The DispatcherVolume 52 Issue 2 Febuary 2017

Central Oklahoma Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society

Oklahoma Railway Museum, Ltd.

NARCOA Affiliate Member

Ramblin Rails By Eric Dilbeck

Georgia State Railroad MuseumThe fall Heritage Rail Alliance (formally Association of Tourist Railroad and Railroad Museums) conference was hosted at the Georgia State Railroad Museum (GSRM) in November of 2017. While attending the conference, I had the opportunity to explore the GSRM grounds and buildings, even some that the public could not see. GSRM is located on the abandoned grounds of the Central of Georgia Railroad Savannah repair shops. The original shop was constructed in 1855. It consisted of a turntable with a full roundhouse, machine, carpentry and blacksmith shops, and facilities to construct coaches. The repair shops were quite extensive during their use. Today several structures still exist while others, only the foundation and some walls are standing. Several buildings were destroyed by fire in 1923. The paint shop was one of those that was rebuilt on the original foundation. It is quite large and has two floors. The upper ground level has several tracks going into it and originally had a transfer table in front of it. Today GSRM uses it for storage of rolling stock not on display and for restoration projects. It is not open to the public, but the attendees of the conference had open access to it. Several of us took advantage of this and explored the basement of the building. The basement housed offices, an electrical department and a testing lab. I was very intrigued trying to puzzle out the purpose for each of the different rooms. One room was used as a vault, another room had remains of a machine that I could not figure out what it did--perhaps a wood molding machine? Today the basement is mostly empty as there is not an easy way to transport items in and out of it. The building has two large freight elevators that would have been used, but are not currently functional.

Continued on page 6 Click here for more photos

In This IssueRamblin Rails 1 President’s Message 2Museum Update 3ORM Needs You! 4Annual Meeting 5Education Update 7Board Update 8Around the Grounds 9Current Projects 11Timetable 12

The windows in the back of the roundhouse are covered with large murals of railroad workers.

Page 2 The Dispatcher

The President’s Column by Eric Dilbeck Oklahoma Railway Museum, Ltd.(405) 424-8222

Board of Directors Eric Dilbeck, President

Bob Nantois, Vice President and Program Chair

Drake Rice, Secretary

Charles Price, Treasurer

Greg Robertson, NRHS Director

Bob Cossairt, Director of

Museum Grounds & Facilities

Bob Hussey, Director of Track Maintenance

Terry Birchett, Director of

Mechanical Operations

Harry Currie, Director at Large Greg Hall, Director of

Museum Activities

Bob Cook, Director of Museum Displays

Ed Birch Jr., Train Show Chair

Anne Murray-Chilton, Membership Chair

Eric Dilbeck, Interim Dispatcher Editor

The stated mission of the Oklahoma Railway Museum is to provide the opportunity for people to

experience the excitement of rail transportation.

At our annual meeting on January 7, we reviewed our achievements for 2016. As I was compiling these, my list kept getting longer. It is amazing what you, our volunteers have accomplished in a year. Anne Chilton’s article on the meeting will dive more in depth on these. In addition to our many accomplishments, we have several volunteers

recognized for their contributions. Bob Nantois, Bill Wright, Craig Larsen, and Hank Asin were all awarded certificates of Master Car Host for their service as docents. Our docents are the face of our museum. They are the ones that can make or break a visitor’s experience at our museum. My goal as president for this upcoming year is to have a written 5-year strategic plan that will guide our museum. While this is my goal, it is also our goal and it will take all of us to achieve. The short-term goals that we created and adopted from our sessions with the Center for Non-Profits will help us meet this goal. These goals, which are on our strategic road-map, will guide us toward our greater goals and lay the foundation that we will need to build our 5-year strategic plan. We can already see progress on our road-map goals. For brevity, I have not included the goals below but you will find a copy of our road-map on page 8.Partner: This past year was our first loan of artifacts to another museum and we are currently working with the Oklahoma History Center for an upcoming exhibit. Develop: With the help of The Oklahoma Group, a membership and volunteer recruitment program has been started. Additional work to evaluate our staffing and marketing needs will continue soon.Plan Facility: We have continued to have planning meetings and have formed a committee for our expansion. Several members and I have visited other museums recently gaining ideas for our future expansion.Fundraising: The Oklahoma Group is working on a capital fundraising plan and donor recruitment and retention plan. Strengthen Board: Drake Rice and the by-law committee have been reviewing our by-laws for updating to ensure they will support our museum throughout our expansion phase. Our board attended a training session last fall and Charles Price, our treasurer, will be attending a session with the Center for non-profits in February that will help with finances and budgeting. Anne has been working on policies for the museum that will help us work towards Accreditation.As you can see above, we have made significant progress on these goals. Our February planning session will continue our forward movement so that we can achieve our short-term goals. 2017 is shaping up to be a great year. We worked hard this past year and I believe our long list of 2016 accomplishments are thanks to the groundwork of our planning sessions. Continuing with this momentum, I am excited about what we will be able to achieve this year.Eric Dilbeck

