[Accrs] 150th and the Fair

Wed Jun 12 15:16:23 PDT 2019

I think there is a trick to getting the DVD out 😊

Phil Edholm
Office 925-264-9420
Mobile 408-832-5618

From: Accrs <accrs-bounces at mail.accrs.org> On Behalf Of Alameda County Central Railroad Society
Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2019 9:31 AM
To: ACCRS <Accrs at mail.accrs.org>
Subject: Re: [Accrs] 150th and the Fair

Phil,

I burned a transcontinental railroad documemtary DVD to go in the drive-in. I will put it in tomorrow when I show up to fix all the light bulbs.

Thanks
-Joel

On Tue, Jun 11, 2019, 3:54 PM Alameda County Central Railroad Society <accrs at mail.accrs.org<mailto:accrs at mail.accrs.org>> wrote:
Message From: Phil Edholm  pedholm at pkeconsulting.com<mailto:pedholm at pkeconsulting.com>

Hi.  This email is for everyone that is volunteering at the fair this year.  We will have an orientation on Thursday night at 7 if you can make it. Can also go over it during open time on the weekend.

As you are aware, we have focused on the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental railroad as our “theme” for the fair this year.  To emphasize that, in our exhibit we will have:

  1.  A banner at the entrance to introduce the celebration
  2.  Two audio/multimedia stations that have a message about the Transcontinental railroad and the impact on California/Alameda County. Note that there is an override at the conductors chair.  Each system has a “kill” switch to turn the playback off if they walk away or kids get funny.  If you hold he button down the recording will not play. If you have not listened to these it would be good.  There are also volume controls on the electronics package for each station.  The HO volume is inside the door at the harbor and the O is above the fold up bridge.
  3.  With each of the stations there are three photo cards that have additional facts about the railroad and impact on California.
  4.  The back display case has been reworked with a display about the transcontinental and the California Zephyr.
  5.  The scavenger hunt has a bit of a 150th flair.
  6.  The back of every scavenger hunt card is a fact sheet about the transcontinental – it is at the bottom of the email.

Each of us has an opportunity to engage the public about the transcontinental, the 150th, and the impact on America, California, and Alameda County. Each of us can have a few facts to use to talk to the public and engage. For example, you could say:

  *   Isn’t it amazing how they wen over 2,000 miles of wilderness to build the railroad?
  *   Did you know that the Central Pacific coming from the west was 80% built by Chinese immigrants? Estimates are up to a thousand Chinese workers died building the line.
  *   Do you know why the Central Pacific had to use Chinese laborers? Answer – because all of the Americans headed for the silver fields in Nevada to get rich. Also, the work was both back breaking and very dangerous.
  *   The Donner summit crossing required 17 tunnels, bored through granite with pick axes and black powder.  Of course they used nitro glycerin that could explode at almost any time.
  *   The Central Pacific and Union Pacific were paid by the government in land.  They got right of ways up to 50 miles from the track.  In the end, they owned land equivalent to Texas.
  *   Before the railroad it took 3-6 moths to get to California and up to 5% dies trying to make it. It was easier to get to Europe from NY than California in 1860.

The following are things to read or watch to get more info.

Reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Transcontinental_Railroad
https://railroad.lindahall.org/essays/brief-history.html
https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/transcontinental-railroad

Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvQyBcbHJkg  This is a history channel video that is recommended
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ9aHj8A-8A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KicZIB8gCJk  This is long

In addition to the 150th celebration, we have business cards to give to prospective members.  When you are on duty, get a few cards and give them to anyone that expresses interest in joining.  This is the card, so you can point out the map on the back and encourage them to come on a Friday Night. The front and back are attached.

The key point is to engage the public on the 150th and on the passenger trains of the golden era, with a focus to the California Zephyr. When you are volunteering, take the time to engage the public.  If you do a little reading/watching, you will have great facts to have a talk. The public expects us to be excited about railroading and the 150th is a once in 50 year opportunity to talk about a major historical railroad event.

[The 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad     First known as the “Pacific Railroad” and later the “Overland Route”, construction started in 1863 and was completed on May 10, 1869.     1776 miles of track were laid connecting Sacramento, CA and Omaha, NB, meeting at Promontory UT, completing the first transcontinental railroad.     Irish laborers, Mormon workers, and Chinese immigrants were among those who worked to complete the railroad.  By the end, over 11,000 workers were Chinese.     The last tie was laid and nailed together by a spike of solid 17.6 karat gold, called the Golden Spike.     Leland Stanford invested heavily in the railroad.  The Golden Spike is now located in the Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University.]

Phil Edholm
Mobile 408-832-5618

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