THE TRANSFER TABLE
The Wilmington Chapter NRHS Official Newsletter
Internet Edition

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JULY 18, 2002 MEETING NOTES

    Called to order by President Phil Snyder at 7 PM, Vice President & Historian Ron Cleaves read the "minutes" from the last newsletter. The Treasurer's report was accepted as read by Ralph Stevens.  National Director Tom Posatko reported that he will be going to the convention. Phil led a discussion about the annual Christmas dinner could be held at the Coach House, Maximillian's, or the Hockessin Fire Hall. He also reported that the annual Transportation Day/River Fest will be held on 9/28 in Wilmington. Members Ed Thornton and Tom Posatko reported on their track car ride on the West Virginia Northern and Ed also reported on  RailCamp¨. Frank Ferguson reported that Frisco's #1522 will be "stuffed and mounted" by the National Transportation Museum near St. Louis.

    After refreshments, we were treated to an excellent slide show by Richard Hall who provided outstanding commentary by reading a carefully written narrative which he had prepared to accompany the slides. The program, entitled "Derailments & Other Mishaps", included views of Greenbank-DE (1978), Childs-MD (1965), B&O @ Delaware Park (1965), Newark-DE (1966), B&O @ Route 62 and Leslie-MD (1968), x-Pennsy steam at Williams Grove Park (1971) and two steamers on the bridge at Perryville-MD in 1959! There was Route 41 @ Greenbank (1973),and Eddystone the same year. We saw Chester-PA on April 18, 1976 and an overturned Burro crane in Strasburg in 1971. Wilmington & Western's #98 was seen headed EAST! to turn on the wye, but the track was 1.5" too wide. We also saw Wooddale in 1971. Representing 1963, we saw the Pennsy in Charlestown next to Route 40 with THREE wreck trains including a B&O wrecker, a wire repair train, and a tower car. Also along Rt. 40, we saw Elkton (1965). That was followed by Smithville-PA (1968), Glasgow-DE (1972), Cooch's Bridge-DE (1975),  and finally Edgemoore-DE in 1975. What a great show it was!

AUGUST 15, 2002 MEETING NOTES

    A Do-It-Yourself Trip was arranged by Bruce Barry in lieu of the normal Chapter Meeting who provided the following report:

    Wilmington Chapter NRHS Do-It-Yourself Pay-As-You-Go Trip Report

    On a hot August evening, 7 chapter members met At SEPTA's Marcus Hook train station to start a circle trip on various SEPTA lines within and around Philadelphia. The trip would be 3 hours long and use 4 different SEPTA routes. Attending the trip was Phil Snyder (President), Ron Cleaves (Vice President), Ralph Stevens (Treasurer), Dan Frederick (Secretary), Joe Reed, Jack Rathburn, and myself (Trip Director). (Was this an Officer's meeting?)

    Prior to boarding the train, members were able to enjoy good conversation while watching and photographing other SEPTA and Amtrak trains that were running prior to our 6:01 PM departure. Then our train, coming up from Wilmington, arrived and we boarded to start the first leg of our journey using SEPTA's R2 service. It was an uneventful ride into 30th Street station and we detrained and made the short walk to the Market-Frankford Line station across the street. We boarded the 6:40 PM local to 69th Street for a quick up-and-back ride on the western portion of the route. The return trip would leave 69th street late making the 7 minute connection to the Route 11 Trolley tighter than I would have preferred. However, we had just enough time to make the short walk to the Trolley platform for a 30 second wait for the Route 11 Trolley.

    We took the Route 11 Trolley to 49th Street and Woodland Avenue and made the 3 block walk to SEPTA's 49th Street station. There we watched a little softball action on the diamond (baseball, not railroad) before boarding the R3 train back into 30th Street Station. A 40 minute wait at 30th Street allowed folks to grab a quick snack or drink (and in my case buy a $7.45 SEPTA transportation map) and walk through the station before the final leg returned us to Marcus Hook at 9:10 PM.

    My original intention was to take the Route 13 Trolley to 49th Street and Chester Avenue where it would have been a much shorter walk to the R3  station. However, my confusion in trying to determine the correct line to take put us on the Route 11 Trolley which has the longer walk. Now that I have a detailed SEPTA map, I hopefully will not make the mistake again (stay tuned for next year).

    All in all, it was a very enjoyable trip. This was the 3rd year I had planned the circle trips for the August meeting. Join us next year as another trip will be planned covering different routes through Philadelphia.

WILMINGTON CHAPTER NRHS STREETCAR TRIPS

November 2, 2002  -  Night Photo PCC Trip
Take one of SEPTA's historic PCC's for a night tour of the southwest Philadelphia streetcar routes, stopping for open flash photography along the way. You bring a tripod and cable release (along with your camera) and we'll provide the flash. Trip departs Elmwood Car Barn (near I-95) at 5:00 p.m. Fare $35.00

January 25, 2003  -  Super Saturday Streetcar Special X
A Wilmington Chapter tradition! Join us for our 10th pre-Super Bowl trip. Details aren't finalized yet, but we are planning to either cover the north end of Route 23 (departing from Germantown) with a PCC or doing a PCC/Peter Witt two-car trip in southwest Philadelphia (if the Peter Witt is available). Fare $35.00

Order tickets on-line here: http://www.daylightimages.com/streetcar/
Option 2: Night Photo PCC Trip only -- $35
Option 3: Super Saturday Streetcar Special only -- $35
Option 6: Night Trip and Super Saturday Trip Combo -- $60 (save $10)

Make checks payable to Wilmington Chapter NRHS and mail your order to:
Wilmington Chapter NRHS
c/o Steve Barry
117 High Street
Newton, NJ 07860

SCHEDULE NOTES
Notices, announcements, schedules, etc. are provided here as a service to the members. The Chapter has no affiliation with any commercial operation, museum, or tourist line.

Sept. 13-22, 2002 Norfolk Southern Exhibit Car at Strasburg Railroad, Strasburg, Pa.

Sunday, September 15, 2002 Dinner Train - NRHS Horseshoe Curve Chapter 1:30 PM depart Hollidaysburg, PA to Roaring Spring, Adults $21, Child $17, info: (814) 695-2201 or (814) 943-6784 or (814) 224-4440

September 21-22, 2002 All Aboard Days: Re-Inventing The Wheel B&O Railroad Museum 10 AM - 5 PM Learn about cutting-edge technology, high-speed lines, future of transport by rail. Special displays, exhibits, and rides.

Saturday & Sunday, October 12-13, 2002 Great Scale Model Train Show - Timonium, 9-4 Saturday, 10-4 Sunday, Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD.

Saturday, October 19, 2002 Autumn Leaf Special aboard Pennsy N-8 Caboose on Wilmington & Western 12:30 PM depart Greenbank, DE for Hockessin, $15 for NRHS, info PennsyCaboose@aol.com or 610-909-2708

Saturday, October 19, 2002 Fall Foliage Excursion B&O Railroad Museum 8:30 AM - 6 PM $50 adults $35 childrenRide the rails to historic Frederick, Maryland (location and date subject to change). Enjoy the day shopping, dining, site seeing, or joining in the harvest festivities. Run in conjunction with MARC Train Service and CSX.

Saturday, November 2, 2002 Night Photo PCC Trip

November 2, 2002 Inner Harbor Train Show B&O Railroad Museum

November 29 - December 30, 2002 Holiday Traditions at B&O Railroad Museum B&O Railroad Museum

Dec. 5-8, 2002 Norfolk Southern Exhibit Car at Strasburg Railroad, Strasburg, Pa.

Nov. 2, 2002 Inner Harbor Train Show B&O Railroad Museum. Attention model train hobbyists! Come to the B&O Roundhouse to buy or trade a wide variety of gauges and types of model trains and accessories.

Nov. 29 - December 30, 2002 Holiday Traditions at the B&O Railroad Museum B&O Railroad Museum. Festivities include spectacular model train layouts and holiday gardens along with singers and musicians on selected days and a special visit with Santa on November 29th. [closed Dec. 24, 25, 31, and January 1].

Dec. 5-8, 2002 Norfolk Southern Exhibit Car at Strasburg Railroad, Strasburg, Pa.

Saturday, January 25, 2003 Super Saturday Streetcar Special X

January 25-26, 2003 Locomotion B&O Railroad Museum. How things move, lowdown on real horsepower, steam, diesel & electric rail transport. Talks, demonstrations, exhibits.

Feb. 8, 2003 Ambassadors of Service B&O Railroad Museum. Step aboard classic dining & sleeper car, hear retired African-American porters, waiters, chefs recount experiences, stories about working on the railroad. Ask your own questions during the question-and-answer period that follows.

Feb. 27-March 2, 2003 50 Years on Track B&O Railroad Museum. Celebrate 50 years of preserving and presenting the wonders of American Railroading. Learn about B&O firsts & celebrate landmark anniversary of world-class collection - oldest & most comprehensive in the Western Hemisphere.

March 15, 2003 Women at Work on the Railroad B&O Railroad Museum. Discover history and hear what it was like to be a woman working for and riding on the rails yesterday and today. Learn about women's roles as railroad workers and passengers from the early 19th century to present day.

March 19 - 22, 2003 International Railroad Preservation Symposium B&O Railroad Museum. Conference will be open to the public by subscription, in Mt. Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore. Details TBA. Hosted by The B&O Railroad Museum, 901 W. Pratt St. Baltimore, MD 21223

June 27 - July 6, 2003 The Fair of the Iron Horse 175 years of American Railroad B&O Railroad Museum. 10-day extravaganza, historic locomotives, pavilions of model trains and railroad history and technology. Daily parade of historic locomotives from America and world tells saga of American railroading from the beginning to present day.

July 1-6, 2003 2003 NRHS Convention - STAR SPANGLED RAILS
The National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) and the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, Inc. (R&LHS) will hold a joint convention, named Star Spangled Rails, in Baltimore, Maryland July 1 - 6, 2003. Hosted by the Washington, DC Chapter of the NRHS and the R&LHS, the convention will offer exciting mainline excursion trains, other informative, fun rail oriented trips, educational seminars and the annual banquet. There will also be non-rail excursions to see the history and culture of Maryland.
Star Spangled Rails will coincide with the 175th Anniversary of Railroading in the United States and will occur at the height of the B&O Railroad Museum's America on Track Celebration. The highlight of the Museum's celebration will be a recreation of the 1927 "Fair of the Iron Horse". The fair will include special exhibits at the museum and Baltimore's Carroll Park. Railroad equipment of all kinds and vintages will be on display, something special no one will want to miss. Besides all of the exciting public events of the Fair, special private events for Star Spangled Rails attendees only are being planned in conjunction with the museum. For more information, check the official convention website at www.starspangledrails.org. Pre-registration will open in August 2002 for members of both NRHS and the R&LHS.

