New board member and officers

I'd like to take time to welcome our officers:

• Keith Berry -- president
• Steve Karoly -- vice-president
• Bill Rodgers -- treasurer
• Mary Cory -- secretary

Keith and I would like to thank outgoing president Eric Stohl. Eric has served as president for the past four or five years. Eric continues on the board as a director.

We'd also like to welcome Mary Cory to the board. In the past, she's always served as de facto member while serving as secretary. The board honored her tonight by electing her to a three-year term as a director.

Directors Shelly Tilly, Keith and I were re-elected as directors. According to the bylaws, directors serve three-year terms while the officers are reconfirmed each July.

Annual Christmas Dinner and Recognition

The El Dorado Western Railway held its annual Christmas dinner and volunteer recognition last night at the Diamond Springs firehouse. Although not as well-attended as last year's event, some 18 railroaders and family enjoyed over two hours of good food, friendly railroad talk and recognition of new volunteer.

For the third year, we've held the party in one of the cozy training rooms of Station 49, which is the headquarters for the Diamond Springs-El Dorado Fire Protection District. We'd like to publicly thank district board member Ed Cuhna for facilitating the use of the facilities. Ed also serves as a director on the EDWRF board.

Board member and engineering department head Harold Kiser carves the turkey for the event. Museum director Mary Cory contributed the 15-pound bird. I like the party (besides the food) because it gives me a chance to photograph those board members who don't come around the engine house on Saturdays.

Vice President Keith Berry (right) listens as Ed explains the details in an early panorama of the Diamond Springs mill and drying yard. Ed played in this same area as a young boy in the years after the mill closed.

Keith shares a lighter moment with party-goers during our annual recognition of volunteers. This photo of a Diamond and Caldor No. 4 shows a crewman holding a coffee pot in his right hand. Keith believes the trainman may be related to one of our volunteers who's always walking across the street to buy a fresh cup of coffee!

We always adjurn to pie. Since the party is held in lue of the monthly board meeting, it's only fitting that board member Bill Rodgers contributed two deep dish apple pies from Abel's Acres in Camino.

Friday at the County Fair

Over 90 fair goers enjoyed a visit with the Diamond and Caldor No. 4 Shay locomotive today. That's an impressive number considering that the engine house only sees about one-fourth of the museum's visitors. We're encouraged to hear that many visitors had read the recent articles about the locomotive in the Mountain Democrat.

And now this note to Richard Wright: Your sister and brother-in-law said hi! She promised snap a few pictures of the Four-Spot for you tomorrow when we pull her out of the engine house.

Finally, we should note that Harold Kiser was featured on page one of today's Mountain Democrat. The 83-year-old El Dorado Western Railway board member was a El Dorado Rose Escort and was treated to his first Ferris wheel ride in 50 years. Harold attended a special VIP/media night last Wednesday.

Boiler Committee

This blog comes to you in real time ...

Shortly after 9 a.m. this morning, Garrett Augustus, Doug Youngberg, Sam Thompson and George Potter (left to right in top photo) met as the boiler committee to discuss future repairs to the boiler of the Diamond & Caldor No. 4 Shay locomotive. The oiler tank to the Shay serves as the conference room.

Doug and George also serve as members of the board of directors for the El Dorado Western Railway Foundation. Sam is our lead machinist while Garret brings years experience as a locomotive engineer. Garret periodically fires for the one of the steam locomotives on the Skunk Train. The Skunk runs between Willits, California and Fort Brag on the Pacific Coast.

Adjourn to Pie

The El Dorado Western Railway Foundation has a tradition.

Regardless of the scope of discussion or extent of disagreement, the board meeting always adjourns to pie. A slice of pie and cup of juice has a way of placing us at ease. It allows us to relax and turn our attention away from the business of running a railroad.

Last Thursday's meeting was my first turn to bring pie. Each board member is scheduled to bring pie once each year. My next scheduled turn is September 7, 2007.

It gave me a rare opportunity to bake a chocolate cream pie for the meeting. Baking the pie brought bake fond memories of baking in the Navy. I first worked as a night-shift baker at Naval Air Station Lemore, California while assigned to Attack Squadron 127. Each night the crew baked about 200 single-and double-crust pies.

The recipe is posted at 'Round the Chuckbox, my personal blog.

New Director

At the monthly meeting of the EDWRF Board of Directors last Thursday, Ron Callahan resigned his position as a director. I'm not sure how long Ron has been on the board, but he's been our media relations specialist for several years and is a frequent contributor to The Dispatcher, the official newsletter of the El Dorado Western.

Ron (with gold lettering on T-shirt) helps Eric Stohl position an old tie during the D&RG boxcar move last October. The ties formed the crib that will support the boxcar on the flatbed trailer during the move. Vice President Keith Berry stands to the right of Ron.

A job transfer will be moving Ron two or three counties to the west of Placerville. We expect that he'll contribute articles to the newsletter and conduct living history interviews as we locate living Diamond & Caldor employees. At the meeting Ron said that he'd still write articles for the Mountain Democrat when he could.

We'd like to thank Ron for his service to the railway. Members come to the railway with many talents. Ron holds a special ability to contact El Dorado County trainmen from years past and record their story. We may not see him around the engine house that often. But every railway like the El Dorado Western needs those with his skills and his ability to quietly work behind the scenes. Thank you Ron.

Steve Karoly at work in the museum research room. Since I take few photos of myself, I had to coach my 14-year old son to frame this shot.

Ron's departure has provided an opportunity for me to serve on the board. At the meeting, President Eric Stohl suggested that I be appointed to fill Ron's term. I'll continue to serve as newsletter editor, grant writer and all-around gofer. My personal thanks to Eric for his trust in my abilities.

As I write this, the guys are hard at work at the engine house. I'm sure Eric and Dale are installing the last corner brace on the Shay. Garrett, Ken and Scott should be removing another bearing from the Plymouth. And I expect that Sam, Dave and Bill are in the machine shop while Keith is helping where needed.

I'm heading out of town but will leave an update after I talk to Eric and Keith. More to come ...