Page 3 The DispatcherMuseum Update By Drake Rice

Engraved Platform Bricks

Cost is $50.00 per brick. A maximum of 4 lines with 16 letters and spaces per line. More than one platform brick can be donated to the Museum and you can make copies of the form below. Mail completed forms with check or money order to:

Oklahoma Railway Museum3400 NE Grand Boulevard

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111

Call the museum with any questions. 405-424-8222

Purchaser’s Name ____________________________ Phone No. _______________

Line 1

Line 2

Line 3

Line 4

Oklahoma Railway Museum’s Murray Shop is the center of activity during the winter months. Once inside you can find volunteers working on all types of projects. On track 1 currently sits the MKT Inspection Car and the Rock Island Caboose. The Inspection Car is undergoing major restoration work. Currently, the windows are out for replacement, and exterior body work is under way with a lot of grinding and priming in preparation for a new paint job. Mechanically the car has checkout in good shape. The final finish work is under way on the Rock Island Caboose. Steve Kamm has continued leading the charge to complete this project which has been the largest major restoration project at the museum since the GN Chair Car several years ago. This project has had many members involved over the three years of restoration. The RI Caboose really looks great and has made a great display car in the yard that attracts many visitors. Steve is finishing the roof catwalk installation now, when finished it will be moved back out for display. Over on the number 2 track in the shop, Frisco 814, (an EMD F9) is in for some repair work in preparation for our upcoming operating season that begins in April. The 814 is the first in the shop, however it will be followed by the MKT 48 (an EMD SW-8). The 48 is the work horse of the museum fleet of engines and has a number of minor items to be checked out in preparation for the approaching operating season. Next will be the ATSF 2571(an EMD CF-7) which has a water leak issue and other adjustments that need to be addressed. It is expected that the 2571 will see some operating-time this season since the station track has been raised. This was to allow for proper clearance for the engine along the platform. The next several weeks will see the mechanical department very busy addressing repairs as the museum prepares for the annual operating season. As mentioned above, Bob Hussey and Company have replaced ties on Main Two, (Station Track) added ballast, straighten and raised the track so the 2571 can be used in the future without concern of contacting the platform. Track work is the life of a railroad and we are fortunate to have a person like Bob to ensure our trains run on good rail with no problems. Bob is continuing to address the drainage problems on the track south of 23rd Street. He will be installing additional tubes under the track soon. The contractor continues to work on the new parking lot installation and it should be finished soon. This first project will allow the development of our north property to continue as the museum begins to expand. With the donation of the Le Flore Depot, it is anticipated that the museum office will move to the depot which will allow a better entrance for welcoming visitors to the museum. It is hoped to have a new facility designed for the museum soon. Then when funds are available, to build it!There is a lot of work being done at your museum and as always, we need all members to help as we move forward. Annually the museum continues to have over 25,000 people on the grounds every year and as it is developed that number will increase. We hope to see you at Oklahoma Railway Museum. Drake Rice

Page 4 The DispatcherCrosstie

Donations Friends and families of ORM continue to make donations to the museum for crossties, equipment and facilities.

A donation of $50.00 will help ORM purchase a new crosstie. You may donate a crosstie in recognition or in memory of someone. Donations can be mailed to the museum at the address below or made online on our website, oklahomarailwaymuseum.org.

