The coupler volume 3 issue 11 by John Pate

Steel City Coupler Publication of the Steel City Division Southeastern Region - NMRA Volume 3, Issue 10 https://www.facebook.com/birminghammodelrailroading

November 2013

Steel City Division Meeting Please plan to attend the next meeting on

Thursday, November 21st, 2013 7:00pm Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church, Room 203

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This Month’s Meeting Layout Tour Along the Line – Prototype Railroad News Superintendent’s Office Clerk’s Desk NMRA and SER News Photo of the Month Timetable

1 3 3 3 4 6 9 11

November Meeting: Detailing and Weathering Vehicles with Mark Stone Bring a vehicle of your choice to the meeting on November 21st and we’ll try to make it a little more relevant to your pike than what came out of the box! With apologies to those who merely run trains in circles (and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that!!), there are many elements of the scenery we create to establish the identity of the railroad we model - landscape, background, water, structures, vehicles, figures. We will take a detailed look at one of those on the 21st vehicles. We’ll explore the setting and appropriateness of prototypical and historical factors in setting the scene, as well as detailing, painting, and weathering techniques, hopefully in a “hands on” fashion. Please don’t expect the results to match the photographs (courtesy of the Modeling in 1/87 blog), but maybe we can start in that direction, learn a few things and have some fun for an hour or so. While we will discuss castings, those are probably not the best type of model to bring as the paint may not be dry in time to progress in the time allotted. If you want to bring a few basic tools with The Steel City Coupler – November 2013

you as well, great, but I will try to have most of the rest. – Mark Stone Sound like fun? Well, Come join us on Thursday, November 21st at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church, Room 203 at 7 pm. Steel City Division Elections Steel City Division Election of Officers At our November 17th, 2013 Division meeting we will vote for officers for the coming year. Please attend the meeting so that you may vote. Our slate of officers for 2014 is: Candidate

Write In Candidate

Superintendent

John Stewart

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Asst. Superintendent

Mark Stone

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Secretary

Jason Parham

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Treasurer

Dr. Carey Ketchum

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We had previously requested that anyone interested in serving should let us know by November 1 st and Mark Stone did that. We appreciate very much his willingness to serve. If you want to serve or are want to offer a candidate for office, you have one more chance. You may offer a write in candidate on the ballot at the November meeting. If you write in a candidate other than yourself, please be sure that person is willing to serve. Leadership and Participation Our Division is growing slowly, and we look forward to new activities in coming months. The most important thing you can do, if leadership is not for you, is to participate regularly by attending meetings. Also participate by sharing your talents, ideas and knowledge. We are always looking for layouts to visit, and they DO NOT have to be completed for a fun visit. We all can learn by seeing work in progress. We are always looking for new ideas for clinics and presentations. Will you share a current modeling activity? If you don’t want to do a clinic at a meeting, then invite us to visit your home and show us what you are doing on your own turf. That would be a good alternative to a layout visit. Not everyone wants to be or can serve as an officer, but everyone can participate for fun and learning about model railroading. What can you offer through your participation? The Steel City Coupler – November 2013

November Layout Tour: Taking a break There will be no layout tour for this month.

Along the Line – Prototype Railroad News Ex-Long Island RR Coach Gets Some Fresh Paint Bill Houston of the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum recently shared a photo (taken by Jimmy Summers) of a newly completed project down in Calera. The Pullman P72 coaches were part of an order built in 19551956 by Pullman for the Long Island Railroad and were once a mainstay of the transition era fleet. The Museum’s acquired this car several years ago. Last year, the museum gave the interior a refreshing with a new floor and seat upholstery. Now the museum has tackled several mechanical issues, repaired the vestibules and, performed some exterior body work, and finishing it off with a fresh paint job. Looking mighty spiffy there Bill! Keep up the great work down there!

