August 24, 2007

Report No. 123

Work Session: August 9 -11:

Our August work session was highlighted by a visit to the Archives by Wick Moorman-Chairman, Steve Tobias-Vice Chairman, Danny Smith-Vice President Coal and Chris Neikirk from Norfolk Southern. This is another step as we work to develop a long-range position with NS for the development of the Archives Program. My sincere thanks and appreciation for everyone who came on Wednesday to help prepare the archives for the visit and for the great turnout on Thursday during their time at the archives. You helped make the experience a very favorable one for those from NS who attended.

Work continued during August on several fronts. The large format printer is back in service. Larry was able to catch up on the back log of orders for drawings. Great progress continues in getting the contents of the Holinger boxes organized and entered into the database. Contents of the four drawer file cabinets has all been processed. We are now focused on the boxes already in place on the shelving.

Our photograph collection continues to grow as another group of prints from the Bruce Meyer negative collection was added. As we create prints, the matching negatives are added to the negative storage in the fire-resistant file cabinet. Andrew is still labeling the slide collection; the number of which is very surprising to me. The filing/sorting of the Library of Virginia material is rapidly reaching a critical stage in terms of reaching a decisions as to how best to arrange for entry into the database.

On Saturday, September 8 th, Norfolk Southern is holding an Employee Open House at the Locomotive Shop. This is in connection with the celebration of the 125 th Anniversary of the Roanoke Shops. The Society has been invited to have a display during this event. Our display is being developed and will be ready on time. The event is scheduled for 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. This is another good opportunity to gain exposure for the Society to current Norfolk Southern employees. I have a list of those who have volunteered to help cover our booth. I will send a separate e-mail on the time assignments for each person.

Thursday Night Movies: We had another great “movie session” in August. Most of the time was spent watching track videos. We finally identified the tapes covering portions of the Pokey Division . There will be movies at the September work session. Expect to have more track videos to watch plus 1-2 train video tapes.

Next Work Session: September 6 - 8! Look forward to seeing everyone.

The Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc.

Archives Committee Report

July 27, 2007

Report No. 122

Work Session: July 12 - 14:

Attendance at the July work session was excellent with eighteen individuals participating during the weekend. The dedication and commitment of the archives volunteer group is tremendous and sincerely appreciated. I can comfortably state that the interest and support of our Archives Program by everyone involved is the envy of other groups with archives activities.

As we work with the collection, new levels of accomplishment continue to be reached. The July session found the slide count passing the 10,000 mark as we work to get them labeled and entered into the database. Added to the photographs on hand and the addition of the Bruce Meyer negative collection several months ago, we now have over 20,000 photo images at the Archives. As time permits, prints of the Meyer negatives are being made and added to the photo books.

July found two notable additions to the Virginian part of collection. An assortment of track maps was added providing views of the trackage at locations such as Page, WV and Victoria, VA. The Southern Railway Association sent along three new cartons of Virginian bid request files. These files are always interesting. We are very appreciative of their continuing to direct N&W and Virginian material found in their files to us.

Work is roughly 50% completed in the sorting and filing of the Engineering Department material acquired from the Library of Virginia. Each work session finds new “treasures” being identified. July was no exception. A large chart was found which shows the numbers of track maps for various sections of the N&W. This will be tremendously helpful as we work to organize this portion of our collection.

Good progress was again made in the “Holinger box” project as we organize the files, label the folders and enter the information on the contents into the database. Over 125 Holinger boxes have been completed to-date; each box containing an average of 10-15 individual files.

The number of visitors to the Archives during our work sessions at a steady pace. July was no exception. On Saturday morning, we were visited by a man whose father had worked in the N&W’s Roanoke Passenger Car Shops. He brought several interesting artifacts with him which he has loaned to the Society for display. The most significant piece is a drumhead from the rear of the Powhatan Arrow. While not certain at this point that it is one of two original drumheads used on The Arrow, it is nevertheless a very interesting item for display.

The only downside to an otherwise great weekend was the failure of the internal hard drive of our large format printer. The drive has been pulled for repair. We should be back up and operating at the August session.

Thursday Night Movies: We had a great “movie session” in July. In addition to a 16MM film on the Nickel Plate, Dick Kimball provided a Blackhawk 16MM film featuring N&W steam power. There will be movies on Thursday evening during the August work weekend. We will get back to watching some of the track videos in our files as well as 1-2 videotapes.

Next Work Session: August 9 - 11! Look forward to seeing everyone.

The Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc.

Archives Committee Report

June 29, 2007

Report No. 122

Work Session: June 7 - 9:

Next Session: July 12 -14!

June saw continued progress in a number of areas. The Library of Virginia material produced another valuable find in the form of the drawings for the coaling station at Williamson. We also made further progress in setting up files in Holinger boxes; preparatory to adding them to the archives database. The process of labeling our slide collection received additional attention. The extent of this portion of our collection has far exceeded the sense for its content. A number of slides from the archives were incorporated in a slide show presented on Wednesday evening at the Bluefield convention.

Because of schedule conflicts and preparations for the Bluefield convention, action on the filling of the engineering material(Library of Virginia files) was delayed. The time is rapidly approaching the time when some firm decisions will need to be made on how best to file this material and to capture the information in the database. Each session identifies drawings and documents of significance. To this point, it is not searchable on the database and needs to be.

The 2008 Society calendars have been received. The Classic version featuring black and white images is totally based on material found in the archives collection. Harry Bundy did a very nice job in editing the Classic calendar. As our image collection continues to grow, its value for Society publications also increases.

Thursday Night Movies: There will be movies on Thursday evening during the July work weekend. The program will feature several 16MM films; one of which will be on the history of the Nickel Plate. With the addition of the donated projector, our movie sessions offer great new and interesting content.