NEWS BITS

    New website to promote freight railroads: www.TomorrowsRailroads.org North America's freight railroads have designed this online resource as part of their sustained effort to share with you the important contributions of today's freight railroads. The goal is to illustrate the positive impact that freight railroads have on the economy, society and the environment; a seamless system of more than 170 thousand miles of track, freight railroads are the backbone of North America's freight transportation network. More than 40 percent of all U.S. freight moves by rail; that's more than trucks, boats, barges or planes. Seventy percent of all automobiles built in the U.S. are shipped by freight rail, and so are the parts used to build airplanes. Our nation's freight cars also carry enough concrete to build 45 miles of new highway every day. Freight railroads help put food on our tables. They carry grains for our cereals and oranges for our juice. They also transport nuts, chocolate, beer and wine. They even ship shopping carts. [from http://www.tomorrowsrailroads.org]

    AAR Railfan Club - More than 600 railroads are the unsung heroes of America's freight transportation network. Motorists, frustrated with truck-laden highways, often forget about the important freight train work horses rumbling efficiently in the background. Trains carry more than 40% of North America's freight -- 70% of the cars, 65% of the coal, and 35% of the grain. The envy of the world, our freight railroads move more than four times the freight of all of the railroads in Europe. The Association of American Railroads salutes train enthusiasts everywhere by organizing RailFanClub. RailFanClub membership costs $19.99 per year, and proceeds go to the Railroad Research Foundation. The Railroad Research Foundation's mission is to promote today's railroad industry through research, communication, and education activities. RailFanClub is a members-accessible club offering railroad industry news, a monthly club newsletter, train discussion and photo swap, fun downloads, trivia, videos, a train simulation demo, a freight railroad field guide, and much more. Most importantly, RailFanClub offers resources to help railfans pass the knowledge and enthusiasm to the next generation. The club offers free resources to young people eager to learn about the fascinating world of freight trains. Some RailFanClub resources will support a free web site called  WeLoveTrains which will enable young people to learn more about trains. RailFanClub keeps its eyes on the tracks in front of us, pointing train enthusiasts to the railroads of today and tomorrow. Railfans of every subject concentration, of every age, color, and background can come together with one central purpose: to celebrate freight trains and to pass the message on to the young that trains are important, trains are beautiful, trains are modern, and trains help us live better. [from http://www.railfanclub.org/]

    "It's not rocket science" [excerpts from an editorial By William C. Vantuono, Editor , Railway Age] Last December, I wrote that Amtrak "requires insightful, resourceful, visionary, 'fire in the belly' leadership-sans the spin." Amtrak now has that kind of leader, David Gunn, who is capable of turning the company around and steering it through a sensible restructuring program-provided the powers-that-be in Washington give him a chance. Gunn is consolidating decision-making into Amtrak's Washington headquarters, eliminating the Northeast Corridor, Intercity, and West Coast business units that operate semi-autonomously. Citing a problem he terms "title inflation," he's cutting over 60 vice president positions, leaving about 20 in upper management with that title. For example, in Amtrak's mechanical department, he's reducing 15 top managers in the chain of command-one executive vice president-operations, five senior vice presidents, two vice presidents, three regional vice presidents, one chief mechanical officer, and three senior directors-to four. The new structure will have one chief operating officer (the capable Stan Bagley), one chief mechanical officer, and two assistant chief mechanical officers, one each for cars and locomotives. "In the future," Gunn said, "the title 'vice president' will be used sparingly and with fewer adjectives such as executive, senior, corporate, regional, etc."  It's hard to argue with this one: "We must overcome the complete loss of credibility. It's not rocket science. We need to show Congress we know how to run a railroad. I can make it efficient. I can't make it self-sufficient." [from http://www.railwayage.com/A/xfromtheeditor.html]

    SEPTA is soliciting bids for 104 new electric multi-unit cars. The SEPTA Silverliner V cars will replace 73 Silverliner II's and III's from the mid-1960s. The estimated price is $300 million for 2006 delivery. [from Railway Age Magazine]

    The West Virginia Northern Railroad was formed on July 5th, 1899, from the former narrow gauge Tunnelton, Kingwood and Fairchance Railroad Co. The TK&P had been incorporated in 1892 and had built eleven miles of railroad between Tunnelton and Kingwood ,West Virginia, to tap the enormous amount of coal deposits found in the area. By World War II, the West Virginia Northern had 19 active mines along its route which would usually generate a 50 car coal train per day while being capable of producing as many as 200+ cars a day. The Northern would interchange these hoppers with the B&O Railroad at its small yard in Tunnelton, with the B&O in turn switching Tunnelton on an almost daily basis from M&K Junction to the east. Power for the WVN was provided by several steam consolidations until the railroad bought three diesel  switchers in the 1950s, #50, #51 and #52. As a result of the Northern's early dieselization, B&O mechanics would often seek the railroads help in solving problems when the B&O finally bought its first diesels several years later. For the following four decades a West Virginia Northern coal switcher could usually be seen working the mines between Kingwood and Tunnelton or the interchange yard at Tunnelton. However, the coal market was in a major decline by the late 1980s resulting in many of the mines served by the railroad to cease operations or begin moving coal by truck. As a result of this lack of traffic, the West Virginia Northern ceased operations in March of 1991 and it was believed the shortline would shortly be abandoned thereafter. However, a local group of citizens came to the Northerns aid and began organizing passenger excursions in the summer of 1993 which would temporarily save the railroad from abandonment. More people soon began to volunteer their time with the railroad while more equipment was repaired and rebuilt for the excursions. Throughout the summer and fall months over the next several years, the West Virginia Northern excursion train could often be seen entering Tunnelton with clock work precision. However, problems in the administrative section of the railroad soon resulted in a management change during the mid-1990s when the railroad was facing a serious declining financial situation. To keep the Northern in operation, large loans were made to the Kingwood Northern Company but soon even the interest on these loans began to add up which resulted in a million dollar debt by 1999. On the Fourth of July weekend in that same year, the West Virginia Northern celebrated its 100th birthday, although a few months later the Northern ceased operations due to its outstanding debts and loans, closing the railroad after a final charter run in November. In late December of 2000, the West Virginia Northern applied to the Surface Transportation Board for an abandonment exemption. [from http://www.wvrail.railfan.net/wvnrr.html]

    SLSTA PRESS RELEASE - On Wednesday, June 12, 2002, the St. Louis Steam Train Association Board of Directors met in a special Board decided that this would be the last season of operations for operations of locomotive SLSF 1522 by the SLSTA. The SLSTA is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization established in 1986 to restore, maintain, and operate the engine. Over the past 14 years, the engine has traveled extensively across the heartland of the US, including representing Burlington Northern Santa Fe, the successor to the St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco) Railroad, which ordered the locomotive from the Baldwin Locomotive Company in 1926. The 1522 is one of the oldest main line operating steam locomotives in the country, and the only current example of a "Mountain" type 4-8-2 wheel arrangement in operation. The action of the Board was in response to the spiraling costs of insurance, the limited accessibility to major railroad mainlines for excursions, required work on the engine to comply with newly enacted Federal boiler regulations, and the volunteer nature of the SLSTA's membership. "No matter how hard we try, how much our group wants to continue operating the engine, or how businesslike we attempt to run our organization, the simple fact is we can no longer sustain the economic requirements for operating and maintaining this remarkable piece of equipment in today's world," said Robert C. Meier, President of the SLSTA.  The 1522 is owned by St. Louis County and is a part of the collection of railroad artifacts of the Museum of Transportation. The engine and other rolling stock are leased by SLSTA from the County. SLSTA commenced  rehabilitation of the engine in 1985, and has operated it on major railroads throughout the Midwest since 1988. Last year the 1522 was the motive power on BNSF's Employee Appreciation Special, running over 4000 miles from St. Louis through Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas. The engine also ran an excursion for the NRHS national convention. After 15 years of service, the Museum of Transportation's operating steam locomotive and ambassador artifact, Frisco 1522 will be featured as a major exhibit at the Museum in 2003. [from http://www.frisco1522.org/ via Pacific Northwest Chapter's The Trainmaster]

    August 12, 2002 UP and NS Offer New Expedited Intermodal Service to Mexico (NORFOLK, VA and OMAHA, NE) - Norfolk Southern Railway and Union Pacific Railroad today announced a new service that trims up to three days from current transit times on intermodal shipments from eastern cities to Laredo, Texas, and to Mexico. The new expedited UP/NS intermodal service offers a variety of transportation options with transit times and rates that are truck-competitive. Service originates on Norfolk Southern in Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; Jacksonville and Miami, Fla., and Harrisburg, Pa. Norfolk Southern gives the shipments to Union Pacific at Memphis, Tenn. Union Pacific also offers this service from its Marion, Ark., intermodal facility. Destinations include Laredo, Mexico City and other major markets in Mexico. "By teaming up with NS, we are able to offer customers in the eastern and southeastern United States a real competitive alternative to moving their shipments by truck," said Randy Blackburn, Union Pacific Railroad's vice president intermodal marketing. "We're offering the first dedicated train service to Mexico for shippers throughout the East," said Mike McClellan, Norfolk Southern vice president intermodal marketing. "Border shipments traditionally travel by truck, and our latest partnership provides a reliable, secure and economical alternative to long-haul trucking on congested highways."

    Three types of service are available for customers seeking the value of rail delivery.

    * Trans- order Express service provides all-rail, seamless service to Mexico City with dock-to-dock Internet shipment tracking. This single-price, single-bill service moves in-bond, clearing Mexico customs in the interior of Mexico, rather than at the Laredo border. UP interchanges with Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) at Laredo. Customers have the option of arranging local drayage or having UP arrange delivery once containers arrive in Mexico City.

    * Passport service shipments move by rail to Union Pacific's intermodal facility at Laredo, where UP arranges the motor carrier movement to any Mexican destination.

    * Conventional service offers seamless, ramp-to-ramp rail transportation to Laredo and allows the customer to arrange local container pickup and final delivery beyond the border. Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates 21,500 route miles in 22 states, the District of Columbia and Ontario, serving every major container port in the eastern United States and providing superior connections to western rail carriers. NS operates the East's most extensive intermodal network and is the nation's largest  rail carrier of automotive parts and finished vehicles. Union Pacific Railroad, is the largest railroad in North America, covering 23 states across the western two-thirds of the United States. A strong focus on quality and a strategically advantageous route structure enables the company to serve customers in critical and fast growing markets. It is a leading carrier of low-sulfur coal used in electrical power generation and has broad coverage of the large chemical-producing areas along the Gulf Coast. Union Pacific has competitive long-haul routes between all West Coast ports and eastern gateways and is the only railroad to serve all six major gateways to Mexico.

