We had great weather for the first Sunday of regular operations. Skies were mostly sunny and the high temp for the day was near 70 degrees. 430 passengers rode on this day so we had a good start to the season. Power for the day was provided by 535, 401, 13 & 704. 401 lost a pin in the left crosshead on it's 2nd trip but this was repaired by Bell & Tabernacki and it was able to make a 3rd trip later.

Photos attached are of 13 on the new stub track which replaces the quonset hut lead (notice the bumper); Tabernacki with the first trip of the day running 535; Brennan & Romay with 13; Jim Scott with 13 pulling a train out of the station; John Errante with 13 coupling to it's train at Yeatman and Kevin Harding as the brakeman; John Bell with 401; and our famous souvenir ladies waving to departing passengers.

We also had a great turnout in members; Bell, Bitsch, Brennan, Brannan, Hunter & Gina Debellis, Eckrich, Errante, Foster, the Fritschle family, the Greathouse family, Haack, Kevin & Ian Harding, Bob & Kate Hardt, Kiesel (yes & he drove himself out), Littlejohn, Marx, Mohen, Wayne & Carol Mosbacher, Nichols, Owens, Romay, J & J Scott, Tabernacki, Herold & Louise Wind, Welch & myself. Thanks to all for making this an excellent opening day.

Happy birthday to John Errante who turns 80 on Saturday the 13th. We had a birthday cake for he & his 5 lady friends who came out to ride behind 13 with John as the engineer. All had a great time. Congratulations to Joe Geders who was successful as the man behind the throttle at the Nevada Northern RR on Saturday. I have photos from Joe & will send separately.

Thanks to Herold Wind who spent the last week in St. Louis & did several projects assigned by Tabernacki & Haack including finishing a lot of the piping on 928. Herold will return for Members Day in June as will Don Miller.

Jim Strain