RF&P Historical Society News

2nd quarter meeting 2005 date announced -- May 14th

We have reserved a room at the Salem Church Library in Spotsylvania County for Saturday, January 29th, 2005. There is a built-in projector for computer program presentations. There is an area that lends itself to having food delivered or set up. The room will be available from 9:00 to 5:30.

We plan to meet between 10:00 and 5:00. The 9:00 to 10:00 time can be used to set up displays, etc. and then the 5:00 - 5:30 will be for the clean up.

Lunch will be BYO or by local establishments between 12 and 1.

Agenda will include:

            A.  Adoption of Final draft bylaws from January 29
            B.  Collection of dues from those present to conduct further business
            C.  Filling officer vacancies to serve until the Nov 5 annual meeting
            D.  Slides, videos, etc.
            E.  Passenger cars  (CH)
            F.  Open Discussions
            G.  Remaining 2005 dates are August 20 & November 5

The closer we get, the more the displays/discussion subjects will be nailed down.

Once again, email Bill Sheild, wsheild@crosslink.net, if you are interested in attending the event.

1st meeting 2005 date brings 20 together, sees Mission statement adopted...

Agenda included:

            A.  Mission Statement (RM)
            B.  "Legal" Society Name (JH)
            C.  Draft of the By-Laws
            D.  Slides, videos, etc.
            E.  Passenger cars  (CH)
            F.  Open Discussions
            G.  Plan Agenda and date for next meeting

The mission statement as adopted by those present is as follows:

The purpose of the Society shall be to promote and preserve the history of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad through education, historical and technical research, preservation and modeling.

Joel presented a report on the legal status of the RF&P name and its marks, that they have been cancelled and that CSX has no right to them. The afternoon saw a thorough review of the draft bylaws, leaving the final draft as amended to be considered at the May 14 meeting.

Quarterly meetings were again preferred, and the remaining 2005 dates were booked at the Library location: May 14, August 20, and November 5th, with the November meeting being considered the "annual meeting" of record, with the intent of having the annual meeting in the 4th quarter.

2nd meeting 2004 a success!

We had reserved a room at the Salem Church Library in Spotsylvania County for Saturday, October 30th, 2004. We met early on, with Bill S. bringing his 18' of Fredericksburg today in HO, A rendtion of Doswell in Ntrak (Jim A.) and some O scale modules exhibiting O models with sound. Much discussion was had across the day. Craig H. as before wowed us with his knowledge of passenger equipment and operations. Jim M. led a discussion on what direction the group should head, and passed around copies of bylaws from a few other railroad historical groups. The next meeting was Set for January 29th, 2005, same time, same place. A committee was appointed to draft a set of bylaws for consideration at that meeting.

May 20th, 2004: Fall date announced for 2nd Live Meeting:

October 30th, 2004

We have reserved a room at the Salem Church Library in Spotsylvania County for Saturday, October 30th, 2004. There is a built-in projector for computer program presentations. There is an area that lends itself to having food delivered or set up. The room will be available from 9:00 to 5:30.

We plan to meet between 10:00 and 5:00. The 9:00 to 10:00 time can be used to set up displays, etc. and then the 5:00 - 5:30 will be for the clean up.

We have yet to decide on lunch plans, whether it will be BYO or we will have something delivered is yet to be determined.

The closer we get, the more the displays/discussion subjects will be nailed down.

Once again, email Bill Sheild, wsheild@crosslink.net, if you are interested in attending the event.

LIVE MEETING! -- May 1, 2004 -- A Success!

An early group met Bill Sheild at the Rappahannock chapter's cars, finally breaking up about 12:30 to get some lunch. A bunch of us stopped at Allman's BBQ on Route 1 in Fredericksburg, but this made us late to the Library with all the Route 3 traffic.

At the library, we had displays of photos, books, magazines, memorabilia and models, as well as a video and some slides. I forgot to count, but there were at least 18 people present, including two who travelled down from New Jersey for the day. We started off watching a video of RF&P action of the late 1980s. Craig Harrison wowed us with his knowledge of passenger equipment, and his travels trying to find out such equipment. Bill Sheild showed some slides he was given, among which were some color Steam and early S-2 shots, as well as other B&W steam. Bill also had made a transparency of the track layout of Fredericksburg "back in the day", as well as showing some slides of the area prior to CSX.

