February 2003

(Volume 27, No. 2)

Presidents Soapbox

World events do have an impact on our activities. Carl Wessel and I were planning to attend the Railshow in Spanish Fork on February 1 until I received an e-mail saying the show was canceled after the National Guard unit there was called to active duty and the show organizers were denied use of the facility. I for one have enough projects on the work bench anyway.

Some work was done on phase II this month. The old modules were stored and the Lima platform was removed in anticipation of a staging yard to be placed on the lower level. This design was developed after a great deal of discussion between members of the layout committee and other club members. We believe that we have a workable solution to the matter of having a hidden return loop for continuous running in show situations.

Everyone should note the code explanation by our Treasurer in this month’s newsletter. We have long wanted a simple code system so members can note their status regarding the payment of dues. This should also serve as a reminder that our organization needs your dues to help maintain the facility and pay the publishing and postage for the newsletter. I am constantly reminded in casual conversations with members whom some of you never see, that we are read and enjoyed. It is only through your financial support that we are able to produce this newsletter. Your participation also provides the space where we can build our model railroad and enjoy operating our trains. Please take note of the code on your label and get your dues up to date. We also have been mailing the newsletter to other non-member persons who we have known had an interest in model railroading. Budget restraints have caused the removal of some of these from our mailing list.

I met one of my acquaintances from the golf course while mall walking last week and who knows I am involved in modeling, told me he once worked for the Union Pacific here in Idaho Falls and would like to see what we have done. I had told him that we were trying to replicate the Montana Sub and described our progress to date. We met shortly at the layout room and spent upwards of an hour reviewing various scenes along the way and discussing the representations seen. This visitor then called four other former co-workers and one called me wanting to see our project so another appointment was made and I met them at the layout, where we spent an hour and a half with me asking lots of questions. Among the matters discussed was the layout of the Passenger station and freight depots. Some changes may be in the works in the way of completing the interiors. Anyone want a project?

A couple of interesting stories came out, one the superiority of the steam powered rotary snowplow compared to the newer diesel unit and the fact that it was stored in the roundhouse when idle. Another was the names the switch crews called the tracks on the Eagle Rock module. One was the "Snake" and the other was the "Jake". One recalled switching along that track one night when they passed over a drunk who was sleeping it off on the track. Perhaps the best was the one whose first job was mowing the grass around the Passenger Station. He said it took him 4 days a week, with a push mower. No such luxury as a power mower then. He went on to become a clerk.

This session makes obvious the need for us to be more aggressive in publicizing what we are doing. We are often asked by the public, and most recently when being interviewed by KIDK TV, "Why do you do this"? My answer is nearly always, "many of these structures have been or are being demolished and we want to preserve that history". The interest shown by these retired railroaders underscores that statement.

Leo Harker

Timetable

Treasurer's Notes

Once again you may notice something different about the mailing label on your newsletter. Beginning again this month we are returning to the code system to help you know what your membership status is and how up-to-date your dues payments are. We tried this once before and it worked reasonably well until I, your humble treasurer, got buried and did not keep up with my paperwork. I shall endeavor to keep this up to date from now on.

If you were around when we used this code system before, you may notice that it has changed slightly to better reflect the membership types we have. The code we will be using is comprised of letters and numbers that appear behind your name and can be decoded as follows. R indicates Regular Member. J indicates Junior Member, A indicates Associate Member. P preceding the R or J indicates that you are a Probationary Member. F preceding the R or J indicates that you are a Family Member. HON indicates that you are an Honorary Member. COMP indicates that you are receiving a complimentary issue. As for the numbers, the first two numbers show the month you are paid through, and the second two numbers indicate which year the month is in. For example: R1202 indicates that you are a Regular Member whose dues are paid through December of 2002, and PJ0103 would show you to be a Probationary Junior Member whose dues are paid through January of 2003. Hopefully this system will help all of you keep track of and keep up with (hint, hint) your dues. If you have any questions you can contact me for more info.

Dave Shaw, Treasurer

Butte & Salmon River Electric RR Company

Incorporated: July 2, 1903

Incorporated in Montana: July 18, 1903

Incorporated in Idaho: August 7, 1903

Articles Forfeited: December 1, 1912

Predecessor: None

Successor: None

In accordance with the articles of incorporation, the Butte & Salmon River Electric Railroad Company was incorporated to build a railroad from Butte, Montana through Silverbow and Beaverhead counties in Montana to a point at or near the mouth of Horse Prairie Creek. The line was then to go over Lemhi Pass and go northwest to a point on the Salmon River at or near North Fork, which was to be the terminus. The total length of the line was 187 miles. The railroad was authorized to build branches as necessary and capitalized at $2 Million. The main offices were to be at Butte, and the company was to have a 20 year existence, with the option of renewal. P.B. Moss, H.W. Rowley, M.A. Arnold, I.D. O’Donnell, and O.F. Goddard of Billings were the incorporators. The railroad was incorporated in Montana on July 18, 1903, and in Idaho on August 7, 1903.

