Potomac Chapter, National Railway Historical Society, Inc
The meeting was cancelled because of concerns about the Omicron variant of COVID.
The chapter met using Zoom video conferencing software. Participation peaked at 27 Zoom logins.Secretary Bill Holdsworth called the meeting to order about 8:05 p.m.
President Gordy Bjoraker and Treasurer Jay Creswell gave brief reports. Jay reminded attendees about the banquet scheduled for March 19.
Bill described the plans to hold the holiday social, in person, at the Rockville Memorial Library December 21. He invited those who can't attend to participate in the Pub Quiz via Zoom.
Because of the pandemic, the Board of Directors acted as the nominating committee for this year's election. They proposed the following slate of candidates:
Members passed a motion to elect the proposed slate by acclamation.
Jim Kleeman's program featured images of Chicago-area passenger trains from the collection of Rodney Peterson. The images dated from the 1950s to the 1970s.
A discussion followed the program. The meeting ended about 10:00 p.m.
The chapter met using Zoom video conferencing software. Jim Kleeman presided over the meeting..
No official business was conducted.
The program was entitled Railfanning during COVID-19. Bob Kaplan discussed how he went about our hobby while trying to stay safe.
The chapter met using Zoom video conferencing software. Participation peaked at 25 Zoom logins.Secretary Bill Holdsworth called the meeting to order about 8:05 p.m.
Treasurer Jay Creswell gave a brief report. Jay announced that the chapter banquet is scheduled for March 19. Kevin Keefe has agreed to be the speaker.
Members discussed the recent NRHS converntion in Wisconsin.
Alex Mayes presented a program entitled Contemporary California, drawing upon images from his visits to the Golden State in 2018 and 2021.
The meeting ended about 9:55 p.m.
The chapter met using Zoom video conferencing software. Participation peaked at 25 Zoom logins.Secretary Bill Holdsworth called the meeting to order about 8:05 p.m.
President Gordy Bjoraker and Treasurer Jay Creswell gave brief reports. The upcoming NRHS converntion in Wisconsin was a topic of conversation.
Bill reported that the board had decided to continue with Zoom meetings through November, with hopes of being able to implement hybrid meetings during that time frame.
Doug Scott's program focused on railroading on Cape Cod during 2020. Highlights included Mass Coastal freight, Bay Colony freight, Cape Cod Central passenger trains, and the summer Boston-to-Hyannis CapeFLYER passenger service.
A discussion followed the program. The meeting ended about 9:40 p.m.
The chapter met using Zoom video conferencing software. Participation peaked at 31 Zoom logins. President Gordy Bjoraker called the meeting to order about 8:00 p.m.
Treasurer Jay Creswell gave a brief report.
Bill Holdsworth reminded attendees about the past membership meeting programs available on the Potomac NRHS YouTube channel.
Bill announced that the board had decided to continue with Zoom meeting for the time being, with hopes of being able to have hybrid meetings soon. Doug Scott said the West Connecticut chapter has experience with hybrid meetings.
Alex Mayes gave a program entitled Wintertime Steam, featuring a Cumbres & Toltec line-clearing event with steam-powered snow blower OY and a Durango & Silverton excursion to Cascade Wye.
A discussion followed the program. The meeting ended about 9:24 p.m.
The chapter met using Zoom video conferencing software.
Members approved a motion to increase the annual appropriation for small grants by $2,000. The normal amount is $1,500, plus any funds available from designated gifts. The goal is to assist regional rail organizations that have suffered in the pandemic.
Jim Kleeman gave a program entitled Northwest Passage: Tidewater to the Continental Divide, featuring parts of the former SP&S, Northern Pacific, and Great Northern routes through Washington, Idaho, and Western Montana.
The chapter met using Zoom video conferencing software. Participation peaked at 24 Zoom logins. Secretary Bill Holdsworth called the meeting to order about 8:05 p.m.
Treasurer Jay Creswell gave a brief report.
Bill made a short presentation in tribute to recently deceased chapter member Jim Mixter.
John Sery reported that he has posted the last three membership meeting programs on the Potomac NRHS YouTube channel.
Carl Franz said that member Jerry Hott's health has improved. The chapter has appropriated $600 to digitize some of Jerry's 8 mm film. Carl said that could take four weeks. After that, the material will be evaluated.
George Chiasson's program was a location-by-location photographic tour of the Santa Fe/BNSF North Route as followed by Amtrak's Southwest Chief, from Holliday, KS, immediately outside of Kansas City to Dalies, NM. The tour used scanned 35mm slides, dating from 1994 thru 2007.
A discussion followed the program. The meeting ended about 9:55 p.m.
The chapter met using Zoom video conferencing software. Participation peaked at 40 Zoom logins. Secretary Bill Holdsworth called the meeting to order about 8:02 p.m.
Treasurer Jay Creswell reported the chapter had no expenditures in March.
Jay said that member Jim Mixter is hospitalized. Carl Franz reported that member Jerry Hott's health has improved. Members discussed rail news.
Past Akron Rail Club President Craig Sanders gave a program documenting the origin of the classic song, City of New Orleans. The presentation mixed information about the Illinois Central Railroad, songwriter Steve Goodman, and singer Arlo Guthrie, who performed the most successful version of the song.
A discussion followed the program. The meeting ended about 9:50 p.m.
The chapter met using Zoom video conferencing software. Participation peaked at 35 Zoom logins. Secretary Bill Holdsworth called the meeting to order about 8:05 p.m.
Members discussed rail news. Carl Franz reported that longtime member Jerry Hott has relocated to Morgantown, WV.
John King gave a program covering the final years of Western Maryland before the railroad was dissipated by the Chessie System. The Western Maryland began operations in 1852 and was acquired by the Chessie System in 1973.
A discussion followed the program. The login count was 19 when the meeting ended at 10:00 p.m.
The chapter met using Zoom video conferencing software. Participation peaked at 33 Zoom logins. Secretary Bill Holdsworth called the meeting to order about 8:05 p.m.
Treasurer Jay Creswell reported that the chapter had issued another small grant payment.
Jim Kleeman presented a program of the Pennsylvania Railroad images taken through lens of the late Rodney Peterson. The time period ran from the late 40s to the early 70s. The geographic focus ranged from the PRR electrified lines in the Northeast to areas further west in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
A discussion followed the program. The login count was 22 at 10:01 p.m.
The meeting ended about 10:10 p.m.The chapter met using Zoom video conferencing software. Participation peaked at 24 Zoom logins. Secretary Bill Holdsworth called the meeting to order about 8:10 p.m.
Treasurer Jay Creswell reported that the chapter had a deficit of $4,260 for the year 2020.
Bob Kaplan showed images from a pre-COVID western trip in early 2020. The program followed the BNSF Transcon from Daggett, CA to Prewitt, NM. Then he showed the now-defunct, coal-hauling Escalante Western Railway. The finale was a Cumbres & Toltec snow-clearing event with an ex-D&RGW steam-powered rotary snow-blower.
A discussion followed the program.
The meeting ended about 9:45 p.m.