Notate “Crosstie” with your donation, and send to :

ORM Ltd. 3400 NE Grand Boulevard

Oklahoma City, 73111

Depot StoreThe Oklahoma Railway Museum has items available for both children and adults at the Depot Store. These include baseball caps, polo shirts, t–shirts, lapel pins, coasters, and now mugs. Profits from the sale of these items support the museum and its projects.

The Depot Store is located inside the Oakwood Depot on the museum grounds. It is open on run days (the first and third Saturdays April through August) from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The store is also open during special events.

We now have ORM coffee mugs! Stop by the gift

shop and get one.

ORM Needs YOU!We have some specific volunteer opportunities for you. All, but one, of these can be done at home from a personal computer.

Newsletter editor: If you have experience in writing, editing, and layout we can use your help with our monthly newsletters. Newsletter contributors: We are looking for contributors to the newsletter. Have an idea? Let us know.Data-entry: We have visitor logs and magazine inventory that need to be entered into a computer database. Are you organized and detail oriented? Then you would be a great help with this project. Give us a call.Social Media Marketing: Social media is an essential part of modern marketing but only if it is done consistently. Adding and updating content about our museum and events helps us keep in touch with our visitors and helps the museum’s visibility. Someone who is a good communicator and familiar with social media would be an amazing asset to our museum. If you can help, or know someone who would be great at this, please let us know. Website Editor: Content on our Word Press web-site needs to be reviewed and updated to ensure that it is current and relevant. Word Press is an easy to use on-line program. The site needs to be reviewed routinely but this should not be a time-consuming volunteer opportunity.Past Newsletter Formatting: The Oklahoma Library graciously scanned old newsletters (1992-2008) that we did not have in digital format. The images need to be cropped, named and sorted into folders. Can’t help but organize everything around you? This is a great project for you.Museum docents: Docents are a vital position that we need filled. They bring life to Oklahoma’s fascinating railroad history by giving guided tours, answering questions, and performing information service on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Available shifts are Thursdays 9:00-1:00 PM, 1:00 - 5:00 PM, or both shifts. Have knowledge you’d like to share with the public? Please come share your knowledge as a docent.Please contact Anne Chilton at 405-424-8222 or annem@oklahomarailwaymuseum.org to volunteer.

Ryan Fritz, Robert Hill, Lauren Hale, and Rose Medill from The Oklahoma Group toured our facility and rode the handcar.

Page 5 The Dispatcher2016 Annual Membership Meeting By Anne Chilton

President Eric Dilbeck welcomed the twenty-three attendees who braved the cold to attend the annual membership meeting, which was held January 7, 2017 at Furr’s Fresh Buffet in Moore. He presented a state of the museum address, which covered the achievements, and progress the museum has made in the last year. Our dedicated volunteers put in over 10,000 hours in 2016. Secretary Drake Rice led election procedures. The membership elected the following officers: Vice-President: Bob NantoisSecretary: Drake Rice Director of Track Maintenance: Bob HusseyDirector of Museum Displays: Bob Cook There was not a nominee submitted in writing for the NRHS Director position. According to the bylaws, the President will appoint the position that will require approval of the board of directors. The meeting concluded with awards. Anne Chilton recognized several members with certificates of appreciation for their service and contributions to the museum Recognition was given to Bill Wright, Hank Asin, Craig Larson and Bob Nantois for the extensive work they put in on projects and as museum docents. We closed our awards ceremony with a plaque in memory of Gary Githens for his years of dedicated service to ORM as “Chief Dispatcher”. President Dilbeck and I presented the plaque to Gary’s wife Linda and his sister Nancy Benham later in January. Below is a recap of our many achievements in 2016.Events Twenty sixteen was a great year for our fundraising events. Softball parking raised $42,271, which is $11,000 more than last year. The Christmas train was also up, $10,000 over last year, and bringing in $45,397. The Halloween train revenue almost doubled at $8,420. The 2016 Day Out with Thomas festival was the fifth best in the 12 years we have held the event.Completed Projects Many projects were completed this year including restorations of the Frisco fairgrounds caboose, the Rock Island Caboose, the birthday caboose, the AT&SF Steam engine #643, the Conoco Tank car, and the ShuttleWagon car mover is now in working order. Infrastructure projects Completed were the installation of the new fire hydrant, track drainage improvements, tie replacement and tree trimming south of 16th street. The new parking lot construction was started at the end of 2016.Ongoing projects

