Spring 2007 Vol. XXXV, No. 1

Messages from President Joe Petric... A huge "thank you" to all the members that have already renewed for 2007!  We have an exciting year planned for everyone, beginning with a very interesting and colorful publications schedule.  Also, is a sure to be memorable joint Annual Meeting with the Rock Island Technical Society occurring the last weekend of September.  These items combined with several never before seen projects and offerings will truly make 2007 a watershed year for the GM&OHS.

At this time, I would like to thank the members of the Publications Committee for the outstanding efforts displayed in the pages of Issue 114 of the NEWS which is enclosed with this mailing.  First and foremost, thanks to author L.N. Stouer for the in-depth look at the GM&O's RS2 (Issue 112-113) and RS3 (Issue 114) fleet.  It is a fascinating story and will be of interest whether you reside in former Alton territory or in the Southern Region.

Thanks and appreciation is also extended to the staff of the Publications Committee; Ken Donnelly, J. Parker Lamb, Marc Liberta, Art Richardson, Louis Saillard and Chair Dave Wagner.  Dave reported to me that everybody on the committee had a vital role in the production of this magazine whether it was providing photographs or slides, drawings or background information.  Well done guys!  It is great to see this kind of teamwork.

Just a quick reminder... The 35th Annual Meeting of the Society will take place September 28-30, 2007 at The Oaks Inn (formerly the Ramada Inn) in Burr Ridge, IL, a suburb southwest of Chicago.

We have a fan trip on Metra planned for Friday afternoon riding in on the Rock Island District from Joliet to Chicago and then returning via the Heritage Corridor (former GM&O line) to Joliet.  Plan your arrival early on Friday to take advantage of this special trip.

The Friday Night Hospitality Suite will feature movies and slides from both the GM&O and Rock "Island as well as a first hand video presentation from member Lane Venardos on the Ringling Brothers' circus trains.  All in all, something for everyone to enjoy.

Our Saturday Railroadiana Show will commence at 9am and run through 3pm.  We expect to have in excess of 75 vendor tables and both GM&OHS and RITS members will be able to display their models in the annual contests.  On Saturday afternoon, the Society will sponsor a visit to the Lake Shore Model Railroad Association where both GM&OHS and RITS members will be able to operate their own DCC equipped HO scale locomotives.  Saturday night will feature the Annual Meeting Banquet.

We promise you a great weekend whether you are a railroad enthusiast, memorabilia collector or scale modeler.  So plan on attending and bring a friend.  Further details and registration forms will be mailed with Issue 115 in mid-June.

Notes from Secretary Marc Liberta... Welcome to what promises to be an exciting year for the GM&OHS.  Thanks to everyone that renewed for 2007 in time to receive this mailing of the NEWS. We appreciate your promptness, which saves us from incurring additional mailing expenses.

That said, please look at your current mailing label.  Persons who indicated a desire to be included in our upcoming Members Directory (and over 200 of you have), will see a red 'Y' next to their membership number.  If you wish to be included in the directory there is still time if you are not so designated.  Contact the Secretary through the Society's mailing address to have your name added.  Ordering information for the directory will be included in the next issue of the Switchlist, and remember that only those persons in the directory will be eligible to purchase a copy.

Included with this mailing is a newly designed Membership Card.  To complete your card, please write in your membership number (found on the mailing label), in the space provided.  These new passes are also being provided to Life and Honorary Members.  It has been a decade since passes for these members have been produced, and with the new design it seemed like the right time to issue replacements.  We hope they meet with everyone's approval.

Publications Committee Report by Dave Wagner... Issue 114 is the first of three magazines for the year. My thanks goes out to the entire Publications Committee and especially Ken Donnelly who worked so diligently on the transition from his chairmanship to mine.

Thanks also to Mike Schafer of White River Publications who walked me through this first issue.  The last time I headed up this committee we were still pasting up columns of text and laying in screens for the pictures.  Eight years make quite a difference and the new improved look of the NEWS is a testimonial to that fact.

As many of you know, this is the third time around for me as Publications Committee Chairman, but this is the first time that I inherited a magazine on schedule.  It is quite refreshing and I am also able to report that we have a number of fine articles already in hand awaiting publication, which is enough to get us through the middle of next year.  But do not let that lull you into a false sense of security, we still very much need articles for the NEWS.

If you have any ideas on a subject, please put them down on paper.  A member of the Publications Committee will be glad to walk you through the research, writing and presentation process.  Think of it this way; If you don't write the story, who will?  Along those lines please allow me to tell you a true tale from a few years back.

