Volume 66 – Issue 3 1 March 2026
From the Brass Hat
It’s beginning to look like spring is around the corner. After the bout of freezing rain last month, the railroad faired very well with no large downed trees to clear. We are thankful for that, but we do have some significant vegetation to clear along the right-of-way with some trees very close to the line. Work will be needed this spring top take care of that. Speaking of right-of way work, track maintenance continues. It is important that anyone (including me) working or needing to go down the down the line fills out a track warrant. If you will be working down the line, please remember to post a notice on the office door and report the line clear when done.
With 2026 operations around the corner, Rules and Safety has scheduled the first operating training class of the Season for March 14th. Look out for further information. All members wishing to be part of the crew must attend at least one training class each season. The newly updated rules test will be given at this time. Other activities continue around the museum and G scale as well. We are looking forward to a successful 2026 season.
Elsewhere in this issue, please take note of the request for help for decorating for Hop Into Spring which begins on March 18th. We still need a leader to help oversee this critical project. We also have “Working on the Railroad Day” coming up and need some knowledgeable members to step up to help with the development and manning of the displays/events.
That’s all for now, a big 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: Kevin Edwards
How long have you been volunteering? Since 2018
Where are you originally from? Born in Winston-Salem, raised in Yadkin County
What is your job in real life? I currently work as the Safety, Education and Compliance Manager for the NCDOT Integrated Mobility Division (formerly Public Transportation). I previously worked in EMS for 20 years, as well as in Private Security and Corporate Retail Loss Prevention.
Where do you live now (City & State only)? Willow Spring, NC
Any family…Spouse, Kids, grandkids? Wife Teresa (32 yrs); 3 daughters, 4 grandkids
How did you become interested in trains? I’ve always loved and been fascinated by trains. My uncle was a trestle and bridge inspector in Alabama/Georgia for Southern RR. I was always intrigued by the speeder that he carried around in the bed of his truck.
How did you learn about the New Hope Valley Railway? After moving here in 2017, my wife was trying to find things to do with our grandkids. She found the NCRM/NHVR. We brought the kids here in the summer of 2018. I started “hanging around”. Chris Tilley told me if I was going to be here, I might as well join…so I did!
What has been your favorite activity at the New Hope Valley Railway? I really enjoy working as an Engineer and occasionally giving Charles a break as Conductor, but believe it or not, I also enjoy doing the Crew Calls. It’s frustrating sometimes but I still enjoy it. I also find being an officer and serving on the NCRM Board of Directors very rewarding.
If you do not receive the operating crew calls, please contact the crew caller at Kevin if you are interested in participating in train operations! We need all the help we can get to keep the trains running
safely.
Hop Into Spring Decorating Lead — Urgently Needed! – by Juli Buker
No experience necessary, just a little creativity and a willingness to hop right in!
Hop into Spring decorating starts on March 18th and we are still looking for someone to lead the decorating efforts.
We’ve got all the decorations from last year and a handy guide showing exactly where everything went. You can follow last year’s plan or shake things up with a new design! Eggs need to go down the tracks for the I Spy game, but everything else is fair game!
Interested in spreading springtime cheer? Please contact Juli Buker to volunteer.
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 March9AM 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
After a ten-year break, “Working on the Railroad Day” is back and we need your help to make it a success! On April 25, visitors can explore exhibits from 9:30am to 3:30pm, with train rides departing at 10:30am, 12:00pm, and 1:30pm.
There’s plenty to do as we prepare over the next two months and we’re looking for volunteers to help. Whether you’d like to spearhead an exhibit or lend a hand bringing one together, your assistance is welcome. If you’d like to be involved in the planning and preparation stages, please reach out to either Juli Buker or Velinda Chapman.
We’ll also need extra help on the day of the event. Along with our regular roles of parking, Garden Railroad, ticketing, Gift Shop and train crew, we’re seeking volunteers to serve as exhibit guides and help with hands-on activities. It is crucial that we have additional members volunteer so we have enough people to support the ride as well as run the exhibits. Please mark your calendar and plan to join us in creating a memorable experience for our visitors.