You may notice that the car, in addition to its road number, has a red circle with the number “182” on it. This was part of a rather unusual numbering system developed by the Long Island. It appears commuters long complained about the poor cars then in service on the LIRR. When the railroad purchased these new cars, they wanted to point them out to commuters and the public, so as each car came into service, it was given a number signifying that it was, in this case of car #2972, the 182nd new car now running on the railroad. To the commuters, if it had the circled numbers, it meant it was an updated car and not one of the old nasty ones. These numbers continued to appear on the new cars until around 1964.

Superintendent’s Office Of Beaches and Trains and Other Things By John Stewart, Superintendent I have a friend who buys a ticket to a movie, but then doesn’t attend the movie. What? Really? Sounds silly doesn’t it. But that’s what he does. He says he read the book, so he doesn’t need to see the movie, plus he The Steel City Coupler – November 2013

says he doesn’t really like the actors, that the theatre has poor popcorn and a sticky floor. He says the last time he went there he didn’t enjoy it, and the people behind him were talking the whole time. My friend also says that he doesn’t like the price of the movie ticket that he bought. Says when he was a kid you could go to the movies for 25 cents and popcorn cost a dime. He adds that he could get everything he wanted for a dollar, including the price of the ticket. And he recalls that movies were better “back then”. He doesn’t think all the new special effects are so great and sometimes the sound is too loud. He says that he kind of liked black and white movies better. So, why in the heck does he buy the ticket if he isn’t going to see the movie? Why indeed? In the Steel City Division of the SE Region of the NMRA, we have about 135 members. Our average attendance at a monthly Division meeting is between 10 and maybe 20 persons. Now granted, some of our folks live a ways away, maybe 50 miles or so. But the majority does not live that far. So, why buy the ticket if you aren’t going to see the movie? Our Division has a monthly newsletter (distributed electronically only) and we get compliments on most of the content from a few folks, especially in other Divisions. The newsletter includes articles, information about upcoming activities and editorial content. It includes names, phone and email contacts for our Division officers. The newsletter frequently asks for reader feedback for various items. We challenge people to identify mystery railroad places, trains and items. Hardly anyone replies. Hardly anyone offers suggestions, or even complaints. Some of our Division members created a Facebook Page called “Birmingham Model Railroading” – a really great idea. This is aimed at both existing and potential members, especially younger ones. But not too many folks are posting anything. Yet, I expect that it will be a positive tool for growth and recruitment in the future. So, why buy the ticket if you aren’t going to see the movie? We have several clubs in the area, and one of them is a 100% NMRA organization. Yet some in these clubs say they have trouble getting anyone to do anything, or to take charge of future leadership roles. There are a couple of worthwhile projects going on, but still the leaders worry about the lack of activity, participation and future leadership. So, why buy the ticket if you aren’t going to see the movie? – John

Clerk’s Desk Another Movie Night By Jason Parham, Secretary It’s been a little while since we did a Youtube “movie night” but it has been on my mind for a little while now. So, with the temperature dropping outside and the leaves falling, let us grab a hot chocolate and watch some fun. BBC’s “Top Gear” Takes on Rail Travel Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkpCzp0CmjY Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMWBPrFVwLk For those of you who have never heard of Top Gear, the little show across the pond on BBC 2 has become one of the most watch television programs in the world. The three The Steel City Coupler – November 2013