The trade press did report on the proposed railroad when it was first incorporated. In July, 1903 Railroad Age Gazette reported that the Butte & Salmon River Electric Railroad Company, originally called the Butte & Salmon River, had been incorporated to run from Butte to the Salmon River in Idaho, a distance of 18 miles (sic), and that it might be extended to Thunder Mountain in Idaho. Two weeks later the magazine reported that the Butte & Salmon River Electric line was to go from Butte through Silver Bow and Beaverhead counties to the mouth of Horse Prairie Creek, then west up Lemhi Pass to a point on the Salmon River near North Fork, about 187 miles. P. B. Morse, H.W. Rowley, and other Billings businessmen were directors. The company was incorporated in Montana shortly after the company was incorporated, with the intent of building from Butte into Idaho.

The articles of incorporation were forfeited on December 1, 1912 when it became obvious that the railroad was not going to be built.

Thornton Waite

Derailment in Idaho Falls

Union Pacific’s Montana Sub suffered a major derailment Monday night. The derailment happened on 01-13-03 around 8:30 pm in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Three covered hoppers hit the ground on the Yellowstone underpass, which is the lead to the Idaho Falls yard. One car turned over on its side, showering barley on a motorist driving below in the underpass. The southbound lane of the Yellowstone Highway was shutdown so city road crews could clean up the barley.

Steve Spring

Scene of the Derailment

First Car on its side

Cleanup in Progress

 Lots of Work Happens after the Derailment

Notes on the derailments

The January 13 derailment in Idaho Falls was reported to have been caused by a defective tie collapsing causing the loaded car to fall over, spilling barley onto the roadway beneath the southbound lanes of the G Street underpass. If one looks closely at the second car, you can see a hard hat belonging to a worker inside the car. The barley remaining in the car on its side was unloaded with the use of a truck mounted vacuum which transferred the grain into an adjacent covered hopper. The second car tilted far enough that the trucks were not under the bolsters. The grain from that car was transferred using two augers across the yard leads into a hopper on the service lead. Traffic to points south bypassed the derailment by using the Old Butte Main.

Leo Harker

Shoshone Derailment Cause

Shoshone Derailment Results

The Shoshone derailment was caused by a frozen journal bearing. The beet train came off the Aberdeen branch and was en-route to Nampa. It is believed that the axle seized just out of Blackfoot and the wheel was dragging for at least one hundred miles. Dragging equipment detectors and hotbox sensors do not indicate a dragging wheel. Passing trains did notice sparks and called the engine on two occasions and trainmen responded by walking back looking for anything amiss, but failed to note the wheel. The most common source of sparks is said to be a dragging brake shoe, so that is what a trainman would be looking for. The train was finally stopped when maintenance crews noticed the dragging wheel and by then the axle was on the ground tearing up the ties as it passed. It was a frantic plea over the radio that finally stopped the train. By the appearance of the "dogpile", the train was overdue for an abrupt stop.

Leo Harker

Club News

The south end of the railroad is progressing, and consideration is being given to a reverse loop under the old Eagle Rock area. Because this area is only 4 feet wide, the radius of this loop would have to be 24" or less. Is this radius adequate for your equipment? We need input from all members. Let the layout committee know what your thoughts are - this is your railroad and only by making your thoughts known will others know what you had in mind.

Note that the inclusion of a loop would not prevent the continuation of that track to form a connection to the other end of the layout, so that we could have continuous running for shows. Lots of sensors are being considered so we will know where the trains are, as well as access in case of derailments or other problems.

Welcome to new probationary member Richard Hawkins. We also voted to accept the following probationary members as full members: Gary Pawlko (Junior Member), Jacob Westacott (Junior Member), and Gary Wilson (Regular Member). Welcome to all - It is nice to know our club is growing.

The following note is from the January club minutes. Members should follow this advice to make it easier for all. "All tools brought to the club should have a name on them. At the least they should be placed in a tray which has the individual’s name on it. When someone uses a tool, they should return it to the tray or toolbox where they got it when they are done with it."

Doug Herrmann