Volume 64 – Issue 12.   December 1,  2024

From the Brass Hat
Happy Holidays.  This month’s article is a bit different as it is coming from someone other than Chris Tilley.   By now, everyone has either read Cindy Grau’s board election announcement or heard through the grape vine that we have selected some new officers for the board.  I am honored to have been selected to serve as President for the coming year.  I’ll be capably assisted by Kevin Edwards as Vice-President and fortunately, Rob and Cindy Grau will continue with the fine jobs they are doing as Treasurer and Secretary.    I look forward to working with the board and committee chairs as we work to fulfill the goals of the strategic plan.  We have a very committed group of individuals who have put a lot of time into the museum over the years. This organization has come a long way in the now 30 years I have been a member.  I‘m excited to see where it goes next.  For our new members, sometimes it can seem like work when you are riding your 17th holiday train, but it’s also very rewarding seeing happy visitors and I can definitely say long term friendships are created here.  

I went back and reread Chris’ last article.  I was amazed he had been 10 years in this role.  On behalf of the board of directors I’d like to thank Chris for his outstanding leadership and contribution to the organization.  He did a fantastic job and it will definitely be big shoes to fill.   He will not be going too far however, as I have appointed him to replace me as Operating Superintendent of the railroad.   

In other actions at the last meeting, the board approved Asset Disposition, Approvals of Expenditures and Financial Controls policies.  These straightforward documents will help the Treasurer keep our organization solvent by making expenditures more predictable and manage cash flow better.  The disposition policy will take what has sometimes been a confusing process for getting rid of stuff we don’t need and lays out a simple way to dispose of surplus. At the same time, it ensures that assets are reviewed by the board first before they are considered surplus. 

I’m also happy to announce that the museum received two grants from the Covington Foundation for $5,250 and $15,000.  These are to be used for the research necessary for a possible nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.  Such a listing opens the doors for access to additional grant funding. A big thank you to Jim Jatko for successfully applying for these funds. 

Finally, as I write this, Christmas train decorating has begun.  I hope everyone will be able to come out and assist with our largest revenue trains of the year.  As we know, it’s an all-hands moment and between Halloween and Christmas, we make the majority of our budget for the year which enables us to afford our projects.  Even if you can only come out for one Christmas train day, its appreciated.  

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving with their families and will have a Merry Christmas. 

John Morck
President, NCRM  

Whew, one down. How many more do I need to write Mr. Editor? 🙂 [23?  Ed]

Get to Know a Member
Name: Paul Del Bianc
How long have you been a member? Since January 2023
Where are you originally from? I am originally from Maryland but spent my married years in New Jersey and New York. 
What was your job in real life? I was in the window and door industry as a design and manufacturing engineer. I set up window manufacturing facilities in the US and a few other countries.
Where do you live now (City & State only)? Sanford, NC
Family?  I have been married for 38 years with 1 daughter and 3 grandkids. We moved to North Carolina from New York to be closer to the grandkids during COVID.
How did you become interested in trains? My daughter and I built an HO layout in the basement when she was 8, and when she was 12 all the trains were packed away. I knew someday I would build another layout.
What is your favorite activity at the New Hope Valley Railway?  I love the variety of things to do but probably one of my favorites is working on the different machines that support the railroad.   

It’s Membership Dues Renewal Time
by Tom Hutchinson 

If you have not renewed your membership for 2025, please do so before it expires on December 31, 2024 

You have several options to renew your membership for 2025. When you receive dues reminder from the system, it will provide you a link to access your membership record on-line, where you may pay your 2025 dues by credit card. Or you can mail your renewal check to NCRM Membership, PO Box 40, New Hill, NC 27562 … just remember to use the new 2025 dues levels and put a note on the “memo” line for the type of dues. Or you can pay your dues the good old-fashioned way in cash to either Robert Middour or Tom Hutchinson of the Membership Committee.  Check or cash can also be used if you do not have an email account and therefore did not receive this reminder. 

If you misplace the membership renewal reminder email from the system (or it went to your Spam folder and was deleted), and you wish to pay for your renewal by credit card, you can also access the membership system and pay your 2025 dues by clicking here which will direct you to access your member profile.

IF YOU ARE 60 YEARS of AGE OR OLDER…we have a new dues category this year, “Senior Member”. Dues for this category will remain at $20 annually. However, since this is a new dues category, when you renew, you will need to (1) Cancel the dues notice for regular membership renewal, (2) change your member profile to “Senior Member”, (3) renew your membership at the senior member dues level. If this is the first time you have accessed your membership profile, you will also need to set up/change your password. 

Does this sound too confusing or have you encountered problems?  Then just send your dues renewal check as before to the NCRM (PO Box 40) or contact Tom Hutchinson by clicking here. He will change your membership category from Individual to Senior for you so you can renew online as a senior member. 

As sometimes computerized dues renewals can be confusing, if you have any questions or problems please contact Tom Hutchinson by clicking here.

If you do not receive the operating crew calls, please contact the crew caller by clicking here if you are interested in participating in train operations!  We need all the help we can get to keep the trains running safely. 

Welcome, New Members! 
We are pleased to welcome the following new members this month: Velinda Chapman and Rylan Renski.  We extend our welcome to you.  Please attend the New Member Orientation and Rules Training coming up in the new year.  I know you will have fun working with us!  Please grab on to a veteran member and make them show you what they do.  If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me or one of the Board Members.  – Chris 

Garden Railroad Outreach Projects
by Tom Hutchinson & Jeff Portzer 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our garden railway volunteers operated a modular G-Scale layout and distributed literature advertising our Santa rides at the Neuse River Train Show in Raleigh on November 9-10. Randy Evers had an adjacent display of his John Deere-themed O-scale modular layout at the show.

We also had a display and distributed literature to the approximately 200 families who attended the Durham Mothers’ Club Fall picnic on November 3.

Member Gina Casselberry has shifted from flying brooms to nutcrackers.  Our new squad stands guard at the entrance to each passenger platform.

One of these soldiers failed to make the squad.  Can you guess which? (the overalls are traditional hickory stripes, not some modern zebra stripe pattern)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, it’s not a caboose with a “Carolina Squat” modification. Actually, several members were completing modifications required to retruck 308 with modern roller bearing trucks while the original “T section” Bettendorft trucks solid bearing trucks are being refurbished.

The pesky elves moved to the back of caboose 335 to escape the attention of the nutcracker soldiers.  They will continue to welcome our guests from this improved vantage point.

Gina Casselberry and Don Marshall test magnets to attach wreaths to steel bodied cars.  They worked well!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The big snowflakes got stronger magnets for a better “stick” to the steel cars.

President John Morck and Jim Meade discuss the placement of the red velvet bows so closely associated with Jim and the train car garlands.  A cold, windy Saturday in Bonsal Yard!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to everyone who came out on Wednesday and Saturday for the decoration blitz. We got so much done in those two days it defies description! Special thanks to everyone who brought food on Saturday and to Cindy and Anita for setting it all up. 
– Ed