.

 

Southeast Chapter organized 1989.

• Formed with Jim Garner, first chairman and Bill Howes representing the chapter. 6-89/2.  Activities planned 12-89/2.

• Chapter field trip to where logging RRs were in Okenfenokee Swamp F-93/4

 • Bi-monthly N.L. “Southeast Ltd.” Begun  W-90/3

• Chapter profiled in Sp-94/5

• Reprinted Bulletin #86 on Florida railroads F-98/4

• Sponsors student to Steamtown’s Railcamp at Scranton 1999 Sp-99/3

• Chapter has 55 members F-01/7

 

Golden State Chapter (Ogden, Ut) Organized 1992.

• Organized Sp-Su 1992/3;  Has D&RG #223 to restore to operating condition

 

Lackawanna Chapter organized 1997

• Formed under leadership Ross Rowland with desire to get ex-DL&W 952 Su-97/4

• Water Gap station preservation W-04/6

 

New England Chapter

Under direction of Karl Schlachter an attempt is being made to form a New England chapter 3-87/1.  Efforts to form a chapter will be renewed 9-89/1

 

Edaville:

    Recently visited.  There are 750 RLHS items with about 75% on display in the museum, lunch room, gift shop and office and ticket space.      8-83/2

   Peter Dollman, curator at Edaville is checking our inventory list.

      Bankrupt F-92/1.  Large bulky items to be auction and printed materials and pictures to Muncy where Tom Taber has found a suitable interim location. In Spring 1993.

      Edaville R&LHS collection inventoried 1974 . Edaville closing and Society must remove its items. Artifacts will be auctioned and move archives decided 12-7-92.  Sp-93/1

      Sale of railroad and museum to be soon.  Tom Taber spends 4 days inventorying RLHS items.  Discovers that 20-25% of the items inventories by J. White, D. Duke and Dubin cannot be found plus finding several pictures missed by White. F-91/3

 

Financial statements,

Financial report for 1989.  Balance on hand Jan. 1, 1989 $175,315, income – dues $57,723, Contributions $7,168, Interest from investments $15,958, other $9554 = total $90403.  Expenses $69,976 includes archives $6661 (mostly J.Pryor’s salary), RRH $35,050 and Newsletter $3630.  F-90/2

 

Long Range Planning – Mission Statements

•Long range planning committee organized by Pres. Withuhn with Peter Mosheim as chairman and other familiar board member names. They will give a preliminary report at the Denver annual meeting in June 1990. He outlined also  six factors that should be included 3-90/1.

• Long range planning report will be given at the 1991 annual meeting Su-90/1

• Mission Statement presented and adopted at May 2005 director’s meeting 7-05/1-2.

 

Membership.

• Biannual membership roster as of 3-31-1982 to be published. 3-82/3.  New members joining prior to Oct. 1 will receive the mailings for that year. Persons joining after that date will begin membership the first of January. 8-83/7.  As of April 1983 2492 members.

• Advertisements in three railfan magazines attracted few new members. 8-83/2

• As of August 1, 1984 membership of 2500 is same as 1983:

• Non chapter members are about 1500 (chapter members are about 1000)  3-84/2

• On 8-1-84 with total membership 2452  had 2022 annual 186 Life, 232 Contributing, 6 sustaining,  6 Honorary.  Complimentary memberships  discontinued unless the person wants to continue. 8-84/2. Official 1984 count 2512 members, 12 more than 1983. 3-85/2

 • Advertising for new members in TRAINS, RAILFAN & RR MAG, and PACIFIC NEWS. 8-84/4. Continuing 12-85/2

 Membership for 1985 was 2454, down 63 12-85/1

• At 1985 NRHS-RRE-NMRA conclave at Boston with about 2500 RLHS had a booth and sold RRH.  5 new members joined 9-86/1

• Membership for 1986 totaled 2593, up 139 from 1985 with 253 contributing. 223 new members Part of gain caused by Karl Schlachter’s “Fascinated by Railroad History-Bring it Alive through R&LHS. 12-86/2

• Membership 8-15-86 2626 with 327 contributing. 213 new Life memberships in 1988 have a record 38 join  3-89/1

• Life membership category terminated 1990. (No change in status of current life members) Su-90/2

 

Membership summary from issues.   As of the middle of the year

1981         2470      1982  ?      1983  2492

1984        2512      1985  2454      1986  2626

1987        2750   (contributing 340, sustaining 20, honorary 6)

1988        ?      1989  ?             

