DRAFT
MINUTES
MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP MEETING
MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD PASSENGERS
DURAND UNION STATION, DURAND
FEBRUARY 10, 2011
Those Signing In: Hugh Gurney, John DeLora, Steve T. Sobel, Dick Pekarek, Clark Charnetski, Norma Ward, John D. Langdon, Kay Chase, Dan Platz, Jim Hinkins, Robert Patterson, Diane Patterson, Pat Post, Doug Wilson, Bob Tischbein
Also Present: Bob Cosgrove, Sylvia Sanders, Bob Jones, Michael Melet, Dan Westcott, Barb Spaulding-Westcott
Call to Order: Chairman Tischbein called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m.
Guest Speakers: Tischbein first introduced Robert Cosgove, a founding member of the Blue Water Chapter, National Railroad Historical Society and currently Curator of the Glancy Train Collections at the Detroit Historical Museum. The Detroit River Railroad Tunnel celebrated its 100th anniversary during the summer of 2010. Despite being unseen, the tunnel handles 25 freight trains each day and moves 460,000 cars annually.
The first train through the tunnel was a westbound Canada Southern passenger train called the Fast Western Express on July 26, 1910. Previously, ferries carried trains across the Detroit River. The Canada Southern ferried cars across from just north of Amherstburg on the Canadian site to Stony Island, then bridged to Grosse Isle, then bridged again to the American side of the river, then headed into the Brush Street Station in Detroit. The Amherstburg Station is now the Gibson Gallery of Art and the Grosse Isle Station now houses the Grosse Isle Historical Society.
A railroad bridge would have had to clear the 150 foot masts of the sailing ships of the day, so a tunnel became the best option. Plans for the current tunnel were drafted in 1905 and construction got underway in 1906. William Wilgus, Chief Engineer for the New York Central System, deserves most of the credit for the design.
Twin tubes encased in concrete were constructed by Great Lakes Engineering Works in St. Clair and floated down to the construction site, where there were buried in trenches dug into the river bed.
When opened, electric engines pulled trains compete with steam locomotives through the 4.5 mile tunnel and its approaches. They were replaced by diesels in 1953.
-1-
One of the original electric locomotives built by General Electric is now at the Henry Ford Museum, along with a steam crane used by the railroad. The electric engines were powered by DC current supplied by Detroit Edison.
The now defunct Michigan Central Station was an extension of the tunnel project, built at the northern portal of the tunnel. It was designed by Reed and Stanton of St. Paul, Minnesota, the same architects who designed Grand Central Station in New York. The structure is currently owned by Matty Maroun, who also owns the Ambassador Bridge.
The Detroit River Tunnel was built and operated by the New York Central until the 1960’s, when the New York Central merged with the Pennsylvania to become the Penn-Central. After the Penn-Central went bankrupt, the tunnel was taken over by Conrail, which sold it to the Canadian National and the Canadian Pacific in equal shares. In 2004, CN sold its interest in the tunnel and CP sold the majority of its interest to Borealis, a division of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System. Operated by CP, that railroad now has a 16.5% interest in the tunnel while the majority is owned by Borealis.
A new tunnel adjacent to the current tunnel is now planned and going through environmental review. It is expected that permission to build the tunnel will be granted by the end of 2011. Total cost of the project is estimated at $400 million. It is uncertain at this time whether the new tunnel will be single or double track.
In the discussion period that followed Cosgrove’s talk, it was ascertained that $21.5 billion of the $137 billion in commerce crosses the Detroit River by rail at the current time. A new tunnel will speed the movement of Canadian goods to the southern U. S.
Continental Rail Development is overseeing the project and hopes to begin construction in 2012. Completion is anticipated by 2015.
Tischbein then introduced Bob Jones and Michael Melet of Michigan Solutions Group. With an initial grant of $5,000 from MARP, Michigan Solutions Group offered to assume management of all MARP programs including publicity, public and governmental relations, website and fundraising. Expenses would be covered by the initial grant, foundation grants, and memberships solicited by MSG. They would push for passenger rail service to Northwest Michigan.
NO QUORUM: At this point it was determined that a quorum did not exist, so no action was taken on this proposal.
Minutes were reviewed and several corrections noted. Due to lack of a quorum, they were not acted on.
Treasurer’s Report was not acted upon due to the lack of a quorum.
-2-
Michigan Central Station at Jackson: Langdon noted that the Friends of the Jackson Michigan Station will not be part of MARP. As agreed to at the October meeting, MARP will donate $500 to that group to help pay for their charter as a separate organization.
Coordinator’s Reports:
Public/Governmental Affairs: Langdon reported that the Michigan By Rail report had been written and was currently being reviewed by the staff at the Michigan Environmental Council. He and Tim Fischer of MEC are now involved in Meet and Greet with each of the 148 legislators in Lansing, a fifteen minute meeting with each legislator to brief each one on MARP, MEC, Michigan By Rail and Amtrak.
