Potomac Chapter, National Railway Historical Society, Inc.
Rockville Memorial Library
The meeting was the chapter's traditional Holiday Social, held for the first time since 2019. The gathering started at 7:30 p.m. The attendance was about 25-30.
During the social, Bill Holdsworth presided over a brief business meeting.
Members passed a motion to postpone the elections until the January business meeting. The motion authorized the current board to continue in office until the election.
After the business meeting, members competed in a Pub Quiz. Five members connected via Zoom to compete in the quiz.
The chapter met using Zoom video conferencing software. Participation peaked at 30 Zoom logins. Secretary Bill Holdsworth called the meeting to order about 8:04 p.m.
Bill announced that the December 20 meeting will be the holiday social at Rockville Memorial Library. People will have the option of in participating in the pub quiz via Zoom.
President Gordy Bjoraker asked Bill to describe his visit to the recent open house at the Aberdeen B&O station. Bill said that the restoration organization appreciated the chapter's donation.
Treasurer Jay Creswell gave a brief report.
Participants were discussed that day's opening of Metro's Silver Line to Dulles Airport and Loudon County.
The program featured Bob Kaplan's look back at the Kansas City Southern in recent decades.
The meeting ended at 9:40 p.m.
The chapter met using Zoom video conferencing software. Participation peaked at 29 Zoom logins. Secretary Bill Holdsworth called the meeting to order about 8:05 p.m.
Bill announced that the November 20 meeting will be held via Zoom. The December 20 meeting will be the holiday social at Rockville Memorial Library. There will be a pub quiz. Some people expressed interest in participating in the quiz via Zoom.
Participants were discussed the chapter banquet held October 15. Jay reported that the attendance was 40, including several charter members of the chapter. Jay announced that Rudy Volin has been made a life member of the Potomac Chapter. Rudy received his 75-year pin from NRHS President Tony White at the banquet.
The program featured two videos produced by Stan Short. One featured the B&O Railroad. The other video was a sampling of rail activity in the state of Pennsylvania. The meeting ended at 9:26 p.m.
Lecture Hall, Montgomery County Council Office Building
Secretary Bill Holdsworth called the meeting to order at 8:07 p.m. Attendance was 23.
Jay Creswell gave a brief treasurer's report and reminded members about the October 15 banquet.
Members reported enjoying the joint picnic at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum August 20.
Members reported that John King is recovering from a stroke. Get well cards can be sent to 22600 Clarksburg Road, Boyds, MD 20841.
The business meeting ended about 8:15 p.m.
After an intermission Randy Anderson presented program on Railroading in Hagerstown, beginning in 1841 with the Franklin Railroad to the present day with CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Winchester & Western.
The chapter met using Zoom video conferencing software. Participation peaked at 26 Zoom logins. Secretary Bill Holdsworth called the meeting to order about 8:05 p.m.
Bill announced that the September 20 meeting will be in-person, without a Zoom option, but that the October and November meetings will be held via Zoom.
Participants were reminded about the chapter picnic at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum August 21 and the chapter banquet scheduled for October 15.
Rick Davidson reported that the 2023 national convention will likely be held in Florida.
Alex Koehler's program featured steam trains on several tourist railroads and shortlines in the mid-Atlantic region between 2015 and 2022. Discussion continued after the program.The chapter met using Zoom video conferencing software. Participation peaked at 22 Zoom logins. Secretary Bill Holdsworth called the meeting to order about 8:10 p.m.
President Gordy Bjoraker reported on the matching grant program for the restoration of the Aberdeen, Maryland B&O station. The effort raised over $3,600.
Bill announced that the August 16 membership meeting will be a Zoom meeting. The September 20 meeting will be in-person, without a Zoom option.
Frank Scheer's program covered the history of the Norfolk & Western Railway depot at Boyce, Virginia, and his hopes for future preservation by the non-profit Boyce Railway Depot Foundation.The meeting ended about 9:50 p.m.
Cafeteria, County Executive Office Building, Montgomery County Council Office Building
The meeting was called to order by President Gordy Bjoraker about 8:15 p.m. Attendance was 15. Zoom participation during the program peaked at 15.
Members agreed that the Leature Hall at the County Office Building is the preferred venue for the next in-person meeting, scheduled for September.