A discussion took place on where do we go from here? There was a strong feeling that a formal, incorporated society is long overdue, and that formality would help in getting more RF&P models & decals done, as well as allowing a banner to be used to obtain access to existing materials. It was also suggested that we meet twice a year, in a middle location such as where this meeting was. Bill Sheild will check on date availbitily for late October/early November and report back to the group. The group suggestion was a noon-12:30 start. There was also an interest in getting a newsletter started, but no one present was an initial volunteer to be editor. There was interest in contributing materials toward that end, however, and suggestions of reprinting long out of print articles within a newsletter format.

We appear to be picking up steam, so here's to a clear signal ahead!

GP35 #136 alive and well in Georgia -- thanks to a few contacts in Georgia, former RF&P GP35 #136 is seeing a second career on the Hartwell Railroad in Georgia. The Hartwell is operated by Great Walton Rail, who has kept the GP35 in its blue/gray, with side & nose logos. They have replaced the gold-seal decal on the cab, but little else. It retains its 136 number, and RF&P-era numberboards.

Listserv to move to Yahoogroups COMPLETE.

The move of the listserv from its old (PSU) host, where it had been since its inception in early 1998, to Yahoogroups is complete. The new address is: RFandPRR@yahoogroups.com. To subscribe directly to the new one, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RFandPRR/.

Intermountain has announced an RF&P offering in their new Pinnacle Series, a Pullman Standard 5277 cu. foot 50' boxcar. At this time, it is unclear how many numbers they will offer, but expect an October, 2004ish delivery. Guesstimated MSRP is around $32 per car. The thought is this represents cars in the 4000 number series on the RF&P.

Atlas has annouced a new run of their Alco S2 in HO, this time in RF&P #'s 61 and 65, expected for August, 2004 delivery. MSRP of around $90 per locomotive.

Their sketch is at this address: http://www.atlasrr.com/Images/HOLocomotives/hos2s4/RF&P.gif

LIVE MEETING! -- May 1, 2004

Announcing a live meeting on May 1, 2004, in and around Fredericksburg, Va. Main function will be bewteen 1:15-5 pm at the Salem Church Library in Spotsylvania County, with a slide presentation by Bill Sheild. We also have an open invitation to visit the Rappahannock Chapter's (NRHS) equipment that morning, among which is the former RF&P Caboose #905. The equipment is in the Spotsylvania County Industrial Park, just across Business 17 from Lees Hill and the RF&P main.

Other presentations are welcome as well. There will be Kodak Carousel projectors available. If your slides are loaded for a different system, you may want to bring your own projector.

Email Bill (wsheild@crosslink.net) if you are interested in attending. There have been more than 10 RSVP's so far.

Atlas has announced (April 21, 2003) for September release new N scale GP40's, RF&P #122 and 124, as well as no #, available with and without decoder.

(the image on their site is of the production HO model)

Major strides being made for RF&P fans -- Atlas has in the works cabooses #905 and 906 in N, HO and O, and SW1200's #81 and 82 in O The HO cabooses are 1997-1 and 1997-2, while the N are 30511 and 30512 respectively.

This offering differs from their first run, 1997, which was the 907, but also in these have the "linking" virginia map logo.

The O caboose comes in two rail and three rail versions, with the two rail being 7624-1 and 7624-2, and the three rail being 6624-1 and 6624-2.

Product images courtesy of Atlas website

The O scale SW1200 comes in three different verisions -- 2 rail TMCC, 3 rail TMCC, and 2 rail DC/DCC ready. List is 369.95, 369.95 and 299.95 respectively. Estimated June 2003 delivery. Again, image courtesy of Atlas Website.

Accurail is doing a USRA 55-ton two-bay hopper for the RF&P, model #2542. See their product page for more detail:

http://www.accurail.com/accurail/2500.htm

Denis Blake had a hand in this one.

Walthers indicates there is an Accurail #5713 due in RF&P blue, but Accurail's series page does not show such a model #.

Proto 2000 to do RF&P in two number combinations of an E8 A & B set, 1001/1051 and 1005/1055, model #s 30800 and 30801, respectively.

Also noticed today a new book out on the RF&P, titled "Ricmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac in Color". From Walthers item page, it is from Morning Sun Books, and authored by Jeremy F. Plant, Stanley Short and William G. McClure. http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/484-1093

Cover image from that page

Image courtesy of their website.

