Author Archives: stewartstownfriends

Important Announcements

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Happy Memorial Day

From all of us at the Friends of the Stewartstown Railroad, Inc., we would like to wish all of our loyal members, supporters, and donors, a safe and Happy Memorial Day.

Seeking Candidates for FSR Board Member Positions

With our annual meeting and upcoming election cycle, we are now seeking candidates for several positions. These include President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and 5 director-at-large positions. We have been without a secretary for several months. Our current treasurer, to whom we owe a great deal of gracious gratitude to, has informed us of their intention to retire at the end of her term. She stepped in to help keep our finances afloat after Ray became very ill and unfortunately passed away. If you or someone you know may be interested in helping us fill these two critically important roles, please let us know. To run for a board position, you only need be a member in good standing. Membership applications are available on our website.

Spring 2023 Newsletter to Hit the Mail Soon

Joe, our newsletter editor has been hard at work putting the spring 2023 newsletter together. Keep a watch on your mailbox for the latest edition of 7.4.

Help Needed for Coach Restorations

We are off to a good start for the Summer 2023 equipment restoration season. Currently, two coaches are undergoing restoration work simultaneously, increasing the need for more helpers. Coach 1341 is receiving a roof-edge restoration, which includes volunteers removing rivet heads so a contract welder can weld in new patches. Coach 1158 is currently having the rest of the floor subfloor welded in.  We are in need of painters, woodworkers, welding and sheet metal work workers. If you are interested in coming to our workdays, please give us a shout. We’d love to add you to our mailing list and see you come on out to help. No previous experience is necessary – we will train. The next Coach Workday is Sunday, June 4 at 9AM in the Stewartstown yard.

Coach 1341 Workday Saturday, August 6

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Please considering volunteering your time on Saturday, Aug 6 to assist with on-going restoration work to coach 1341. We will be working on new wiring installation, bathroom upgrades, and painting. These improvements will help increase the overall comfort of our passengers. No special skills are necessary, only a willingness to help. We look forward to seeing you there!

2022 Annual Meeting Announcement

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Our 2022 Annual Meeting for members is being held at 9:30 AM on Saturday, June 11, 2022. The purpose of this meeting is to elect a new board of directors, review yearly results, and transact any other business that may duly come before the group. The annual report, ballot, and newsletter will be mailed to all members soon.
We look forward to seeing your there. Please be sure to return your ballot by Saturday, June 5, following the instructions on the form, to allow us to tally all votes. Thank you for your continued support, membership, and donations.

The Friends Receive a $1,000 grant from the Kathleen E. Thornton Educational Trust & Memorial Donations in Honor of the Late Raymond E. Reter

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We are pleased to announce that we have received a $1,000 grant from the Kathleen E. Thornton Educational Trust in memory of the late Raymond E. Reter. The FSR Board voted unanimously to combine this generous grant with other memorial donations received in memory of Mr. Reter to continue restoration work on the Friends’ former Reading Company coach #1158 in his honor. We sincerely thank the Kathleen E. Thornton Educational Trust for their generous grant and memorial donors in memory of Mr. Reter. We encourage anyone with an interest in passenger coach preservation and restoration to join in on this project.  Stay tuned for updates as we continue to restore coach 1158 into her former Reading Railroad glory.

Friends of the Stewartstown Railroad, Inc. Selected as a Recipient of a $5,000 Match-Grant from the 2021 NRHS Railway Heritage Grant Program

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Dedicated volunteers and board members from the Friends of the Stewartstown Railroad, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, received great news this past week. For more than 3 years, they have been working hard to restore Former Reading Company Coach #1158 back into its near-original appearance to serve as a demonstration commuter-car showcasing inter-urban passenger service in the 1920’s. Coach restorations, especially of this size, require a lot of time, money, skill, materials, and some luck! President and Project Manager Dave Watson states: “When I was informed that we were selected to receive a $5,000 match grant from the 2021 NRHS Railway Heritage Grant program, I was absolutely ecstatic! We are so close to being able to complete the outside portion of the coach restoration. Receiving these funds will help us reach this important milestone!” The funds from this grant will be used to finish remaining body work, prepare surfaces, prime, and paint the outside of the coach.

The Friends of the Stewartstown Railroad, Inc. would like to thank the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) for awarding a $5,000 Railway Heritage Grant to our organization. Additionally, we would like to extend our appreciation to the Baltimore Chapter of the NRHS for writing a letter of support to accompany our grant application.

Donations toward this project are always welcomed and appreciated. If you would like to send in a donation toward the Coach 1158 restoration project, please click here to donate using PayPal. Or checks can be mailed to: Friends of the Stewartstown Railroad, Inc., C/O Coach 1158 Restoration Fund, PO Box 456, Stewartstown, PA 17363. Please be sure to notate Coach 1158 Restoration on your check. We sincerely say thank you to all our members, friends, and supporters that have helped make this project a reality.