    New locomotives for NJT: Underneath the PL42AC's sleek monocoque all-steel carbody is an EMD 16-cylinder 710G3B-T1 prime-mover and TA-17 main alternator driving an IGBT traction inverter and frame-mounted a.c. traction motors on bolsterless two-axle trucks with 44-inch wheels and combination disc/tread/dynamic brakes. Starting tractive effort is 69,975 pounds; continuous tractive effort is 27,000 pounds. Horsepower is 4,200; traction power at the wheels is 3,620 hp - enough to pull eight bilevel coaches at 100 mph. HEP of 800 kW is supplied by the prime-mover. The PL42AC weighs 144 tons and is 69 feet-10 inches long, 10 feet-8 inches wide, and 15 feet-5 inches high. Fuel capacity is 2,250 gallons. In addition to standard AAR 27-pin connections, the communications system is equipped with NJ Transit's pioneering DTN (Digital Trainline Network) technology. The locomotive meets FRA/APTA Tier I crashworthiness standards, EPA Tier I emissions requirements (upgradeable to Tier II after Jan. 1, 2007), and, at 88 dB, exceeds federal noise level standards. The first two units are scheduled to be delivered from Alstom's Valencia, Spain, plant in March 2004, with the full order of 33 completed by December 2004. STV, Inc., is providing engineering and design services to the NJ Transit/Alstom project team, which is led respectively by David Carter and Ricardo Albeda. The next new rolling stock acquisition for NJ Transit will be 231 bilevel coaches. LTK Engineering Services prepared technical specifications; a contract award is expected by September or October. Short-listed builders include Alstom, Bombardier, and Kawasaki. [from:http://www.railwayage.com/B/feature2.html]

    Web-surfers might want to check out: http://www.howstuffworks.com/diesel-locomotive.htm

    TV-Channel surfers: The TV show "Junkyard Wars" has gathered some motorcar parts and intends to do an episode featuring motorcars. From the TLC website: Railroad Racer - Power Paddlers Winner vs. Paintball Tanks Winner All Aboard! For the second semifinal the teams have to make chugging railroad racers. On test day, the teams have to pull a railcar loaded up with "freight"; and achieve the fastest time down four hundred yards of slippery track. But their run only counts if they can stop before a braking point - marked by an ostrich egg on a stand. Brake too late and you've got a runaway train and egg on your face! Find out which team gets a fast track to the final, and which ends up on a slow train to nowhere. [From Ken Jones Trillium Railway-St. Thomas & Eastern Railway, Niagara Falls Railway Museum via Edward D. Thornton ]
Wed, Oct. 9, 2002 9 p.m. and midnight ET/PT
Sat, Oct. 12, 2002 2 a.m. ET/PT
Sun, Oct. 13, 2002 2 p.m. ET/PT

CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILROAD - TELEGRAPHIC REPORT OF ACCIDENT

This report was passed along electronically by Ed Thornton and is included here for your amusement:

Filed at: 1455, at Thunder Bay Ontario, July 21st, 1977.
Occurred at: 1400, July 21st, 1977 at Neebing Avenue Lead, West Fort William (Joint Area).
Train involved: Yard diesel 7018; 1 load, no empties;
Conductor: Yard Foreman D. R. Lane.
Engineer: N. Tanchik.
Persons injured: H. Gillman, hearse driver for N. Jenkins, Funeral Director and 6 pall bearers; C.N.R.
Engineer R. Smith, C.N.R. Yardman E. Wytoruk.
Type of occurrence: Derailments and collisions (multiple)
Cause of accident: Failure of yard crew to notify C.N.R. yard crew approaching from Montreal Street Siding
to stay clear until running switch had been completed.
Supervisor: E.W.Smith, Assistant Yardmaster, Westfort, Ontario.
Weather: Clear, calm, 75F, clear visibility.

    Occurrence details: Yard diesel 7018, Engineer N. Tanchik, no fireman, Yard Foreman R. D. Lane, Helpers B. Wyrozub and H. Powell, working on the regular Farm Assignment had pulled CP 313005, Subway Car destined Toronto, from the Canadian Car Company's Industrial track, and when reaching the Neebing Avenue gate, the yard crew decided to make a running switch so that the car could be handled on the west end of the diesel for pulling to the Island Wye and its eventual turning. In doing so, the movement was lined up for the diesel to go into the stub track located inside the Canadian Car Company's fence and CP 313005 was to go westward on the Neebing Avenue lead towards the North Western Elevator.

    Just at the time that the running switch was being made, a Canadian National yard movement, diesel 7083(?) was moving from the Montreal Street siding and pulling 3 loads behind their diesel, came out foul on the Neebing Avenue lead, sideswiping CP 313005 which had, by now, been cut off and was moving freely on the Neebing Avenue lead in a westerly direction. The impact caused the Subway Car to come loose from its moorings on CP 313005 and catapult off the car, clearing the ditch on the north side of the track and striking the Jenkins Funeral Home Hearse, a 1975 Cadillac, license 3476-J (Ontario) and driven by H. Gillman which was heading a funeral procession and also moving slowly in a westerly direction.

    The Subway Car hit the middle of the hearse and this resulted in the coffin being dislodged from the damaged hearse, striking the roadway and the body of the late Mr. A. Brown, a well-known pioneer of the City was dislodged from the coffin and landed laying facing-down in 6 inches of water in the ditch on the north side of the roadway. Mr. Gillman received a gash on his head, and was transported to hospital by another motorist from the funeral procession who had already been commandeered to take Mrs. A. Brown to the hospital as she had suffered a heart attack after seeing the preceding occurrence. Mr. N. Jenkinson, director of the Jenkins Funeral Home and driver of the automobile following the hearse was unable to assist in this respect as he and the 6 pall-bearers were injured by flying glass when they were unable to avoid running into the damaged hearse.

    CP 313005, the flatcar which had had the Subway Car on it ran free down the Neebing Avenue lead when Yardman B. Wyrozub was knocked off the car when it came in contact with the Canadian National diesel 7083(?). The flat car ran into #4 track at the North Western grain elevator demolishing the stop-block and came to rest, hanging half over the trestle over the Kam River.  Canadian National diesel 7083(?), when struck by CP 313005, had all wheels derailed at the point of impact, and Engineer R. Smith had several teeth knocked out when he hit his head on the air valve in the diesel cab when the diesel stopped suddenly.

    The third, or last car of the drag being pulled by the Canadian National diesel 7083(?) was CN 660042 containing concrete blocks loaded at the Terra-Krete outfit on Montreal Street. This car was exactly on the Montreal Street crossing when the incident occurred, and when it stopped suddenly, 11 concrete blocks toppled off CN 660042 and landed on a 1976 Chevrolet Sedan, License 64T33, (Minnesota) owned and driven by Mr. W. Wytoruk of 1822 Hillsdale Drive, St. Paul, Minnesota, who had been on Montreal Street at the crossing to allow the Canadian National movement to clear. Damage to Mr. Wytoruk's automobile was estimated at about $6,000, and Mr. Wytoruk sustained 2 broken legs and was taken to hospital.

    Yard diesel 7018, which was involved in making the running switch in the first place was lined up to go into the stub track inside the Canadian Car Company's fence and became derailed. It was discovered that the Roadmaster had shortened up this track to about 100 feet in length but had neglected to put out any advice in this regard. All wheels on unit 7018 are derailed, and the unit is listing at a 45 degree angle. The track that unit 7018 entered is quite overgrown with weeds, and it was hard to see that the track had been shortened.

News Release for 2002 DART First State RAIL to the FAIR
from July 10, 2002 [from: http://www.DartFirstState.com/news/02/07/rail2fair.shtml]

On Thursday, July 11th, at 11:00 a.m., DART First State, will hold a "Kick-Off" press event for the 11th annual RAIL to the FAIR. The Press Event will take place in Patrons Plaza, Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington. Executive Director Ray Miller will host the event. Representatives from the Delaware State Fair, Amtrak, Norfolk Southern Railway and the Delmarva Rail Passenger Association will join Mr. Miller.

    The 11th annual RAIL to the FAIR excursion will take place on Saturday, July 20, 2002. The one-day round trip train ride will begin at Philadelphia's 30th Street Station at 9:15 a.m. and make stops at Claymont, Wilmington, Fairplay Station at Churchmans Crossing, Newark, Middletown and Wyoming before arriving at the Delaware State Fair in Harrington at 12:28 p.m. Those passengers who have chosen the extended round-trip excursion to Frankford will arrive back at the Fairgrounds at 3:50 p.m. The train will depart the Delaware State Fair at 5:40 p.m. for the return trip north.

    RAIL to the FAIR is a fun-filled excursion that offers passengers a unique view of Delaware's ever-changing scenery while allowing them to enjoy a ride on a modern, air- onditioned Amtrak train, complete with the services of a cafe car.RAIL to the FAIR is sponsored by the Delaware Department of Transportation and the Delaware Transit  Corporation in cooperation with the Delaware State Fair, Amtrak, Norfolk Southern Railway, the Delmarva Rail Passenger Association and Operation Lifesaver Delaware (An outreach program of Delaware Transit Corporation). Tickets for this year's excursion are now available and may be ordered by calling (800) or (302) 652-DART (3278).

    RAIL to the FAIR customers will once again find that fares are based on the same low prices originally set back in 1992. Depending on boarding location adult round-trip fares to the State Fair range from $17.50 to $47.50. The round-trip costs including the extended trip to Frankford range from $22.50 to $67.50. Prices include general admission to the Fairgrounds. Reduced fares for children under 9 years of age are also available. For additional RAIL to the FAIR information, please call (800) or (302) 652-DART.

DART First State is Delaware's bus, train, and intermodal transportation provider. DART First State services include commuter rail, intercounty bus, fixed route bus, paratransit, seasonal resort bus, commuter assistance, Operation Lifesaver rail crossing safety, and the RideShare Delaware ride matching program. DART First State provides more than 9,200,000 passenger trips annually replacing more than 3,082,000 single occupant vehicle trips. For more information about DART First State services in New Castle and Kent Counties call 1-800-652-DART; for information on Sussex County service and statewide paratransit service call 1-800-553-DART; or visit our website at www.DartFirstState.com.

Rail to the Fair - Saturday, July 20, 2002 = the 11th Annual RAIL to the FAIR excursion to the Delaware State Fair and beyond.

    This special, one-day round-trip aboard an air-conditioned Amtrak train will begin at 9:15 AM at Philadelphia's 30th Street Station. Traveling along Amtrak's high-speed Northeast Corridor (NEC), our train will make station stops at Claymont, Wilmington, Fairplay Station at Churchmans Crossing, and Newark.

At Newark the RAIL to the FAIR train will move from Amtrak's NEC onto Norfolk Southern's Delmarva Secondary to continue our trip south. We will make additional stops at Middletown and Wyoming, before arriving at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington at 12:28 PM.

    Passengers going only as far as the State Fair will have up to five hours to enjoy the Fairgrounds' festivities, while those who have opted for the extended "rare mileage" trip to Frankford will have up to 1.5 hours to take part in activities at the Fair.