1990        2652  (chapter 840, non chapter 1812, contributing 420, sustaining 29, life 235, honorary 9.  By chapter PCC 463, Sou. Cal. 169, Southwest 25, Southeast 18, Chicago 90, New York 93  F-90/2.

256 new members, a record, in 1990 W-90/2

 

Membership Survey

• 1987:       Membership survey insert sent with Sept. 1987 N.L. prepared by Karl Schlachter 9-87/1.  400 replies received immediately showing very strong interest in preserving and writing history, but more desired 12-87/2.   Results published show 28% under age 47 and 25% over 67. Also that the under 47 age group have little or no interest in railroad history.  50% of the members needed more information on the rosters and builders lists by mail and 71% knew nothing about the photo bank. 58% did research on railroads and 63% collecting books.  35% did writing. Numerous other items delineated. 12-87/2   Continued 7-88/2: 900 or 34% of the membership responded.  Services desired: 1. A research center owned and staffed by the Society;   2. Bibliography to identify resources on RR topics.  3 Ability to buy photos and other materials.  4. Lending service 5. Purchase surplus materials.    6. Advice on preservation techniques 7.  A speakers bureau. 8. A membership directory indicating member interests instead of just their addresses . 

• 1992.  Sp-Su 1992 issue. Survey of Members' Interests sent out again.  W-93/1 results given here.   less response showing  a less interested membership which is reflected in somewhat lesser chapter activities and much less national activities.-->  ) 410 responded – less than half the 1987 survey.  Membership of those under 48 had dropped from 27.8% to 18.5%. Over age 67 increased from 25% to 30.7%. Members should recruit younger people For RRH the four most desired types of articles were (1) corporate histories, (2) engineering technology, (3) rosters, (4) operation of railroads.  The time periods were (1) 1930-1955, (2) 1900-1929, (3)1870-1899

 

     

Mile Post One:

• Created Mile Post One gift shop at CSRM 3-82/3.

• Established as book and memorabilia store at C.S.R.M.  by P.C.C. 3-82/5. Besides books now offers china, models and prints 8-84/7.

• Now has CDs

 

Mission Statement: see Long Range Planning.

 

Muncy Research Center

• Harold H. Pollett collection of locomotive records comprising about 350 notebooks given to RLHS. Tom Taber to organize. F-90/2.

• Resource center at Muncy opening. 2000 sq. ft. Material  on about 2300 steam, electric & private railroads. Computer cataloged, first inventory since 1935 W-91/1-2

• Photo in front of the Muncy post office of Taber, Mosheim, Schlachter, and Fred Stindt, W-91/2

• Muncy closed. 4 members spend 4 days packing it to go to Sacramento F-94/5 

 

  Newsletter Editors:

• Arthur Lloyd 1981-3-1990. 28 issues.  Newsletter reported complete information on membership, finances and anything other than routine membership meetings. It ran 4-6 pages.

• Fred Stindt  F-90 to Su-91, Vol. 10-11  4 issues

• Bruce Heard   F-91 to W-91,  Vol. 11,   2 issues

• Wm. Howes   Sp-Su-92 to W-93-94 and prepared Sp-94 issue,  11 issues.  Initiates a 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago column. Goes to 6  & 8 pages because Trading Post and including short items not related to the RLHS.  Began inserting miscellaneous train pictures Sp-93 issue. With W-93 issue began to reprint interesting articles from chapter newsletters. Discontinued routine chapter news of meetings and replaced by featuring a chapter in each issue.  Only two produced before Zlatkovich took over

• Charles P. Zlatkovich     Sp.-94 to Sp-95  5 issues  

• James Wilkie  Su-95 to W-97. 7 issues; First organized table of member services. F-96/4

• Vernon Glover  Sp-97 to   Su-99. 10 issues.

