Although I have never done business with the Con-Cor company, I received their preferred customer's catalog in the mail. One item in particular caught my eye. Entitled An old classic returns they describe a kit of a burning house and a Þre truck. The byline reads Þre trucks roar from the station with bells clanging, lights ßashing, and sirens blaring. Plumes of smoke and ßames billow into the sky. Press a button and the house appears to burst into ßames, while real smoke bellows from the charred roof. The Þreman sprays real water to extinguish the simulated ßames! Kit is complete with motor, pumps, lights, smoke generator, and a tube of smoke oil. All you need to do is hook it up and add water.
Knowing that many of you will consider this a must have item, I will bring the catalog with me to the next Monday meeting.
The club made $68.85 on sales of $306.00 dollars total (club received $68.85 and the sellers received $237.15). Jack will ask the club at the next meeting if there is interest in repeating the auction next February. The most expensive item auctioned was for $20.00 and the least was for $1.00. Last year there were some high ticket items that sold for fairly high prices and so the take this year was not quite as much as last year. Please contact the auctioneer (David Lamberts) if you have ideas or suggestions on how to make the auction better.
By Nancy San Martin, The Dallas Morning News, Sunday, January 14, 2001, page 45A.
In addition to the dozen or so depots already remodeled or undergoing renovation, about two dozen are available for acquisition. There are about 64 stations across New Mexico. Most are used for freight service.
Lorenzo Pino of Belen, N.M. is among the romantics who would love to get his hands on one of the early depots. He worked for railroads until 1993, putting in less than a quarter of the time his father Cristobal Pino, dedicated to the industry.
Mr. Pino dreams of moving one of the old wood structures like those in Socorro, Hurley, Rincon, and Seamato three acres he owns near Belen, about 20 miles south of Albuquerque. He said he would reopen it as a bed and breakfast in honor of his father, who died eight years ago at age 87.
I'm a little bit of a train buff, said Mr. Pino, 50, who worked as a clerk for the Santa Fe from 1979 to 1993, I love the railroad. It's something that's been with me since I was a child.
Besides the sentimental value the project would fulÞll, there is another motive for pursuing such an endeavor. It's also a possibility to make money, said Mr. Pino, who works at the state library in Belen.
Nostalgia and the possibility of proÞts are behind many of the restoration efforts. Capital for the project around the state has come from a variety of sources, including federal and state development grants, municipal funds, and foundation and private contributions.
Mr. Baca of the state Historic Preservation Division, said tax breaks become available after federal legislation in 1991 and 1997 that were aimed at transportation enhancement projects, including the restoration of old depots.
Several efforts are being touted as success. A $2.8 million restoration in Gallup converted the 83-year-old Pueblo deco-style depot into a multi cultural center and transportation hub.
Artesia has spent $750,000 to convert its old depot into a visitor center
In Tucumcari, home of one of the largest terminals in the state, plans call for refurbishing the colorful depot into a museum at a cost of $350,000.
In Southern New Mexico, Las Cruces has spent $450,000 to purchase and renovate its mission-style depot, built in 1910. The station is said to have served as a whistle stop for Theodore Roosevelt when he considered a second bid for the presidency as a Bull Moose progressive. It will serve as a railroad history museum.
Renovation efforts are under way in Albuquerque, where a newly built transit center will resemble the old Alvardo Hotel, a famous railroad hotel. In Las Vegas, restoration plans succeeded in removing it from the list of the 10 most-endangered railroad stations in the United States compiled by the Great American Station Foundation, which moved its headquarters to this northern New Mexico town from Washington, D.C.
The nonproÞt organization is dedicated to issuing grants for the revitalization of train stations as a way to revitalize communities. (To be continued) - NEW MEXICO DEPOTS 3 NEW MEXICO DEPOTS
By Tony Hartzel, The Dallas Morning News, Wednesday, February 7, 2001, page 1A.
Amtrak passenger trains could soon be rolling through East Texas on a new route from Dallas to New York City, thanks to an agreement between the train service and the Kansas City Southern Railway.
The agreement is expected to be formally announced this week, Amtrak ofÞcials said Tuesday, No start date or ticket prices have been set for daily passenger service on the Crescent Star between Big D and the Big Applethe Þrst direct service from Dallas to New York in at least 40 years.
But Amtrak board member John Roberts said he expects a largely ceremonial inaugural in May for the route, a 38- to 40- hour trek on way.
Whether we can start daily service then, that's another consideration, said Mr. Smith who also serves as mayor of Meridian, Miss. The Crescent Star will join the main Crescent line in Meridian on its way from New Orleans to New York City. A coach fare on the New Orleans-to-New York $177 one way.
Before service can begin, however, Amtrak must obtain a loan from the Federal Railroad Administration to improve Kansas City Southern's track and add a new train dispatch and control center. The loan will be repaid from Crescent Star revenues.
The Kansas City Southern agreement will allow Amtrak to run the Crescent Star on the same track through Shreveport and onto Meridian, Miss. Not including possible Texas stops, trains are expected to pick up and drop off passengers in Shreveport, Ruston and Monroe, La., and in Jackson and Vicksburg, Miss. Once in Meridian, the train will hook up with the original Crescent train from New Orleans before proceeding to Atlanta, Washington, D.C. Philadelphia and New York City.
Passenger rail supporters tout trains as a possible way to ease the burden on the nation's increasing crowded airports.
The grace period is over this month. Members not paying dues by the March meeting will be dropped from the roster and taken off the newsletter list. Let's get those dues in. At $12.00, it remains a fantastic bargain. Family memberships are $18.00 per year.
submitted by Jeff Ford
Wanted to let you know that B&N Hobbies in Amarillo is hosting a small train show this weekend on March 2 and 3. A few guys will have modules set up and I understand that there will be several tables for vendors.
Those interested in speciÞcs can contact Richard Raff.
I received notiÞcation of the annual Lone Star Region N.M.R.A meeting in the mail. The meeting is from June 7 to June 10, 2001. The 2001 LSR Golden Anniversary Convention will include the entire Dallas, Fort Worth, Mid-Cities area. The convention hotel is the Harvey DFW. There are 30 clinics planned. Some of the presenters include Andy Sperandeo, Tony Koester, David Barrow, Keith Gutierrez, Gil Freitag, JimSenese, David Davis, and Ken Schlotfeld. The clinics start on Thursday, June 7 at 2:00 p.m. There are several prototype tours planned. Trinity Industries plant tour will feature a covered hopper car being build. There will be an opportunity to visit the BNSF headquarters and dispatch facility. Twenty-Þve layout tours are planned and several operating sessions. Also included are a silent auction, NMRA contests, movies and videos plus Sunday breakfast. The man in charge of registration is Stan Pirzchalski, 4832 Lakeside Drive, Colleyville, TX 76034-4532. Or, if you would like a registration sheet, let me know. I will make copies.
Lubbock Model Railroad Association
P.O. Box 53674
Lubbock, TX 79453
Staying on Track is published monthly by the LMRA - David Lamberts, editor.
Visit us on the Internet at www.railserve.com/lmra
E-mail me at DWL1944@cs.com
Our mailing address is PO Box 53674, Lubbock, TX 79453