RAIL to the FAIR tickets are available by completing the attached form. Ticket order forms are also available at Mitchell's (Fairfax Shopping Center), the Claymont, Churchmans Crossing & Newark Train Stations and the Transit Stores in the Wilmington Amtrak Station, 718 Market Street Mall, 400 South Madison Street and 900 Public Safety Blvd., Dover. Ticket prices include Fair admission. All ticket orders will be filled by mail. To order tickets by mail, complete this form (requires a free pdf viewer) and send it, along with your payment to: RAIL to the FAIR 2002, Delaware Transit Corporation, 400 South Madison Street, Wilmington, DE 19801-5114

Timetable [PM times are shown in bold type. Times may vary due to unforeseen conditions.]

   Please arrive at your station stop at least 15 minutes ahead of scheduled departure times.
** Frankford is not a station stop. There will be no boarding or alighting of passengers at Frankford.

    The RAIL to the FAIR train will depart the Fairgrounds promptly at 5:40 PM. Please begin boarding no later than 5:25 PM. The train may run ahead of schedule on the return trip. For the safety and comfort of all passengers, neither smoking nor alcoholic beverages are permitted aboard the train.

    For Your Information.... The RAIL to the FAIR train includes a cafe car for passengers wishing to purchase food or drink while on board. Passengers may also bring their own food and beverages onto the train, or choose to save their appetites for the large selection of tasty treats at the Fair. The cafe car will be closed for the trip from Frankford back to the Fairgrounds, and while the train is stationed at the Fair. Rail to the Fair - Sponsored By: Delaware Department of Transportation & Delaware Transit CorporationIn Cooperation With: Amtrak, Norfolk Southern, Delaware State Fair, Delmarva Rail Passenger Association, Operation Lifesaver Delaware (A service of Delaware Transit Corporation) For the safety and comfort of all passengers, neither smoking nor alcoholic beverages are permitted aboard the train. The RAIL to the FAIR 2002 excursion is scheduled to take place rain or shine. All tickets sales are final. No refunds will be issued.

    Seating Information.... It will be necessary to make several change-of-end moves during the RAIL to the FAIR 2002 excursion. In previous years we have tried different seating configurations so that as many of our customers face forward for as much of the trip as possible. This year we will not be able to turn the train in the "wye" at the Fairgrounds, therefore seats in each coach will be arranged with 50% facing one direction and 50% the other. This seating configuration will give everyone an equal opportunity to see where we're going and where we've been. Please be advised that seating together is not guaranteed; however, every effort will be made to accommodate your group.

    Attention Parents.... RAIL to the FAIR is designed to be a family-oriented trip, combining a relaxing and educational train ride, with the good, old-fashioned fun of the State Fair. We are pleased to have you and your children aboard our train. We do ask that children remain seated during the trip, unless accompanied by an adult, and that children not be permitted to roam unsupervised between cars. Our goal is to have fun, but safety is our number one priority! Please let our car hosts know if there is anything we can do to make your trip more comfortable. We hope you enjoy riding with us!

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This is the text from the Souvenir Booklet that was handed out on the trip.
[Thanks to Patti Boyd of DART First State for tracking down and providing an electronic copy of the text.]

Dear Guest:
    Welcome aboard the 11th annual RAIL to the FAIR excursion. Before this daylong trip is over our special Amtrak train will have traveled through all three of Delaware's counties. But the highlight will be a visit to the Delaware State Fair.
    By choosing to take the train you are helping to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. You're also helping to reduce stress. You can sit back, relax and enjoy the passing scenery as well as the company of family and friends on-board. RAIL to the FAIR and the Delaware State Fair are hands-on examples of the best of Delaware.
    We at DART First State, a division of DelDOT, continue to work toward creating a fully intermodal transit system. And we know that passenger rail will play an increasingly important role in that system. Over the past year DART First State has provided more than 9,200,000 passenger trips, removing as many as 3,082,000 single occupant vehicle from the state's roads. Though today's RAIL to the FAIR excursion deals in hundreds instead of millions, it is still a step in the right direction.
Thank you for traveling to the fair by train.
Sincerely,
Raymond C. Miller, Executive Director
Delaware Transit Corporation

Dear Fair Guest:
    Welcome to the 83rd annual Delaware State Fair. This year promises to be the biggest and best fair ever. And one of the kick-off events will be the arrival of the 11th annual RAIL to the FAIR train at Gate 6.
    Whether you will be spending the entire afternoon with us or just an hour or so later in the day, you'll find plenty to do at the Fair. Great food, interesting exhibits, animals from the cute to the impressive, and a full midway complete with the latest rides and activities.
    You'll see how yesterday's agricultural heritage has developed into a people-oriented industry ready for the 21st century. And you'll come to understand why Delaware takes such pride in what it grows.
    In all we have a lot to offer and we want you to have a great time at the Delaware State Fair. Remember, if you can't see everything today, we'll be here through next Saturday.
Sincerely,
Dennis Hazzard, General Manager
Delaware State Fair, Inc.

To help you identify points of interest during the trip, refer to the map in the center of this booklet and use the map location number given to each area. This itinerary is in sequence for the southbound portion of the trip.

AMTRAK NORTHEAST CORRIDOR
The Northeast Corridor (NEC) runs between Washington, DC and Boston, Massachusetts. The section of the NEC between  Washington and New York City is the most densely traveled and fastest passenger rail line in the Western Hemisphere. The overhead electric catenary which runs from Washington to New Haven, Connecticut has been extended to Boston to accommodate Amtrak's new Acela EX trainsets which began service in December 2000. In addition to Acela EX trains, which will operate at speeds up to 150-mph, new levels of service are being introduced all along the NEC. Amtrak also operates several long distance trains on the NEC. They include the 'Silver Palm, Silver Meteor and Silver Star'to Florida and the 'Crescent' to New Orleans. The Cities of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, and the States of Connecticut and Maryland operate commuter trains along the NEC. And often, especially overnight, Norfolk Southern freight trains will travel along this busy corridor.

PHILADELPHIA / 30th STREET STATION         MILEPOST 01.50         LOCATION 1
The first station at this site opened in 1864. This station was replaced by the Centennial Station which opened in 1876 and was destroyed by fire in 1896. This was followed by the West Philadelphia Station at 32nd & Market Streets. The first section of today's 30th Street Station, then called Pennsylvania Station, opened in 1930. The building was completed and received its first passenger on March 12, 1933. The headquarters of the Pennsylvania Railroad moved to this building in December of 1933. Over the past decade, this station has been brought back to its former glory through an ambitious and continuing renovation effort by Amtrak. The handsome bronze statue in the Main Concourse is a memorial to Pennsylvania Railroad employees who gave their lives in service to their country. This statue is the work of sculptor Walter Hancock.

PW&B MONUMENT         MILEPOST         02.15 LOCATION 1
As we leave 30th Street Station, you will notice a white monument just to the west of the train slightly before the 49th Street Bridge (overpass). This monument commemorates the 1838 completion of the original route of the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad (PW&B) into the city. Today's Northeast Corridor deviates from the original PW&B alignment between an area south of this monument and Eddystone, Pennsylvania (MP 12.41). This new alignment opened in about 1872 and was called the Darby Improvement. You'll notice that new track has been laid adjoining the NEC to the east side of the train. This track provides for easier CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway freight connections to the high-line that passes over 30th Street Station.

BALDWIN         MILEPOST 12.20         LOCATION 1
This site, near Eddystone, was once home to the massive Baldwin Locomotive Works. Baldwin purchased the land in 1906 and began the gradual transfer of their operations to this site from north of center city Philadelphia. Completion of the project was heralded when the landmark administration building was dedicated in 1928. Future plans have been discussed that would provide for a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) station to be built at Baldwin as part of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's (PennDOT) I-476, also known as the Blue Route, traffic mitigation effort.

DELAWARE STATE LINE         MILEPOST 18.25         MAP LOCATION 2
Welcome to the First State. When William Penn first set foot in the New World he did so in what is now New Castle, Delaware. Delaware was once a part of Penn's Woods or Pennsylvania and was given some autonomy in the early 1700s when it became known as the three lower counties. On June 15, 1776, Delaware not only declared its separation from the King of England, but also from the holdings of the Penn family. After ratifying the Constitution, Delaware officially became the First State on December 7, 1787. It is the second smallest state in the Union, covering about 1.1 million acres or roughly half the size of Yellowstone Park. Thomas Jefferson is quoted as having said, "Delaware is like a diamond; small but having within it inherent value." Delaware's nicknames are the First State, the Blue Hen State, Small Wonder and the Diamond State.

CITISTEEL         MILEPOST 19.00         MAP LOCATION 2
The industrial complex next to the right-of-way as we approach Claymont is CitiSteel. This manufacturer of fine specialty metals and stainless steel is owned by a business consortium from China. The original company operating at this location was Worth Steel. The Worth Corporate headquarters building is located on Philadelphia Pike, surrounded by what had been a residential community for a number of their employees. For many years the company operated as Phoenix Steel. The facility has a privately operated internal rail system with two freight rail connections to the Northeast Corridor.

CLAYMONT STATION         MILEPOST 19.60 MAP         LOCATION 2
First called Claymont in about 1850, there is some debate as to whether the community was named for the heavy clay soil of the area or in honor of local landowner Richard Clayton. The Claymont Station reopened in October 1990 and is owned and operated by the Delaware Transit Corporation (DART First State). SEPTA's R2 provides frequent service to this station. Among the continuing station improvements is the expanded parking lot completed in fall 2000. Located on Philadelphia Pike opposite Myrtle Avenue, the road to the station, is a bed & breakfast known as the Darley Manor Inn. This historic house was once the home of famed American illustrator Felix O. C. Darley. Darley created illustrations for many books and publications of the time. Perhaps most famous among his clients was English author Charles Dickens. During their collaboration in 1868, Dickens was a guest at Darley's house. In December 1999, more than 131 years after Charles Dickens' Claymont visit; his great-great grandson, Gerald, stayed at the Inn while on a theatrical tour of the area. On the other side of I-495, immediately adjacent to the station, you will see the grounds of Archmere Academy. A private school operated by the Norbertine Fathers, Archmere was established in 1932 on the estate of John Jacob Rascob. Rascob was a well- known Wall Street financier. After befriending New York Governor Al Smith, John Jacob Rascob established a new corporation through which he built the Empire State Building. Completed on March 18, 1931 and dedicated on May 1st of that year, the Empire State Building was seen as an example of stability during the depression and even withstood being struck by a plane without faltering. The 1,250-foot tall structure is acknowledged by many architects, builders and artists to be the most perfect skyscraper ever built. The Empire State Building held its "Tallest Building" title for 40 years, until the 110-story World Trade Center's Twin Towers were completed. In the wake of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the Empire State Building once again stands as New York's tallest building, and has become a proud symbol of our strength and resolve.

