Operations Update
By Jack O'Lexey
Trainmaster / Crew Caller
The April callboard was a marker for the future, maybe a turning point in the Museum. For the first time in a couple of years we had a full callboard, including a trainman, scheduled for each trip. All of the spots have been filled by our volunteers except for eight new positions that will need to be filled when fire season heats up. We will need to find the people to get this done. We want to be able to have two people on a speeder following each train. That was the only position on the callboard in April we did not fill, but fire season had not started yet. March was more of the same with low fire hazard and the callboard looked good. If indeed we have turned the comer this is in part because of the hardworking people who devote time to operations each month.
Roger Challberg is shown here with some of our young passengers on one of our school trains that are run during the week. It's hard to get crew for these special trains but we seem to manage somehow and it's essential to show the younger generation what trains are all about. We all got messed up on trains at a young age and we need to get the next generation in line to take care of the collection when it's time for us to be replaced.
Randy Houk, Photo
We have one group who usually only works once day a month, but they come all the way from Los Angeles. They have quite a drive to get down here, and yet with gas prices still high they showed up to work the train. Robin Becker, Brian Sampson, Tony Neece and Tommy Batts. We have others who work three times a month such as Don Getz, Randy Houk, Dave Houk, Dick Pennick, Larry Hieshetter, Bob Nickles, Roger Challberg and Jim Lundquist.
Jim Lundquist returned to service in January, as did Jim Poloreneo in March, followed by Dick Ruppert and, of course, his wife Ann Ruppert has been working once a month as a trainman for sometime. Jim Baker returned to conductor and engine service last year too. All of our volunteers are important even if they only work every other month. Frank Stites recently working to restore the RPO car has now started working as a trainman and simply asked me to give him two Sundays each month. Then some can only work twice a month Like Don Pope but he's willing to work speeder, brakeman or Conductor.
Our newest Brakeman / speeder operator, Seth Miller, worked six times last month mostly as a brakeman. Trainman Trisha Cates, Bruce Semeslberger, and Bob Howard sometimes can't work every month but are still needed and appreciated. Bob Schussler helped get some of the following people instructed recently to do walking tours on top of their regular jobs. New brakeman in training who will also be qualified as speeder operators are Darrel Bivans, Michael Paulns and Jerry Reed.
Everyone works together, some can put in a lot of time, and others once a month but every person is all-important to keeping the trains rolling. Right now ifs no trains, no museum! Few will go to Campo if there are no trains running. You folks you are all part of a turning point for the better for operations and the Museum. At last we are doing all of it ourselves!
The Extra Mile Department
One of the least desirable chores at Campo, but one that has to be done regularly, is mucking out the toilets and giving them a good cleaning. Larry Rose has done it several times but perhaps the extra mile award this time goes to his wife Tanya who not only requested to go to Campo to spend the day cleaning the toilets and shower, but she did it on her birthday! She also donated a large supply of TP and paper towels and vacuumed the bunk room, (AKA the Rat Nest!) a task not for the timid!
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