Mike's Train House Premier Line:

20-2318-1
Richmond Frederick & Potomac E-8 ABA Diesel Engine Set w/Proto-Sound 2.0 for SEPT. 01 Delivery. Expected list price $699.95.

20-6577
Five car ABS passenger set in O gage 3 rail: Richmond Frederick & Potomac 5-Car 70' ABS Passenger Set - Smoothside for SEPT. 01 delivery. Expected list price $299.95.

Thanks to Charles Smith, chsmith@telocity.com, for this head's up.

Atlas announces RF&P as one of their new roadnames due for October 2001 release of their GP-40. It will come non-dynamic, blue/gray, with the letters on the sides, white frame stripes, blue handrails and yellow step rails. Their sketch drawing on the release page suggests a mid-70s look. They are doing road numbers 122/124 and will also produce a version without a cab number.

They will come pre-equipped with an Atlas DCC decoder that can be easily converted between DC operation and DCC operation, and the MSRP is $129.95.

Some thanks is due to Denis Blake for his persistance in this effort.

Kadee's photo page. It's MSRP is $28.45.

Also, there is Kadee's #4306, RF&P car #2862, MSRP $28.95

A 50 foot version is recently out-of-stock at Kadee, their #6103, RF&P car number 2906. Its MSRP was listed $29.45.

Athearn is going to produce RF&P GP40-2's. No date has been given at this time but further details will be given as they are released. They will be as-delivered in 1972.

Many thanks to Denis Blake.

Richmond Caboose Saved

Russ writes:

I purchased the red wood sided caboose in Richmond and it will be hauled to my property in Chester, Va. next week. The county will not let me use it as an office, storage facility, or commercial income producing item. The only thing acceptable to the zoning ordinances in my (agricultural zoned) residential neighborhood is to use it as a recreational facility. Therefore, officially it will be a playhouse for my grandchildren. I had to pay $1275.00 just to ask permission to the county board of supervisors to place it. No guarantee they would say yes. But they did. I sought and recieved permission from all surrounding neighbors within a 3 house radius, contacted the crane company and will pay them $4500.00 to move it to Chester. The Richmond Travelland will be made into a parking lot within a couple to three years. The C&O locomotive there will be going to the Science Museum in Richmond. The RF&P Business (wood, steel covered) car is in jeopardy of being scrapped. It is a unique peice of equipment and we need to spread the word to try to find the funds to save it. The Old Dominion Chapter of the NRHS is interested in having it moved to our Hallsboro yard, but we lack the funds to achieve it. Any ideas? Thanks for all you do. Cordially, Russ Dolbear new (old ) caboose owner.

His email address has not changed. There is finally space for a mini-RF&P world in the McKeever house...

RF&P 4-8-4 series

RF&P 'General' 4-8-4 #551

Factory painted gray- boiler / cab roof; black- cab sides, running gear, tender, trucks, lettered, lights.

#551 - General Robert E. Lee - OMI #4546.1

#553 - General J.E.B. Stuart - OMI #4546.1

Sorry, but we misunderstood one of our photos and both versions (4546.1 and 4546.2) will be factory painted the same. Note the small round herald on the tender and no borders around the 'CAPITAL CITIES ROUTE' on the tender. Correctly detailed for 1949 era.

#554 - General A.P. Hill - OMI #4546.2

RF&P 'Governor' #601-606

Factory painted with gray boiler and cab roof, black domes and running gear, tender.

Road numbers available - #601 Governor Patrick Henry

#603 Governor Thomas Nelson

#606 Governor John Tyler

OMI #4547.1

RF&P 'Governor' 4-8-4 #607-612

Detailed and painted for the 1950's era, still with striping on cab sides and tender.

Road numbers available - #607 Governor Edmund Randolph

#610 Governor Fitzhugh Lee

#612 Governor Claude A. Swanson

OMI #4548.1

RF&P 'Statesman' 4-8-4 #613-622

Detailed and painted for the 1949 era. Some striping on cab sides, but omitted from tender. Note the large herald with striping around the outside.

Road numbers available - #613 John Marshall

#617 John Randolph

#621 Richard Henry Lee

OMI #4549.1

I think I saw the price range of these to be about $1200-1400.. a wee bit out of my price-range!

RF&P Listserv announced