F. SCOTT FITZGERALD - 'ZELDA' CAULFIELD CONNECTOR - BELLEVIEW STATE PARK        MAP LOCATION 3
Though surrounded by newer developments, there are still a number of grand and historic mansions remaining in the hills just beyond I-495 and the Governor Printz Boulevard. These homes were built by successful business tycoons and sought after for their views of the Delaware River. At one point F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda called one of these houses home. Though filmed elsewhere, the movie "Zelda" was set in and around Wilmington. The Grill at Wilmington's Hotel duPont was the  Fitzgerald's favorite watering hole. You will notice the new Caulfield Connector, a road and greenway link between the river, the boulevard and Belleview State Park.

BELL INTERLOCKING         MILEPOST 22.50         MAP LOCATION 3
Interlockings are major switching centers along main line tracks, which allow trains to move from one track or line to another. Bell Interlocking connects Norfolk Southern's Shellpot Running Track and Edgemoor Yard with Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. Bell allows for the separation of freight and passenger traffic as we approach Wilmington. This interlocking, along with most others on the Northeast Corridor between the Nation's Capital and Philadelphia, is remotely controlled by Amtrak's Centralized  Electrification and Transportation Control (CETC) office in Philadelphia. Prior to becoming part of CETC, the tower, on the riverside of the train, was staffed by an "operator" who manually changed the signals and track switches at Bell. Today, the tower building houses backup signal apparatus and field offices. You will also notice a track flyover to your right. This configuration allowed for northbound passenger trains to pass over longer, slower freight trains entering or leaving the Shellpot Running Track.

FOX POINT PARK         MILEPOST 22.80 MAP         LOCATION 3
To create an additional buffer between the Delaware River and the Northeast Corridor, the Pennsylvania Railroad began landfilling along the shoreline. Using industrial fill, tailings and residual materials from several of its facilities the railroad created much of the land that is now Fox Point Park. Accessible from Edgemoor Road, this Delaware State Park is an excellent walking and jogging site and a great place to watch both ships and trains. Fox Point Park will eventually extend along the river as far north as  Claymont.

EDGEMOOR YARD         MILEPOST 23.10         MAP LOCATION 4
East of the Northeast Corridor is Norfolk Southern's Edgemoor Yard. DuPont is the major rail freight customer in this area. DuPont receives and ships industrial chemicals and other raw materials. The Edgemoor site creates white pigment using Titanium Oxide. Edgemoor is also the site of a bulk loading transfer facility for plastic pellets used in the manufacture of consumer products. The Conectiv Power Delivery, formerly Delmarva Power, electric generation plant receives coal at this location.

WILMINGTON SHOPS         MILEPOST 24.40         MAP LOCATION 4
Built by the Pennsylvania Railroad, the historic appearance of some of the older buildings in this 1903 complex contradicts the quality of work and high-tech craftsmanship that is an integral part of the Wilmington Shops. The facility is known nationally for its high standards. The Shops service locomotives including the electric AEM-7s which power most of Amtrak's NortheastDirect trains. The AEM-7s are presently being rebuilt to provide higher speed and more efficient operation. Some car work is also done  here. Soon the Wilmington Shops will be maintaining Amtrak's new, more powerful, higher-speed electric locomotive, the Acela HH-P8. A new diesel locomotive testing facility has also been added to the shops. Amtrak currently employs more than 1,100 people in Delaware.

WILMINGTON / OLD SWEDES         MILEPOST 26.30         MAP LOCATION 5
Shortly after we cross the Brandywine Creek you should be able to see Old Swedes Church just to the left or west side of the train. Old Swedes (Holy Trinity) is the oldest church in the United States that has continued to hold services in its original sanctuary. Founded in 1638 as Fort Christina, Wilmington is Delaware's largest city by population. Fort Christina was the site of the first permanent European settlement in the region. That landing site, the Rocks, is just east (toward the Christina River) of the  route of our train as we approach the Wilmington station. Delaware's Tall Ship, the Kalmar Nyckle, is often moored nearby. If in its home port, the ship's masts can be seen to your right. Once known as the World's Corporate Capital and the World's Chemical Capital, Wilmington has also achieved recognition as an international banking center and, in years past, was a major builder of steel-hulled ships and railroad passenger coaches.

DELAWARE CAR COMPANY         MILEPOST 26.50         MAP LOCATION 5
The Delaware Car Company (DCC) is one of the few private concerns in the country that repairs and rebuilds passenger rail cars. DCC has done work for San Francisco's BART system, Amtrak (including the Superliners), SEPTA, and many private car owners. While emphasizing safety, Delaware Car's focus on quality and craftsmanship creates a constant backlog of orders. To accomplish this volume of work, many area businesses are utilized for components and supplies. This is but one example of the importance of Delaware's rail infrastructure to the region's economy.

WILMINGTON STATION / CNOC         MILEPOST 26.67 - 26.92         MAP LOCATION 5
Coming into the station the historic Christina River will be to the south. You will also see Amtrak's Consolidated National Operations Center (CNOC) along the river. The Wilmington Amtrak Station is the focal point of the expanding Wilmington Transit Center and key to riverfront development. This station is the third one to be built at this site and the first to have elevated tracks. Designed by Frank Furness and constructed in 1905, the station went through major renovations in 1984. The station continues evolving as new services and amenities become a part of the fabric of this historic structure. The Wilmington station is the 9th busiest of Amtrak's 102 stations in the Northeast, and the 11th busiest out of more than 500 stations nationwide. Sitting between the Amtrak Station and the River is the Pennsylvania Building, once the headquarters of the Delmarva Division (Delaware Road) of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The Pennsylvania Building is now home to a division of the internet bank, ING Direct.

TUBMAN-GARRETT RIVERFRONT PARK         MILEPOST 26.85         MAP LOCATION 5
Located adjacent to the station this park honors Harriet Tubman and Thomas Garrett for their heroic efforts on behalf of thousands of slaves who were able to reach freedom through the "Underground Railroad" network. History tells us that Ms. Tubman referred to the Christina River near this site as "the last great river to cross." The present Market Street Bridge is where the "Underground Railroad" entered the city. As you can see Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park has become a center for fairs, festivals and other activities that celebrate life. To the north side of the train, as we leave the Wilmington Station, is Quaker Hill. Quaker merchant Thomas Garrett had his
home and business at 4th and Shipley Streets near what is now Delaware Technical & Community College. For more than four decades Mr. Garrett served as a "Stationmaster" on the "Underground Railroad" and is credited with assisting more than 2,700 slaves who were seeking freedom. In 1848, Mr. Garrett was convicted of aiding slaves and imprisoned. Immediately upon his release Mr. Garrett returned to his work against slavery. Thomas Garrett is buried at the Quaker Cemetery at 4th & West Streets.

RIVERWALK / B&O STATION /GATES BUILDING DELAWARE CENTER OF CONTEMPORARY ARTS         MILEPOST 26.69 - 27.32         LOCATION 5
The Wilmington Renaissance Corporation is building new life into the City's Ship's Tavern District along lower Market Street, just north of the station. Meanwhile the Riverfront Development Corporation, a public/private partnership, continues to bring exciting new venues to the Riverfront. As you can see, Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard has become a thoroughfare worthy of its name. In addition to this major roadway, Riverwalk provides for pedestrian access through this vital and growing area. Beginning at Poplar Street near Amtrak CNOC, Riverwalk runs along Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park to Market Street and then along the river to the Ship Yard Shops, a total of more than 1.5 miles. Last year, a series of 21 outdoor exhibits (plaques) were unveiled along the Riverwalk in commemoration of Wilmington's riverfront history. Entitled "Heritage of a Great River...the Christina," these exhibits highlight significant social and industrial events, including the "Underground Railroad" and Wilmington's ship and rail car builders. The former Kirk Building/Berger Bros. Warehouse is now home to ING Direct. With operations based in the Netherlands, ING Direct focuses on electronic and telephone banking services. Offices of ING Direct have also moved into the handsomely restored Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) Station. The B&O Station is an earlier Frank Furness design. The building was originally a passenger station, but served as a freight depot into the early 1980s. Next to the ING Direct building is the new Riverfront Market. A new seafood restaurant is scheduled to open at the river end of the Market by the end of the year. The Delaware Theater Company, Mitchell Associates and Moeckel Carbonell Associates moved into the area when Riverfront development was little more than a dream. Next is the Gates Building, highlighted by its unique vaulted roof. This handsome building houses the Backstage Cafe, a restaurant and night club, and the headquarters of Juniper Financial Corporation, a new  personalized internet banking service. If you look toward the river as we cross South Madison Street you will see the gleaming new silver gray facade of the Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts (DCCA). DCCA's new home was originally built as a locomotive shop and was connected to a round-house which sat immediately to the west of the existing structure. Unfortunately, the round-house was beyond repair when this project began.

STADIUM / ARTS CENTER / SHIP YARD SHOPS         MILEPOST 27.35         MAP LOCATION 6
Delaware Transit Corporation's (DART First State) Madison Street facility is one of the many businesses that have located in this area. The DART First State building sits along the Riverwalk, next to the Big Kahuna, site of Delaware's only volcano. Almost the entire area from the Gates Building on West Street to just beyond the brick smoke stack at the Ship Yard Shops and from the Amtrak viaduct to the river, was once home to Harlan & Hollingsworth, a major ship and passenger rail coach manufacturing firm. During World War II Dravo Shipbuilding occupied much of this area. Dravo often received national citations for the quality of their  work and the speed with which they delivered the vessels needed in the war effort. In one 16-day period Dravo delivered five LSMs (Landing Ship Medium) to the Navy. In fact, the very first LSM, #201, was built in Wilmington. As we pass under I-95, look toward the river (east) and you will see the now familiar Judy Johnson Field at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium, home of the Wilmington Blue Rocks. The Carolina League ball team, part of the Kansas City Royals farm system, has played at the Stadium since it opened in April, 1993. The stadium's seating capacity has been expanded from the original 5,000, and on the evening of July 3, 2001 reached anew high of 7,464. The field is named for Judy Johnson (1900-1989), a local sports legend who played with the Negro Baseball League. Mr. Johnson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975. The Stadium itself is named for former Wilmington Mayor Daniel S. Frawley, a strong supporter of having the stadium built in Wilmington. After 26 years on planning and organizing the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame opened on Saturday, June 15, 2002. Located on the right field side of the stadium, 5,000-square-foot facility honors Delaware's sports connections. Adjacent to the stadium you will see the First USA Riverfront Arts Center. This year the Center will become temporary home to extensive collections of the Delaware Art Museum, as the museum builds a new wing and completely renovates its present facilities. The second of four sections of the Ship Yard Shops has been completed and a number of new and exciting stores are planning to join this regional Mecca for value-minded shoppers.