The MEC Legislative Breakfast on February 9 was well attended by newly elected legislators. Eight MARP members participated.
Transportation For Michigan or Trans4M plans a big roll out in March, announcing their goal of developing a new and improved transportation policy for Michigan. MARP has received the first installment of the $5,000 grant announced in January. Charnetski suggested some of that grant go toward outreach materials.
Communications: No Report
Outreach: Tischbein handed out the most recent outreach schedule. He noted that the most recent events were at the back of the schedule.
Regional Chapter Reports:
Metro Detroit: Hinkins announced that meetings were being held today at the Detroit Public Library to review the Woodward Light Rail Draft Environmental Statement. TRU is organizing additional public meetings up and down the line.
Charnetski noted that the Ann Arbor Transportation authority is sponsoring twenty public meetings to gather input for their revised transportation plan which will include commuter rail and light rail.
East/Central: Pekarek reported on a second CN derailment recently in St. Clair County. Wilson suggested putting a sign up in the Port Huron station noting the location of the Quik Trak machine at the Blue Water CVB. Tischbein plans to meet with Wilson concerning Port Huron/Sarnia and invited others to join them.
Western: Langdon expressed pleasure that ridership on the Pere Marquette was up in January, along with the other Michigan routes. He is currently doing a price comparison between the Pere Marquette and the Blue Water. DeLora noted that Amtrak’s fare structure is a real challenge.
-3-
Next Meeting: The next meeting will be on Saturday, March 19 in Bangor. The Executive Committee will meet at 10:00 a.m. and the General Membership Meeting will be at 11:00 a.m.
Other Business: Barb Westcott-Spaulding announced that the Mid Michigan Railroad Society was sponsoring a Chicago For Lunch excursion on April 26. Participants will be able to travel from Flint or Durand to Chicago and back for $39.00 round trip. Lunch will be on your own in Chicago. Last year, approximately 70 people participated and Amtrak provided their own coach. Reservations are due by April 17.
Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 12:30 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted: Accepted:
Hugh D. Gurney Robert Tischbein
Secretary Chair
-4-
DRAFT
MINUTES
MONTHLY
MEMBERSHIP MEETING
MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD PASSENGERS
DURAND
UNION STATION, DURAND
FEBRUARY 10, 2011
Those Signing
In: Hugh Gurney, John DeLora, Steve
T. Sobel, Dick Pekarek, Clark Charnetski, Norma Ward, John D. Langdon, Kay
Chase, Dan Platz, Jim Hinkins, Robert Patterson, Diane Patterson, Pat Post,
Doug Wilson, Bob Tischbein
Also Present: Bob Cosgrove, Sylvia Sanders, Bob Jones,
Michael Melet, Dan Westcott, Barb Spaulding-Westcott
Call to Order: Chairman Tischbein called the meeting to
order at 10:05 a.m.
Guest Speakers: Tischbein first introduced Robert
Cosgove, a founding member of the Blue Water Chapter, National Railroad
Historical Society and currently Curator of the Glancy Train Collections at the
Detroit Historical Museum. The Detroit River Railroad Tunnel celebrated
its 100th anniversary during the summer of 2010. Despite being unseen, the tunnel handles 25
freight trains each day and moves 460,000 cars annually.
The first train through the tunnel was a westbound Canada
Southern passenger train called the Fast Western Express on July 26,
1910. Previously, ferries carried trains
across the Detroit
River. The Canada
Southern ferried cars across from just north of Amherstburg on the Canadian
site to Stony Island,
then bridged to Grosse Isle, then bridged again to the American side of the
river, then headed into the Brush Street Station in Detroit.
The Amherstburg Station is now the Gibson Gallery of Art and the Grosse
Isle Station now houses the Grosse Isle Historical Society.
A railroad bridge would have had to clear the 150 foot masts
of the sailing ships of the day, so a tunnel became the best option. Plans for the current tunnel were drafted in
1905 and construction got underway in 1906.
William Wilgus, Chief Engineer for the New York Central System, deserves
most of the credit for the design.
Twin tubes encased in concrete were constructed by Great
Lakes Engineering Works in St. Clair and floated down to the construction site,
where there were buried in trenches dug into the river bed.
When opened, electric engines pulled trains compete with
steam locomotives through the 4.5 mile tunnel and its approaches. They were
replaced by diesels in 1953.
-1-
One of the original electric locomotives built by General
Electric is now at the Henry
Ford Museum,
along with a steam crane used by the railroad.
The electric engines were powered by DC current supplied by Detroit
Edison.
The now defunct Michigan Central Station was an extension of
the tunnel project, built at the northern portal of the tunnel. It was designed by Reed and Stanton of St.