Next Work Session: July 12 - 14! Look forward to seeing everyone.

The Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc.

Archives Committee Report

May 25, 2007

Report No. 121

Work Session: May 10 – 12:

Next Session: June 7 – 9.

Our May work session was very productive. We also had a new volunteer join us; Ed Cake! Ed just moved to Roanoke from Florida. Welcome aboard, Ed!

We continue to make progress in setting up the Holinger box files and getting the information captured into the database. Our supply of boxes was depleted during the session. A new supply will be ready for the June session. The first section of shelving adjacent to the refrigerator is full. A new section which flows naturally from the first section will be opened in June. We now have over eighty cartons filled. Most have been entered into the database. Very helpful to have this information searchable.

Work on the Library of Virginia material continues with new, interesting discoveries during each work session. Drawings of the Virginian yard at Victoria were identified in May as were copies of the track maps of the Virginia Anthracite railroad from Christiansburg to Blacksburg. We are rapidly approaching the time when some firm decisions will need to be made on how best to file this material and to capture the information in the database.

Repairs have been made to the large format printer so we can turn out copies again. One large order destined for Sweden as well as several smaller orders were produced in May. During the time when there are no outstanding orders to be produced, the focus is on scanning the larger drawings into the system. The “G” size drawings are currently being done.

Thursday Night Movies: Our May movie time featured several 16MM films viewed on our newly acquired 16 mm projector. “The Power Behind The Nation”, a 1930’s film promoting the benefits of coal and the involvement in the industry, was the highlight of the evening. Now that we have the ability to show 16 MM films, future “movie sessions” will feature other films.

There will be movies on Thursday evening during the June work weekend.

Next Work Session: June 7 – 9! Look forward to seeing everyone.

The Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc.

Archives Committee Report

April 27, 2007

Report No. 119

Work Session: April 12 - 14:

Next Session: May 10 -12!

Progress continued in a number of areas during the April work session. With two persons focused on setting up the Holinger box files from the contents of the four-drawer file cabinets, this project continues to move ahead at a nice pace. Adding the contents to the database is already producing dividends in terms of more easily locating information. Another sizeable group of photographs was added to the Archives photo collection. The Bruce Meyer negatives provide detail views of N&W steam power not readily available in the typical photos found.

The “Friends of the Virginian” held a gathering at Altavista on the same weekend as our April archives session. The weather didn’t cooperate very well, but I’m sure the participants had an enjoyable weekend. We look forward to seeing them and getting a report at the May work session.

The Society Board of Directors will be holding a special called meeting at the archives on Saturday, May 5 th , to consider a proposed Five Year Plan for the Archives program. As we seek additional material for the collection, the need to more clearly define our view of the Archives program and to adapt a financial plan supportive of its mission is extremely important. With the Foundation poised to kick-off a fund raising campaign, it needs to have definitive sense of direction for its efforts.

Thursday Movies: The Thursday "Movies" are back on schedule for May. We now have a working 16MM projector..tested in April. Plan is to have several vintage 16MM films to watch including “Power Behind The Nation!”

Next Session: May 10 -12!

The Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc.

Archives Committee Report

March 30, 2007

Report No. 118

Work Session: March 8 - 10:

Next Session: April 12 - 14!

March archives work session…outstanding! The Library of Virginia material yielded a virtual flood of very interesting and valuable material during the March session. John Snidow and his crew turned up drawings of the original N&W Roanoke passenger built in the late 1800's, drawings of the addition made to the General Office Building in the early 1900's, a great linen drawing of the facilities at Island Yard and the trackage in downtown Lynchburg plus a number of sheets showing the addition of the second floor to the Virginian station at Victoria. On top of all of this, a large N&W system map dated 1937 was discovered which shows all of the stations on the N&W and the milepost for each. OK..John! You and your guys have a new standard for yourselves in terms of great material!

Work continued in a number of other areas during the weekend. Dave Stephenson and Andrew Williamson completed the inventory of the Nickel Plate mechanical drawings in our collection. The objective is to determine how many of the drawings relate to cars which continued in service on the N&W after the merger. Larry Hill is making progress in scanning all of the "G" drawings as time permits. In this area, we hope to get all of the larger mechanical drawings scanned. It will reduce the handling and make them readily retrievable for printing copies.

Our efforts to transfer the contents of the four-drawer file cabinets to Holinger boxes is making good progress. Skip Salmon and Rob Fisher focused on getting the boxes and files set up while Jim Blackstock worked on getting the file information into the database. We have already seen the value of being able to locate information in the Holinger boxes.

March found us adding a unique piece of video equipment to the archives. Steve Hutchinson from Winston Salem donated two Kodak 16MM projectors. One is in excellent condition while the second will serve as a part source. We know there are old N&W 16MM films round which we now have the capability of viewing.

Over the least few months, we have been working with Wayne McKinney at the Roanoke Shops in the development of a display celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Shops. The display was opened to employees and their families on March 22nd. I received an e-mail from Wayne to the effect that the display was well received. The response was so favorable that the display is being moved to the Franklin Road office building and will be on viewable there until early May.

Thursday Movies: The Thursday "Movies" session won't be done in April. Hope to resume in May.

Next Session: April 12- 14!

The Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc.

Archives Committee Report

February 23, 2007

Report No. 117

Work Session: February 8 - 10:

Next Session: March 8 - 10!

Cold, but productive. Hopefully, the weatherman will warm things up by March! Each work session sees further progress in developing the Society archives collection. The February session was no exception. Dave Stephenson completed the labeling of the file trays holding the large, rolled Virginian mechanical drawings. Great job, Dave! Dave also integrated a number of books received from Bob Bowers into the library. Shelving in this area, which was loaded with a variety of material, was cleared to accommodate our growing library section.