• Cliff Vander Yacht  W-00 (Vol. 20, #1) to (Vol. 24, #4)   16 issues. New masthead.  Instituted color, advertising to pay for color, new book announcements, 6”x 9” size.

• Charles Zlatkovich  New masthead. 3-05 (Vol. 25 #1, to 7-05 (Vol. 25, #2   2 issues.

• David C. Lester    F-05/3  (V. 25, combined #3 & 4) Mastheads. Chapter news including monthly programs to be reinstated. F-05/7

 

Obituaries

Gerald Best  6-85/1

Thomas B. Bullard  W 93-94/3

Edward J. Colgan 3-83/2  

Wm. B. Fletcher  Su-93/3, 5

Howard Fogg W-97/5

Howard Greene 9-83/1  

Francis Guido  3-86/1

Philip R Hastings 2-87/3

William C. Hoffman  12-88/3

Arnold B. Joseph F-01/7

George Krambles W-00/5 & Su-00/3

Lavalle, Omer S. A.  Sp-Su 92/2

David P. Morgan 3-90/2

Frank H. Nelson  W-00/5

James Plomer 7-86/1

Shoemaker, Perry M. Sp-00/11

Stindt, Fred W-91/1

WilliamWebber   3-84/1

Rogers E.M. Whitaker 7-81/2

 

Photo Bank

  Reinstating but in a different form the Photo Bank (see Annual Reports for information.). Will be available for S.P. and W.P. locomotives from 1920 on using the collections of Gerald M. Best (now at CSRM), Fred Stindt, Guy Dunscomb, and Arthur Lloyd. Cost is $5.20 for a 5x7 print and $6.35 for 8x10  9-86/1

• 3500 RLHS  glass plates and negatives at Lowell Univ. of the RLHS have been in the process of being cataloged for more than a year. Work continues.  It is the Society’s intention to list them in the photo bank. 9-86/1

• Eastern photo bank volunteer needed for the Lowell negatives and glass plates 12-86/2

 

Preservation – National or Chapter including co-sponsorships with other organizations.

• “Railway Preservation Symposium II" at Strasburg reported 9-89/3 & 12-89/2

• National Coalition for Railroad Preservation proposed at the three day meeting at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania  presented by Pres. Withuhn. 12-89 /1.  Steering committee formed with Withuhn as chairman 3-90/1

• Society for the History of Technology  (SHOT)  First RLHS participation in their annual meeting  12-89/1

• National Ry Preservation symposium at Sacramento April 1994 co sponsored by P.C.C. and C.S.R.M.  W 93-94/3

 

President’s Messages (partial list)

      First report of new president Fred Stindt 2-81/1. Many subjects have been indexed under the appropriate subject heading

• 1981      First year of Stindt’s presidency the Society had a net profit of $14,428 vs a loss in 1980 of $2742. Details given 3-82/1.

• 1986.  Fred Stindt renewed the long absent president’s message in which he summarized accomplishments in 1985: The index of Bulletins #1-151, new membership roster made, Sacramento archive center activated, Newsletter improved format, Trading Post begun, almost $10,000 donated for awards and endowment, investments at $106,426, new chapter inquiries for New England, Arizona, Oregon, and Hawaii, income from investments up considerably, membership address mess corrected   2-86//1.

• 1987. The May 1-3, 1987 annual meeting Chicago one of the best, highlighted by the positive mood for the Society’s accomplishments. Membership was at an all time high, 2751, 223 new members, also a record high. Contributing members reached 314 and Sustaining 17 with 6 new Life memberships. Finances gained $19,012. Photo bank at Lowell improved. Tom Taber’s negative files are a big assist for finding pictures, old roster sheets that can’t be automatically fed are being replaced, new chapter for New England is likely, Trading Post is very popular 1987 7-2/1. 

• 1988.     During the next ten years a major effort will be made to increase the endowment.  The first gift was from Karl Schlachter. 12-88/2.

• 1993.  Summer 1993/1: Archives V.P. Bill Withuhn is talking with B. & O. Museum friends about moving everything there.V.P. Bill H