I just wanted to take this opportunity to mention that I attended the Association of Railway Museums conference in Odgen, Utah and had a fantastic time and learned a lot!. This was my first conference as well as my first time to Idaho, Utah and Nevada. I also experienced my first Casino and realized that I am not a gambler. This must be due to the fact that in my career I have only worked for non-profit organizations!!! I had the opportunity to meet people from various railway museums across the country and also visited two major railways – the Nevada Northern in Ely, Nevada and Heber Valley Railroad in Utah where Don and I met up with our friend Bob Mathis and shared Olympic ideas. (below)

We also visited Promontory where they drove the golden spike. This reenactment was quite the show and a highlight of the trip. I also participated in my first “run by” but my photo did not turn out and Don can explain why!!! (someone get their shoulder in it—Ed.)

I met some interesting people, made some great contacts, shared some stories and came back with some fresh ideas and different approaches. After visiting several of the sites I must say that our site is unique and different and I am blessed to be the General Manager. Our setting is of unmatched beauty and we are more than trains. We have been very creative with the development of our site and this has allowed us to attract a broader audience which we need in order to maintain our wonderful collection.

During various discussions, WCRA would often come up from others as a model and our workmanship has been noted by other railway associations. It was an honour to hear this. I also realized that we have a very large volunteer base who supports us immensely and I am so thankful for this as many others do not. The Heritage Park would not be what it is today without the support it has received from our members, donors and volunteers and this is greatly appreciated and noticed.

We will be hosting this conference in 2009 and the participants are truly looking forward to visiting the West Coast Railway Heritage Park. I hope to attend the conference next year which is in Pennsylvania.

As Sherry has noted in her comments, the ARM Annual conference was most beneficial and most rewarding to be part of. As a Director of ARM, I can say that I have benefited directly in the things I have learned from others in our field, and I can tell you that many of these learnings have been put to work at WCRA. I always look forward to sharing our experiences with others as well as listening to others as well. That is what ARM is all about—bringing best practices in all areas of railway preservation to the fore and supporting higher standards in all we do. Like all conferences I have attended, there were very worthwhile seminars as well as outstanding field visits. The field visits will be the subject of this article.

Monday, October 11—We are off and on our way, driving from Vancouver through Seattle and then east through Washington and Oregon and into Idaho, where Boise would be the first overnight. Next day, we continued southeast and into Utah, arriving Ogden just around noon. The host organization for ARM 2004 was Ogden Union Station, home to several museums including a railway museum, housed in the former Union Station building.

Ogden Union Station is the second building on the site, being built in 1924 following a fire that destroyed the original structure. It was a very busy station, seeing over 100 trains a day at one point from the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads. After lunch and a quick look around, we boarded the pre-convention tour bus headed for Nevada. Our overnight was at Wendover, a casino town where we had time to dine and try out the slots. (by the way, although Sherry notes that she is not a gambler, she did pretty well on the quarter slots!)

Wednesday, October 13—East Ely Nevada is our destination, and a good look over the Nevada Northern Railroad. This is a fabulous place way out in the middle of no-where—but most say it is the best preserved shortline railway on the continent. Imagine being left with the complete terminal, shops, yard, station (40 acres, 44 buildings), original locomotives (both steam and diesel) and rolling stock just as it would have been in the early 1950’s and that will set the picture. The line was originally built in 1905 to haul copper ore.

It’s a crisp and sunny morning as we arrive and step off at the station. A first glimpse casts the eyes to the sight of steam engine #93 (2-8-0, Alco 1909) at the coaling tower being readied for its excursion with us later this morning. In front of us, a yard full of old rolling stock—mine cars (the railway was operated in its last years by Kennecott), vintage snowplow and other equipment. To the west, there are shop buildings, behind the railway’s administration and dispatch offices building. #93 heads off west through the yard to the crew building and we meet up with our hosts and guide.

We are given our welcome and an outline of the day, and a safety briefing regarding our tour of the railway's shops. Off we go across the yard to the main locomotive shop building, a step back in time with its tools and machinery intact and used in the restoration and maintenance of the railway’s locomotive fleet. Two steam locomotives are in the shop—classic 2-6-0 #40 (below) is in the middle of major boiler work and is the current main project. Also in the shop, awaiting attention in the future, steam locomotive #81.

Back at the station, it’s time to board the train. We have engine #93, a pair of coaches, open car (built on a flat car), and caboose. We back out of the station through the yard eastbound to a switch which aligns us onto the bypass track—constructed to take the railway around the town instead of through its centre. Then ahead we go, and for the next hour delight to the sound of #93 working upgrade through the desert canyon scenery. The open car is busy on the lovely sunny day, and the coal cinders are real! At the top of the hill, a holdup is held with a gang on horseback while the train is being wyed for the return trip. The ride back repeats the route, but with the train drifting downgrade back to East Ely station. Then, it’s a long bus ride (four hours) back to Ogden where we check in to the hotels, and head to Union Station for the conference opening.

Thursday, October 14—A conference day with seminars in the morning and a field trip to Salt Lake City in the afternoon. A chance to look at Union Station’s rail collection (page 30) reveals a locomotive collection that is predominately Union Pacific, including steam—4-8-4 #833, Big Boy #4024, diesel electric with Centennial DDA40X #6916, Southern Pacific GP9 # 3769 and SD 45 # 7457, and a feature piece Union Pacific Gas turbine monster #26. There are also a few passenger and freight cars, a Union Pacific rotary plow and big hook. The afternoon takes us to the shops of the Utah Transit Authority (which operates the TRAX light rail system in Salt lake City), as well as to the Utah State Archives.

The ride back to Heber takes about two memorable hours, as #618 barks her way upgrade with great sound, smoke and cinders, heralding her hard work. We meet a southbound train half way, with a MRS-1 ex military diesel and consist for a Halloween run that evening. As we near the city, its time for a runby. Most of us get off and ready, the railroad and #618 put on quite a show (back cover) and—just for fun—does it a second time.

Saturday, October 16—Today’s highlight is a trip to Promontory, the site of the last spike on the first US transcontinental railroad. Again it will be quite a highlight—not that I haven’t been there before, but this time we will have a full reenactment of the driving of the last spike. After a morning of seminars, we are on the buses with box lunches once again. The drive to the Last Spike Historic Site takes a little over an hour. As we enter the grounds of this National Historic Site and approach the crossing, we are greeted by the two replica locomotives, both under steam, one each side of the road. As we cross between them, we are greeted with a whistle salute!

At the site itself, we gather and walk out front, then the Central Pacific Jupiter and Union Pacific #119 steam back towards us and do a live photo runby, smoke billowing and whistles blaring. (above) Quite a welcome! Over the course of the next hour there is time to visit the locomotive cabs, gift shop and hear the interpretive talk, then at 1400 hours its time for the actual driving of the last spike.

Costumed actors take their places, and the drama of this amazing event that took place back in 1869 is re-created. There are speeches, the telegrapher sending the news as it happens, and then the driving of the ceremonial spikes (there were four of them into a special ash tie) followed by the actual iron spike into a regular wood tie that completed the railroad. The simple word “Done” was telegraphed across the nation, with the participants raising their hats, to mark this great accomplishment.

The conference concluded Sunday with the business meeting, and that afternoon we headed home, arriving back Monday. As always, the conference was an opportunity to learn, to share, to reacquaint with others in the rail preservation industry, and to experience some of the best that rail preservation has to offer. Next year, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania will be the host—this writer can’t wait to get there.