Jim Blackstock and Andrew Williamson continue to work on the image collection. Jim added an additional 75 Bruce Meyer photographs and negatives to the collection while Andrew continued in his efforts to label all of the slides. Larry Evans, Louis Newton and Aubrey Wiley processed a number of additional cartons from the Library of Virginia material. Each session produces new "treasures" from this source. One of the drawings found during February showed a proposed realignment of the track from Blake to Bluefield along with the addition of a third track. One can only wonder at what the railroad would have looked like if some of the proposed changes in track structure had actually been followed through to completion.

Thanks to Bob Bowers and Larry Evans, the lighting in the warehouse is much improved. Bob and Larry installed a number of new florescent tubes and made a number of repairs to the fixtures.

One of the challenges brought about by the receipt of the Engineering Department drawings in the Library of Virginia material has been that of filing. Unlike the mechanical drawings which have symmetry in size and are numbered, many of the engineering drawings lack numbers, the sizes are irregular and the subject of the drawings can vary widely. After studying the situation with an eye to their entry into the database, Ron Davis has suggested that we file them by width and that we create a numbering system unique to this group of drawings. We will re-visit this question at the March work session before making a final decision.

Getting the engineering drawings entered into the database represents another challenge. By the time we are ready to begin this process, most of them will have already been filed. Looking to avoid the additional work of handling them again, the most appropriate solution seems to be to do the data entry at the cabinets without removing the documents. To facilitate this approach, Ron Davis and Roger Link have set up a laptop computer with database software and a wireless link which will permit its use anywhere in the building.

Aubrey Wiley joined us for the February session. Aubrey is noted Virginian enthusiast and it was a treat to have him join us at the archives. He worked with Larry and Louis in processing the Library of Virginia material. He also brought along copies of a number of newspaper articles about the Virginian as well as a copy of a Virginian timetable missing from our collection. Many thanks, Aubrey! Hope you will consider becoming a regular at the monthly work sessions.

The flow of visitors to the archives during our work sessions continued in February. Wayne McKinney and three other supervisors from the Roanoke Locomotive Shops came on Friday. We were able to identify several other items for use in the Roanoke Shops "125th Anniversary Display" that is being developed.

February also found two C&O Historical Society members coming for a visit. Mac Beard is the new Director of Development for their archives. Rick Tabb is involved with the management of the C&OHS facility in Clifton Forge. They were particularly interested in our monthly archives work sessions and the progress we have been able to achieve in developing the collection.

Thursday Movies: Plan to attend the "Thursday Movies" in March. We'll get started, as usual, at 4:00 PM and will bring in pizza with cookies for dessert. Our February session included a time-lapse DVD showing the re-build of a GE locomotive by the Roanoke Shops. Wayne McKinney made this available to us. We also viewed a videotape featuring the turbine locomotives of the Union Pacific and slides from the archives collection!

The Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc.

Archives Committee Report

January 26, 2007

Report No. 116

Work Session: January 11 - 13:

Next Session: February 8 - 10!

The January archives session saw another strong turn-out by our volunteer group; 19 workers during the weekend. I know from conversations with people involved in other groups that we are envied in terms of your dedication and commitment to the work at the archives. We had a special treat in that Ralph Coleman was able to get up to Roanoke for the day. It was really great to see him. He's been missed by all since the un-timely loss of his wife during 2006. Ralph brought along his collection of Norfolk and Western passenger timetables for inclusion in the archives collection. He's has been working on this for a number of years. It includes timetables dating back to ones from the N&W Railroad in 1880. Many thanks, Ralph!

Lots of progress made in various areas during the weekend. Skip Salmon and Landon Gregory completed the filing and labeling of the Virginia "A" size mechanical drawings. Jim Blackstock added another large group of Bruce Meyer negatives and prints to the photo collection. Dave Stephenson has completed the re-organization of the larger Virginian mechanical drawings and will have labels for the pigeon-hole drawers in February. Roger Link completed the set-up of a new computer equipped with Adobe Photoshop software. We are now in a position to scan and print copies of archives photographs; in-house. John Snidow and his crew continue to process the material received from the Library of Virginia. New treasures are found at each session.

One area we where we are starting to gain momentum is in the cataloging the contents of the Holinger boxes to the database. The first phase involves the removal of files from the four drawer file cabinets, placing them in acid-free file folders, adding numbered labels and placing them into Holinger boxes. A second step in this process adds data about the contents to the database. To-date, work on over 20 boxes has been completed. While this is a small amount, the benefits of having this information in our computer system have already become evident.

Several months ago, we were contacted by Wayne McKinney; a supervisor who works at the Roanoke Shops. The Shops will be celebrating its 125th Anniversary in early spring. Wayne is in the process of creating a video about the history of the Shops. Since the initial contact, Wayne has visited the archives on several occasions. We have provided copies of photos and drawing. Louis Newton searched the N&W Magazine collection and copied articles related to the Shops. The NS Public Relations Department, in a supporting effort, is producing a display for placement in the Shops during the celebration. Kyle Davis, who is based in Norfolk and involved in the development of the display, visited the archives on Friday; both to get a grasp of what we are doing and also to determine what we might have that would be pertinent to the display. Much like the Norfolk Southern Museum project, this affords us still another opportunity to demonstrate to the company the value to it of our Archives Program.

Each archives session finds a growing number of visitors coming to our facility for a variety of reasons. The January session was no exception. Probably the most notable was a Saturday visitor who works for an engineering consulting firm based in Richmond. Her firm is engaged in the preliminary study of the tunnels on the Pocahontas Division; preparatory to the start of construction on the Heartland Corridor project.