In 1995, I was contacted by a gentleman living in Texas that had grown up in a small town north of Meridian.  His initial letter spoke about the Rebels, the long freights and the locals, as well as how they loaded pulpwood cars on the house track behind the depot.  He presented a very unique picture of life in a small GM&O Mississippi community in the mid 1950’s.  At the end of his letter, he said he wanted to see a story about his hometown.

I immediately responded requesting further information and asked him to write an article since his original letter already presented a great outline.  As I informed him, who better to write about his hometown than he?  A few days later I received a pleasant but curt response saying, "I don’t want to write about it, I just want to read about it".  To this day, we still have not done a feature on this community since we simply don’t have the knowledge or expertise to do the story justice.

The bottom line is that virtually every member has a story whether it is about a small rural town, a piece of equipment or an experience on a GM&O train or with an employee.  If you don’t sit down and write about your memories of the GM&O nobody else can do it for you.  Put it down on paper (or on a computer) and you would be surprised at the knowledge you could share with other members.  If you have an idea for an article, please give me a call at 773-581-4809 (9am-8pm CT), an Email at dpwagner236@hotmail.com or send a letter to my attention at the Society’s post office box in Marion.  Thanks!

2008 GM&OHS All-Color Calendar... The all-color Society calendar program, which was put aside in 2006 and 2007 due to insufficient sales, will once again produce a calendar, this time for 2008.  Advances in short run digital printing are allowing the Society not to be tied to big production runs, making this possible.  As a bonus, your 2008 calendar can be personalized with your birthday (or someone else special to you) within the appropriate calendar grid.  The 13-month calendar will cost $15.00 postage paid.  Look for a flyer to be enclosed with the Summer Switchlist in June.

Modeling Committee Report by the staff... Announcing GM&OHS#32, the MDT staged ice reefer.  The Society is proud to offer the 32nd kit in our long running line of accurate HO scale models.  GM&OHS#32 is the Athearn 40 foot staged ice reefer painted and lettered in the Merchants Despatch Transportation 9000-series white scheme.  The car is reefer white with oxide red ends and roof and a single red and blue stripe running across the bottom of the car.  All lettering is black including the GM&O winged logo.  The Athearn kit is 100 percent accurate with the correct length, door width, panel count, riveting and ends for the M6-type car built by MDT and leased by the GM&O from the late 1940’s through the 1960’s.

Only a handful of GM&O leased cars carried this unique scheme, which has never been previously offered by the Society or a major manufacturer.  This colorful car will look great in the yard, on the docks, or running in a GM&O banana train on your layout.  Three car sets are only $70.00 postpaid.  With a mere 60 sets being produced, don’t delay submitting your order!

MDT did not lease all of these cars to second party railroads such as the GM&O.  Due to this fact, the Society is utilizing the artwork created for GM&OHS#32 and is producing a supplemental three car set of MDT reefers in the white scheme in a non-leased version.  These cars do not carry the GM&O wings or any other logos on the right side of the carbody.  While not leased, these MDT cars did travel all over the country and up and down the GM&O.  We are making these cars available on the Society website for our modeling friends who model other roads that moved products with MDT cars.  Of course, any GM&OHS member wishing to order this set is welcomed to do so.  They will be priced the same as the GM&O set, but produced in much smaller quantities.  Ordering information for the supplemental set can be found at www.gmohs.org or send your additional order to the Society at P.O. Box 1753, Marion, IL 62959.

H0 Scale GM&O S040 Repainting Program...Using Your Kato S040 Shells...

Many of you were as dismayed as we were when Kato released their HO scale SD40 painted and lettered for GM&O a few years ago.  The color red that was used was incorrect, as were most all of the graphics, especially the nose herald.  Many of us purchased them because there was nothing else on the horizon as far as an accurately painted model of the 900 series "Big Reds".  Well, now there is an exciting alternative being offered to modelers with a burning desire to have correctly painted and lettered GM&O S040's on their layout.  The Kato S040 Repainting Program is open until October 1, 2007.  See the enclosed flyer for further details about this unique project.

Also enclosed with this mailing is a reservation form from Global Outlet Corporation of Chicago.  This document gives you all the details on acquiring the famous Ingalls Shipbuilding 4S turret cab locomotive, which is being offered in six versions.  The amounts listed are preorder prices and you must reserve now to avail yourself of these lower costs.  The units are expected to arrive in July 2007 from Ajin.  Contact Global Outlet direct at the address on the order form.

The Switchlist is a quarterly publication of the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Historical Society, Inc. and is provided as a benefit of membership.  The Switchlist is produced for the purpose of increasing communication between members and is edited, except where noted, by Dave Wagner.  Members with information suitable for publication in the Switchlist should forward it to; GM&OHS Switchlist, P.O. Box 1753, Marion, IL. 62959.