First Look at the NYCSHS 2011 Annual Meeting in Albany, New York

Photos from the NYCSHS 2011 Annual Meeting in Albany, New York. The convention was help April 29-May 1, and featured many informative seminars and presentations, as well as a special all-day excursion over the Adirondack Scenic Railroad from Utica-Thendara (ex-NYC Adirondack Division). plus a railroadiana show, banquet, and fellowship between NYCSHS members! Photos provided by Dick Barrett.

NYCSHS Board Meeting in Albany. Clockwise from left, Darwin Simonaitis, Sheldon Lustig, Chuck Beargie, Howard Fine, Tom Gerbracht, Rich Stoving, and Paul Carver.

NYCSHS Board Meeting in Albany. Clockwise from left, Tom Gerbracht, Rich Stoving, Paul Carver, Jim Suhs, Bill Strassner, and Darwin Simonaitis.

NYCSHS Board Meeting in Albany. Webmaster Jeff Hands, and Secretary Jim Suhs.

Hugh Guillaume makes a point while Tom Gerbracht listens at the NYCSHS Board Meeting in Albany.

Vice President Bill Strassner, President Darwin Simonaitis, and Treasurer Sheldon Lustig at the NYCSHS Board Meeting in Albany.

Howard Fine, Tom Gerbracht, and Central Headlight editor Rich Stoving at the NYCSHS Board Meeting in Albany.

Friday evening registration at the hotel. Huge thanks to Nancy Stoving in the foreground and Kathy Barrett in the background for registering Convention Attendees.

Friday evening registration at the hotel. Rich Stoving's wife Nancy helped with check-ins and greeted attendees.

The Friday evening program consisted of four presentations. Historian Len Killian presented "Long Life and Slow Death of the NYC Station in Schenectady."

Historian Len Killian presented "Long Life and Slow Death of the NYC Station in Schenectady."

Rich Stoving, editor of the Central Headlight, presented "Publishing the Central Headlight."

NYCSHS Director Shel Lustig presented "My Career with the NYC, Penn Central, and Conrail"

NYCSHS Director Shel Lustig presented "My Career with the NYC, Penn Central, and Conrail."

Dick Steinbrenner presented "Alco Historical & Technical Society Future Plans and Goals."

An excellent HO scale diorama of the NYC 30th Street Branch, also known as the West Side Line or the High Line. Constructed by Ron Parisi, this excellent model has appeared in Model Railroader and Railroad Model Craftsman.

An excellent HO scale diorama of the NYC 30th Street Branch, also known as the West Side Line or the High Line. Built by Ron Parisi.

More to come... Ride the Adirondack Flyer...

Annual meeting, officer elections, 2nd Quarter 2011 Central Headlight in the mail

Thanks to everyone who attended our 2011 Annual Meeting in Albany, New York, held this past weekend April 29-May 1. A full report with photos will follow in the next few days. During the weekend, the Society held elections for officers. Rich Stoving will assume the president's office for the coming term. There were no other changes to our slate of officers. On behalf of the Society, we thank Darwin Simonaitis for his service to the organization as president. Regular readers may recognize Rich Stoving as the editor of the Central Headlight, our quarterly magazine. Rest assured, Rich will continue in this role as well.

Speaking of which, The latest issue of the Central Headlight is in the mail and on its way to current NYCSHS members! In this issue, we take a look at New York Central marine operations in New York Harbor. Next, we learn how the 3001 Mohawk in Elkhart was "ransomed" from the Dallas Fairgrounds and brought back to Indiana. We continued our "Tales from 466" taking an insider's look at the events leading up to the Penn Central merger.

NYCSHS members get the current issue mailed to them each quarter! Not a member? Join today! Not sure if you want to become a member? Members and non-members can purchase back issues of the Central Headlight here.

2011 Annual Meeting - Albany, New York

Get ready for our 2011 Annual Meeting in Albany, NY! April 29-May 1, 2011

Get ready for the 2011 Annual Meeting and Convention at the Albany Ramada Plaza Hotel in Albany, New York! A crossroads of the New York Central, featuring the Boston & Albany, as well as the the Hudson, River, and Mohawk Divisions! Albany was once home to large passenger terminals downtown and in nearby Troy. Come join us in this historic city as we celebrate the history and heritage of the New York Central System!

