Volume 65 – Issue 4 April 1, 2025
From the Brass Hat
It’s pollen season once again. Which means it’s time to wipe down the seats for another operating season. With a successful opener on March 27th, we look forward to our first major event, Hop Into Spring, coming on April 12 and 13. This year, member Velinda Chapman has volunteered to step up to help organize the event. Thank you Velinda!
On March 23rd, we hosted a celebration of life and memorial train ride for Tim Carroll. The weather was perfect and the day’s events unfolded without any issues. The day was in equal parts moving, uplifting and offered attendees a chance to share a few jokes and remembrances. Tim, as we know, was involved in multiple organizations and all were represented. Well over 200 people attended. The day served as a reunion for his railroad family both NCRM and Amtrak, the Fuquay Museum and the Bearded Villains. In short, it was just the way Tim would have liked it and in fact, planned it as he had a big hand in how the event was to be organized. His sister Tammy and the family were pleased, and I think Tim was too.
A big thankyou to all the NCRM volunteers who showed up to help with this event. It was a great turnout! As I write this, I am attending a conference out of NC. At a reception today, I ran into a person who knew about the NCRM and thanked us for providing the Christmas trains for children. I’m always pleased and amazed by how far our reputation extends. While we always need to market ourselves, even to folks in the neighborhood, it’s nice to know we are also apprciated. Thanks for all you do for our museum.
And finally, we have a special election coming up for 2 board seats. April 26 is the deadline to submit your interest to Nominating Committee Chair Kyle Obermiller. Please let him know if you intend to run. Earlier is better, of course!
-John
John Morck
President, NCRM
Get to Know a Member
by Tom Hutchinson
Name: Dennis Blazier How long have you been a member? Since October 2014
Where are you originally from? My wife and I moved to Raleigh in 1970 from Pittsburgh PA due to a job transfer
What was your job in real life? I was a sales analyst/salesman for Unit Structures (Koppers Company) which designed and furnished laminated wood framing for churches, picnic shelters and pedestrian bridges.
Where do you live now? Raleigh, NC
Family? Married for almost 56 years with two fine Christian daughters and six grandchildren
How did you become interested in trains? My parents bought me my first Lionel train set around 1950, and I have been a Lionel and HO train enthusiast ever since. My wife and I have taken several excursion train rides (eg. Cass, East Broad Top, White Pass & Yukon and Durango & Silverton Railroads).
What is your favorite activity at the New Hope Valley Railway? I must have some artist blood in me for I have enjoyed painting several diesel locos, passenger cars, cabooses, the gift shop, the Goldston Depot and a few storage buildings, too. I also enjoy meeting new passengers on train excursion rides deep into Chatham County and back.
REMINDER – New Member Orientation
by Dennis Winchell
The next New Member Orientation session will be offered on Saturday, April 5, 2025 from 10 am to noon. It will be held under the covered area behind the Dispatch Office, and include a tour of the NCRM property along with some of our ongoing projects. The New Member Orientation session is intended to share information about our history, bylaws, policies, how to get information, who’s who, and most importantly how to get involved as a volunteer (and have fun). This session is open to those who have been members for up to 2 years. This is not a substitute for the Rules and Safety training sessions necessary to get involved with train operations, but we will explain how to attend those sessions, too. This will be the first of two orientation sessions offered in 2025. The next session will be scheduled for some time in the Fall. If you are interested in attending on April 5, please RSVP to Dennis Winchell or Velinda Chapman by Wednesday, April 2.
UPDATE – Special Board Election – Candidates Needed
by Kyle Obermiller
As published last month, with the passing of our dear friend Tim Carroll, we had a vacancy on the Board of Directors. Since last month, Board Member Nate DeWitt decided to resign due to health reasons. We now have TWO board positions open for election to complete Tim’s term through Fall 2026 and Nate’s position through Fall 2027. We are looking for qualified candidates to add to the ballot, with the opportunity to begin serving immediately. By joining the Board, you’ll have the chance to play a key role in decision-making, strategic planning, and advancing the NCRM for the better. Nominations will be accepted through April 26th and a special election ballot will be included in the 1 May issue of the newsletter (and hardcopy ballots will also be available), due on 1 June 2025. Applicants should specify if they are running for the one-year term, the two-year term, or both.
According to NCRM bylaws, any “voting member” at least 21 years of age and with a minimum of two years as a “voting member” is eligible to serve on the Board of Directors. If you’re interested in running, please send a brief 3-4 sentence write-up of your volunteer experience by clicking here. Thank you for your ongoing support of NCRM.