AMTRAK TRAINING CENTER / WEST & COACH YARDS         MILEPOST 28.20         MAP LOCATION 6
Just beyond the Stadium, and on the same side of the train, is Amtrak's Training Center. Recently hired and seasoned Amtrak employees go through this facility to learn of new levels and types of service continuing to come on line throughout the Amtrak system. There are four locomotive simulators in this center, including the only high- peed, full-motion unit in the Western Hemisphere. Expansion plans include a site for Maintenance of Way and Catenary training. Next we see Amtrak's West & Coach Yards, once a layover for the Pennsylvania Railroad's electric multiple unit (MU) car fleet that served local commuters between Baltimore and Philadelphia. Today, Amtrak uses these yards to store maintenance-of-way trains and equipment. You will often see special rail cars loaded with locally manufactured concrete ties and bridge sections being readied for use on the Northeast Corridor. In return, stacks of standard wood ties are stored at this location prior to being distributed  for reuse in yards and other rail facilities.

RUSSELL W. PETERSON URBAN WILDLIFE REFUGE         MILEPOST 28.50         MAP LOCATION 7
The large compressed natural gas storage tank featuring a mural of wetland birds and grasses is at the edge of what has been designated the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge. This 238-acre freshwater marsh on the Christina River was once known as Wilmington Marsh and more, recently, Dravo Marsh. The area is now named for former Governor Peterson, who is one of the nation's foremost environmentalists and the man responsible for Delaware's landmark Coastal Zoning Law. When the environmental restoration project is complete, the Wildlife Refuge will be opened to the public. The refuge will feature raised walkways, accessible waterways, an informational center and viewing platforms.

NEW CASTLE INDUSTRIAL         MILEPOST 29.40         MAP LOCATION 7
Just south of the yard, looking beneath I-95 toward the Christina River, you can see evidence of the New Castle Industrial Track. This was the location of the landmark "A" bridge, named for the shape of its structure. The Delaware Department of Transportation owns the New Castle Industrial right of way which stretches from the river to a point on Norfolk Southern Railway's line in the City of New Castle. This right of way is being studied as a possible transit corridor.

RAGAN INTERLOCKING         MILEPOST 29.70 MAP         LOCATION 7
Seen to the east of the train, RAGAN Interlocking connects Norfolk Southern's former Shellpot Secondary Track, renamed the New Castle Secondary, to the Northeast Corridor. The Shellpot Secondary Track provides direct access for freight trains from the south and west into the Port of Wilmington. The Christina River Movable Bridge that connects this line to Edgemoor Yards has been out of service for nearly eight years. A unique "pay-by-toll" agreement between Norfolk Southern Corporation and the State of Delaware will allow for the rebuilding of this important bridge link using public funds. One of New Castle County's largest parks, Banning Park, can be seen to the west side of the train as we pass RAGAN.

NEWPORT         MILEPOST 30.60         MAP LOCATION 8
Founded in 1873, the Town of Newport is one of the sites being considered for future commuter rail service. Newport's industry grew along the Pennsylvania Railroad's right-of-way and the parallel banks of the Christina River, which is still navigable this far inland. Ciba Specialty Chemicals and E. I. DuPont de Nemours are among the community's largest employers. Ciba Specialty has made a $180 million investment in its Newport facility where it manufactures red (quinacridone) pigments used in dyes, inks, plastics and paints. When you see any Dodge car or truck in red, that paint started here. The former General Motors Wilmington Facility located to the west of Newport is now the nation's second Saturn Plant. Making a $1.2 billion investment, the GM spin-off corporation is building their new mid-size LS (Larger Sedan) and LW (Larger Wagon) at this plant. Just beyond the river you can catch a glimpse of a large environmental control project designed to seal and cap the settling ponds that once served local industry.

CHURCHMANS CROSSING         MILEPOST 34.20         MAP LOCATION 9
The fast-growing area surrounding Delaware Park and Christiana Mall was formerly known as Metroform. The name was changed as a result of community action. Now called Churchmans Crossing, it is the location of many large office and retail complexes. The first stage of the new Fairplay Station at Churchmans Crossing was dedicated in July, 2000. The new intermodal transit hub (rail/bus/shuttle/car/bike/pedestrian) will be home to at least one office building and a multi-level parking garage. Fairplay Station is designed to serve nearby residential communities as well as Delaware Technical & Community College, Christiana Mall, Christiana Care (formerly the Delaware Medical Center/Christiana Hospital), MBNA, Morgan Christiana Center, Delaware Park (Thoroughbred Horse Races and Electronic Slots), and many other businesses and services. In addition this station may well become Delaware's strongest reverse commute site in light of the properties it serves. The name Fairplay comes from the former property owners, the Fairplay Foundation, who adopted the name of a famous racehorse from one of their stables.

DAVIS INTERLOCKING         MILEPOST 38.40         MAP LOCATION 10
As we approach Newark, railfans may notice a partial interlocking just north of DAVIS. RUTHBY Interlocking allows us to access an extended "A" Track that DelDOT had built in order to provide for easier train movements during rush hour commuter service. Located just north of Newark, DAVIS Interlocking allows trains to switch tracks (crossover) and provides access to Norfolk Southern's Delmarva Secondary. We will approach Newark on "A" Track on the east side of the Corridor in order to do station work. While at Newark, the engineer will change ends so that our train can move onto Norfolk Southern's Delmarva Secondary. On the opposite side of the train at DAVIS is the former Pennsylvania Railroad Pomeroy Branch. This right of way extends into and through the City of Newark toward the University of Delaware's Laird Campus and Carpenter State Park. The Pomeroy Branch is being considered for its potential as a future transportation corridor. Both the interlocking tower and station building at Newark are named for Amos C. Davis. Mr. Davis was a master mechanic at the Pennsylvania Railroad Shops in Altoona, Pennsylvania before being assigned to the Wilmington Shops and moving to Newark in 1920. Having the interlocking and station named after Mr. Davis is notable because railroad structures or facilities are usually named in honor of high-level railroad executives or the community or landmark near which they stand. The Davis family is still very much a part of Newark, as Amos Davis' great-grandson, Curt, is an officer with the Newark Police Department.

NEWARK STATION / DAIMLERCHRYSLER         MILEPOST 38.90         MAP LOCATION 10
Named New Worke by the original Quaker settlers about 1688, the current name, Newark, comes from the first Friends Meeting House, which was known as the New Ark. The City of Newark was first established in 1758 when King George II allowed for weekly markets and semi-annual fairs to be held at the town square which was located at a crossroad ten miles west of New Castle.Newark, a city of more than 27,000 people, is home to the University of Delaware. The University's total enrollment is over 18,000 with more than 3,000 additional continuing education students. U of D has one of the highest percentages of out-of-state students among all state-chartered universities. SEPTA service was returned to Newark in 1998 after an absence of 16 years. The Chrysler Plant adjacent to the station was built in 1951 to make military tanks, which were then terrain tested on the open property west of the facility. In 1956, the plant was converted to the manufacture of automobiles with the first car rolling off the line on April 30, 1957. Today it is the DaimlerChrysler Newark Facility. This plant introduced and continues to build the very popular Dodge Durango sport/utility vehicle. In June 2000, the 500,000th Durango came off the assembly line here in Newark.

NORFOLK SOUTHERN'S DELMARVA SECONDARY TRACK         MILEPOST 00.00 - 128.20
The Delmarva Secondary begins at Milepost 00.00 at Newark and extends to Milepost 06.30 at Porter. The milepost below Porter changes to 14.40 which is a continuation of the New Castle Secondary Track milepost markers. The Norfolk Southern (NS) section of the secondary continues south to Pocomoke City, Maryland at Milepost 128.20. From that point south to Cape Charles, Virginia the secondary is owned by the State of Virginia and is operated by the Eastern Shore Railway. With the exception of the car float operation in Cape Charles, the Delmarva Secondary Track is the only rail connection from south of the Chesapeake & Delaware (C&D) Canal to rail destinations throughout North America. The major commodities carried on NS trains on the Delmarva Secondary Track include coal, chemicals, cars, grain and other food products. The Delmarva Secondary to the State Line at Delmar is part of the original line constructed between 1853 and 1860 as the Delaware Railroad. This 84 mile section was originally built for $1.5 million.

COOCHES BRIDGE / OLD BALTIMORE PIKE         MILEPOST 02.70         LOCATION 10
Leaving Newark, we will pass through part of the University of Delaware's Agricultural Studies Facility. Soon after we pass under I-95 we will cross Olde Baltimore Pike, just a few hundred feet north of Cooches Bridge. In the distance to your right you should be able to see Iron Hill. It's what we in Delaware call a mountain. Iron Hill was called 'Marettico' by Native Americans, a word meaning hill of hard stone. In the early 1700s mining and processing of iron ore began at Iron Hill. By the beginning of the  next century the smelting process had been moved to larger furnaces built in nearby Maryland. Ore continued to be mined at this location through 1891. It was from Iron Hill that Generals Washington, Green and Lafayette watched British troop movements as they approached from Elkton on August 27, 1777. On September 3rd, the only full revolutionary battle to take place on Delaware soil was fought at Cooches Bridge. This engagement marked the first time that the nation's new flag, the "Stars & Stripes," was carried into battle. The area around Cooches Bridge also served as an encampment during the War of 1812.

NEW CASTLE COUNTY'S FASTEST GROWING AREA
It is estimated that Delaware's population will increase by as much as 178,000 (24%) by the year 2020. Keep in mind that our state's current population is approximately 750,000. Many new residents will join a growing number of established Delawareans seeking new homes and many of those new homes will be built in the area between Bear/Glasgow and Summit/Middletown, spanning the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. It is easy to spot the crop of new construction springing up from fertile farm fields and open lands as our train moves through this area. The stress on area roadways can be mitigated by developing alternative transportation modes, including expanded use of rail lines. This steel highway is a much more efficient way to move people and goods and could help direct future construction into transit-oriented villages instead of the scattered site development we see taking place today. The result of recent public workshops held throughout the area shows growing support for the implementation of  passenger rail service, perhaps as far south as Middletown.

BEAR / GLASGOW         MILEPOST 03.20 - 06.00         MAP LOCATION 11
Bear derived its name from a Colonial-era tavern that stood near the crossroads of what today is Routes 40 and 7. The name Glasgow is attributed to the Scottish ancestry of early settlers. The area is home to a number of high-tech service businesses including AstroPower which provides solar electric and heating elements to customers throughout the nation and the world.

