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9/15/23  You can gauge the seasons at the Amarillo Railroad Museum pretty accurately by the insect invasions each year.  In the spring the cutworm moths arrive to sneak into every nook and cranny, and leave their unwelcome "deposits" on any surface they can find. In the summer it is grasshoppers.  Thankfully not usually as intense as the infestation this year.  We can tell when fall is approaching when we see wooly-bear moth caterpillars crossing the road or crickets getting into the building. During the winter there are not a lot of insects but we can always depend on a few flies getting through the freezes. Well, the first dead cricket was found last week.  After a hot and insect-filled summer, fall is arriving.  Time to get back to all kinds of railroad activities.

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It is no secret to the ARM membership, so I think it is ok to make some comments on the fantastic donation of our friend and founder, Virgil Doyle.  Virgil passed on to the ARM almost his entire railroading holdings; locomotives, rolling stock, supplies, books, and a lot of miscellany.  Over the next months we will be sorting, selling and distributing this bounty.  Virgil was an avid Rio Grande Southern modeler so most of his holdings were HOn3, including a magnificent accumulation of Blackstone models.  We have noted that a bit of Union Pacific is also included.  Over time, look for various items for sale in the Company Store.  If you like HOn3, you will be pleasantly surprised.

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In addition to the model railroad aspect, Virgil also made a substantial donation of cash.  The use of this windfall will be the bailiwick of the board of directors. Suffice it to say that Virgil was very generous, and his kind consideration of the ARM in his estate will ensure that the founders first goal (way back in 1990) of a self-sustaining organization remains secure.

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9/10/23 I can use a bit of help.  We set up a forum page two months ago, but to date no one but myself has visited the page to make a comment.  If you get a chance, drop by and ask a question, start a thread, whatever,  It would be great if this took off.  The questions don't need to be earth-shaking.  You could simply ask about the next meeting, or ask for information on or current projects.  Hope to visit with you there!

 

8/28/23 Our next custom car will be a C&S 3-bay hopper built in 1961 and imported by Broadway Limited exclusively for the ARM.  They indicated the cars should arrive by mid-November.  We will post more information as we get nearer.  We may try our hand at taking pre-orders on these cars, so keep a watch out for further details.

 

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