Bluewater Michigan NRHS To Shut Down, Liquidate

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Sun Jul 14, 2019 1:21 am

Haven't seen this discussed here:

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/20 ... nd-of-year

Quote:

The Bluewater Michigan Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, well-known throughout the Midwest for its fleet of passenger equipment, is going out of business, President John C. Moore Jr. announced [last] weekend.

Headquartered in Royal Oak, the chapter was chartered in 1982 and had more than 900 members at its peak, but is now down to about 30 people. It operated excursions trains throughout the Midwest and even in British Columbia and overseas. It maintained an fleet of quality passenger equipment for its trips as well as for lease to other groups.

Moore cited the shutdown of the Norfolk Southern steam program 25 years ago as the beginning of the end. Even the limited return of the NS steam program in 2015 did not help. Despite shifting its emphasis to regional and shortline railroads, changes in insurance and railroad ownership meant passenger trains were no longer welcome. The chapter's operating and maintenance base in the former CSX yard in Saginaw was no longer available, and locations for safe storage of equipment became limited.

The group has disposed of its collection of rolling stock and is now down to its last two cars, a former Grand Trunk Western buffet-club and a former Seaboard Air Line round-end tavern-observation. Both are leased at present, but the chapter plans to sell them to qualified buyers soon. Three boxcars of parts in Saginaw will also be sold.

Any funds remaining after the sale will be divided between the car owners and the NRHS Rail Camp program, Moore says is a prepared statement. A farewell banquet is planned for November, with the final meeting of the chapter to be held in December.

PaulWWoodring · **Posted:** Sun Jul 14, 2019 7:12 am

At one time, Bluewater Michigan chapter and DC chapter see-sawed back and forth on a regular basis for largest chapter in the NRHS, both well over 500 members at the height of the NS steam program. This doesn't come as a surprise, given that a number of chapters founded because of the steam program have folded in the last 20 years, and Bluewater was heavily into owning equipment for excursions and charters, totally dependent on Amtrak and freight railroads for hosting them. DC Chapter, only having currently three Amtrak compatible cars, and basing them at a major Amtrak equipment servicing/terminal point has more chances to operate and keep revenue flowing. However, every organization that operates passenger equipment on the national network is in trouble of some kind, either obviously or potentially.

Heavenrich · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 11:07 am **Posts:** 630

Four comments ---

1) Bluewater never operated excursions on Amtrak's Michigan line with their own equipment, but did operate a few trips to places like Marshall, Michigan (for an old home tour) by buying blocks of tickets from Amtrak and arranging for a special stop in Marshall.

2) Bluewater never deadheaded equipment via Amtrak.

3) What hasn't been mentioned in any discussion I've seen on this was the impact of the merger of the GTW into CN and many of the Bluewater excursions operated on the GTW.

4) Bluewater typically operated roughly 10 excursions a year, only two of which involved the NS steam program and the last of these occurred in 1994.

Bob H

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Sun Jul 14, 2019 2:56 pm

There is some useful introspection and commentary to learn from at this Facebook thread, if you can bring yourself to look at Facebook. I would re-post the comments from past Chapter president Robert Thatcher if I didn't have to go through the rigmarole of asking permission and all that.

https://www.facebook.com/TJGaffney/post ... 0793293655

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Sun Jul 14, 2019 3:12 pm

Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote:

There is some useful introspection and commentary to learn from at this Facebook thread, if you can bring yourself to look at Facebook.

That goes for here, too, at the public page for "Ahead of the Torch."

https://www.facebook.com/groups/AOTTORCH/

PCook · **Joined:** Sat Jul 02, 2005 7:16 am **Posts:** 2015

Yes, the comments about organizational arrogance posted in the feedback on those sites bring back visions of the 1980s. If you wanted to join some chapters, they would require you to submit your application and then attend several months of meetings. At the end of the probation period, the membership would vote on whether the chapter should accept your application to join. This was supposedly to keep the "rabble" out of the chapter.

NRHS peaked at around 21,000 members in the early 1990s, according to the public information they have available now, the membership has passed 5,000 climbing back after a low of around 4,500.

PC

p51 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 18, 2019 2:41 pm

Hold onto your seats, gents, this is going to happen again. And again, and again, as the chapters dry up and blow away. The chapter I belonged to in Florida probably has less than a dozen members total. I expect to hear they're folding up within the next few years.

PCook wrote:

Yes, the comments about organizational arrogance posted in the feedback on those sites bring back visions of the 1980s. If you wanted to join some chapters, they would require you to submit your application and then attend several months of meetings. At the end of the probation period, the membership would vote on whether the chapter should accept your application to join. This was supposedly to keep the "rabble" out of the chapter.

Yeah, I once asked to join a chapter in a big city when I moved near there for Uncle Sam. I got the whole, "Well, we'll think about allowing you to attend meetings, if you ask us really nice and jump through a bunch of hoops" and 20 years later, they're struggling to keep alive as a group. A chapter somewhat near where I live now gave me the same shtick. Hey, you don't have to throw me a party for joining, but don't treat me like I'm someone of suspect who has to be vetted just to be let in the door, just because I'm not already one of the old boys club. No thanks, I don't want in that bad... That chapter is doing very badly, now, too.
Think of all the people bunches like that turned away who could have helped keep them afloat when things started to dry up.
I've been a NRHS member since the 80s and have my 25 year pin (I was probably the youngest to ever be awarded one, as I got mine before I turned 40), but I haven't seen the relevance of the group in a long time and keep my membership mostly out of nostalgia.

Otto Vondrak · **Posted:** Fri Jul 19, 2019 10:41 am

I was fortunate to belong to an NRHS Chapter that was very active. If you looked up our entry in the NRHS Annual, you'd see we had all 13 notations next to our name, as we were involved in everything from trips to banquets to preservation and more. Operation of our museum outgrew the structure of the NRHS, so our Chapter voluntarily disbanded to focus on preservation. Most of the same people are involved, the only thing that changed was the name over the door.

That said, I know of some Chapters that are not much more than social clubs. This is not a failing of the NRHS, as I don't see anywhere in the bylaws where you must own and preserve equipment, run excursions, etc. For some, it's a fortunate opportunity. For others, it's simply not possible.

Bluewater Chapter, Collis B. Huntington Chapter, D.C. Chapter were all unique that their primary reason for being was owning and operating excursion fleets. They used the structure of the NRHS to attract members and market their services to others. That made them the exception, not the rule.

-otto-

PaulWWoodring · **Posted:** Fri Jul 19, 2019 10:52 am

Am I missing something? Did DC Chapter go out of business recently? You talk about it in the past tense.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:08 am

As of a day or so ago the D.C. Chapter is still alive and well, at least on Facebook. Still owns/operated Pullman Dover Harbor and 1-2 other rolling cars, plus a couple baggage cars of parts up in Savage, Md. at their rented storage track/"shop track."

Heavenrich · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 11:07 am **Posts:** 630

PaulWWoodring wrote:

Am I missing something? Did DC Chapter go out of business recently? You talk about it in the past tense.

Yes, you are missing, not something, but a lot !!!!.

They're doing just fine and in fact they just received a $10,000 grant from UPS for the Dover Harbor.

For details on what's happening with the "Dover' and other activities they have, see:

http://www.dcnrhs.org/

As an aside, NRHS Chapters are separate corporate entities from the National.

Bob H

Bluewater Michigan NRHS To Shut Down, Liquidate

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