Work continues on the MK&T Inspection car thanks to a grant from the National Railroad Historic Society and the donated of use of a sandblaster by SunState rentals. Bob Cossairt, Tom Harrison, Charles Price and Harry Currie are working on yet another caboose re-siding the CB&Q caboose and Bill Wright and Larry Clemons are close to finishing an extensive restoration of our coffin cart.Continued on next page

Linda Githens and Nancy Benham accept Gary Githens’s plaque in his behalf.

Page 6 The DispatcherAcquisitions Twenty sixteen was an exceptional year for acquisitions at ORM. Robert Flaherty donated an SP Fairmont MT19-A motor car as well as signals and equipment used by the signal maintenance personnel. An anonymous member donated an all-terrain golf cart that will help us with many things like shuttling passenger during Day Out with Thomas. We acquired two surplus engines: US Army 4648, a Baldwin VO-1000 originally Frisco 201, and US Army 4649, an EMD SW-1200 originally Milwaukee Road 615. Repairs are currently in progress so they can be moved to the museum. Thanks to a lead from Steve Kamm, a Wilson car lines reefer 2209 was donated and delivered to the museum and placed near Owanda siding. The City of Altus donated a signal to replace damaged one on 36th street. The most exciting acquisition is the 1908 Frisco depot from Le Flore, OK. It was acquired through donation and will soon be moved to the museum and refurbished to become the temporary entrance building placed in front of the new parking lot. Programs establishedIn 2016, we instituted the Gary Githens Railroading Merit Badge program which has been a success with several Boy Scout troops completing the class. An educational committee was established with Steve Kamm as the chair with assistance from Brandon Fentem, Rooke Jackson, Larry Dodd and Cyndi Stumpf. They have created a traveling trunk for school outreach, several handouts, and lesson plans that have been presented at special events to promote our education programs.Museum activitiesOur first inter-museum loan of seven objects was to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum for the Hell on Wheels: Uniting a Nation by Rail exhibit. The Mountains Plains Museum Association selected ORM with assistance on an archiving activity. Their Helping Hands Project Registrar’s Committee inventoried over 3500 magazines for us.ORM joined the American Alliance of Museums to work on an accreditation project that will allow us to be sales tax exempt. We upgraded our museum catalog database software that will eventually allow us to have an online searchable collection.Strategic Planning ORM worked with the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits in a series of planning meetings to establish a road map of short-term goals that allow us to plan the museum’s expansion. These include developing various partnerships, facility planning, fundraising, staff and member development, and strengthening our board.What’s Ahead In 2017, ORM will collaborate with the Oklahoma History Center on educational programming for the Preston George exhibit.Planning meetings continue on February 18. In this meeting, we will discuss the master expansion plan, restructure membership and donation levels, and finalize our mission statement. Anne Chilton

L-R, Bill Wright, Bob Nantois, and Craig Larson

Page 7 The DispatcherRamblin Rails By Eric Dilbeck

Continued from page 1The site was powered by a central steam boiler and stationary engine. All of the buildings were aligned so that a drive shaft extended out from the boiler and engine room to all adjacent buildings. Belts and pulleys were placed so belts could power any equipment in the shop buildings. The site also has a tall smoke stack centrally located. This smoke stack served several purposes. Mainly it used the wind to draft the blacksmith shop and stationary boiler that ran the steam engine. It also had a large rainwater collection tank with a capacity of 40,000 gallons! Just below the water tank were privies and shower facilities for the workers. I was very interested in the roundhouse and turntable. The round house is two separate buildings; one part is used for displaying rolling stock and locomotives. The other part is the back shops or locomotive repair shop. What was interesting is that the roundhouse was constructed without any doors. The building is completely open to the turntable. With the temperate climate of Savannah, there was not a need to completely enclose the roundhouse.I learned a lot from my visit to GSRM. I have a lot of ideas that I have brought back to our own museum, including examples of signs and exhibits. GRSM has done a great job of preserving and restoring the Central of Georgia site. I highly recommend that you visit if you have the opportunity.