Paul, Minnesota, the same architects who designed Grand Central Station in New York. The structure is currently owned by Matty
Maroun, who also owns the Ambassador
Bridge.
The Detroit River Tunnel was built and operated by the New
York Central until the 1960’s, when the New York Central merged with the Pennsylvania to become
the Penn-Central. After the Penn-Central
went bankrupt, the tunnel was taken over by Conrail, which sold it to the
Canadian National and the Canadian Pacific in equal shares. In 2004, CN sold its interest in the tunnel
and CP sold the majority of its interest to Borealis, a division of the Ontario
Municipal Employees Retirement System.
Operated by CP, that railroad now has a 16.5% interest in the tunnel
while the majority is owned by Borealis.
A new tunnel adjacent to the current tunnel is now planned
and going through environmental review.
It is expected that permission to build the tunnel will be granted by
the end of 2011. Total cost of the project is estimated at $400 million. It is uncertain at this time whether the new
tunnel will be single or double track.
In the discussion period that followed Cosgrove’s talk, it
was ascertained that $21.5 billion of the $137 billion in commerce crosses the Detroit River by rail at the current time. A new tunnel will speed the movement of
Canadian goods to the southern U. S.
Continental Rail Development is overseeing the project and
hopes to begin construction in 2012.
Completion is anticipated by 2015.
Tischbein then introduced Bob Jones and Michael Melet of
Michigan Solutions Group. With an
initial grant of $5,000 from MARP, Michigan Solutions Group offered to assume
management of all MARP programs including publicity, public and governmental
relations, website and fundraising.
Expenses would be covered by the initial grant, foundation grants, and
memberships solicited by MSG. They would
push for passenger rail service to Northwest Michigan.
NO QUORUM: At this point it was determined that a
quorum did not exist, so no action was taken on this proposal.
Minutes were
reviewed and several corrections noted.
Due to lack of a quorum, they were not acted on.
Treasurer’s Report was
not acted upon due to the lack of a quorum.
-2-
Michigan Central Station at Jackson:
Langdon noted that the Friends of the Jackson Michigan Station will
not be part of MARP. As agreed to at the
October meeting, MARP will donate $500 to that group to help pay for their
charter as a separate organization.
Coordinator’s
Reports:
Public/Governmental Affairs: Langdon reported that the Michigan By Rail report
had been written and was currently being reviewed by the staff at the Michigan Environmental
Council. He and Tim Fischer of MEC are
now involved in Meet and Greet with each of the 148 legislators in Lansing, a fifteen minute
meeting with each legislator to brief each one on MARP, MEC, Michigan By Rail
and Amtrak.
The MEC Legislative Breakfast on February 9 was well
attended by newly elected legislators.
Eight MARP members participated.
Transportation For Michigan or Trans4M plans a big roll out in March,
announcing their goal of developing a new and improved transportation policy
for Michigan. MARP has received the first installment of
the $5,000 grant announced in January.
Charnetski suggested some of that grant go toward outreach materials.
Communications: No Report
Outreach:
Tischbein handed out the most recent outreach schedule. He noted that the most recent events were at
the back of the schedule.
Regional Chapter
Reports:
Metro Detroit: Hinkins announced that meetings
were being held today at the Detroit Public Library to review the Woodward
Light Rail Draft Environmental Statement.
TRU is organizing additional public meetings up and down the line.
Charnetski noted that the Ann Arbor Transportation authority
is sponsoring twenty public meetings to gather input for their revised
transportation plan which will include commuter rail and light rail.
East/Central: Pekarek reported on a
second CN derailment recently in St. Clair County. Wilson suggested putting a sign up in the
Port Huron station noting the location of the Quik Trak machine at the Blue
Water CVB. Tischbein plans to meet with Wilson concerning Port
Huron/Sarnia and invited others to join them.
Western:
Langdon expressed pleasure that ridership on the Pere
Marquette was up in January, along with the other Michigan routes. He is currently doing a price comparison
between the Pere Marquette and the Blue Water. DeLora noted that Amtrak’s fare structure is
a real challenge.
-3-
Next Meeting: The next meeting will be on Saturday,
March 19 in Bangor. The Executive Committee will meet at 10:00
a.m. and the General Membership Meeting will be at 11:00 a.m.
Other Business: Barb Westcott-Spaulding announced that
the Mid Michigan Railroad Society was sponsoring a Chicago For Lunch excursion on April 26. Participants will be able to travel from Flint or Durand to Chicago
and back for $39.00 round trip. Lunch
will be on your own in Chicago. Last year, approximately 70 people
participated and Amtrak provided their own coach. Reservations are due by April 17.
Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 12:30 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted: Accepted:
Hugh D. Gurney Robert
Tischbein
Secretary Chair
-4-