Volume 65 – Issue 1 January 1, 2025
From the Brass Hat
Happy New Year! As I write this, it is still 2024 and I hope everyone had a good Christmas with family and friends. It was a time to relax after a busy and very successful holiday train season. I would like to thank everyone for a job well done. Especially this year’s Santa team of Paul Barth, Keith Rutledge and Tom Hutchinson. The hard work definitely paid off. According to our resident FRA statistician Dave Chasco, our total 2024 ridership for the Santa trains was: 6874 riders, by far the best 5 date Santa Ride December. The all-time record is 7,356 but that was with 6 ride days. This year we missed the record by only 482 with just 5 days. Gina Casselberry and Chris Tilley did an excellent job leading the decorating along with the Wednesday Crew and many other members.
Our Halloween/October was also our best at 4491. This is the second year in a row with Halloween attendance above 4000. During the season we sold 150 cabooses that brought in 1211 riders. The total number of riders for the 2024 season was 16,954. It was a lot of work, but we should be proud of the holiday numbers. This year I played Santa’s helper for a couple of ride days and heard firsthand the many compliments from visitors regarding our operation. Many of our visitors have made the North Carolina Railay Museum an annual tradition.
In April 2024, the museum celebrated a couple of milestones, our 40th anniversary in Bonsal and 120th on the original rail line. Attendees at the event included NCDOT officials, the mayors of Apex and Pittsboro, the NC Transportation Museum and others. It was good to see many longtime members come back to visit. The Mayor of Apex in particular had a lot of good things to say about NCRM. Events such as these raise our profile.
This past year also saw us implement some of the administrative changes adopted in 2023, begin to work on our strategic plan and complete some projects. Significantly, the truck swap for Caboose 308 was completed in time for Christmas, adding to our ridership. Engine 17 saw progress on its rebuilding and while a lot more work is needed, a plan is in place to push for completion. Diesels 671 and 1640 overcame Bonsal battery disease and reliably pulled our holiday trains. All in all, a good year with challenges to be sure, but we marched on. It was also good to see some new faces around Bonsal this year. I hope everyone will be able to attend our Annual Membership Meeting coming up on January 18th in Fuquay-Varina. See details in this edition of the Telegrapher.
Finally for fun, I found this photo recently while scanning old images. Christmas at Bonsal is a tradition that has been around for a while. I’m here with Santa Al Capehart December 4th, 1994, 30 years ago. Engine 67 was a major puller back then and #71 is still in primer. We’ve come a long ways.
All the Best,
John Morck
President, NCRM
Get to Know a Member
by Tom Hutchinson
Name: Gina Casselberry
How long have you been a member? Since April 2013 Where are you originally from? Alpena, MI (I’m a Troll)
What was your job in real life? Retired Utilities Engineer (Water & Sewer) for the state of North Carolina (and Army Reserve Major in an Airborne unit).
Where do you live now? Outside Pittsboro, NC (I can hear the railroad from my house)
Family? Married to Chris Tilley; 4 children- Patrick, Daniel, Tilley & Mikayla (also a life member)
How did you become interested in trains? I got involved with the NHV supervising the resurrection of the Witches’ Path via Mikayla. Over time, I have become interested in trains.
What is your favorite activity at the New Hope Valley Railway? I enjoy most participating in the Halloween and Christmas programs by creating new exhibits for Halloween and as the Flying Witch and Frostie. I also enjoy interacting with the customers as a car host and brakeman.
Join Us in Building a New and Fun 2025!
by Jim Jatko
Put on your best thermal underwear and come on down to Bonsal to build something new for the increasing number of visitors. At a Board of Directors meeting in August or September, while distressed about the slowness in early ticket sales for the Halloween and Santa trains, the outcry by several was, “Give them something new to see!” Whether hammering, shoveling, carrying, cleaning, painting, or just cheering others on, are you ready to build something important and NEW at Bonsal?