PORTER         MILEPOST 06.30         MAP LOCATION 12
On the north side of the train is Amtrak's Bear Complex which rebuilds and retrofits passenger cars and maintains and repairs maintenance-of-way equipment. Presently Amtrak's fleet of NortheastDirect equipment is being rebuilt here . The new look will closely resemble the high-speed Acela EX trainsets. In addition, concrete ties, used along the Northeast Corridor between Washington and Boston, are manufactured by the neighboring Rocla Concrete Tie, Inc. We are traveling almost due east, but soon will turn due south. This is Porter Junction. To the north you will see the New Castle Secondary Track. Since the movable bridge over the Christina River is out of service, the New Castle Secondary begins at Ragan via the former Shellpot Secondary and runs south to Porter (Milepost 14.40). To accommodate the distance change the  milepost at Porter temporarily reads 14.40/16.80. Most of the line from the City of New Castle at Tasker to just north of Porter follows the original right of way of the New Castle-Frenchtown Railroad, one of America's earliest railways. This line serves many customers including the Port of Wilmington. Also to the north and east side of the train, as we negotiate the curve, is the Reybold Industrial Line which begins at Porter and extends 4 miles due east toward Delaware City. This line serves a number of  manufacturing and processing facilities of the petroleum, plastics, and chemical industry including a major oil refinery. The line was named for Major Phillip Reybold whose family made the growing and distribution of peaches the mainstay of the region in the mid-eighteen hundreds. Delaware was once known as the Peach State, a title now held by the State of Georgia.

KIRKWOOD / CANAL MOVABLE (LIFT) BRIDGE         MILEPOST 18.30         MAP LOCATION 13
On the west side of the train, just south of the town of Kirkwood, is Summit North Marina, located in the remaining portion of the old Chesapeake & Delaware (C&D) Canal route which was realigned in 1966. Just beyond the marina is Lums Pond State Park. While the old canal alignment was still in use, the current bridge was built on dry land. When the span was completed, the new canal alignment was dug between the upright towers. This bridge was opened to traffic in 1966. The C & D Canal opened for  business in 1829 with 3 locks to cross from the Chesapeake Bay to the Delaware River. In 1919, the canal was purchased by the U.S. Government, and between 1921 and 1927, the canal was dug to sea level. In 1966, the canal was widened and realigned and currently handles barge, ship and pleasure traffic. This route eliminates 300 miles or 1 to 1-1/2 days sailing time between Philadelphia or Wilmington and Baltimore.

SUMMIT VILLAGE         MILEPOST 20.00         MAP LOCATION 14
On the both sides of the train you will see many new homes and shopping centers, typical of the bedroom communities under construction in what was once all rural farm land.

MT. PLEASANT         MILEPOST 20.60         MAP LOCATION 14
To the west are the large grain elevators of "Townsend Bros. Co." which was started in 1913 by the "Crothers" family as a machine and coal company. Today Townsend operates as a grain drying and storage facility. All grain produced on the Delmarva Peninsula is used on Delmarva, mainly by the poultry industry. Additional supplies of grain must be brought into the area by rail.

ARMSTRONG         MILEPOST 22.60         MAP LOCATION 14
On the west side of the train are the remains of a cannery, operated by the Koal family, which processed sweet corn.

FROG BLOCK LIMIT         MILEPOST 24.00         MAP LOCATION 15
No one knows for sure how the area got its name, but local historians tell us that the area around "FROG" was infested with the amphibians. At night, the familiar croaking sound of frogs could be heard for great distances. The wetlands of Delaware are home to more than 17 different species of frogs and toads, a greater variety than is found in Florida's Everglades.

MIDDLETOWN         MILEPOST 24.80         LOCATION 15
Middletown became a center of commercial activity around 1750 as a crossroads town located midway between the Bohemia River on the Chesapeake Bay and Appoquinimink Creek on the Delaware River. The town prospered as a farming community and in 1855 the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore Railroad built a depot here. This brought additional growth to the area. Middletown was a center for the peach growing industry. As early as 1850 up to 35 railcars of fresh peaches were shipped out of Middletown daily to markets throughout the northeast. Local sources describe most area orchards as consisting of between 10,000 and 19,000 trees. A blight, known as "peach yellows" devastated the orchards in the 1890s. The industry never fully recovered. In more recent history, St. Andrews Academy just south of Middletown, served as the location for the movie "Dead Poets Society," starring Robin Williams.

TOWNSEND         MILEPOST 29.90         MAP LOCATION 16
On the west side of the train is the junction with the Maryland and Delaware Railroad's Centerville and Chestertown Line owned by the Maryland Department of Transportation. Grain elevators of Peavy Co., a division of ConAgra Corp., can also be seen. Wheat, barley, and soybeans are stored in these facilities. The station at Townsend was built on land owned by Samuel T. Townsend and named for him by the Delaware Railroad. The recent annexation of the 135-acre Robinson Farm has doubled Townsend's size.

BLACKBIRD FOREST         MILEPOST 32.25         MAP LOCATION 17
Blackbird State Forest is comprised of five tracts and more than 1,700 acres. We will pass along the edge of the oldest and largest of these parcels, Tybouts' Tract, purchased in 1941. The State of Delaware has an aggressive program designed to add woodlands, wetlands and open spaces to the inventory of public lands.

CLAY BLOCK LIMIT         MILEPOST 35.00         MAP LOCATION 18
Midway between Harrington and Newark, CLAY Block Limit is in the town of Clayton. Entering Clayton, evidence can still be seen on the east of the train of the 1.5 mile long Smyrna Branch which parallels State Route 6 between Clayton and Smyrna. This line was built in 1866 and abandoned in 1980. The right of way is now owned by the State of Delaware. The brick building to the east is the Clayton station built in 1884. On the opposite side of the tracks is the one story building which had been the control  tower. Just beyond the station on the right is another right of way owned by the State of Maryland and, until recently, operated by the Chesapeake Railroad. The right of way runs between Clayton, Delaware and Easton, Maryland. Clayton is named for John M. Clayton. Mr. Clayton was an ardent supporter of the railroad. He had also been a State Senator, and U.S. Secretary of State.

DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY         MILEPOST 47.50         MAP LOCATION 19
North of Dover and just out of your field of vision to the east side of the train is the main campus of Delaware State University. Founded in 1891 as the Delaware College for Colored Students, this historically black institution became Delaware State College in 1947 and Delaware State University in 1993. The growing number of state-of-the-art structures on this 400 acre campus provide a center of higher education for students from all over the United States, as well as Africa, South America, Asia, and the  Middle East. Among the newer facilities is the 90,000 square foot School of Business and Economics which includes 17 classrooms, 2 computer labs and a 340-seat lecture hall. As we cross College Road we will be just about one mile west of Dover Downs, home of two major NASCAR events each year.

DOVER STATION         MILEPOST 47.70         MAP LOCATION 20
Delaware's historic State Capital was first built around a green laid out in 1722 in accordance with William Penn's orders. The state house, built in 1792, still stands as a symbol of the capital. Dover's train station, at the head of Loockerman Street, was built in 1860 by the Delaware Railroad and had, until recently, served as the home of J.P. Courts No. 7 and No. 16. The building has undergone extensive renovation completed in November, 2001. The building houses the state offices of Adult Education,  Improvements & Assistance; Advisory Council on Career & Vocational Education; Business Industry Alliance; and the Governor's Advisory Council for Exceptional Citizens. The station building has been named in honor of George V. Massey, an attorney for the Pennsylvania Railroad in the early years of the last century. Mr. Massey was a prominent resident of Dover. The image of the station's facade is used on direction signs throughout Dover and has become a logo of the local Main Street USA efforts. Dover is Delaware's largest city in area. Dover is also the home of Dover Air Force Base, which is why the unofficial state  bird is said to be the C-5. Dover is also home to ILC which manufactures spacesuits for NASA and developed the touchdown cocoon for the Mars Lander which visited the red planet on July 4, 1998. Today Delaware's Capital City is probably best know for being home to Dover Downs Raceway. The Monster Mile hosts two major NASCAR series races each year.

JELLO YARD         MILEPOST 48.50         MAP LOCATION 20
As we continue south we will pass through Jello Yard, which serves the former General Foods Plant, now Kraft. Rail cars loaded with raw material arrive from all over North America. These materials are used in the manufacture of a variety of food products, including Jello.

WYOMING         MILEPOST 50.98         MAP LOCATION 21
The Town of Wyoming was so named to honor the Reverend J. J. Pierce, who moved here from the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania. Two annual public events for which the town is best known are the Great Wyoming Stampede and the Wyoming Peach Festival. The 2001 Great Wyoming Stampede will begin at 8:00 a.m on the same morning as our train arrives in town. The Stampede usually draws a crowd of over 700 people and features a 5K and 10K Race and a One-Mile Fun Walk. The Stampede is  held to benefit the Fred Pfeifer Memorial Education Fund. The Wyoming Peach Festival is held in the area around the train station in early August. In addition to celebrating the area's peach harvest, the festival always features many exhibits and activities specifically for children. The present Wyoming Train Station is the second to stand at this site. The first, a wood frame structure, was built in 1856. The brick station we see today was built in 1890 for that division of growing Pennsylvania known as the Delaware Road. Regular passenger rail service to Wyoming ended over 30 years ago. Since then the station has housed many services including a laundry. In 1989 the First State Model Railroad Club proposed renovating the somewhat dilapidated building in exchange for making it a center for their meetings and model train display. In 1990 a lease was signed with the town and 40 to 50 volunteers from the model railroad club and the community began renovating the station. By 1996 the building was ready for occupancy. In January 2000, the Wyoming Police Department and Town Hall made the station their home. Even today the station remains a focal point of activity for the town. In addition to this being the first year that the RAIL to the FAIR train has stopped at Wyoming, the town is the station stop for Amtrak's June and September Monster Mile Express for the Dover International Speedway NASCAR Race.

HARRINGTON         MILEPOST 64.40         MAP LOCATION 22
Harrington was named for Samuel M. Harrington, president of the Delaware Railroad. The former station building to the left or east side of the train now serves as Norfolk    Southern's Harrington offices. The tower to the west side of the train is the home of the Harrington Railroad Museum and features a handsome Pennsylvania Railroad    (PRR) caboose adjacent to the tower building. The yard and rail infrastructure in and around Harrington serve as a major hub for freight traffic moving throughout the    Delmarva Peninsula. As we approach the Fairgrounds you will notice the "wye" to the east of our train. This "wye" shaped track configuration provides the connection to Norfolk Southern's Indian River Secondary from both north and south and allows for freight trains to be turned. At 85-feet in length, modern passenger coaches are a tight fit for the radius of the south arm of the "wye." We will continue our trip on to Frankford along the Indian River Secondary after our initial stop at the Fairgrounds.

DELAWARE STATE FAIR / FAIRGROUNDS         MILEPOST 64.98         MAP LOCATION 22
Starting in 1919 as the Kent and Sussex Fair, the name was changed to the Delaware State Fair in 1962 to reflect its statewide appeal. The Fairgrounds cover 254 acres. This is the third year that the Delaware State Fair features the Wade Shows Carnival Midway. The midway now operates on a fully-paved area. For decades tens of thousands of people from far and wide have visited the fairgrounds during the ten days of this annual event. This year marks the 83rd anniversary of the Fair at Harrington.

