CLEVELAND
RAILROAD CLUB BULLETIN
MEETING ON THE THIRD FRIDAY OF
EACH MONTH IN THE BASEMENT OF THE DOLLAR BANK,
15509 MADISON AVENUE, LAKEWOOD, OHIO
Meeting Room Opens at 7:30PM and meeting begins
at 8:00 PM
----------VISITORS ALWAYS WELCOME!-----------
President: Robert Weisenberger: Vice President: Charles
Christian: Treasurer: Ronald
Leitch; Secretary: Mark Adamcik: Trustees: Gary Dillon, Chris
Vlisides, Richard Novak
-NOVEMBER-
PROGRAM -- FRIDAY, NOVEMBER
17, 2000
The program for this evening will be presented by Jim
Mastromatteo of Akron. Jim will show his slides of his recent
trip to Galesburg, Illinois and the BNSF operations there plus
possibly trackless trolley operations in Dayton and other
railroad slides. It should be a very interesting program.
MINUTES FOR THE MEETING OF
OCTOBER 20, 2000
The meeting was called to order at 8:15 PM by President Bob
Wiesenberger. Minutes of the September meeting were approved as
submitted in the October bulletin. Treasurers report was given by
Dick Novak in lieu of the absence of the Treasurer, as follows;
Beginning balance; $812.05. Expenses $17.00. Ending balance
$795.05. Under Old business member Dave Mangold made no contacts
in establishing a club website. Dave said he will try to make new
contacts and will report on it at the November meeting. Under New
Business, member Chris Vlisides mentioned about a magazine called
"Tramways and Urban Transit". It is about streetcars
and transit lines throughout the world. He thought some members
might be interested in it. Meeting adjourned at 8:40 PM.
Respectfully submitted, Richard Novak, Acting Secretary.
NOTHING FROM OUR ACE CORRESPONDENT, MARK ADAMCIK THIS MONTH.
HERE AND THERE (and nowhere!)
From Ron Leitch; As club Treasurer, I regret not
being able to attend the meetings at this time due to having to
be a full time caretaker to my wife. However she is recuperating
and I will be able to return eventually. In the meantime I will
submit the Treasurers report to Dick Novak for the meeting. ***
FROM THE ROVER BOYS, Don Woods, Bill Kubis, Tom Kendra, and Dave
Sheppard who were canvasing their usual Sandpatch territory one
weekend, they spotted the Capitol Limited headed for Washington
D.C. with quite a few of the Pacific Surfliner cars attached.
They could not ascertain if they had passengers in them, but
wondered just what their purpose would be when they got to
Washington. Anybody know, or read about them? These are used
exclusively Amtrak's San Diego operations. Also Don and Bill went
to Strasburg, PA. and watched the Amtrak Keystone operations at
the Lancaster station. *** FROM BILL VIGRASS in New Jersey; he
informs us that the he is recuperating from a recent operation
for prostate cancer and is recovering well at about 80%. The
surgeon was pleased with the result and predicted 100% recovery.
Bill is returning back to work when conditions permit and is
planning his monthly trip to Sacramento, California, and perhaps
to Salt Lake City for its new TRAX light rail line. He says the
operation of this line is neat, simple, and effective. Bill would
like to hear from some of his old friends. Bill can also be
reached (if you have a computer) at his Email address, billvigrass@aol.com.It is
possible that the club might be able to see some of his old 16mm
motion picture rail films that he made some time back for one of
our programs. He enclosed a great article from an old Cleveland
newspaper which I intended to copy and insert, however, it got
misplaced, and when I locate it all you CRC members will get a
good glimpse of the old past. *** THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
COUNCIL, a local non-profit group announced that it would
renovate the old B&O railroad station on Canal Road in the
flats as the Cleveland International Heritage Center. The
organization said it would lease the building from Sherwood
Williams Co., for $1 a year and raise $5 million for the
renovation. They plan to use the building for films, live
performances, education programs and community meetings aimed at
celebrating Cleveland ethnic minorities. The first floor of the
building could be open in 12 months. The B&O terminal was
built in 1897 and resembles a medieval castle with corner turrets
and Gothic-arched windows. It was once a central location for
B&O passenger and freight service, but was superceded in 1930
by the moving of operations to the newly opened railroad station
in Terminal Tower. The building has been vacant and boarded up
for at least 45 years. The renovation may include reconstruction
of the station's original clocktower and Mansard roof which had
been destroyed by fire previously. The Ohio Canal Corridor and
the National Park Service may also share the building. *** RIDER
AT THE NEW TRISKETT RTA station will be able to see CNN news,
scores, weather and RTA on time performance on new electronic
signs just installed several weeks ago. Eventually RTA could use
the new system to notify riders before they reach the station
that their train is running late. The signs were installed by a
private company and who sells advertising to run along with text
and graphics. Signs will also be installed at Tower City for a 90
day trial. If judged a success, the new signs could be installed
at other busy stops along the line. *** AS MENTIONED in last
months bulletin, the reponse for tours of the old Cleveland
Subway under the Detroit Superior bridge was so great that the
county engineers office dropped the idea of having reservations
and just invited people to come on down. Former CRC member Gerald
Deucher, who works in the county bridge department was
instramental in getting the old subway opened up for new tours.
Over 3000 people came to the tours. Deucher remembers almost
being eaten alive on the cars by live chickens being carried home
by shoppers from the West Side Market. The chickens would nibble
on your legs. (Note: eventually the people would nibble on the
chickens legs!)
Best viewed at 800X600
Copyright 2001, The Cleveland Railroad
Club