Thursday Movies: Plan to attend the "Thursday Movies" in February. We'll get started, as usual, at 4:00 PM and will bring in pizza with cookies for dessert. Our January session was very enjoyable with additional roadway footage being viewed. Included on the program for February will be a DVD provided by Wayne McKinney at the Roanoke Shops. It is a time-lapse video showing the rebuild of a GE locomotive at the Shops.

Next Session: February 8 - 10!

The Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc.

Archives Committee Report

December 29, 2006

Report No. 115

Work Session: December 7 - 9:

Next Session: January 11 - 13!

Attendance at the December archives session was outstanding with 19 volunteers participating. Jim Brewer joined us for this session. Landon Gregory, one of Skip Salmon's Virginian friends, came with Skip on Friday for a day of archives work.

We had several visitors at the December session. The Roanoke Shops is preparing to celebrate its 125th anniversary. Wayne McKinney, a Training Supervisor at the Shops, is working on a DVD for the event. Working with Louis Newton and others, Wayne gathered information from our files for possible use in the creation of the video. Additionally, Bill Meyers, a NS/N&W retiree visited the archives on Friday at the invitation of Louis Newton. Bill will probably be joining us at some of the future work sessions.

December saw much accomplished during the three days. Dave Stephenson completed the filing of the remaining Virginian mechanical drawings. Andrew Williamson continues the task of labeling our slide collection. To this point, the count of the slides exceeds 6,200 with many left to process. Added to the archives photograph collection, we now possess over 15,000 photographic images. John Snidow and his crew made additional progress in breaking down the material received from the Library of Virginia. Filing the material is a challenge as the sizes and nature of the drawings varies greatly.

Both of our Atlanta based volunteers joined us; Harold Davenport and Dick Kimball. Dick brought along another batch of material related to the N&W and Virginian that turned up in the material at the SRHA archives located in Kennesaw, GA. This group included additional Virginian request-for-bid files and a number of N&W engineering drawings. We are most appreciative for the N&W/VGN. items provided to us by the Southern Railway Historical Association. December found us sending material south in the form of aperture cards containing drawings of Southern freight cars.

Thursday Movies: Plan to attend the "Thursday Movies" in January. We'll get started, as usual, at 4:00 PM and will bring in pizza and cookies for dessert. Our December session was outstanding. Louis Newton brought his 8MM movies of N&W steam. We also completed viewing the remainder of the roadway video of the line from Roanoke to Winston Salem. Slides from the Bruce Meyer collection were interesting. Several of these slides are probable candidates for the Society calendar program.

As we start the new year, my hats off to everyone who contributed to the work of the Archives Program in 2006. We are blessed with a unique and dedicated group who volunteer their time, expense and efforts to the development of our collection. My sincere thanks for all that you do.

Next Session: January 11 - 13!

The Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc.

Archives Committee Report

November 24, 2006

Report No. 114

Work Session: November 9 - 11:

Next Session: December 7 - 9!

For me personally, it was good to get back to work at the archives after missing the October session. Progress continues in getting the remaining Virginian drawings captured on the database and filed. Dave Stephenson advises that the data entry is complete. The "A" and "B" size sheets have been sorted and are ready for filing. Work remains in sorting the "C" and "D" size drawings for filing.

The "Thursday Movies" session was very interesting. John Snidow brought his photos of the removal of the N&W H-1 hoppers which have been sitting on a trestle in south Roanoke for many years. Three of the cars are now sitting at the Transportation Museum. They are in surprising condition given their age and the length of time that they were exposed to the elements. We also viewed track films of the line to Winston Salem. Covered the tracks from Roanoke to the first parts of North Carolina. It was very educational. How many knew that the Winston line curves back north on itself before making another 180 degree turn to continue south?

Great News! We have acquired the N&W and Virginian negative and slide collection of the late Bruce Meyer for the archives. It's approximately 4,000 images. Bruce was retired from EMD after a long career. He visited the archives in 2005 with Bob Hundman. Some of his excellent shots of N&W steam power have been published in various rail magazines.

Thursday Movies: We will resume our schedule of "Thursday" movies during the December session. We'll get started at 4:00 PM and bring in our usual menu of pizza. Intend to have some of the Meyer slides for viewing. Louis Newton has also promised to have some 8MM movies of N&W steam power for our enjoyment.

Next Session: December 7 - 9!

The Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc.

Archives Committee Report

October 29, 2006

Report No. 113

Work Session: October 12 - 14:

Next Session: November 9 - 11!

Many thanks to Dave Stephenson and Gordon Hamilton for covering the archives during my absence in October. My wife and I had a very enjoyable trip across Canada on the American Orient Express; starting in Montreal and ending in Vancouver, BC with stops in Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Jasper. Saw lots of Canadian National freight trains during our trip.

Based on the contents of what Bob Bowers has given me, looks like the back-log of orders for drawings was cleared up in October. My thanks to Larry Hill and Larry Evans. Bob B. and Larry were also able to make the repairs to one of the lights in the center room and the front parking lot light. Great to have this kind of talent internally.

The Society Board of Directors will be meeting in Princeton, WV on November 3-4. There are several archives related topics on the agenda including a final review of "collections guidelines" for the archives and the design parameters of the web-site as it pertains to the archives. Looking ahead, the sense is that more material from the collection needs to be accessible on-line. A critical consideration is how to best accomplish this without having an adverse impact on income derived from the sale of copies of archives material.

Thursday Movies: We will resume our schedule of "Thursday" movies during the November session. We'll get started at 4:00 PM and bring in our usual menu of pizza.

Next Session: November 9 - 11!

The Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc.

Archives Committee Report

September 29, 2006

Report No. 112

Work Session: September 7 - 9:

Next Session: October 12 - 14!

