CLEVELAND RAILROAD CLUB BULLETINMEETING ON THE THIRD FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH IN THE BASEMENT OF THE DOLLAR BANK,

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

-OCTOBER-

PROGRAM ; FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2000
The program this evening will be presented by Marty Surdyk, who will give us a great evening of his excellent slides taken on his various rail trips. Marty always presents a good program.

MINUTES FOR THE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 15, 2000
The meeting was called to order at 8:15 PM by President Bob Wiesenberger. Minutes of the August meeting were approved as printed in the September bulletin. Treasurers report was given by member Dick Novak, as follows; Beginning balance $822.05; Expenses $10.00; Ending Balance $812.05. Under old business President Wiesenberger complimented Bruce Young for his culinary efforts at the recent club picnic. There was no report on our efforts to establish a club website on the internet. Under New Business, concerning the proposed Euclid Corridor, a question was raised about getting out from under the trackless trolley wires in case of a watermain break, as had happened previously. It was mentioned that the ETB's would be equipped with batteries or auxilary power unit such as a gas generator to allow for limited travel away from the overhead wires. Meeting adjourned at 8:30 PM. Respectfully submitted, Mark J. Adamcik, Secretary. Editors Note; Maybe the Trackless Trolleys could come equipped with lifeboats??

RAILNEWZ BY MARK A.
Let us now praise famous men - John R., "Jack" Martin, President of the National Association of Railroad Passengers, died on September 1st. He was 64 years old. Jack served as President of NARP since 1979. During his tenure as President, Jack worked one-on-one with Amtrak's management, including Amtrak's Presidents Alan Boyd, W. Graham Claytor, Jr., Thomas Downs, and George Warrington. Alan Yorker, of Delaware, Georgia, has been named new President of NARP to fill in Jack Martins unexpired term. NORFOLK SOUTHERN; Cloggsville connection is being finished and should be in service totally soon. New signals have been sintalled at CP-190, and the track configuration at CP-190 and the west end of Rockport yard has been revised.

HERE AND THERE;
Honorary member Bill Vigrass in New Jersey informs us that he had major surgery but has come through with flying colors and is on the mend. Bill also mentioned a roll sign that he wants to donate to NORM. He also has a web site and as soon as I can locate his letter, I will print it in the next bulletin. October 12th edition of The Cleveland Plain Dealer in the letters to the Editor column has a nice letter from some whippersnapper named Mark Adamcik, about how all RTA rail lines should use a standard rail car. Mark mentioned about his recent trip to Germany where light rail vehicles were equipped to operate with a folding step arrangement which permitted vehicles to serve stations regardless of whether they have low platforms like our Blue and Green lines, or high platforms like on the Red line. They have been using such an arrangement for 25 years and it has been proved reliable. He stated that RTA should avoid the "low floor" cars because they would not only require massive reconstruction of all RTA stations, but also modification of RTA's Central Rail Facility because the propulsion control equipment on low floor cars is mounted on the roof instead of under the floor, as with the present fleet. OLD CLEVELAND STREETCAR SUBWAY: The lower deck of the Detroit-Superior span which has been closed to the public was once again opened up to the curious by the Cuyahoga county engineers. More than a half mile long, the deck which runs under the Detroit-Superior (Veterans Memorial) Bridge has been closed for years. Seventy years ago streetcars prowled its depths and crossed over the Cuyahoga River from the East side of town to the West side of town. Free public tours were offered from 9 AM to 1 PM on October 14,15 and the 28th. Reservations are required by calling (216) 348-3800. People taking this tour should dress warmly and wear walking shoes. Blaine Hays helped to organize the last tour session some 12 years ago. The tracks were abandoned in 1954 and the street ramps filled in. About 10000 passengers came out to ride the last trolley on the Madison line which operated under the bridge in the subway, on January 23, 1954. (Editor Note; though I did not ride the trips as the lines were too ling, I did take black and white 8mm movies, I was accompanied by my soon to be wife Mary, who must have wondered just what kind of nut she was getting married to!) The tour will be a no-frills walk across the river on the lower deck. Visitors will see remnants of the subway stations at W 9th and W 25th streets. Pictures of old streetcars and exhibits on the lines history will be on display. The county will also dust off a mockup of the front of an old streetcar and erect it in one of the tunnels at the west end.

AND IF YOU ARE WONDERING WHERE THE CLOGGSVILLE CONNECTION IS, just take a ride on the RTA rapid on the west side. You will be able to see it to your right, heading west after you leave the West 25th Station, pass under the Norfolk Southern mainline bridge (which leads through Lakewood) and just past the small RTA yard and shed.

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