| The Depot Crew continues to meet at the Orchard Park Depot on Wednesday and Saturday mornings throughout the winter. The buildings and grounds are checked on a regular basis for security issues, as is the rolling stock. |
| On January 14th, Monica Hansen, President of the Orchard Park Garden Club, presented the Depot Crew with a check for $500.00. The OPGC sold Christmas wreaths and Christmas table decorations under the portico at the depot during "Holiday in the Park" and raised over $1,000.00. They donated half to us in a showing of appreciation for our service to the Garden Club and the community. |  "(c)2010 - Monica Hansen, President of the Orchard Park Garden Club, presented the Depot Crew with a check for $500.00! (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
| In the photograph, from left to right in the front row, are: Monica Hansen and Beverly Walsh from the Orchard Park Garden Club, with Jim Slominski from the Depot Crew. In the back row are: Bob Snyder, Bob Reynders and Roger Smith, also from the Orchard Park Depot Crew. As always, anyone who is interested in working at the depot is welcome to join us at any time. Call us at 716-662-7002 to leave a message to let us know you are coming. |
| On Saturday, February 6th, we held our annual planning meeting over breakfast at the Original Pancake House on Union Road. Along with the usual housekeeping duties at the depot, we plan on building new doors and painting the undercarriage of the baggage car, painting the roofs of the two B&O boxcars, painting the fascia board around the depot, painting the ticket office room, installing glass windows in the passenger depot doors, finishing the outside in-ground wiring for the depot's harp lights and changing the displays in the depot show cases. |
 "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - In his workshop,Gary Ludwig primes the lumber that he has previously measured and precut. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
The Orchard Park Depot crew has been building four new doors for the RPO/baggage car. Under the skillful direction of crew member Gary Ludwig, the two large doors and the two smaller doors have been completely rebuilt from scratch. Gary had taken the measurements of each door, ordered the wood and then cut the wood to size. He drilled the appropriate holes for bolts and fasteners and then helped to prime the wood before and after assembly. |  "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - Jim Slominski, Bob Reynders, Gary Ludwig and Roger Smith at work in the OP freight house. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
 "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - Bob Reynders, Gary Ludwig and Jim Slominski assemble a door. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
Having preassembled the doors in his basement workshop, Gary then provided hands-on direction for the final assembly of each door in the freight house at Orchard Park. Assisting in the project were crew members Bob Reynders, Jim Slominski and Roger Smith, with some assistance from Duane Warchocki and yours truly. All that's left to do is to install interior and extrior hardware and two kick panels. |
 "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - Bob Reynders, Gary Ludwig, Roger Smith and Jim Slominski hang the newly assembled door. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
 "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - Bob Reynders and Jim Slominski adjust the trolley on the door. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
 "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - The new Baggage Door! (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
 "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - Roger S. and Bob R. finish putting in a few screws on the remade door. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
As promised in the last issue of the Flyer, the RPO/baggage car doors have been installed. All of the doors open and close except for the large track-side door. It has a bent bottom track, on which the door is supposed to slide. Someone either jacked up the car using the body of the car under the door, or the car was in a minor mishap, causing the door track to get bent. Each door still needs the metal kick plates installed on the bottom panels of their outer sides. Those should be ready by the end of June, then it's a final touch up of green paint to finish the project. |  "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - Gary L. reloads the baggage car with a 1940's vintage hand truck after all the work is complete. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
 "(c)1994 - Geno Daily - 1994 before view of the Baggage car. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (73K)") |
Thanks go to the members of the depot crew for their tireless efforts: Gary Ludwig, Bob Reynders, Roger Smith, Jim Slominski and Duane Warchocki. The baggage car doors now look as they did when the car was manufactured. The next big project for the crew will be the painting of the roofs of the B&O boxcars. Anyone interested in lending a hand can join us on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8:30 to Noon. |  "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - The exterior of the repainted Baggage Car glistens in the sun. What a great job! (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
| On May 21st and 22nd, The Orchard Park Garden Club took over the depot for their annual plant sale. The Gardeners managed a successful sale even though the weather did not cooperate. June features the annual Edu-Kids visits to the depot, and this year was no exception. Four groups of preschoolers visited the museum complex on May 19th and 26th. The children enjoyed a tour of the passenger station and of the BR&P caboose. July social events include the Society's annual summer meeting on the 19th and the Orchard Park Village Ice Cream Social and fireworks display on the 30th. |
 "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - Bob R. and Jim S. work on the facia boards of the depot. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