September…another productive session at Salem Avenue. Each weekend spent at the archives takes us another step along in the process of organizing and developing the collection. John Snidow, Louis Newton, Skip Salmon and Dick Kimball continued to open and sort the material in the cartons received from the Library of Virginia. Tom Salmon was able to catalog the most recent group of Virginian bid requests provided to us from the SRHA archives in Kennesaw. Still another group of Virginian mechanical drawings were located so we still have a way to go to complete the entry of these documents into the database. Just when Dave Stephenson, Sam Conger and Jim Blackstock thought they'd seen the end of this project. Fortunately, all of the large Virginian drawings have been filed.

Over the last few months, Andrew Williamson has been placing numbered labels on the archives slide collection. To-date, the number of labeled slides stands at just over 4,500. Most of these have not yet been entered into the database. While Andrew will continue his efforts to label all of the slides, we will be looking to capture this important source of photo images into the database during the coming months.

Growing the archives collection of Virginian material has been a parallel goal to the expansion of the amount of N&W material in our possession. During the September session, Tom Salmon has provided us with a CD containing numerous photographs of Virginian locomotives and scenes. Included on the CD are scans of approximately 100 photographs; copies of which Tom obtained from the ICC archives in Washington. As time permits, I will print copies of the photographs for the photograph books. I have already done over twenty of the ICC photos and they are great. Many thanks to Tom for making this material available to our collection.

During the "movie time", John Snidow shared a collection of photographs he has taken of the N&W locomotives sitting at the scrap yard in South Roanoke. Also included were shots of the old N&W hoppers sitting on the trestle near the site of the locomotives. Over the years, there have been numerous discussions about how to save and preserve at least a portion of this equipment. Final disposition is still an open subject. John added a copy of the photo CD to the archives collection. We will at least be able to remember how badly deteriorated these pieces of N&W history have become.

September 8-9 found a gathering of builder plate collectors at the Hotel Roanoke for a meet. This event produced visits by John B. Corns, Jerry Jacobson( Pres.-Ohio Central Railroad ), Tom Aker and others. Hats off to Larry Evans for encouraging these folks to visit the archives during their weekend in Roanoke. This type of visitor moves around in railroad circles and will help spread the word about the work we are doing.

The Board of Directors of the Norfolk and Western Historical Foundation held a meeting in Roanoke on Thursday, September 28th. This was our first meeting since receiving final IRS approval of our tax-exempt status. The sole purpose of the foundation is the support of the Archives Program. Discussions focused on developing a mailing list, plans for a first mailing to potential supporters and expansion of the BOD. Bill McClure provided the BOD with an overview of the growth and development of the Archives Program. Bill pointed out that the Society archives is very unique. Only a very small number of rail historical organizations have a collection centrally housed and operated as we do. Most rail museums and archives of any significance are programs operated under the provisions of and support by local or state governments. In many respects, we are plowing new ground.

Thursday Movies: My wife and I will be out of the country from October 12 until October 21 so there will not be a Thursday movie session in October. Gordon Hamilton will open the archives at 8:00AM on Thursday morning. Dave Stephenson has agreed to "open up" on Friday and Saturday mornings. Dave is an early riser as I am so the building should be open no later than 7:30 AM.

Next Session: October 12 - 14!

The Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc.

Archives Committee Report

August 25, 2006

Report No. 111

Work Session: August 10 - 12:

Next Session: August 10 - 12!

Work progressed in a number of areas during the August session. The very large order for drawings received from Kohs & Company has, for the most part, been completed. We have 30-40 small drawings left to copy. When completed, this order will total over 850 sheets. Since January 1, 2006, we have produced approximately 1,300 copies of drawings with the resulting sales revenue of almost $4,000. The encouraging part is that we continue to receive orders on a consistent basis. Two new orders have been received; one for 11 drawings and a second for 53 copies.

Clearly, a critical part of the Archives Program is the acquisition of historical material related to the N&W and Virginian Railways. A second very significant element of what we do is in making the collection useful. Providing copies of mechanical drawings to our members is just one component. As the collection has grown, it has become a valuable resource in developing material for The Arrow. The article by Jim Blackstock and Bucky Wilson on The Big Sandy & Cumberland Railroad appearing in the July-August issue is the latest example. The August issue of Mainline Modeler Magazine contained 7 photos of N&W Class 2 stations with an appropriate credit given to the Society. On Friday morning of the August work session, I received a request for drawings from the Norfolk Southern Engineering department in Atlanta. Copies were made from our aperture card files and mailed on Monday morning.

The material acquired from the Library of Virginia continues to yield documents from the Engineering Department which are very interesting and expand the content of this portion of our collection. Work in August identified copies of valuation maps for the Kenova District and the Shenandoah Division. John Snidow, Harold Davenport and Louis Newton face the challenge of how best to file the drawings of various sizes and shapes. The sense is that a pattern will develop as work progresses.

An archives sales flyer accompanied the July-August issue of The Arrow. This was the first time since extra copies of N&W annual reports were offered that we made surplus archives items available for sale. In this flyer, employee timetables and N&W Magazines were offered. The response indicates that members can and will purchase this material. The intent is to continue with periodic offerings as surplus material is identified. This is one additional channel for raising the funds needed to operate the Archives Program.

One area of the archives which continues to grow is our collection of photographic images. During August, Jim Blackstock added another 150+ prints from the Dressler collection to the database. The count of photo prints now exceeds 7,000. Part of the Dressler collection contains prints smaller than 8X10 or 5X7. These photos, while smaller than what we usually handle, are significant in that many of them are of older N&W steam power. As time permits, these prints are being scanned and printed as 8X10's. Andrew Williamson continues to focus on placing numbered labels on the slide collection; preparatory to entering them into the database. The quantity of labeled slides is just short of 4,000 with a large number remaining to be processed.

Thursday Movies: August movies included a video provided by Larry Hill of North American steam locomotives and a slide show of steam locomotives from the collection of Harold Davenport. Movies are planned for September starting at 4:00 PM on Thursday afternoon.