hosts (Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May) have developed the show into a quirky, humorous, and sometimes controversial program on cars and motoring. Estimates suggest that the show is seen by 350 million viewers per week in 170 different countries. Here in the US, it regularly airs on BBC America. Spin-off shows of the same name have also sprung up in Australia, Russia, the US, and South Korea with a similarly inspired show in Germany entitled “D Motor.” In this episode, The Top Gear boys attempt to make train travel cheaper, faster and more interesting by replacing the conventional carriages (coaches) and locomotive with a string of caravans (how camper trailers are called in the UK) attached to a specially Audi S8 sedan serving as the “locomotive.” Jeremy, in his usual brash style, deviates from the other two and decides to build himself a “Sports Train” instead using a Jaguar convertible and a cut-down camper trailer. Top Gear “Race to the North” Part 1: http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/train-race-part-1 Part 2: http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/train-race-part-2 Part 3: http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/train-race-part-3 Part 4: http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/train-race-part-4 Part 5: http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/train-race-part-5 Before the guys decided to take on rail travel, they participated in an epic three-way 400-mile race from London, England, to Edinburgh, Scotland as it would have occurred in 1949. Each had their weapon of choice between a Jaguar XK120 car, a Vincent Black Shadow motorbike, and railway locomotive 60163 Tornado. The Jaguar and the Vincent were the fastest car and bike in existence back in 1949. The Tornado, while not the fastest locomotive in 1949, is a brand new mainline steam engine (completed in Britain in 2008) but was patterned after the original 1949 –built Peppercorn A1-class 4-6-2 passenger locomotives. While the race was merely intended to be for fun and entertainment purposes only, several factors prevented the race from being truly accurate to 1949. The Tornado, capable of speeds in excess of 100mph, is limited the engine to 75mph as a condition of her mainline certification. Therefore, the 90mph speeds that were common for the “Flyers” of the 1950’s were not possible. Also, the present-day lack of water troughs along the track meant the engine had to make 4 separate stops to take on water. The car and bike were restricted to using the older A1 road, as the more modern M1 motorway would not have existed in 1949. Even so, many of the towns the car and bike passed through had been bypassed giving them a speed advantage. As a result, many estimate that had such a race actually been held in 1949 the train would have won convincingly. In the end, the finish was very tight with the margin of victory being only 10 minutes or so for the Jaguar and the second place Tornado. A Tour of the Southern California Traction Club http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEOM3Q3JJ_o&list=PL3 6E009525E1D9B5F Trolley and traction modelling is a seldom seen but fascinating form of model railroading. The Southern California Traction Club (SCTC) was founded back in October 1995 by five trolley modelers and has one of the best layouts devoted to this style. The modular layout owned by The Steel City Coupler – November 2013

the group operates model electric streetcars, interurban, and subway vehicles from live overhead wires. Most of the club modules are four feet long and all have a double-track main line with code 83 rail. Currently, the layout consists of twenty-three modules arranged in a 16' by 26' rectangle. All of the overhead is live and the club even did all the operational testing for the Bowser PCC trolleys that debuted in 2009. A visit with MMR (and master of animation) Laurie McLean A few months back Larry Smith told me about a Yahoo Group called NarrowGuageChat which is full of fantastic modelers doing some really amazing things with animations and sound (even using old cell phone speakers inside locomotives). One of those members, Laurie McLean from Australia, is an absolute wizard when it comes to incorporating animation on his models. Let’s take a look first at his (yes, Laurie is a he) HOn3 layout with a fireman shoveling coal and a brakeman waving his lantern on the caboose. Keep in mind that this is HOn3, not a larger scale. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptQXxoccq1s Not to be content with moving figures on rolling stock, Laurie also dabbles in On3 and built this really cool town called Saddlesore Gulch. Keep a close eye and watch all the animated figures moving about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwr2bSq5_yk If you would like to see how he makes those little figures move, check out this 8 minute presentation he made for animating an S scale blacksmith. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RR9_mXQdec Well that’s all for this month. Hope you enjoyed it! – Jason

