Make a Difference Express Rollin'

[thebigham]

Make a Difference Express rollin'

One 10-year-old boy raised more than $1,000 for Arcade & Attica Railroad excursion

By JOHN F. BONFATTI
Buffalo News Staff Reporter
10/29/2006

ARCADE The train lurched as it pulled out of the Curriers Depot and children squealed with delight. Outside, it was cold and wet. Inside the cars of the Arcade & Attica Railroad, no one really seemed to care. Thanks to one 10-year-old boy, 128 adults and children got a free ride on the train Saturday on national Make a Difference Day. It's the second year Jon Thomas "J.T." Robertson, of Cuba, organized and funded his idea for the annual one-day call to care.

[snip- please provide a link back to the original story. -omv]

[thebigham]

The Olean Times Herald has an article about the same kid this year.

He collected enough cans to sell out the 12pm train.

Chris

[Benjamin Maggi]

I have the cutting from when he was featured in a National Newspaper last year. Very impressive. I was hoping more publicity would be made of it, as I wanted to donate to the fund myself. I am glad he was able to raise all that money.

This would be a GREAT time to bring out #18!

[jgallaway81]

Additional exposure was intended.

A friend from Rochester was contact by TRAINS to take the pics for an article, I know neither he nor any of the other guys from Rochester were able to get down on short notice (Trains gave them less then a week to plan it)

Here's hoping it helps out

[reinhardtjh]

Even though the TRAINS fellow didn't make it down, the article from Olean made it in into the TRAINS Newswire for October 23rd. You probably need to be a subscriber to see the link but just in case, here it is. http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=2626

[nessman]

The story made this week's USA Weekend newsmagazine that's inserted into Sunday papers across the nation. It's on page 18.

Apparently there was also a mention of it in USA Weekend back in April.

Online articles:

http://www.usaweekend.com/diffday/2007_ ... dayof.html
http://www.usaweekend.com/07_issues/071 ... ffday.html
http://www.usaweekend.com/07_issues/070 ... ffday.html
http://www.usaweekend.com/diffday/honor ... orees.html

[Kathi Kube]

Even though the TRAINS fellow didn't make it down, the article from Olean made it in into the TRAINS Newswire for October 23rd.

Actually, I found another individual in the area who was able to make it to the A&A for the day. We're running the story in our April issue, which will be going to the printer in two weeks.

In the meantime, though, I have a question that maybe someone here can answer for me. How many seats are there per coach, and how many coaches in a full train? I know JT bought 422 tickets this past October. Some sources say he filled the train, and another says he bought enough to sell out two trains. Yet another source says that next year he wants to raise enough money to buy 985 tickets, enough to — you guessed it — fill every seat on the train.

Unless this particular train changes size faster than a toddler, someone has to be mistaken. I just don't want to repeat that mistake. Can anyone help?

Please let me know asap, since we're on deadline. [email protected]

Thanks!

Kathi Kube
Managing Editor, TRAINS Magazine

[Benjamin Maggi]

I think I can explain the situation, though not specifically answer your question. The railroad owns 6 passenger cars, with three being coaches and three being combines. I think only five are used now, with the last being in a state of restoration/repair.

There is not a standard train "set" per se, as cars can be added or subtracted per the demand. However, the usual arrangement for a slow day is a coach, a combine (which contains a snack bar), and the gondola in the rear for riding outside. During the fall, I worked a special "Civil War" weekend where we had five cars (if I remember, 3 coaches and 2 combines). So, it is flexible. From talking with them, they generally do not have time between trains to add or subtract cars, so unless they know in advance of a large group coming they will run whatever train was made up that morning for the later trains.

While what he did was certainly impressive in selling out a train, it might have only been a two or three car train. And, because more cars can be added, he certainly has room to grow.

They are old DL&W Boonton coaches and combines, and if no one else reports the seating capacity then I can check out an article from an old Railroad Model Craftsman magazine that I have that had the seating arrangements included.

P.S.: With the return of steam soon to be, I am sure they will need to use full trains to hold all of us fans #18!

[Kathi Kube]

Benjamin,

Thanks for the info. I also received an email offlist with the railroad's phone number. It turns out they run three trains that day with five cars apiece. Thus, JT's goal for next year would be to sell out all three trains. I wish him the very best in doing in.

Thanks for the reply!

Kathi

[howie729]

I know that on a "normal" weekend last year there were 4 coaches in use plus the open car. In all the years as an A&A fan I can't ever remember the 6th coach on a train.
I was going to ride the weekend when this all happened and both trains "sold out" but I am unsure if all were from JT's purchase. I do remember that specific weekend and I think there were only 4 coaches on the train. When I rode this year it was 2 per seat. So if 422 were bought for one train that means each coach seats 105 people? That seems like a lot. So I would guess that he sold out 2 all day and next year wants to sell out the weekend?

[jgallaway81]

Kathi, I can't be exactly certain on the numbers, however, the rough quantities are correct....

A coach has seating for 70+ while a combine has seating for 50+ (I believe its 72 & 56 respectively) There also exists "conductors benches" which are three per coach and one in a combine. The two combines have approximately four seats in the baggage section, while the snack car has only the regular seating.

As for the train consists, the standard was a coach, snack car, coach, open gondola (which has no seats) however after 2-8-0 #18 went down for repairs, the consist was changed to reduce the workload of the diesels.

I was in Arcade in December and one car was definately out of service pending final repairs.

I worked on the railroad from 1998 until my move to PA in May of 2003, and very few times was the passenger load large enough to justify the use of all six cars.

Sincerely,
J.D. Gallaway
Former A&A I.T. Administrator
A&A Society Creator - http://www.anarr.com