Special Thanks! Throughout the spring and summer, Gordon Hamilton and Andrew Williamson have kept the grassy areas in front of and around the 2101 building and the brown rented building mowed and trimmed. In the same vein that the Society building was painted and a new roll-up door installed this year, the care of the grounds is an important part of maintaining the good appearance of the archives. We are very appreciative of the time and energy devoted to this effort by Gordon and Andrew.

Next Session: September 7 - 9!

The Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc.

Archives Committee Report

July 28, 2006

Report No. 110

Work Session: July 13 -15:

Next Session: August 10 - 12!

The July archives session was moved back one week from our normal schedule due to the of the dates of the convention. Jim Blackstock was formally presented with the 2006 Brakeman's Award for his service to the Archives Program. The award was made at the 2006 convention in Strasburg. Jim has been faithful in his work to develop the collection and very supportive of our preservation efforts. In July, he added over 150 additional photographs from the Tom Dressler collection to the database. Work was also begun to add the contents of the Holinger boxes to the database. Andrew Williamson continues the placement of numbered labels on the slide collection; preparatory top adding these images to the database.

Most interesting is the many new items identified as work progresses in breaking down the tubes of material received from the Library of Virginia back in December. Probably the most intriguing discovery was a 1952 drawing of a proposed low-grade line from Vinton to Thaxton which would have resulted in the by-pass of the Blue Ridge grade for eastbound N&W traffic. This group of material, while containing lots of mundane stuff, is also providing an encouraging number of very interesting engineering drawings. Many gaps in our collection of track maps are being filled in.

The full-format scanner/printer system is back in service. An up-dated version of the software has been installed and a faulty power supply has been installed in the printer. While some progress was made in reducing the back-log resulting from the system being down, we are still in a catch-up mode.

The 2007 Society calendars were introduced at the 2006 Convention in Strasburg, PA. Twelve of the fifteen photographs in the B&W Classic calendar and five of the seventeen shots in the all-color calendar came from the Society archives collection. Complimented by photographs made available by Bob Bowers, Harry Bundy, Ralph Coleman, Bill McClure and others, I feel that the 2007 editions are two of the best we have produced to-date. The archives collection now consists of 7,000 photographs and/or negatives. As evidenced by the new calendars, this component is a very useful resource.

Thursday Movies: A Thursday movie session will be held during the August archives session. Mark your calendar and plan on attending.

Next Session: August 10 -12!

The Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc.

Archives Committee Report

June 24, 2006

Report No. 109

Work Session: June 8 - 10:

Next Session: July 13 - 15!

SPECIAL NOTE - Mark Your Calendars: Because the Society annual convention will be held on our normal archives weekend (July 6 - 9), the July work session will be held on July 13-15! We will revert to our normal schedule in August with the session being on August 10-12!

The June work session was outstanding with 20 individuals giving time to the work of the archives. We were also blessed with an excellent slide show provided by Tom Salmon on the early days of the Virginian Railway. Tom has amassed a significant collection of very old photographs relating to the construction of the railroad, the people involved and the places where the Virginian operated. Fifteen people joined us for this edition of "Thursday Movies!"

Data entry was very productive during the June session. Over one thousand Virginian mechanical drawings were added to the database along with one hundred seventy photos from the Dressler collection. The archives database now contains over 71,000 records. Prior to the June session, it was felt that the only Virginian drawings remaining to be processed were the small "A" size documents. Two additional cartons of rolled drawings have been located in the warehouse.

A new phase of archives work is now under way. Material currently stored in four-drawer file cabinets is being transferred to Holinger boxes and placed in numbered file folders. Parallel to this process, the content of the folders is being added to the database for ease of access. The contents of all of the Holinger boxes will eventually be set up using this system. This is a very large task; probably larger than the effort required to catalog the mechanical drawings. As we progress, more and more of the information contained in our collection will be searchable using the database system.

Two other efforts are currently in progress. Andrew Williamson is focused on placing numbered labels on the slide collection preparatory to entering it in the database. This effort was started several years ago, but has lagged as we addressed other priorities.

While Andrew works on labeling the slides, Ralph Coleman is busy preparing the larger Virginian mechanical drawings for filing. Some of this material is badly deteriorated and getting worse. The plan is to scan these documents before filing in order to preserve the information.

The full format printer software failed during the June work session. We are working to determine the best option for getting the printer back on-line. We have a back-log of printing to be done so it is imperative that we get this problem solved before the July session.

Thursday Movies : We will not have a "movie session" as part of the July work session. "Thursday movies" will resume in August.

Next Session: July 13 - 15:

The Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc.

Archives Committee Report

May 26, 2006

Report No. 108

Work Session: May 11-13:

Next Session: June 8 - 10!

Also --Mark Your Calendars: Because the Society annual convention will be held on our normal archives weekend (July 6 - 9), the July work session will be held on July 13-15! We will revert to our normal schedule in August with the session being on August 10-12!

The cataloging and filing of our N&W mechanical drawings collection is complete. Ralph Coleman finished the sorting and filing of the "A" size drawings during the May session. Thanks to everyone who had a hand in this project. At some point, we will need to address the task of also capturing the content of the aperture card collection of N&W drawings.

Work also progressed in getting the remaining Virginian mechanical drawings entered into the database. There are more drawings remaining than originally thought as we have both "A" size as well as "B" size sheets to process. There are also a number of Virginian drawings which are currently legible, but flaking badly from being wet at some point. We will look to scan these sheets in order to capture the information before the deterioration completely takes its toll.

The next major project is to capture the contents of the Hollinger boxes into the database. The first phase is focused on transferring the contents of the various four-drawer file cabinets into Hollinger boxes. Individual file folders will be prepared for each group of material within a given box. This process started in earnest during the May session. Ron Davis is addressing the design of the database to accommodate this new group of information.