Rudolf, toy soldiers, and everything Christmas is put away, so now it’s time to get to work on something NEW for 2025. At the December Board meeting, those assembled came up with “new ideas” for things to do in 2025 – a Touch the Truck event for First Responders and Tow Truck Operators, a Scout Camping or Merit Badge event, Apex Day, Christmas in July, and Locomotive Cab Rides (for a fee); while revisiting another Military Appreciation Day, a Caboose Hop, and a whole Weekend of Thomas in the Garden. Yes, these kinds of events can and will be investigated, but these ideas add nothing NEW to the NCRM Show and Tell pursuant to the NCRM mission to EDUCATE future generations of the technological heritage of railroads. 
So, from our Strategic Planning and Ultimate Development Concept we have until April to:
• Coordinate with our contractor in the replacement of another 250 cross ties and a new turnout on our Main Line (there are always smaller areas of attention for NCRM volunteers.)
• Complete fabrication and installation of steel gangways between our excursion cars to facilitate crew movements and investigate electrifying the consists for better lighting and sound.
• Provide handicap accessibility to our primary museum cars and an electricpowered wheelchair lift for the Gift Shop – not to mention beginning construction of the platform and decking around the 1884 Goldston Freight Depot.
While it has been a while since NCRM volunteers have put down much new railroad track (as seen in NCRM Photo this photo from 2015), as part of a new exhibit called LOCOMOTION – the Power of Move – S.T.E.M Education Exhibits, opening the cabs of locomotives 67, 71, 75 and the Swift Premium Refer for visitors (for which a matching grant has been requested), an 80-foot section of panel track will be built to display railroad wheels, trucks and diesel engine components with appropriate educational information as shown below (the ramp and deck will come next year).
Join the NCRM Volunteers on the Wednesday Crew or other crews working on weekends or other days. There is work for everyone! See you there!
Introducing OAL Stories
by Victor Varney
The North Carolina Railway Museum, as we all know, is one of the few places in the USA where our visitors can operate a real locomotive. That said, very few of you may have had the chance to actually be on site to meet these very special visitors on OAL days. We don’t do crew calls for OALs like ride days so usually aside from two engineers we only have a couple more volunteers on site on those days. That means most of our members really don’t get a chance to meet our OAL visitors that may be local, but often travel from across the country or even from overseas.
These are some of our most excited and enthusiastic visitors to Bonsal. Just to hear their stories about why they wanted to visit and what they think after their OAL would warm the hearts of all our members. One of the more “interesting” OAL visitors was an elderly gentleman with a flowing white beard who visited us in the summer.
When he arrived, I greeted him to ask if he was here to Operate a Loco. He said yes and explained that he had just driven alone 10 hours from Alabama to get to Bonsal. We spoke again after his OAL session and he was thrilled with the experience. He mentioned that he had taken some videos during his OAL and said he would forward to us when he got home. As we traded emails after he got back to Alabama I learned that he is Fr. David Shoemaker, a Catholic Priest.
When I asked if he could share a little about why he wanted to visit us and his OAL experience here is what he shared:
Greetings, I am Fr. David Shoemaker a Catholic priest in Alabama. I have always had a love for trains, and I have enjoyed riding on trains, especially the two times I lived in Europe, because trains were my only source of transportation. The first time was 40 years ago when I was stationed in Germany with the Air Force and then 28 years ago when I was studying for the priesthood in Rome, Italy. As a priest I once created a Vacation Bible School program around trains, and I got to play the part of being the engineer, but I never thought that I would really one day sit in the engineer’s seat and actually drive a train. Until I came across New Hope Valley Railway about 6 years ago, and when I saw that they had the “operate a loco program”, I knew I would have to do it one day. As a pastor it is hard to get away for a weekend but over the years I would check the schedules for the program and see if I could line things up. Finally, by the grace of God, a retired priest offered to cover for my weekend, and I immediately booked the program. So I made the 10 hour drive to North Carolina and my dream came true. I have to say it was well worth the drive and a truly wonderful experience. I had a great time operating the loco and really enjoyed meeting the volunteers and other folks who were there to do the program. I will be using the experience as a part of my Sunday homily this coming weekend. I have to say to anyone who likes trains, you need to check out the New Hope Railway Museum.
God Bless Fr. David.
Here are two videos he also shared with us, a short and long one. These are the best OAL videos I have seen by one of our visitors while in the cab.
A little later he shared a link to a video of the Sunday homily where he mentioned his OAL experience.
