Volume 66 – Issue 4 1 April 2026
From the Brass Hat
The pollen is definitely out, so it must be spring around the railway museum. While the pollen can be annoying, it did not stop volunteers from cleaning the yellow stuff off of the seats and getting the train ready for Hop into Spring, our first major event last weekend. Thanks to some social media assistance from Juli Buker and great weather, we had an excellent turnout with over 900 visitors for the two days. Tom the Easter Bunny had a workout waving to all of the children. It was a successful, safe event and everything ran smoothly. A big thank you to the volunteers who helped make it happen, especially the last-minute decorating crew. A couple of guests took the time to send us their pictures. Great publicity for NCRM!
I also would like to thank Dennis Winchell, Kevin Edwards and Brandt Wilkus for conducting the March operating training class. Several existing, and some new (thank you for joining us) crew members turned out the training on the newly revised rulebook. It’s been said several times, but if you have a yellow rule book in your possession, it should be archived and the only the new Green Book used. All operating crew members need to attend at least one training class per year. If you missed March, others will be conducted. Look for announcements in the Telegrapher and via email.
Later this month on April 25th, we will be hosting Working on the Railroad Day. This is a chance to showcase railroad heritage and educate some of our younger visitors about how railroads actually work. There will be demonstrations of track work, locomotive tours and more. This type of event takes a lot of volunteers to pull off successfully. Thank you to all who have already agreed to participate, but we can definitely still use some more help. Please reach out to Juli Buker for volunteer opportunities. I hope to see everyone there. Let’s make this a success– it is the type of event that promotes our educational purpose as a museum.
Speaking of educational purpose, on March 25th we hosted a consulting team from Media Dynamics of Waukesha, Wisconsin who will be working with the museum committee volunteers to design two new exhibits for the museum, Locomotion – The Power to Move, and Voices from a Golden Age, Learning from our Technical Heritage. Once completed within the next couple of years, these two exhibits will add interactive exhibits and boost our education offerings for children and families. These were partially funded with a grant from the Federal Institute of Museums and Library Services. Jim Jatko recently sent out an informational newsletter with more information about these exciting projects which will significantly add to the visitor experience at the museum. For more information and to learn how to participate in the effort contact Jim for details.
Finally, in news about other projects, the Engine #17 restoration has (I won’t say picked up steam) made some significant progress. This is exciting news about an important asset to the museum which brings us a lot closer to the eventual return to operating condition, “on a Tuesday” as Mike says. Recent work has taken place on the running gear, boiler prepping for new flues, mechanical lubricator, air compressor among many other projects. Contact Mike MacLean for more information.
A lot of good things are happening around the railyard. Help be a part of it. That’s all for now, as always, thank you to everyone for what you do for our museum.
-John
John Morck, President, NCRM
Get to Know a Member – by Tom Hutchinson
Name: Chris Bowman
How long have you been a member? Since November 2025
Where are you originally from? Winston-Salem, NC
What was your job in real life? Electrical Engineer with a found passion for new product testing including software verification. The majority of my career was spent working in wireline and wireless telecommunications with Northern Telecom, Ericsson, Sony Ericsson, and CREE Lighting.
Where do you live now (City & State only)? Apex, NC
Any family…Spouse, Kids, grandkids? My dear Wife Rhonda of 35 years and one adult son Casey
How did you become interested in trains? Many summers as a child I enjoyed short trips to Tweetsie Railroad.
How did you learn about the New Hope Valley Railway? Driving by about 25 years ago we stopped in and later took our son on several train rides at NHVR.
What has been your favorite activity at the New Hope Valley Railway? I’ve enjoyed the hands-on activities so far working to restore a caboose and Pullman car.
If you do not receive the operating crew calls, please contact the crew caller Kevin if you are interested in participating in train operations! We need all the help we can get to keep the trains running safely.