April is Autism Awareness & Acceptance Month
by Velinda Chapman
In 1970, Bernard Rimland, Ph.D. founded Autism Awareness Month in April to highlight spring as the time for new beginnings. The Autism Society of North Carolina (ASNC) Family Support Department has chosen the North Carolina Railway Museum as the place to hold an event for Raleigh Area ASNC Support Groups on April 26. The event begins at 1:15pm and lasts until 4pm, with a train ride at 2:00pm. Families, caregivers and autistic individuals are looking forward to exploring the museum and exhibits, and will be excited to meet and interact with our train crew and support staff. The party caboose for this event will be used as a calming room as needed. Each guest with Autism who needs support will have a family member or caregiver accompany them. NCRM members are not expected to provide care/support for riders beyond their regular duties and responsibilities; however, understanding and accepting individual behaviors may help us to be more comfortable being a part of their unique experience. In preparation for this event, ASNC Family Support Department has provided these optional educational resources to help us know what to expect:
Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew (short article, good review).
Autism 101 Webinar (detailed, 45 mins, sign up required)
Key takeaways from this film:
1. Use simple language
2. Use concrete terms and ideas
3. Speak slowly and clearly
4. Repeat questions and allow extra time for a response
5. Proceed slowly and give praise and encouragement
6. Don’t attempt to stop odd physical movements
7. Each person with Autism is unique and may act or react differently
The NCRM looks forward to welcoming Raleigh Area ASNC Support Groups, and to providing an enjoyable ride on the New Hope Valley Railway.
The North Carolina Railway Museum Needs You!
by Tom Hutchinson
While we appreciate all of our members, with the imminent start of our operating season we could use additional active volunteers around the railroad. You can spend as much or as little time as you want, but every little bit helps.
Among the opportunities are:
- Helping on our ride days as a train crew member (some positions need more training, but anyone can become a car host immediately), a parking lot attendant, a garden railway operator, checking in guests at the ticket window or selling our merchandise in the gift shop.
- If you are retired or have a flexible schedule, about 15 to 20 volunteers get together every Wednesday morning to mow the lawn, paint equipment and structures, maintain or repair our equipment and buildings, decorate for our special rides and about anything else you can think of to keep our museum in good working order. While some tasks require skills (such as engine repair), others just require a pair of hands and desire to help.
- About every 4-6 weeks, we typically have similar work sessions on Saturdays to supplement the work done by the Wednesday crew or to work on various special projects.
- There are some tasks that can be performed remotely, such as helping with our marketing or fundraising activities.
Additionally, if you have experience with Excel or with MS Access, we are looking for a way to track volunteer hours electronically using a simple form. One of our Board members, Jim Jatko, has been submitting numerous grant applications, many of which required or will require us to identify volunteer hours spent on restoration projects. An electronic method would be helpful. If you haven’t been an active volunteer in the past but would like to become more involved, including helping with the spreadsheet project mentioned above, please contact Tom Hutchinson, Membership Chairman and he can put you in touch with the appropriate work coordinator.
Welcome to new members Joseph Niedermuller, Nick Seavert and returning prior member Billy Rueckert (our former train announcer). Please make them feel at home! If you do not receive the operating crew calls, please contact the crew caller if you are interested in participating in train operations! We need all the help we can get to keep the trains running safely.
Help Wanted! The NCRM needs a new Food Truck Coordinator. The job involves calling local food truck vendors to determine availability/willingness and scheduling to come out to our special events. Contact Jim Whitten for details.
Garden Railway Modeling
Our Garden Railway Superintendent, Tom Hutchinson, recently had an article published in Trains.com on how to build a porch planter that incorporates an operating garden railroad. Here is a link to the article.
Around the Yard
March Rules and Safety Training Success
by Chris Tilley
The Rules and Safety Annual Training session conducted on 15 March 2025 was very successful! We had 28 crewmembers trained and 22 also took (and passed) the Rules and Safety Test. Bear in mind that each member of the Operating Crew (Car/Train/Head Brakemen, Conductors, Engineers, Signalmen, Dispatchers, Switch Tenders) are required to attend at least one session every 365 days in order to maintain Federal Railroad Administration mandated crew currency requirements. Rules tests are required every two years. If you don’t remember when you took it last, email Kevin and ask. An important addition was the training of several Dispatchers who will relieve the pressure on Victor Varney who has served as our primary dispatcher for several years. Cross training for the lower-density jobs will be a key factor in our future success! We will have several other sessions in spring, summer (at least one Wednesday) and just prior to the Halloween/Santa Trains. Those who fail to meet the training requirement can still serve as Car Hosts or other non-operating-crew-related jobs. My thanks to all who participated as trainees, trainers and assistants. Hop into Spring Setup on 2 April – Help Wanted – by Velinda Chapman Spring is peaking around the corner and that means our first special ride event is coming up! All aboard for Hop into Spring! The rail yard will be buzzing with activity to get ready for this event and we need your help. The decorating of the rail yard and trackside displays will be on 2 April and then applying any finishing touches on 9 April. The event will happen on 12 and 13 April. We’ll plan to take everything down on 16 April. For any questions or to volunteer for a specific task, please contact Velinda Chapman.