While the first steps are being taken to finally capture the boxed information into the database, work has also been re-started to catalog the slide collection. We have an estimated 4,000 slides of which just over 1500 are recorded in the database. Andrew Williamson is sorting the slides and placing file number stickers on those to be added. We have numerous duplicates so each individual slide has to be viewed carefully to eliminate duplication.

Up-Date: The new roll-up door has been installed in the warehouse. Painting of the exterior of the building was begun during the week of May 14th and should be completed by the June work session.

Each month finds Larry Hill spending his time at the scanner/printer system. The number of requests for copies of mechanical drawings has been significant since late 2005. Since January 1st, we have delivered over 400 sheets and have almost completed a large order for over 200 copies which we hope to ship at the June session. Each new drawing scanned is saved in the computer so that it will not have to be handled again; should a new request be received. With the completion of the pending order, the income, year-to-date, will be over $2,000.00. Looking ahead, we need another person who is willing to learn how to operate the system so that Larry does not have to carry the load alone and we can add Thursday to the time we have to produce copies.

The archives is now capable of producing digital copies in-house from our photograph collection. Roger Link was able to get the photo printer software installed so we're ready to go. Intent is to also load Adobe Photoshop software on the computer so that the images can be edited as required; once they are scanned for printing. With this new set-up being added to the archives computer system, we now have the ability to produce copies on demand, in-house for the majority of our collection.

Thursday Movies : We had a unique treat at the May "movies session!" Part of the time was spent watching a Norfolk Southern produced DVD which tells the story of how it recovered from Hurricane Katrina in the New Orleans area. Copies were included with their 2006 annual report. The 24 minute video provides a vivid account of what it took and how NS responded so effectively. Thursday movies will continue at the June session with more track videos and a slide show postponed from May. See you there!

Next Session: June 8 -10:

The Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc.

Archives Committee Report

April 28, 2006

Report No. 107

Work Session: April 6-8:

Next Session: April 6 - 8:

The April work session was another highly productive weekend with progress being made in a number of areas:

1. Shelving erected preparatory to transferring files now stored in file cabinets to Holinger boxes,

2. New section of flat files containing 30 drawers put in place; anticipating start of work to break down contents of Library of Virginian cartons,

3. EMD drawings relocated from cabinet in front room,

4. All of the large Virginian mechanical drawings entered into the database, ( Note: All that remains are the copy paper size drawings.)

5. Ralph Coleman made good progress made in preparing the N&W "A" drawings for filing,

6. Majority of the drawings needing to re-filed have been returned to the cabinets,

7. Large drawings order for Kohs & Company was inventoried by Louis Newton and Larry Hill; preparatory to the processing of the remainder of the order,

8. Several groups of recently donated material were inventoried.

** Special thanks to Larry Evans, John Snidow and Andrew Williamson for their hard work in setting up the shelving and flat file cabinets.

Looking to next several months, the Board of Directors has approved painting the exterior of the archives building. It's starting to look pretty worn. Some clean-up work is needed along the rear of the building before the painting starts as the vegetation has gotten away from us. The over-head door in the warehouse should be replaced during the May work session. This project is long over-due.

As the cataloging of the mechanical drawings part of our collection nears completion, a good portion of future work sessions will be directed to adding the contents of the Holinger boxes and the file cabinet folders to the database. It is also expected that we will now have the time to devote to organizing the engineering drawings ( Track maps, structures drawings, etc. ). The Library of Virginia material consists primarily of material from this side of the railroad. Lots of effort needed to sort and organize this group of material.

Thursday Movies: Another enjoyable "Movies" session at the April work session.

Dick Kimball surprised and delighted us with footage of N&W steam which he took as a young man. He also brought a DVD copy of a Southern Railway film dealing with the movement of a heavy coal train down the grade at Saluda. Very informative and enjoyable. Copies were provided for the archives collection. Many thanks, Dick!

Varying the contents of the "Movies" sessions to include more than just watching track films seems to be a good approach. For May, we'll have more track film and a slide show of Virginian and N&W material. Plan to join us for pizza and more scenes from the railroad.

Mark Your Calendars: Because the Society annual convention will be held on our normal archives weekend (July 6 - 9), the July work session will be held on July 13-15! We will revert to our normal schedule in August with the session being on August 10-12!

Next Session: May 11- 13:

The Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc.

Archives Committee Report

February 24, 2006

Report No. 104

Work Session: February 9 - 11:

Next Session: March 9- 11:

The February archives session was a busy one; especially for Larry Hill and the scanner/printer system. Over $350.00 in drawing orders were processed and shipped. Larry also continued to work through the drawings of the N&W Roanoke passenger station provided by Society Member Brent Stevens. Brent loaned us the copies in his collection in order that they may be scanned and copies made a part of the archives collection. It looks like March will again find Larry with a full plate again as we have received several new orders to process.

Work on adding the "A" size N&W mechanical drawings to the database is almost complete. Once finished, all hard copies of N&W mechanical drawings will be searchable in the database. Work is expected to begin at the March session in getting the "A" drawings sorted and filed. There remains a quantity of Virginian drawings to be prepped and added to the files. Andrew Williamson was able to "iron" a good number during the weekend so we have a quantity ready to enter. Cataloging the Virginian material is not as easy as the N&W due to the nature of the numbering system and lack of consistency in the size of individual sheets. Unlike the N&W system, the alpha suffix on each sheet does not necessarily correspond to a specific size.

