The Friends of the Burlington Northern Railroad Historical Society will hold their 2014 convention in Tulsa, OK on June 18-21. Tulsa lies at the intersection of the Arvard, Cherokee and Creek Subdivisions and is a busy place. Traffic between the transcon and points east passes through on the Avard and Cherokee Subs, with traffic to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area on the Creek Sub. The major BNSF facility in town is the Cherokee yard. There are many good railfanning spots within a short distance. Check out this web page for lots of information about and some great photos of the area. HIGHLIGHTS We'll be touring BNSF's Cherokee Yard and the Port of Catoosa. For you modelers the convention will include a visit to and operating session at the HO gauge layout of the Claremore Southern Railroad in nearby Claremore. The local BNSF special agent will be our convention speaker. If you're driving through Amarillo on the way to the convention, Fred Theiss offers his extensive HO gauge layout for a visit. Contact him at 806-673-4625 or ironhorse@midplains.coop Website info: http://fobnr.org/convention/information.htm Register: http://fobnr.org/convention/2014/onlinereg.htm
GENERAL INFORMATION BNSF's Cherokee Yard Tour- We'll tour the Crest Tower next to the hump, and visit the diesel shop and car shops. BNSF asks that we arrive in one vehicle, so we've rented a bus, and hence there will be a $20 charge for each person going on the tour. Port of Catoosa Tour- The port is an inland multi-modal shipping complex. Each day products are moved through the Port using barge, rail, and truck - often in combination. It is served by the BNSF and the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad (a 12-mile short-line system). For more information about the port, check out their web page at: www.tulsaport.com. The port also asks that we arrive in a bus, so there will be a $20 charge per person on this tour too. Perry OK Railfan Trip- We'll carpool up and spend the afternoon chasing trains along the Avard Subdivision west to the town of Perry. This is where the Avard Sub crosses the Red Rock Subdivision at grade (technically at Black Bear) and is sure to be a hot spot. Muskogee OK Railfan Trip- This is another carpool trip to visit a museum in the old Midland Valley RR depot, a restored Frisco freight house, and a small UP yard. The old Mopac and Katy (now UP) lines go through here, and there is another port to explore. There is also a restored WWII submarine to check out. Claremore Southern Model RR Operating Session- We'll carpool to this large model railroad for an evening operating session. You might be a yardmaster, do yard jobs, locals, or run trains. For more information, check out their web page at: www.csrailclub.com. Member Slide/Digital Photo/Video Shows- Bring slides, digital photos, and video you'd like to share for member shows Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings. We'll provide a computer, projection equipment and a screen. Bring your photos on a CD/DVD or USB drive. Banquet- The Saturday night banquet is the culmination of our convention. Our speaker will be Jeremy Grisham, Special Agent, BNSF Railway Police. He will join us for dinner, then speak and answer questions. Hotel Rooms- The convention is being held at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Tulsa: 918-234-1234. Rooms are $99 per night. Go to this website to make a reservation, or use code "1976" when making a reservation via telephone to get the convention rate. More Information- Check the FOBNR web site: www.fobnr.org for up-to-date information, or contact Terry Jenner at terjen55@juno.com.
AGENDA All times are Central Daylight Time (CDT) and are subject to change. Wednesday, June 18 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM Registration in hotel 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM "All Aboard" dinner at Ollie's Restaurant (by the tracks) 7:30 PM - 8:00 PM Welcome remarks and orientation 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM Membership meeting 9:00 PM - ? Member photos and videos Thursday, June 19 9:30 AM Assemble for bus tour 10:00 AM Tour of BNSF's Cherokee Yard Noon - 1:00 PM Lunch on your own 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Railfan the Tulsa area 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Dinner on your own 6:00 PM Carpool to Claremore Southern Model RR 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Operating session at Claremore Southern Friday, June 20 9:30 AM Assemble for bus tour 10:00 PM - Noon Bus tour of Port of Catoosa Noon - 6:00 PM Carpool to Muskogee, OK (museum, etc.) 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Dinner on your own 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM Board meeting 9:00 PM - ? Member photos and videos Saturday, June 21 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Carpool to Perry, OK (railfan outing of Avard Sub) 6:00 PM - ? Banquet with BNSF speaker