This promises to be a fun, hands-on learning experience that supports our mission to educate current and future generations about the science, technology and development of America’s railroads, while preserving the heritage and impact of railroading in North Carolina and across the nation. Special guests will include North Carolina Transportation Museum’s mobile exhibits featuring lantern signals and telegraph/Morse code demonstrations, along with Operation Lifesaver and NC RailSafe who will help make the day even more engaging.
Your involvement helps make it all possible. Join us and help make this return event truly unforgettable!
Welcome to new members James Young and Alexander Pirhalla. 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!
Please Consider Volunteering – by Tom Hutchinson
At every communication to the public, we describe as ourselves as the “all-volunteer” North Carolina Railway Museum/New Hope Valley Railway. This means that if you are reading this, we need your talents at the railway.
Currently we are in “maintenance mode”… doing necessary repairs to our facilities, including the garden railway, in anticipation of our first ride on March 19. This is primarily being accomplished by our retired members who get together every Wednesday morning to work on the railroad. So, if you have your Wednesdays free, stop by and we’ll put you to work for a few hours. No special skills needed.
Our first ride is March 19, so watch for crew calls from Kevin Edwards (featured elsewhere in this Telegrapher). Some crew positions require training and testing (watch the Telegrapher for training dates), but others do not or can be trained on the job. You can be a car host, help Cindy in the gift shop, greet arriving guests inthe parking lot, operate the garden railway, help in the ticket office, or help Doc in the RPO. If you want to be a brakeman, conductor or skilled member of the train crew, attend a training session in the spring. We also need track inspectors to make sure our rails are safe before each ride day.
We need people to help on special days (“Hop Into Spring”, “Working on the Railroad day”, Halloween, Santa rides, etc.) either as docents or to fill additional positions on those days or to help decorate the property.
The Wednesday crew meets every Wednesday morning to paint, repair, etc. Soon, the rebuilding of steam loco #17 will move back into a stage where volunteer help will be needed by Mike MacLean.
There are jobs that you can do on your own, from home: help Juli with Marketing, help Jim Jatko with planning and museum curation, help Chris with putting this newsletter together, etc. There are many opportunities to match your interests to the Museum’s needs in addition to those mentioned here.
We even need folks to help mow our large property once the grass starts growing…and riding mowers can be fun.
What if you have further questions or want to get more involved? Please contact Tom Hutchinson and he can put you in touch with the right person.
Rules & Safety Training (and Engineers’ meeting) – by Kevin Edwards
The first iteration of the FRA-Mandated NHV Rules & Safety Annual Training will be conducted on 14 March 2026 at 9AM at the Gazebo. All personnel who serve (or want to serve) on the trains as Engineer, Conductor, car/head brakemen, signal operator or Dispatcher must receive the training once in every 365-day period. Rules Tests, required every other year, will be conducted after the class. Bring rulebooks (the new one with the green cover), notebooks, job Training Record books, and proper uniform for running trains (long pants, over-the-ankle boots, shirt, hat). If you don’t have the green rulebook, one will be issued to you. Additional training events will be conducted after the beginning of the normal operating season.
NOTE: all locomotive engineers will have a meeting after the training session.
Annual Membership Meeting Survey Results – by Juli Buker
Following the January 2026 Annual Membership Meeting, a survey was distributed to gather member feedback on what worked well, what could be improved, and any additional thoughts members wished to share. A total of 52 members responded, with 34 (65%) having attended the meeting. Among those who did not attend, 12 cited scheduling conflicts, two were unaware the meeting was taking place, and the remaining respondents noted distance or concerns about attending a large gathering during flu season. Feedback from attendees was largely positive. Eighty-five percent found the meeting helpful, with an additional 12% describing it as somewhat helpful. Regarding length, 44% felt the meeting was the right duration, while 26% thought it was too long. The venue received favorable reviews, with 88% rating it as either great or fine, and all respondents rated the food as either great or fine. Looking ahead, 85% said they would attend next year if available, and another 12% indicated they might attend.
Members also provided thoughtful and constructive suggestions. Several respondents noted audio and visual challenges, including difficulty hearing presenters and reading projected materials, particularly from the back of the room. Another recurring theme was the desire for presenters to have time limits and for meeting materials to be shared in advance so key points could be highlighted more effectively. Most respondents expressed little interest in having an outside speaker, and many noted that they missed the live auction. Multiple members suggested setting the date and time for next year’s meeting now and securing the auctioneer early to ensure availability. While the venue was generally well received, some concerns were raised about the availability of trash cans and whether the space would be sufficient if membership continues to grow. If Gather Station is used again, clearer communication will be needed to ensure attendees are aware that two restrooms are available, not just one.