News from the NMRA Headquarters NMRA Headquarters Building to be sold to Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (Editor’s Note: For those who have not heard, below is an excerpt from a column by NMRA President Charlie Getz concerning the sale of the building. The column will appear in its entirety in the December issue of NMRA Magazine.) “In January 2013, the TVRM, our neighbor, approached us and asked if we might consider selling them the building. We did not solicit their request. They were aware of our developing plans with the CSRM. They are severely cramped for space as they expand their commercial operations and were looking to construct significant additional office and classroom space at their Cromwell Road location, adjacent to the NMRA. Acquiring an existing building would be of great benefit to TVRM. Their operations personnel are spread across the region and they want to consolidate into fewer and centralized locations. And as Jenny can tell you, nearly every day, someone wanders in to buy tickets for the TVRM! The NMRA BOD discussed this exciting and unsolicited opportunity at the winter 2013 BOD meeting and authorized the CFO to determine whether a mutually agreeable sale might be possible. After several months of negotiations, we arrived at a mutually agreeable price and set terms and conditions. In July 2013, TVRM presented a formal offer to the NMRA. The NMRA BOD accepted the offer, and the NMRA CFO was authorized to complete the transaction. TVRM is ready to complete the sale in a timely fashion. At press time we do not have a firm closing date, so watch for future announcements here or via the NMRA eBulletin or Info blast. The Steel City Coupler – November 2013

NMRA still needs a central location to manage the organization's business, merchandise sales, membership records, the online archives, and some elements of the Library and Museum collections. We had previously investigated other options (lease part of the building to others or sell and lease back), but found none that were as attractive or met our needs to support the NMRA and its members as well as selling the building and leasing a variety of spaces that would meet our various needs. But because of the quickness of the sale and our desire to not interrupt service, a new location was found in the Soddy-Daisy area of Chattanooga for our staff. We have opened this rented facility (at an annual cost less than operating the old building) and moved our staff there. Note the new address listed here and on our website; our phones remain the same. Staff is pleased with the new location, which is nearer other facilities, and is operating without interruption. We have a lot of transition work left to do at the old site but thanks to CFO Frank Koch and CAO Jenny Hendricks, all is running smoothly. All HQ office functions (membership and Company Store, online archives, and Library surplus sales) and the Library and Museum collections will be handled at the new location. We can do this at a cost that is no higher than we currently pay to operate the building. There will be no change in our support of member research requests. The Company Store and on-line surplus book sales will continue uninterrupted. We will invest the sale proceeds to generate income for the NMRA in the future. This principal and income will help to strengthen our overall position, provide funds for future projects, and potentially delay the need for a future dues increase. For TVRM, this offers an effective and efficient way to expand their office and operations capability without the headaches and delays of construction. It also gives them a more visible presence along Cromwell Road. You may read or hear of their fund raising campaign as they are expanding on several fronts. They have also purchased the parcel of property on the other side of our shared drive for additional expansion. For NMRA, it offers significant flexibility as we change in the future. We can increase or decrease our leased space as our needs change. It gives NMRA greater fiscal flexibility as we will have liquid assets rather than a non-liquid asset. This flexibility will be important as we increase our marketing and communication to members and non-members alike.” -Charlie Getz, NMRA President SER News 2014 Elections CALLING ALL SER MEMBERS......It is that time again. As chairman of the 2014 SER Officer Nominating Committee we are looking for a few good men and women to serve as officers for the 2014-15 time period. This year all offices are up for election: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and two Directors. Each office is for a two-year term which begins in June 2014. If you would like to run for any of the offices please contact me for more information or send your BIO with the office you want to run for. Serving in one of these positions is a good way to earn your Association Official AP Certificate. You have until January 15th to submit your name and BIO but don't delay. Avoid the rush and contact me today. You can send your questions, comments or BIO to tcusker@hotmail.com. -Tom Cusker, Chairman of the Nominating Committee In other SER News….. 

The 2013 fall Board of Directors meeting was held September 21 in Choctaw, MS. Highlights of the meeting included:

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Tom Shallcross replaces Mike Ferry as Director. Mike resigned due to medical reasons.

The Steel City Coupler – November 2013

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The Winter 2014 Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for February 8, 2014 in Greenville, SC. Time and location to be determined.

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The Magnolia Division hosted a successful mini-meet September 21 in Choctaw, MS. The meet included five clinics, a visit to Phillip Prince’s outdoor G-scale Pearl River Railroad, and a tour of the restored Philadelphia, MS Gulf, Mobile & Northern depot. Thanks go to Magnolia Superintendent Troy Hight for organizing the event.