Eric Dilbeck

Click here for more photos

Education Committee update By Steve Kamm, Education Chair

With regard to education-related activities, January has been a busy month at the Oklahoma Railway Museum. As requested by President Eric Dilbeck, we’ve been developing a Signage Standards policy. The purpose of these standards is to promote readability, uniformity, professionalism, and adherence to applicable requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act. The policy will likely go to our Board for approval at their February meeting. Next, we are developing a Track Components Display which will show a short section of track with labels identifying all the component parts. This will be an outdoor display, possibly located next to the drive-in yard gate. In conjunction with the Track Components Display, we are creating a Track-Laying Tools Display with a dozen labeled implements which at one time were used in track construction and maintenance. This display will be located on a wall in the baggage room of the depot. We have also been working with folks at the Oklahoma History Center to help sponsor the release of a photographic essay book containing the work of famed railway photographer, Preston George. Also, an article has been prepared for publication which describes the history and refurbishment of our MKT Track Inspection Car No. 1045. A binder has been assembled which contains relevant documents and photos of this unique piece of railroad history. Finally, work on Lesson Plans has been slow. However, Cyndi Stumpf, a retired primary school teacher and wife of member Walter, has agreed to review our lessons. Already, Cyndi has provided a number of very useful suggestions. Ideas for future projects are always welcome!Steve Kamm

Page 8 The Dispatcher

Provide the opportunity for people to experience the excitement of rail transportation.

Purpose of the museum expansion is to raise visibility of our mission, facilty, and current equipment, in order to increase our visitor and volunteer experience, generate excitement that secures supporting resources, and ensure the museum’s future.

MISSION

ESTABLISHED GOALS

We use our mission statment to

Align decisions with our goalsShare our passion with the community

Invite others to join our journey as volunteers, members, and donors

BuildBuild an Oklahoma Railway Transportation Museum with renewed focus and strategy.

EducateProvide an exciting, educational experience about rail transportation including didactic exhibits and social impact.

PreserveProvide an experience of preservation and restoration.

OperateOperate a working railway system.

ConnectLink people to places, history, knowledge, and each other.

PromoteExpand tourism through partnerships and cross-promotion while gathering guest intelligence to create broader appeal and community awareness.

PLAN FACILITY ◘ Make a plan for physical Structure and

Prioritize Workspaces - Craig ◘ Visit other museums and learn from

interviews - Gary ◘ Form Expansion Committee - Steve & Chuck

PARTNER ◘ Intentional Outreach in the community - Eric & Anne

(Going to conventions, visiting other museums, Community Development , Strategy, Attend events , City of OKC, State/ODOT, identify local partners)

FUNDRAISE ◘ Create Capital Campaign - Gary & Chuck

◘ Research potential Donors - Bob Cook

DEVELOP Membership/Staff/Volunteers

◘ Marketing/Social Media Campaign - Anne & Chuck ◘ Growing Staff – Position Descriptions - Drake ◘ Grow Membership/Evaluate levels - Eric

STRENGTHEN BOARD ◘ Create a robust Budget for Organization/Financial

plan for expansion -Charles ◘ Review Bylaws with eye to board structure - Bob N ◘ Education of current board members - Eric

◘ Accreditation in AAM - Eric

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Board Update By Drake Rice

Actions from the January Board Meeting• Board discussed cost for moving Le Flore Depot and budget for installation at the museum.• Update on parking lot work.• Set planning meeting for February 18th at 9am at the museum.• Approved the credit card policy for the museum.• A Wilson Refrigeration Car that was donated to the museum has been moved to the museum for a future

restoration project.• Future Motor Car trip dates announced and are posted on the museum website.• Update on the CB&Q caboose restoration work was given.• Department updates given on their activities. Next board meeting will be held on February 23rd.

Treasurers Report January 2017

Memberships $657.00 Restricted FundDonations $116.00 $401,824.07Total Income $773.00 Total Expenses $12,404.64 General Fund $181,847.55

Strategic Road Map

Page 9 The DispatcherAround the grounds Photos by Anne Chilton

The soil is being compacted prior to paving asphalt.A-Tech paving is making progress on our parking lot. Here, the detention pond is dug out.