Members who would like to review the detailed survey results are welcome to request them. Please send an email to Juli Buker.
Locomotive 17 Refurbishment Update – by Mike MacLean
During the January work session, a huge amount of work was done by our certified boiler contract personnel, with 
significant help from the 17 crew. Since that time, the NHV Steam Team has been hard at work doing a lot of other tasks which don’t require special certifications. The locomotive’s air brake cylinders (seen at left) have been rebuilt with all new seals,
primed and are ready to install and paint. The interior of the boiler has been cleaned and prepared for more work on the “water-side” of the tube sheets (seen from the inside at right) in preparation for installation of new boiler tubes (flues) [surrounded by water, the tubes transfer hot gases from the firebox through the boiler to the smokebox and stack to heat the water and make steam in large 
quantities – ed]. The smokebox liner was removed and modified slightly (below) and will be reinstalled during our next contractor visit. The steam-powered air compressor has been temporarily mounted to the large trailer under the shed for repairs and testing with air pressure instead of steam to make sure everything works properly.
Luckily, we were able to obtain the proper diagrams of the air compressor and all its components to help our efforts. All of these tasks, and others were scheduled for the weekly work sessions by the Steam Team in February. By the time you read this, our contractors will be back at Bonsal to continue with boiler work and work on the cylinder valves and other parts of the steam path within the boiler. As many of you may have seen, our member Calvin Kuttner was working on the main cylinders for days at a time, removing the heads and pulling out deteriorated studs. This is where steam pressure becomes motion in a steam engine! The cylinders will be checked for wear and “roundness” and some components will be refurbished, re-chromed and polished for longevity and performance. This past month has been exciting in our quest to Fire Up 17!
Upcoming NRHS Conference in Salt Lake City – We Need a NCRM Rep to Attend
The Spring 2026 NRHS Conference takes place in Salt Lake City, Utah, in late May. The Promontory Chapter, the host, has arranged a full weekend, including a tour of Ogden Union Station and an excursion on the Heber Valley Railroad. And of course, NRHS business meetings!
Conference timetable:
Thursday, May 28: Registration welcome center opens at 4:00 pm, in the Cheyenne room of the Little America Hotel, 500 South Main Street, Salt Lake City.
Friday, May 29: Our deluxe chartered motor coach departs the hotel bright and early for a fun day of railroad activity. The journey starts with a tour of Ogden Union Station. Locomotives on display include Union Pacific gas turbine electric 26, UP DDA40X 6916, and the chapter’s D&RGW SW-1200 133.
In the afternoon we ride on the Heber Valley Railroad to the end of the of the line and return. A box lunch is served on the train, with choice of ham, turkey, roast beef or vegetarian sandwiches, or a lettuce wrap.
Saturday, May 30: Advisory Council and Board of Directors meetings.
2026 is the 60th anniversary of the Promontory Chapter! Conference attendees will join the celebration by attending the chapter’s buffet-style banquet on-site at the hotel’s Idaho room featuring prime rib, chicken and fish. The Conference fee is $250 for the full weekend, or $25 for members who wish to only attend the Saturday meetings in person. Registration for the full weekend is open through May 20.
Conference headquarters is the Little America Hotel, 500 South Main Street, Salt Lake City. The NRHS group rate is $139 per night, plus taxes. Please note that hotel space is limited, so book early to avoid disappointment. If you are already an NRHS member, you should have received an email in late February with more info and the links to register and reserve your hotel room at the NRHS group rate. If you are not already an NRHS member, please join online so that you can attend this conference. Membership | National Railway Historical Society, Inc.
The NCRM has sent a rep to many conferences and conventions over the last 9 years. Engaging with the NRHS and the many other chapters as fellow organizations interested in rail history preservation is fun and has given the NCRM much greater visibility nationwide plus over $20,000 in Heritage Grants since 2019. The 2 day weekend conferences held twice a year, and the annual weeklong convention held in the summer always include access to wonderful member only railroad outings and experiences.
Around the Yard