NORFOLK SOUTHERN'S INDIAN RIVER TRACK         MILEPOST 00.00 TO 39.00
Starting as the Indian River Running Track at Milepost 00.00 in Harrington, the Indian River Secondary Track begins at Milepost 01.30 at Block Limit Sign "RING" and continues to Milepost 39.00 in Frankford, Delaware. Most freight rail traffic on this line consists grain cars and coal trains. The grain is used by Delmarva's chicken growers and the coal is destined for the Conectiv Power Plant at Indian River just south of Millsboro. Much of the grain is interchanged with the state-owned freight lines operated by the Delaware Coast Line.

MILFORD         MILEPOST 08.30         MAP LOCATION 23
The Rev. Sydenham Thorne and landowner Joseph Oliver are credited with being the co-founders of Milford. Established in 1787 Milford is one of Delaware's most charming communities. Several of the city's well-maintained Victorian homes have become Bed & Breakfast Inns. The tradition of hospitality goes back to Milford's roots as it was home to John M. Clayton, Secretary of State under President Zachary Taylor. Like many Delaware communities Milford was once home to a large shipbuilding industry.  Silver Lake is on our right as we pass through the city. It is said that Milford is the city too big for one county as it straddles the Kent-Sussex County Line.

SUSSEX COUNTY LINE         MILEPOST 70.30         MAP LOCATION 23
Sussex is the largest of Delaware's three counties in land area. In fact, Sussex has the second largest land area of any US county east of the Mississippi River. The first town of the First State, Lewes, is located near the point where the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean meet in eastern Sussex. Sussex County is the state's fastest growing county with a population of just over 143,000 people. However, there is reported to be more than 5,000 live chickens at any one time for every person in the County. That's roughly 715,000,000 chickens. You can help even up the odds the next time you go grocery shopping or to restaurant for dinner. Despite what might be seen as the negative images of poultry growers as presented in last year's 'claymation' hit movie, Chicken Run, Sussex Country contributes to the state's economic well being by producing about twice as many broilers as any other county in the nation. Cullman County, Alabama is number two. On July 9th of this year Perdue AgriRecycle Corporation opened the peninsula's first and the nation's largest poultry litter processing plant just south of Seaford. The plant makes bacteria-free fertilizer pellets out of the waste from the regions many chicken growing houses. The first shipment of pellets went to farmers in Iowa. The new plant should not run low on raw material as the Delmarva chicken industry produces over 800,000 tons of poultry litter a year. Considering that much of the grain fed to Delmarva's chickens comes into the area by train, it seems only fair that fertilizer pellets from this new plant will be shipped out by rail. Notable Sussex County events include the region's largest hot-air balloon festival, held annually near Milton and the 17th annual Punkin'-Chukin' which will be held near Millsboro in November. In addition to great people and tasty chickens, Sussex County can also boast of having more than 24 miles of ocean beach. Sussex County tourism brings over $300 million of business into the First State each year.

ELLENDALE         MILEPOST 15.70         MAP LOCATION 24
To the left of the train is one of two interchange points between Norfolk Southern and active state-owned rail lines. The 6.8 mile long Milton Industrial Track runs from Ellendale to Milton. The line is operated by the Delaware Coast Line, under contract to the state. The Milton Industrial Track was built in 1898 by the original Queen Annes Railroad and was part of line that ran from Denton, Maryland to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The Town of Ellendale is surrounded by several tracts of the Ellendale State Forest, the largest of which we pass on the train's right just south of town.

REDDEN STATE FOREST         MILEPOST 20.60         MAP LOCATION 25
The largest of three tracts of the Ellendale State Forest is to the left of the train as we travel between Ellendale and Georgetown. Once the site of a retreat for executives of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Redden State Forest is a prime example of Delaware's continuing efforts to protect the future of its trees. According to a News Journal article of April 20, 2000 about one-third of our state, or 375,000 acres, is covered with trees. Forestry is the fifth largest manufacturing industry in the First State. A new  education center opened at the Redden State Forest this year. Housed in the stables and carriage house built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1903, the education center will introduce visitors to the 31 different species of tree indigenous to Delaware and their importance to our environmental and economical stability.

GEORGETOWN / COURT BLOCK LIMIT         MILEPOST 23.90         MAP LOCATION 26
"COURT" derives its name from our proximity to the Courthouse on the Circle in Georgetown, the Sussex County Seat.  Just to the left of the train as we enter Georgetown is an old engine house that has been converted into apartments. To the right of the trains the Georgetown Station building. This classic brick station had been hidden beneath a stone veneer. We can now see the result of local renovation efforts to bring the station closer to its original facade. In recent years the building has served a number of purposes including a health club, tanning salon, real estate office and the local chamber of commerce offices. Georgetown is the site of "Returns Day," an event scheduled for the first Thursday after all general elections. Candidates from all over the state gather in Georgetown and are driven through the streets in horse-drawn carriages. Both winners and losers for each office ride in the same carriage as the crowds cheer them for fighting the good fight. A traditional "Bury the Hatchet" ceremony is held at the Courthouse. Afterwards everyone gathers for a public cookout featuring local foods. Returns Day is seen as one of the many reasons Delaware politics remains so civil in light of the bitter campaign ads seen from other areas of the country. Located just south of "COURT" on the left side of the train is the second of the two interchange points between Norfolk Southern and an active state-owned rail line, the Lewes Running Track. This line is also operated by the Delaware Coast Line under contract to the state. The major customers on this line receive feed grains and chemicals. The Junction & Breakwater Railroad built the Lewes Running Track in1868 as part of its line from Clarks Corner, a junction near Harrington, to the Breakwater near the present Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal. A branch of this line was extended to Rehoboth Beach in 1878. The Rehoboth Branch was abandoned by the Penn-Central Railroad in 1972. The right-of-way for the Rehoboth Branch remains nearly intact today. Much of it is located on land purchased by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) to accommodate the expansion of Cape Henlopen Park.

MILLSBORO         MILEPOST 32.59         MAP LOCATION 27
The Millsboro Train Station building is located to the left of the train. Since passenger service was abandoned, the station building has served many functions including that of a beauty salon named Hair Station. OmniBank, a national credit card operation is one of Millsboro largest employers. Millsboro is home to Vlasic Foods International's Pickle Plant. The newest pickle product to come out of Millsboro is the Hamburger Stacker, a slice of pickle large enough to cover the entire hamburger. Made from cucumbers that average 3.5" in diameter and 12 to 16 inches in length, Vlasic's Hamburger Stackers have become very popular with consumers. Vlasic is the number 1 seller of pickles in the United States capturing over 32% of the market. Vlasic Pickles are shipped throughout the U. S. and around the world from Millsboro. The Millsboro Plant employees 260 people year-round with an additional 300 to 400 joining the staff from April to November.

PUNKIN' CHUNCKIN'         MAP LOCATION 27
In addition to growing super-size cucumbers; hurling pumpkins through the air is another food-related activity that has attracted attention to the Millsboro area. What began as a friendly competition between farmers proved a fun way to rid the fields of unwanted pumpkins after Halloween. The activity has become an annual event attracting participants and fans from throughout the United States and around the world. The 17th annual World Champion Punkin' Chunk will be held on a farm just to the northeast of Millsboro in November. More than 25,000 people attend the two-day event and watch as teams using a variety of homemade machines and contraptions sent pumpkins streaking through the air. It is not unusual to see pumpkins hurled in excess of 4,000 feet. In recent years Punkin' Chunk has been featured on CNN, the Late Show with David Letterman and NBC's Today Show. The rule of survival in Sussex County in November is if someone yells "PUNKIN," seek cover.

INDIAN RIVER WYE         MILEPOST 32.59'         MAP LOCATION 28
Located just south of Millsboro is Conectiv's (formerly Delmarva Power) Indian River Power Plant. Norfolk Southern delivers unit coal trains to this plant for the generation of electricity. A unit train is set up to deliver one product, such as coal, to one location. To increase efficiency the train is usually kept intact. To allow for the trains to be turned as a unit there is a track configuration known as a "wye" at this site. You'll be able to see the upper arms of the wye to the left of the train as we pass by.

FRANKFORD         MILEPOST 38.80         MAP LOCATION 29
Just after passing through Dagsboro we will reach the northern edge of the Town of Frankford. This is where the southbound leg of our trip comes to an end. Norfolk Southern's Indian River Secondary terminates in Frankford at Milepost 39.00. South of this point the track is owned by the Snow Hill Shippers Association and is operated by the Maryland & Delaware Railroad. The movie Runaway Bride, starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, was filmed just south of here in and around Berlin, Maryland.  Early in the film you will see a freight train passing through town. That was a Maryland & Delaware train heading north to this point. The train station, which once stood to the left of this line north of Frankford Avenue, has been demolished. Originally part of a plantation known as Forest Flower, the Town of Frankford has blossomed into a vital community of approximately 1,000 people. Frankford is at the crossroads of agriculture, industry and tourism in southern Sussex County. At this point we are just over 4 miles north of the Maryland State Line and less than 10 miles west of the Atlantic Ocean at Bethany Beach.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
In addition to the Delaware Transit Corporation, information resources for "Points of Interest" include the Wilmington Chapter National Railway Historical Society, the Delmarva Rail Passenger Association, the Philadelphia Chapter Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society, and a number of railfans, interested businesses and associates.
Thank you
TO CONTACT OPERATION LIFESAVER DELAWARE
CALL (302) 577-DART or 739-DART, ext. 3413
FOR THE OPERATION LIFESAVER COORDINATOR IN YOUR STATE CALL 1-800-537-6224

CHAPTER EVENTS  

Thursday Sept. 19, 2002 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by David Haring "Report from RailCamp¨ 2002"

Thursday Oct. 18, 2002 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Frank Ferguson "Cuban Adventure - Part 2"

Thursday Nov. 21, 2002 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Phil Snyder "Cross Country Adventure - Part 1"

Sunday Dec. 8?, 2002 5 PM Holiday Dinner program by Steve Barry Instead of normal monthly meeting.

The Wilmington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) meets at 7:00 PM on the third Thursday of each month [except August & December] in the Darley Room at the Claymont Community Center on Green Street in Claymont, Delaware.      Visitors are always welcome. Admission to regular meetings is free. Check out our Website, thanks to Russ Fox at:   http://www.WilmingtonNRHS.com

The Transfer Table
   The Transfer Table is published six to ten times per year as the newsletter of the Wilmington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.  Items in this publication do not represent the official position of either Officers or Members of the Wilmington Chapter or the Editor of this publication.

    Permission to reprint articles and news items appearing herein is granted to NRHS Chapters and other newsletters provided appropriate credit is given.   Contributions are always welcome and should be sent to the editor at SD40GMA@aol.com or send to: P.O. Box 1136, Hockessin, DE 19707-5136. Deadline for entries is the 25th of the month.

    Chapter Officers
    President   Phil Snyder
    Vice President & Historian  Ron Cleaves
    Treasurer   Ralph Stevens, Jr.
    Secretary   Dan Frederick
    National Director   Tom Posatko
    Editor  Greg Ajamian
    Public Relations    Frank Ferguson, Jr.
    Event Photographer  Bruce Barry

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