There has been a nice flow of visitors to the archives during our work sessions and February was no exception. Alex Shust(Author of Gary Hollow), Dick Kimball and Mason Cooper joined us. Alex is working on his second volume covering the history of the West Virginian coal fields. Dick is recently retired from Norfolk Southern and lives in Atlanta. In addition to helping with the work during the weekend, Dick also donated a box of N&W material for the collection. It includes several very old N&W passenger timetables. He is also involved with the archives of the Southern Railway Historical Association in Kennesaw, GA so several boxes of SRR material were sent to them. Mason continues his research for his book on the history of the Pokey Division.

Consistent with our understanding with the Link Museum, the two displays of artifacts were changed out during the February session. We now have a display of lanterns and "Public Relations" material in place. The previous display consisted of dining car china and tableware. Bud Jeffries and Dick Kimball assisted me in re-setting the displays.

Jim Blackstock has been entering the Tom Dressler photo collection into the database in batches of 100-125 prints at each work session. All of the Dressler photographs are in the NW06000 series. Take a few minutes during a break and check out this latest addition to the archives collection.

One excellent piece of news since the February archives weekend is that the mortgage on the Salem Avenue building has been completely retired. We are debt-free. Purchased in 1999, the Society assumed a mortgage of $125,000 in acquiring the building. Just over seven years later, the indebtedness has been fully paid.

The support of the Archives Program by Society members has been outstanding. The financial contributions as well as the donations of material from personal collections have permitted us to move the program forward in a dramatic fashion. With this phase behind us, we continue to look forward. Growth of the collection will, at some point, require the acquisition of additional space. We have several capital improvements badly needed; namely the painting of the building exterior and the replacement of the overhead door in the warehouse. Contributions to the Building Fund remain an important source of monies needed for our operations. As always, donations of material are an important channel for growing the collection.

Initiated in 1999, the Archives Program is very unique. There are very few facilities of its type and size. Moreover, its development has been accomplished by a loyal group of dedicated volunteers and the funding generated 100% from internal sources. While there have been challenges as well as opportunities, progress has been steady and continual. New issues will no doubt present themselves in the future. We have a sound base from which to progress and an tremendous amount of development work to do related to the collection.

Thursday Movies: We did not complete viewing a tape of the roadway from Kellysville to Elmore at our last get-together. We will finish watching this footage on the Virginian and look to have tapes on the Pokey Division mainline for the March session.

Next Work Session: March 9 -11! Thanks for all you do to make the archives a success!

The Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc.

Archives Committee Report

January 27, 2006

Report No. 103

Work Session: January 12- 14:

Next Session: February 9 - 11:

Attendance at the first work session of 2006 was excellent with eighteen participants over the three day period. Larry Evans joined us from Kenova and stayed busy throughout the weekend. We are most appreciative for his donation of Kenova area track charts to our collection. While he may not be able to join us every month, he promises to return as frequently as possible.

There was much to be done at this session. One of the first priorities was to begin breaking down the Library of Virginia material as most of the aisles in the warehouse were clogged. The contents are packed in two primary formats…drawings in 4 ft. tubes while the files, books and notes are assembled in copy paper size cartons. After examining the options, John Snidow, Larry Evans and Ralph Coleman were able to position all of the drawing tubes on the top level of three sections of shelving in the center room. We will devote time in February to determining how best to house the remaining material.

During the December session, Gordon Hamilton constructed a frame made from PVC pipe to use in raising the cartons stored at floor level from direct contact with the floor. This was in response to two occasions when we experienced water leakage. The pilot frame appears to provide adequate separation in event of future water problems. Based on this evaluation, John and Larry assembled enough additional frames to convert three rows of shelving. Cartons were brought from the warehouse and were placed on most of these. There are still several sections of shelving without the frames. I hope we can complete this project in February.

Dave Stephenson reports that the entry of N&W mechanical drawings into the database is nearing completion. The remaining "A" size drawings should be processed by the March session. There is still considerable work left to be done with the Virginian material.

With the completion of the entry of mechanical drawings into the database, the capture of the contents of the Holinger boxes looms large. Ron Davis, Roger Link and I have had several discussions about the type of format to be used for the locator system. Ron is working to configure the Access software to accommodate this next step as we should be ready to start in the not too distant future.

Larry Hill and the scanner/printer systems were in over-load during the weekend. In addition to a large order for Class "A" drawings received from George Kohs, we had 2-3 other orders which needed to be completed. We were able to speed up the process somewhat by having the drawings pulled and made ready for Larry to scan. Ralph Coleman, Larry Evans and Sam Conger all helped out with this effort. The Kohs order was not completed which pushed completion of several of the other orders back until February.

The pizza/roadway video program continued on Thursday evening with eight attendees. The most interesting tape covered the tracks from Roanoke to Pulaski. Bud Jeffries served as our narrator as he is intimately acquainted with this part of the N&W. There will be another get-together on Thursday evening of the February session.

The Board of Directors and I have been working to create a set of operating policies and procedures for the archives. We've developed to the point where we really need to get things down on paper. Final review of the operating procedures has been completed. Work is in progress on an operating plan as well as "collection guidelines." ( Note: We really need to be more clear in what we will and will not accept for the collection; hence the collection guidelines.) The expectation is that these can be completed during the forthcoming meeting of the BOD in March. Copies of the operating procedures will be available at the February session.

Back in July, we added the Tom Dressler photograph collection to the archives. We have been steadily cataloging this group of photographs in the database. Jim Blackstock generally has 100 or so to enter at each session. All of these photographs are contained in photo books in the 6000 series. Some great stuff. Take a break during one of the work sessions to look through Tom's collection.

Note: We have just acquired over 500 antique postcards from the collection of Tim Hensley. The cards cover subjects on the N&W as well as the industries and communities served by the railway. Some very interesting stuff that offers view of scenes long past in the history of the Norfolk and Western.

Next Work Session: February 9 -11! Look forward to seeing you then!