Friday, April 29

10:00am to 8:00pm - Convention Registration at the desk in the hotel lobby
2:00pm to 6:00pm - Tour of HO scale model railroads, incuding Vic Roman's New York Central Hudson Division from Albany to Tivoli; Jim Cesare's Rennselaer Engine Terminal to Amsterdam; and Henry Propst's Mohawk Division from Albany to Utica. Tour of O scale model railroads, including "Rocky's Rambling Railroad" by Harold "Rocky" Rockowitz; Fil Fillion's freelanced railroad; Don Klose's Bellevue & Schenectady Railroad, and Jim Policastro's Central New York Railroad. Directions to visit these layouts will be provided upon registration. Be sure to have your convention ID badge when visiting these layouts.

7:00pm to 9:00pm - Friday evening speakers program

TIME	LOCATION	SPEAKER, TOPIC
7:00pm	Conference Room	Rich Stoving, "Publishing the Central Headlight"
7:00pm	Ampitheatre	Len Kilian, "Long Life and Slow Death of the NYC Station in Schenectady"
8:00pm	Ampitheatre	Dick Steinbrenner, "Alco Historical & Technical Society Future Plans and Goals"
8:00pm	Conference Room	Shel Lustig, "My Career with the NYC, Penn Central, and Conrail"

Saturday, April 30

7:30 am to 5:45pm - "Adirondack Flyer" excursion on the Adirondack Scenic Railroad. 104 mile round trip from Utica to Thendara, with box lunch. Board buses at hotel at 7:30am.
6:30pm - Annual NYCSHS Banquet, cash bar opens
7:00pm - Annual NYCSHS Banquet, dinner is served
7:45pm - Welcome by NYCSHS president Darwin Simonaitis, followed by brief remarks from NYCSHS officers.
8:00pm - Presentation by Thomas R. Gerbracht, NYCSHS, "Locomotive Building at Erie, PA."
9:00pm - Intermission - Coffee and tea served with dessert
9:15pm - NYCSHS Annal Membership Meeting
10:15pm - Meeting adjourns

Sunday, May 1

8:30am - Railroadiana Show vendor set up in the Ball Room
10:00am - Railroadiana Show and Sale opens to the public
10:15am - Catskill, Adirondack & Berkshire Railroad Club HO scale modular layout opens for display
11:00am - All-Day Speakers Program

TIME	LOCATION	SPEAKER, TOPIC
11:00am	Ampitheatre	Carl J. Liba , "New York Central Hudsons and Their Trains "
11:00am	Conference Room	Ernie Mann , "Railroads of Rennselaer"
12:00pm	Ampitheatre	Alan Bell , "Modeling the NYC at the Albany Gateway"
12:00pm	Conference Room	Darwin Simonaitis, "Locomotives of the New York Central System"
1:00pm	Ampitheatre	Michael Kudish, "Where Did the Tracks Go? The Adirondack and Catskill Lines"
1:00pm	Conference Room	Ron Parisi, "West Side Freight Line to High Line Park - Part 1"
2:00pm	Ampitheatre	Jim Shaughnessy, "Remembering the NYC at Troy and Albany"
2:00pm	Conference Room	Ron Parisi, "West Side Freight Line to High Line Park - Part 2"

3:00pm - Programs end. Thank you for attending!

Registration Fee:

- $154.00 before April 1, 2011

- $179.00 after April 1, 2011
- Non-members may register for $154.00 plus $39.00 extra to cover your one year membership in the New York Central System Historical Society, which provides all the rights and priveldges of membership, including four issues of the Central Headlight.

Convention Lodging

Albany Ramada Plaza Hotel -- You are responsible for making your own accomodation reservations. Rooms can be reserved at the special Convention rate of $89.00, but you must mention "NYCSHS" to get the rate. Early reservations are a must as only 80 rooms have been set aside on a first-come, first-served basis. Call the hotel directly at (518) 438-8431. Complimentary shuttle from Amtrak Albany-Rennselaer Station for hotel guests upon request.

Central Terminal Restoration Corp. releases Master Plan

On Thursday, March 10th the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation unveiled its Master Plan (PDF file, 28 pages, 4.5 MB) for the preservation, restoration and rehabilitation of Buffalo’s Central Terminal.

In order to fully understand what is involved in the revitalization of the Terminal, the master plan discusses infrastructure needs as well as opportunities for development. All of this adds up to the main goal of the CTRC which is to restore the building's integrity and significance in the region. The CTRC estimates that the cost of their plan if fully implemented will be approximately $75 million and take up to ten years to complete. In order to carry out the plan, the Corporation will be looking to a mix of private and public funds as well as foundation funding. The amount of money sought will depend on which parts of the plan are embarked upon first in the next fourteen months. —Buffalo Rising