The Pennyrail Online Edition

Ricky Bivins is our program host for the August 23, meeting at the Center, Madisonville.  This “Bring Your Own Slides” program is designed for anyone in the chapter who would like to display their photography.  For those who have physical slides or prints, you have some options: 1) present your prints on a story board or portable bulletin board.  2) use a slide projector, either your own or arrange for one through a fellow chapter member or friend.  3) scan your slides and/or prints into a digital format which can be inserted into a Microsoft Power Point show.  We will have at least one laptop computer with Power Point installed on it.  You can transport your image files on a memory stick,  CD, or email them to me.  If you are unsure about the digital route, email me and I’ll try to do what I can to help you.

If you scan or have digital images ready to go, you can email them to me and I’ll set them up in a Power Point show on my laptop.  JPEG is the preferred digital format for this application.  My email address is: bill@fbcmadisonville.com.

Our July 26, 2010 program will be by Bill Thomas on “The Little River Railroad at  Townsend, Tennessee” and Refreshments will be provided by David Millen

Next Meeting Monday, June 28, 2010 at 7:00 pm
L&N Depot, Madisonville, KY

June Program By Chuck Hinrichs
25 Years in Western Kentucky

Refreshments By Danny Koeber

The May 24, 2010 chapter meeting will be held at the L&N Depot at Hopkinsville, Ky with a program by some of the following individuals: Ed Whitfield, Michael Pape, Wallace Henderson or William Turner. Topics are yet to be determined. Refreshments will be provided by our members from the Hopkinsville area.

MAIN LINE-EASTERN, PART II: CONRAIL AND NORFOLK SOUTHERN ON THE EAST END OF THE PRR’s PITTSBURGH, FT. WAYNE, & CHICAGO, 1988-2009

April Program Overview By Dr. Fred Ripley The Pennsylvania Railroad’s four-track main line east from Pittsburgh is justifiably one of, if not the, most famous and photographed pieces of railroad in North America. Less well known, but just as fascinating, are the “Lines West” main lines from Pittsburgh to Chicago and St. Louis. In August of last year, we looked at the very busy operations of Conrail and Norfolk Southern from just northwest of Pittsburgh to the PA-OH state line.

In this program, we’ll start at the former mid-Ohio division point of Crestline, and follow the former Pittsburgh-Chicago main line as it heads through eastern Ohio, passing through varying topography and locations of both scenic beauty and industry.  As the line approaches the eastern end of the state, it becomes the modern-day main line of Norfolk Southern between the east coast and Chicago, and is an impressively busy railroad.  Given the fact that the PRR traditionally ran a significant amount of tonnage via a low-grade freight line, bypassing this section of the main, the railroad east of Alliance, OH, has more freight traffic presently than it ever has.

With an eye towards the history, we’ll see lots of action from the last ten years of Conrail and NS of recent years- big trains in great scenic main line settings, with lots of PRR position light signals, in all seasons and weather. Anyone with an interest in the PRR and its successors, or who just enjoys contemporary big-time railroading, won’t be disappointed.

Refreshments by Donnie and Betty Knight