New Member Orientation – by Dennis Winchell
The next New Member Orientation session will be offered on Saturday, April 11, 2026 from 10 AM to Noon. It will be held under the covered area behind the Dispatch Office, [AKA “the Gazebo – ed] and includes a tour of the NCRM property along with some of our ongoing projects. The New Member Orientation session is intended to share information about our history, bylaws, policies, how to get information, who’s who, and most importantly how to get involved as a volunteer (and have fun). This session is open to those who have been members for up to 2 years. This is not a substitute for the Rules and Safety Training sessions necessary to get involved with train operations [scheduled for 14 March 9AM at the Gazebo – ed]. The next orientation session will be scheduled for some time in the Fall. If you are interested in attending on April 11, please RSVP to Dennis Winchell by Saturday, April 4.
Working on the Railroad Day – April 25 | Volunteers Needed! – by Juli Buker
Our Working on the Railroad Day event is quickly approaching! Taking place on Saturday, April 25, with trains at 10:30am, 12:00pm and 1:30pm, we’ll have a full day of hands on, educational exhibits open from 9:30am to 3:30pm. We hope that this will be a very popular event, and we are working to get local media coverage to get the word out.
We need your help to make this day a success! In addition to all the usual ride day roles (parking, Garden Railroad, Gift Shop, Train Crew, etc.), we need volunteers to staff our exhibits. Fortunately, we’ll have Honor Students from Green Level High School assisting, but we still need our members to pitch in. The best part? All exhibits are ready to go, and the roles we need help with require no special knowledge.
Here’s where you can help:
• Hand out maps and stamp cards / manage the prize table
• Railroads Reinvented: The Wheel!
• Hammer Time on the Railroad!
• Train Crew: Who Runs a Railroad?
• Track Tricks: Switch It Up!
We also need volunteers in the railyard to answer questions and guide visitors to the exhibits.
Come join the fun and help make Working on the Railroad Day an unforgettable experience!
Here is the Sign Up website
If you have any questions or need help signing up, please contact Juli Buker.
Welcome to new members Paul Keller, Joe Buker (Juli’s husband), Neil Bloom, Joe Mayconich and Destinee Thomas (and her family Gordon and Thurleen Thomas and Haisley Gibson). Current members, please welcome anyone you don’t know and make them feel at home. Explain what you do for the Museum and teach them how it is done so they get a feel for things. Start their training early!
Fairmont A5 Speeder Rebuild & Restoration – by Harold Boettcher
Several years ago, the North Carolina Railway Museum acquired a Fairmont A5 Speeder from Georgia, by way of The Handy Dandy Railroad in Denton, NC. For the last few years, it sat in the MOW Yard collecting dirt and rust. With our priorities being to get the Hi-rail truck, Trackmobile and Jackson Tamper back in operation, the
A5 speeder didn’t have any work done on it. Recognizing that our most valuable commodity as volunteers is our time, I decided to move the speeder to my home shop, where I had a heated and air-conditioned area to work and tools available within arm’s reach. 
This allowed me to utilize 2-3 hours on most days to work on the speeder. To date I have logged about 15 hours for disassembly and analysis. The A5 Speeder is an interesting machine due to the various parts used to assemble it. The engine is a Waukesha FC, 4-cylinder flat head, using a Zenith updraft carburetor. That is coupled to a T9-1G, 4 speed non synchronized transmission, similar to those used in Ford AA trucks. 
There is no reverse in the transmission. That is done in the rear differential via a manual shift lever. Braking is accomplished by cast iron shoes mounted to wooden oak blocks pressing directly on the steel wheels. These are manually applied by a bell-crank arm forcing the brake arms outward from a center point. Fortunately, most parts should be fairly easy to find, since the engine and transmission were used in many agricultural and industrial applications. Many parts are remanufactured for restoration of antique tractors and other equipment. In addition, there are companies and individuals that provide used parts for Fairmont Speeders. While the speeder currently resides in my shop, I am not the only one working on it. Paul DelBianco (sanders) and Paul Giordano (wooden brake blocks, wood from Scott Smith) have contributed to the project. As we move forward, there may be others who take part in this rebuild.
Stay tuned for future updates…….
Hop into Spring: A Fun-Filled Weekend! – by Juli Buker
What a wonderful weekend it was at the New Hope Valley Railway! Our Hop into Spring rides brought smiles, laughter, and a whole lot of Easter cheer to families from near and far. With 942 riders enjoying five rides over two days, it was a strong opening weekend for our 2026 season. Children (and adults!) were thrilled to greet the Easter Bunny, and our festive decorations set the perfect springtime scene. Guests joined in the “I Spy” game throughout the Garden Railway and along the tracks, spotting hidden surprises and soaking in the beautiful spring scenery along the way.
