JANUARY, 2005 NEWSLETTER
HAPPY NEW YEAR
FROM the CLRC OFFICERS and DIRECTORS
LOOKING BACK FROM THE
2004 OBSERVATION CAR we can see
that it was a very busy and productive year for the CLRC. In January the club
participated in the first Ace Hardware Two-day Train Extravaganza. The club's
Board along with some members began to actively seek a permanent home. During
February, March and April regular run-meets were held in Proksa Park in Berwyn,
IL. In May we participated in the First Annual Homewood Railroad Heritage Day
in Homewood, IL. June was the month for our annual club picnic, which included
our 10th Anniversary celebration, at Illinois Live Steamers. July was a busy month with participation in two national
conventions – LOTS in Cincinnati, Ohio, and LCCA in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
*****
While all of this was going
on the Board members were reconsidering their interest in a condo conversion
unit and began following up on a new building located southwest of Chicago. In
addition club members manned a table at the Great American Train Show (GATS) at
the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL once a month. September was the
month in which the CLRC purchased a building to house their permanent layout in
New Lenox, IL. October saw our participation at a Boy Scout Railroad Merit
Badge Jamboree in Berrien Springs, Michigan, and at the Second Annual Reach-out
at Wal-amp near DeKalb, IL. In November the first Board meeting and the first
run-meet were held in the new clubhouse. Finally, during December the club
participated in a Second Ace Hardware Two-day Train Extravaganza on Chicago's
northwest side. The annual Christmas party was held in conjunction with Proksa
Park and the Berwyn Park District. Mid-December saw the first, open-run session
for members at the new clubhouse, where the entire modular layout was set up
for their enjoyment.
*****
Kudos to the individual
members who moved the trailer to and from these locations, who set up and took
down the layout, who assisted young people to run trains on the layout, who
answered questions of interested adults, who put in hours of preparation for
the events to occur particularly in regard to the new clubhouse, who support
the club by the purchase of club cars, who get the new club cars to you in a
timely manner, and who keep you informed of the club's activities through
various mailings and the internet. You are the ones who determined the success
of these events. You deserve a round of applause. (Clap! Clap! Clap!...)
We hope you will patronize
the following shops whose owners
have been quite generous in providing donations to make some of these events
special:
Berwyn
Toy Trains and Models, 7025 Ogden Ave., Berwyn, IL
Chicagoland
Hobby, 6017 N. Northwest Hwy. Chicago, IL
Ace
Hardware, 3935 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago, IL
Trains
& Cars of Yesterday, 7923 W. Golf Rd., Morton Grove, IL
Bill's
Englewood Station, 9564-66 W. 147th St., Orland Park, IL
LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD
FROM THE CAB OF LOCOMOTIVE #2005
will find the club layout set up at the clubhouse in New Lenox for the next few
months. There it will undergo needed repairs and modifications. It will also be
there for members to run their trains. The following dates have been designated
as open run dates: January 8, 15, & 22, from 10 A.M. to 1 P.M. The quitting time is not written in stone if the person in charge can be persuaded to stay
longer. Remember there is no putting up or taking down. The full layout is
ready to run trains. Now is the time to run those big steamers with long
consists or those sleek diesel trains with long, heavyweight passenger cars.
Run TMCC or conventional. Run old or new. Run any manufacturer. At a recent
event, a set from the 1920's was running along side one released in 2004. Please
check the club website listed above for future dates.
VP and Membership Director
Rich Thayer would like to remind you that 2005 renewals are due. The renewal is $40 for a regular membership. You may
send your check made out to CLRC, Inc. to Rich at 16612 Tudor Lane, Tinley
Park, IL 60477-6322. Donations toward the permanent layout may also be included
and sent to this address.
BE SURE TO USE YOUR
MEMBERSHIP COUPON towards your
next club car purchase. There is still time to order your new "city" club cars.
The Southern Crescent "City of New Orleans" and the NYC "City of New York" are
$55.00 each plus applicable tax and shipping. (See below.) The Burlington Route
and Atlantic Coast Line operating boxcars are available at $67.95 each as are
the C7NW 3 bay yellow and green cylindrical hoppers for $59.95 each. The
Illinois resident sales tax is 6.5%. Shipping is $6.00 for the first car and
$3.00 for each additional car. There are some CLRC GP-20 locomotives available
for $250.00 plus $10.00 shipping and applicable tax. Check your PSE for a
special combination purchase of GP-20 and C&NW hoppers. Orders may be sent
to the Chicagoland Lionel Railroad Club, Inc. at 20701 N. Raphael Avenue,
Prairie View, IL 60069-9608.
YOUR INPUT IS NEEDED!
Layout Chairperson Swav Kojro
is requesting your ideas for the club's permanent layout to be built at the
clubhouse. The last two pages of this newsletter are a questionnaire which he
would like you to use to submit your ideas and/or preferences. Please take a
few minutes to complete the survey. Send the completed form to Swav Kojro,
12817 Artesian, Lemont, Il 60439-7760. THANKS!