The most recent work on the depot has been the repainting of the trim boards that the station's gutters are attached to. Bob Reynders, Gary Ludwig, Roger Smith and Jim Slominski have been scraping patching, priming and painting for the last two weeks. The trim boards will be finished by the end of the first week in August. |  "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - Gary L. puts the last top coat on the end of the waiting platform. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
 "(c)2010 - Robert Snyder - Ray Stevens works on the Terra-Cotta roof tiles on a hot august day. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (73K)") |
Our good friend Ray Stevens continues to work on the depot with his construction company crew. This time around one of his workers was on the roof during those hot July 90 degree days replacing broken roof tiles, filling openings with calking compound and patching holes in one of the valleys. On another visit the base of one of the rotted roof support posts was repaired with a temporary fix. |
 "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - The Ice Cream Social was a huge success! (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
The village held their annual Ice Cream Social at the depot on the last Friday in July. The event started with ice cream being served at 6 pm and ended with a spectacular fire works display around 10 pm. The depot crew sold pop and water and sold out to the largest crowd ever to visit the depot, well over 2,000 people. I was told by village officials that the record 120 gallons of ice cream sold out shortly before 9:00pm! Next year they plan on ordering 150 gallons! |  "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - Wells Fargo Co. Stage Coach rides were a big hit with the entire family. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
 "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - Bob Snyders beautifully restored 1936 Ford Panel Van makes a delivery to the depot. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
Bob Snyder is an avid antique car enthusiast and on a beautiful August day, brought his recently restored concours quality 1936 Ford Panel Van to the depot. |
 "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - Jimmy S. and Bob R. painting the boxcar roof . (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
Projects and maintenance at the depot continued through the good weather months, with outside work being the prime objective. Our big project for September was the painting of the boxcar roofs. Getting the color we liked proved to be a challenge. It took four gallons before we managed to get a color that looked official. Bob Reynders and Jimmy Slominski did most of the painting, while Roger Smith, Duane Warchocki and yours truly moved ladders and did leg work. |  "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - Jimmy and Bob know how to spend a hot summer day. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
 "(c)2010 - Robert Snyder - Roger Smith and Bob Reynders removing the Black-Eyed Susans which were overrunning the garden. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
Chief Electrician Bob Reynders installed an electrical outlet in the passenger depot basement for one of our refrigerators, the security company paid a visit to reboot one of the cameras that had quit working, and the depot crew pitched in to remove all of the Black-Eyed Susans from the center island garden. We also rented the depot to a flea market and sold hot dogs, soft drinks and coffee while it was going on. In less than one month, we will again host the Village's "Holiday in the Park". |
 "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - Bob Renders and Jim Slominski seal the caboose roof in preparation for the upcoming winter. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
The Orchard Park Depot crew has had another busy Fall season. The roof on our BR&P caboose needed a temporary cover, so Bob Reynders and Jim Slominski tackled that job before any bad weather reared its ugly head. Bob and Jim also restored the goose-neck outside light on the street corner of the passenger depot. That was an original piece, and to save it, Duane Warchocki had it sand blasted and then power-coated. Bob did some rewiring, and another piece of the station was saved for posterity.. |  "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - Bob R. installs the refurbished light. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
 "(c)2010 - Robert Snyder - Roger Smith and Jim Slominski “trim the trees” for Christmas in the park. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
The gardens were finally completely put to bed with all dead plant material removed and a large planting of cana dug up and stored. Roger Smith and Jim Slominski trimmed some bothersome evergreens at the entrance to the depot driveway, and we headed inside to decorate for Holiday in the Park. |
 "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - Waiting to see Santa and Mrs. Claus. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
The depot crew put electric candles in every window, assembled and decorated our artificial Christmas tree, set up a beautifully detailed "G" scale train (courtesy of Gary Ludwig) and we also put up a train for the kids to ride. "Holiday in the Park" had another successful gathering on Sunday, December 4th. The OP Garden Club sold seasonal decorations under the portico, the depot crew sold hot chocolate, coffee and cupcakes, and Duane's |  "(c)2010 Robert Snyder - Santa and Mrs. Claus listen to the children's wish lists in the Orchard park depot . (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (100K)") |
| son Nick sold raffle tickets for our fund-raiser (a child's bed quilt with a railroad motif). Early in the week, there was some concern that we might not have any of the white stuff to make the event festive, but, as most of us know, we don't have to dream of a White Christmas and the rest is now history. |
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