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Scheduled prototype tours have been announced for Rails on the River, the 2014 joint convention of the SER and Mid Continent Region. These include trips to NS, CN, and BNSF yards, and a tour of the Memphis Area Transit Authority’s trolley shops. For additional information, visit http://www.ser-nmra.org/conventions.

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Work progresses on Palmetto Excursion, the 2015 SER convention hosted by the Palmetto Division.

Division Happenings 

Smokey City Rails Model Railroad Club and the Magic Valley Chapter of the Train Collectors Association will jointly host a model railroad show and sale on Saturday, December 7, 2013 at the Pelham Civic Complex 9 AM to 4PM with door prizes every hour. Admission is $6 for adults and children older than 12 years. Admission for children 8-12 years is $2. Children under the age of eight years are admitted free.

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The 11th Annual Piedmont Pilgrimage, the Southeast's premiere model railroad layout tour, opens Saturday, October 12, 2013. The Piedmont Division has arranged more than 80 model railroad open houses during the event, running each Saturday and Sunday from October 12 through November 23. For additional information visit http://www.PiedmontPilgrimage.com

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The Gulf Division will hold a swap meet Saturday, October 19 at the Milton, FL Railroad Depot. Admission is free. For more information contact Ed Dice at EdwardDice@aol.com or visit the Upcoming Events section of the SER website

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The next Land O’ Sky Division meeting will be held at 9:30 am, Saturday, October 19th at the Enka-Candler branch library, located at 1404 Sandhill Rd., Candler. The library opens at 10:00 Saturdays, but special arrangements have been arranged for the meeting. Use the meeting room door at the west end of the building.

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The Palmetto Division will hold its Fall division meet on November 23rd at the Cottages at Brushy Creek in Greer, SC. We will have contests, clinics and a layout tour. For more information see www.Palmettodiv.org or contact Jack Varadi at jackvaradi@yahoo.com. Also, Greenville SC will be the site of the 2015 SER Convention!

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The Empire Division is holding a business meeting November 23, 2013 at 1:00 pm at the Middle Georgia Model Railroad Club’s Planes and Trains Exhibit at the Museum of Aviation at Robins AFB. Planes and Trains runs from 9 am - 5 pm November 23 to December 1, except Thanksgiving. Free admission. For more information contact Empire Division Superintendent Bill Attaway at attawayw@mac.com

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The Wrecking Crew, a 100% NMRA club based in the Steel City Division, will host The Magic of Model Trains at Birmingham’s McWane Science Center from November 9th to January 26, 2014. Five layouts will be on display including the club’s LG&W and the Harry Potter Hogwarts layout which includes a replica of the castle. There will be a large scale train (on rails) that children and parents can ride through the science center's Winter Wonderland Exhibit that includes a zip line. It will be open 7 days a week 10 am to 6 pm Monday-Saturday and Noon to 5 pm on Sundays.

The Steel City Coupler – November 2013

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Western North Carolina Model Railroaders, a 100% club based in the Land O’ Sky Division, hosts the annual Asheville Train Show at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center Feb. 28th and March 1st, 2014. For more information visit http://www.asheville-trainshow.com

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Bob Beaty, MMR, reports that Joe Fiore's O scale layout the "Southern Keystone" Has been dismantled and removed from its basement location. Joe’s layout has been featured in many hobby magazines and videos. There are plans to display it at a later date in a new venue in downtown Birmingham. These plans have not been made public as of this date.

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Former Piedmont Division Superintendent Bob McIntyre passed away on October 7. Bob founded the Piedmont Pilgrimage layout tour program and held many other positions within the division over the years. He most recently served as Convention Chair for the Peachtree Express 2013 National Convention in Atlanta. Bob courageously battled cancer for eleven years.