Gordy and Treasurer Jay Creswell briefed members on the status of the fund-raising drive to support restoration of the former Baltimore & Ohio passenger station in Aberdeen, MD.
George Hamlin's program about a winter journey on VIA Rail's Chaleur in Quebec was available to both in-person attendees and those participating via Zoom. George made his presention in person, using his laptop computer, which was connected to Zoom. A speakerphone/microphone allowed Zoom participants to hear what was said in the room.
Lecture Hall, Montgomery County Council Office Building
The meeting was called to order by Vice President John Sery shortly after 8 p.m. Attendance was 16.
Members approved an honorary lifetime membership for Rudy Volin for his contributions to the objectives of the Chapter. Rudy has been a membr of the NRHS for 75 years.
Members approved a motion to hold in-person membership meetings for the coming year. In-person meetings would be held June 2022, September 2022, December 2022, and March 2023. The intervening monthly meetings would be Zoom only. The in-person meetings would have a Zoom option. The plan would be re-evaluated in March 2023.
Jim Kleeman's program about the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad was available to both in-person attendees and those participating via Zoom. Jim had been scheduled to present in-person, but was unable to attend. Zoom participants peaked at 19. The Zoom session was projected on the screen of the Lecture Hall from a laptop computer. A newly purchased speakerphone/microphone allowed Zoom participants to hear what was said in the room.
The chapter met in-person for the first time in two years. The location was the auditorium of the Executive Office Building. The group had some difficulty gaining access to the building. Attendance was 22. No business was conducted during the meeting.
For the program, noted photographer and writer Jeremy Plant will showed images from 1967 to 2014 from Alexandria to Sand Patch and 17-Mile Grade. A major focus was former B&O and Western Maryland trackage, including the transitions to Chessie System and CSX. As an experiment, one member was able to watch the program via Zoom.
The chapter met using Zoom video conferencing software. Participation peaked at 22 Zoom logins. Secretary Bill Holdsworth called the meeting to order about 8:05 p.m.
Members approved a matching grant program for the restoration of the Aberdeen, Maryland B&O station. The chapter will match member contributions dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000. The deadline for member contributions will be July 1.
Treasurer Jay Creswell reported on chapter finances. He said renewals were progressing well.
Bill Holdsworth announced that the chapter plans an in-person meeting April 19. There are no plans to enable people to connect via Zoom.
John Sery showed a program featuring 8mm films taken in the early 1960s by longtime chapter memberJerry Hott. The Potomac Chapter converted and edited some of Jerry's footage into digital files. The program included segments on the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway, Ely Thomas Lumber Co., Fort Eustis Military Railroad, East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad, and the Buffalo Creek & Gauley Railroad.The meeting ended about 9:50 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.
President Gordy Bjoraker reported that the chapter is planning a fund-raising drive for the Aberdeen, Maryland B&O station. There will be more information at the March membership meeting.
Treasurer Jay Creswell gave a brief report. He said renewals were progressing well.
Tony White described the 2022 NRHS/Trains Magazine photo contest. The theme is Still Soldiering On. For more information, see the website. The deadline is June 1, 2022.
Bill Holdsworth announced that the chapter plans to hold a Zoom meeting March 15 and an in-person meeting April 19.
Dale Woodland, Director of Museum Operations at the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum in Hamburg, PA, was the presenter. He chronicled his lifelong interest in the Road of Anthracite beginning with his trips to Philadelphia in 1946 to his involvement with railroads operating on former Reading trackage now.
The meeting ended about 10:00 p.m.
The chapter met using Zoom video conferencing software. Participation peaked at 30 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 board of directors has decided to postpone the March 19 banquet until fall, because of COVID conditions.
Currently the chapter plans to hold the February 15 membership meeting via Zoom and the March 15 meeting in person at the Rockville Memorial Library. Plans for the March meeting could change.
The in-person holiday social planned for December 21 was cancelled because of COVID concerns.
Because of the issues with Zoom, Jeremy Platt was unable to show his planned program, Trackside in the Potomac Valley.
Doug Scott pinch hit at the last minute with a program featuring scenes from northwestern United States. A discussion followed the program.
The meeting ended about 10:00 p.m.