Frisco 814 is slumbering in the freshly fallen snow.Photo by Eric Dilbeck

Steve Kamm is working hard in the installation of the roof walks on the Rock Island Caboose.

Making the grade! Photo by Bob CossairtMore work on the detention pond. Photo by Bob Cossairt

Page 10 The DispatcherAround the grounds Photos by Anne Chilton

Looks Good!Guy Lynn and crew work on aligning and lifting the depot track.

Bob Hussey oversees the delivery of the Wilson Car Lines reefer.

Wilson Car Lines reefer.

Bob Hussey oversees the delivery of the Wilson Car Lines reefer.

Some final touches to ensure everything is good.

Page 11 The DispatcherCurrent Projects By Eric Dilbeck

We currently have several projects in progress at the museum. Arrange time on a Saturday to come out and help.

Santa Fe 643 Steam Engine (outside on the track) The cab windows are finished. The sunshades, and rear curtains are being worked on.

CB&Q Caboose (outside on the platform)

The windows are being repaired. The siding on the outside needs to be replaced and repainted. Rock Island Caboose (outside on the track) Steve Kamm is currently working on installation of the roof walks. The tool box, which mount under the frame, is being refurbished.MKT Inspection Car (in the shop building)Work has started on the interior of the car. Currently we are cleaning and assessing the repairs needed.

Rock Island Box Car (outside on the track) Repairs are needed to the roof to patch aly leaks and the sliding doors need attention. This car will become our DOWT storage car.Yard OfficeThe Siding needs to be repaired. Replacement siding is in the shop so a coat of primer can be applied.

Visit the Oklahoma Railway Museum on YouTube at:

youtube.com/c/OklahomarailwaymuseumOrg

Lands’ End and ORM logoYou can now order apparel with an embroidered ORM logo from Lands’ End at the website below. Once you select the item you want you will be able to select the logo and where you want it placed. We will send out emails when Lands’ End runs a special. Anything on sale in the regular catalog will be on sale on this site as well.

ces.landsend.com/Oklahoma_Railway_Museum

Page 12 The Dispatcher

Oklahoma Railway Museum, Ltd. 3400 NE Grand Boulevard Oklahoma City, OK 73111-4417

Return Service Requested

TimetableOklahoma Railway Museum (ORM) - Open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM Closed on major holidays. ORM Train Rides - First and third Saturdays, April through August at 9:15 AM, 11:15 AM, 1:15 PM and 3:15 PM ORM Board Meetings - Last Thursday of every month at Oklahoma Railway Museum - 7:00 PM.Oklahoma “N” Rail - For information call Rick Inselman (405) 412-1552. Central Oklahoma Garden Railroad Society Contact information: Steve Lemcke (405) 703-0209 e-mail steve.lemcke@att.net Marshall Douglas (405) 290-8989 Steve Kamm (405) 685-3755 email skamm@college.occc.eduPassenger Rail Oklahoma - Passenger Rail Oklahoma volunteers provide Amtrak depot hosting for the Hartland Flyer in City of Norman, OK most evenings, holidays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The depot opens at 7:50 AM. Contact Evan Stair at sfrr@aol.com, www.passengerrailok.org, or (405) 366-8957. Depot volunteer opportunities are available.Oklahoma S.W. Division NMRA - 2nd Saturday of each month, 1:00 PM, Goldman Room, Kirkpatrick Center, Jim Heidon, PresidentYukon’s Best Railroad Museum - Thursday/Saturday/Sunday and by appointment. Located 1 block north of Main and UP tracks in Yukon. Call John Knuppel, (405) 354-5079, for times and information. Waynoka Station/Waynoka Historical Society - 202 South Cleveland, Waynoka, (580) 824-1886. If you can help, call Sandie Olson.

CorrectionsAny changes to the above information or articles in “the Dispatcher” should be directed to the editor, Eric Dilbeck at eric@oklahomarailwaymuseum.org. For information on upcoming programs contact Anne Chilton at annem@oklahomarailwaymuseum.org.