Photo of the Month In the early days of railroading, cabooses were assigned to individual crews and, as a result, were changed at every crew change point. Labor agreements reached in the 1960's allowed cabooses to run-through to the end of the train’s journey (the exact date of this change seems to vary from railroad to railroad). Up until that point, the caboose was the conductor's second home. He always used the same one and many conductors cook and sleep there while waiting for trains to take them back from division points. As a result, these cabooses had a tendency to become a bit personalized by their crews. I have even heard of conductors having curtains and linoleum flooring installed in some cars to suite their taste and provide a taste of home while they were out on the road. This month’s image comes courtesy of David Coombs from the The Steel City Coupler – November 2013

Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum who ran across this image on shorpy.com. The shot was taken in January 1943 by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. Jack and his camera took a ride with a crew on the Chicago & North Western Railroad somewhere between Chicago and Clinton, Iowa. See the image in it’s original size here: http://www.shorpy.com/node/16322?size=_original#caption to take a look at the detail seen in this shot. Obviously, the crew has taken the idea of personalization to heart with the addition of a multitude of pinup cutouts, a framed picture just above the stove, a C&NW company calendar, and a chalked up note denoting the first snowfall of the season occurring on September 25th 1942 at 5pm which sandwiches a sign denoting “Dining Car in Opposite Direction.” Until next month…... – Jason PS: I’m always on the hunt for interesting photos to use. If you have one you would like to volunteer for future use (either vintage or present day), please let me know.

The Steel City Coupler – November 2013

Timetable Piedmont Pilgrimage Layout Tours Saturdays & Sundays, Oct. 12 thru Nov. 23, 2013 Atlanta, GA http://www.PiedmontPilgrimage.com

The Magic of Model Trains November 9th to January 26, 2014 Open 7 days a week 10 am to 6 pm Monday-Saturday and Noon to 5 pm on Sundays McWane Science Center Birmingham, AL Five layouts will be on display including the Wrecking Crew’s LG&W and the Harry Potter Hogwarts layout which includes a replica of the castle. There will be a large scale train (on rails) that children and parents can ride through the science center's Winter Wonderland Exhibit that includes a zip line.

North Pole Express Fridays, Nov. 22, 29 Dec. 6, 13, 20 at 5:00, 6:30, 8:00 Saturdays Nov. 23, 30 Dec. 7, 14, 21 at 5:00, 6:30, 8:00 Sundays Nov. 24 Dec. 1, 8 at 5:00. 6:30, 8:00 Sunday December 15 at 5:00, 8:00 Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum Calera, AL http://www.hodrrm.org/ (For Tickets and Event Information Call 205-757-8383. Tickets are not available at the museum's office.)

The Great Train Expo Saturday & Sunday, Nov. 23 & 24, 2013 North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross, GA

Santa Special Saturdays and Sundays from November 30th through December 21st at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm Santa rides the train with you! Tell him what you would like for Christmas as he poses for photos. Each child will receive a Christmas gift! Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum Calera, AL http://www.hodrrm.org/

Smokey City Rails Train Show Saturday December 7, 2013 9 AM to 4PM Door prizes every hour. Admission is $6 for adults and children older than 12 years. Admission for children 8-12 years is $2. Children under the age of eight years are admitted free. Pelham Civic Center Pelham, AL

Piedmont Division Train Show Saturday & Sunday, March 15 & 16, 2014 Cobb Galleria Centre Atlanta, GA Steel City Division Meetings for 2013: 1/17, 2/21, 3/21, 4/18, 5/16, 6/20, 7/18, 8/15, 9/19, 10/17, 11/21

Steel City Division Officers Superintendent Assist. Superintendent Secretary Treasurer

John Stewart (vacant) Jason Parham Carey Ketchum

205-989-4889

jstew@bhamrails.info

If you can receive your “Coupler” via e-mail, you can help save printing costs. Send your e-mail address to

205-534-6529 205-871-5495

gmo1515@comcast.net cketchu1@bellsouth.net

gmo1515@comcast. net

The Steel City Coupler – November 2013