Every train ride was a hit, giving passengers a memorable adventure down our scenic route. Families shared special moments, photos were snapped, and laughter echoed through the woods, reminding us why this event has become a cherished tradition.
With three food trucks each day, there were plenty of tasty options to enjoy. Memory Lab also joined us on Sunday, helping guests capture the joy of the season with keepsake photos. Thanks to those who decorated and staffed the trains!
Recruiting New Members – by Tom Hutchinson
Dedicated volunteers are the life of our museum. And the more, the better. So, if anyone has any ideas for places that may be fertile ground for recruiting new members, let Tom Hutchinson know and help grow our membership.
For example, I attended the Cary Volunteer Fair on the morning of March 20 at the Cary Senior Center. Along with 30 other non-profit organizations, we had a table there to tell the North Carolina Railway Museum story. I talked to about 35 retirees and handed out about a half-dozen membership applications, so we will see if they bear fruit.
We also displayed our modular G scale train layout at a train show at the Herb Young Community Center in Cary on March 21-22 and will do the same at the Neuse River Train Show at the NC State Fairgrounds on Memorial Day weekend. I distributed over 150 schedule and information cards for the New Hope Valley ride season (lots of parents with kids) along with another half dozen membership applications at the Cary show. Our layout circled at right. It is all of our responsibility to bring new folks in…many hands make light work.
Don’t Forget the Gift Shop! – by Cindy Grau
One of our favorite attractions, at least for the kids and the railfans, is our Gift Shop. We are always receiving new items for sale from toys and wooden train whistles to collectable pins, shirts and a HUGE library of slightly used railroad books. We also have quite a display of historic North Carolina Rail-related memorabilia (courtesy of the late Tim Carroll) and a few other railrelated items from around the country and the world. Now, we have a bran-new sign, thanks to Marco Zarate! Please remember to recommend a visit to our shop at the end of each ride or when you welcome visitors to our parking lot.
Shhhh! Don’t tell anybody, but Gina does almost all her Christmas shopping at the gift shop!
From the Steam Crew – by Mike MacLean
Our contracted experts, Steam Operations returned to Bonsal February 26 to March 5. The plan was to weld repairs to water side of front and rear flue sheets, true up tube holes at the patch on front flue sheet, weld repairs to branch pipe(s), begin disassembly of steam chests to inspect valves, seats and related components and attempt to test operate the steam air compressor on air pressure. The branch pipes had some old repairs which were removed and will be sent off to get fresh, stronger repairs accomplished. [The branch pipes carry live steam from the boiler to the valves and pistons on each side – ed.]
The right-side steam chest was disassembled to inspect valves, seats and related components to ensure nothing is 
frozen, pitted, rusty, scored, or cracked. There is evidence that the valve has been running hot. It is uncertain whether this occurred prior to coming to Bonsal, at Bonsal while the hydrostatic lubricator was in use, or if there is an issue with the current hydrostatic lubricator. Matt Lindenmuth has volunteered to clean, inspect and test
the lubricator. Volunteers will disassemble the left side steam chest prior to SOC’s return in mid to late April.
All unlucky 13 holes in the front tube sheet were rounded at the patch and will all take ferrules for tubes. 
We will use steel ferrules on either end. The rear tube sheet requires additional finishing on the water side and we will have a final die penetrant check before tubes are installed.
The air compressor was tested on air successfully but required significant cleaning. 
The air check valves were found to be glued shut with carbon, but the reversing and control valves were ok, just needing cleaning.
Thanks to the volunteers who have been pitching in doing some hard, really heavy work (not to mention very hot in some cases) doing the portion of the steam rebuild that we are qualified to undertake. You don’t have to be a steam-qualified member to participate in this labor of love. Steam workdays are every Saturday at 9AM through April.
Around the Yard
From the Editor
Gina and I wish to thank you for the condolences and well-wishes upon the death of my father. He passed peacefully on 20 March after a very short illness. Your kind words of support were most helpful during a stressful time. We look forward to seeing everyone at the yard in May. You are the best!
Chris Tilley