Fr. David is only one example of our special OAL visitors. All are our most enthusiastic visitors. For many they are fulfilling a lifelong dream or checking off one of their most important bucket list items. Our OAL is special not only for the experience, but how it means so much to our OAL visitors. Next time we have an OAL day, come out and see! (Fr. David Shoemaker photo)
[Stay tuned for future “OAL Stories” – ed]
NCRM Membership Benefits
by Tom Hutchinson
As you renew your membership for 2025 (or in the case of Lifetime Members, enjoy another year of membership), keep in mind that last fall, when the Board of Directors approved changes to our membership structure, it also defined the benefits of each membership level. All membership levels (Senior, Student, Adult, Family, Silver Meteor and Lifetime) each year have the benefit of free train rides for the member and one accompanying guest on a space-available basis for regular season rides, excluding Hop into Spring, Halloween and Santa rides. Tickets for additional guests can be purchased at regular prices.
The Silver Meteor membership ($100 – new this year) additionally includes the choice of EITHER one family four-pack of tickets to either the Halloween or Santa rides plus a cab visit before or after the ride plus a behind the scenes look at the Garden Railway OR a one-year annual membership to the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS). NOTE: If you are already an NRHS member, you should continue your separate NRHS membership; otherwise, the membership expiration dates would be out of synch. Additionally, all current and future Lifetime Members get a 10% discount in the Gift shop and the choice of either one OAL or one family caboose ride on any ride (including special rides) at their option, if desired. The OAL or family caboose ride would have to be scheduled and may only be claimed once during the lifetime membership term. This is in addition to the benefits that a regular member receives.
All members of every category may attend the annual member banquet each January – this year to be held on January 18 (further information elsewhere in this Telegrapher). 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.
Annual Membership Meeting Info!
We are holding our Membership Meeting on 18 January 2025 at the American Legion Post at 1600 Johnson Pond Road, Fuquay-Varina, NC. The doors open at 10:30. We will have a silent auction again and the meal will be provided free for members.
Please RSVP (email Chris Tilley by clicking here) before 12 January.
Riding Aberdeen Carolina & Western’s Carolina Christmas Train
by Victor Varney
On December 17, over 10 NCRM members with their families visited the AC&W to ride their Carolina Christmas Train. This is the second year the AC&W has run these trains for the public out of Star, NC which is famous for being the geographic center of North Carolina. These are one-hour trains that depart Star and head south a couple of miles before returning. These trains use some of their fully restored passenger cars from the golden age of railroads. The consist includes a lounge car, a two-level dome car/diner, and two coaches, all in beautiful, well-maintained condition.
The motive power includes on the south end their GM E9 #103 painted in AC&W’s beautiful magenta and gold paint scheme. On the north end is EMD F9 #271 with a B unit behind in AC&W’s special paint scheme. For the Christmas trains they nicely decorate the inside of the passenger cars, too.
During the ride they serve hot chocolate and cookies. During the ride, Santa, Mrs. Claus, and an elf visit everyone in each car. Some of the cars may also feature singers, a visit by the Grinch and other entertainment. The AC&W was very accommodating to allow a group from the NCRM to book space together in the upper level of their Summit View dome car. They let us book our group and pay for tickets the day before tickets went on sale to the public back in August. This is about the only way to book a group on their Santa trains because once they go on sale, they sell out very quickly. The AC&W was more than happy to accommodate us because of our good relationship with them.
Aside from the wonderful ride on beautifully restored passenger cars and locos, the onboard entertainment, food and drink, the “highlight” of the ride was the light show. The AC&W equipped their Christmas train with laser lights that illuminated the trees and countryside with a wonderful multi-color snow falling effect along the ride. Black lights below the cars illuminated holiday themed signs along the ride, too. On the outbound ride, the train eventually stopped on a trestle with water on both sides of the train. That’s when the laser light show started timed to a Christmas sound track. All that can be said about the light show is WOW! 
When the train returned to Star, the passengers could see a park area decorated for Christmas with lots of lights and displays. Several food trucks were there, too. Where the train pulls in there is a large art gallery selling things from local artists and a restaurant. Please enjoy these pictures and make plans to ride this special train in 2025!
Around the Yard
