Meeting notes:

• Craig McDowall stepped down as the association president with the new incoming executive being: President: Grant Ferguson, VP: Ron Pajala (crossing the house from the Opposition), Corresponding Secretary: Bernie Tully, Recording Secretary: Bob Hunter and Treasurer: Gary Oliver.
• The court case against Terry Fergusson involving our Locomotive 16 resumes March 23rd
• All members were urged to write letters protesting passenger service cutbacks on BC Railway

• Our (WCRA’s) 19th annual Winter Excursions to Lillooet were a resounding success with 84 passengers on the Saturday trip hosted by that Dynamic Duo . . . Ron Pajala and Bob Gevaert. The Sunday trip carried 62 on five Budd cars. But on the return trip a large rock bounced down the hill at MP 91.7 (five miles south of Pemberton) and derailed the rear axle of the lead Budd. A crew was brought in from Squamish and brought up from Pemberton on the porch of SD40-2 #751 as it’s freight had been stopped at Pemberton behind us. We finally arrived in North Vancouver at 0050 hours the next morning !!
• Two BC Rail Budds were shipped to Vancouver Island for a tour of the line by Premier Bennett’s tour. They were RDC-1 (BC#11) and RDC-3 (BC#31)
• Shortly after BC Rail cut back passenger service on Feb. 16th, the Provincial Government announced it would pay BC Rail to restore service to “pre-cut” levels with $4 million set aside to improve and maintain current equipment.
• Amtrak’s Coast Starlight completed conversion from heritage equipment to the new Superliner equipment on the 1st of February. Skyline Travel expects to bring a full Coast Starlight consist to Van. to accommodate it’s Disneyland Spring Break Special this year.