June 19-24, 2012

Temple, TX

On Line Registration

Registration Form

Merchandise:
Mug
Cap
Denim Shirt
Polo Shirt
Dress shirt

Contest Rules

ATSF Model Contest Entry

BNSF Model Contest Entry

ATSF Photo Contest Entry

BNSF Photo Contest Entry

Pre-Convention and Railfanning

Need Ride or Roommate

Vendor Information

Some of the above files are in Adobe Acrobat format.

The Texan / GCSF

You don't have to be a member to attend!

Updated 1-28-12

Come join us in Central Texas for another great SFRH&MS Convention! Fruitful planning has yielded three Extra Fare trips, numerous clinics & presentations, layout operating sessions, prototype modelers meet, Vendor room with Texas size display layouts, Ladies Group program, and some pre-convention activity offerings in other “travel-thru” cities.

Our Convention host city, Temple, Texas, has been a historic Santa Fe town since 1881 when 181 acres were purchased so the Gulf Colorado & Santa Fe Railroad (GCSF) could have roundhouse facilities & central junction point for the many miles of track spreading throughout the vast Lone Star State. For many years Temple was the headquarters of the Southern Division.

The beautifully restored GCSF/ATSF Depot is now home to the Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum and is well recognized site of our SFRH&MS Archives and houses many donated collections to the society.

For air travelers, major airports convenient to Temple are Austin Bergstorm & Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airports. Regional air travel service is also available to Killeen, Texas which is only a short drive from Temple. Daily passenger rail service is available to Temple on the Amtrak Texas Eagle with other train connections in Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio, Texas. Contact Amtrak for rail travel connection information and direct reservations. If you want to travel first class, come from Tuscon in one of two ATSF private cars.

For those arriving at Temple on the Texas Eagle (South bound train # 21 4:43 PM and North Bound train at 11:25 AM), you may reserve a rental car from convenient Enterprise Rent-A-Car and they will pick you up and drop you off at the station. We recommend that you check out of your hotel prior to going to the Mayborn Convention Center to avoid being rushed to catch your train. (Local number for Enterprise is 254-770-8400, national number  800-261-7331.

Local taxi service from Amrak Station is available from Yellow Taxi Company. Their phone number is 254-773-6855

This will be a unique convention in that Temple does not have a convention hotel. The Frank Mayborn Civic & Convention Center -- a large, multi-use civic / convention center -- is located on the northern edge of the city.  It is the location for the popular annual Temple Texas Train Shows due to it geographical center location in Texas. The City of Temple Visitors Office & Frank Mayborn Center representatives will be putting together a package deal for the Convention Committee in which they arrange hotel lodging accommodation, food service, & convention transportation needs. Shuttle bus services will be available to and from the Convention Hotel(s). RV hook-ups are available for those who wish to park an RV on-site at the Convention Center. The 2012 Temple Convention will not have an adjoining hotel connected with the convention center facility.

See the Hotel Information Page

MONDAY, JUNE 20TH, 2012
Pre-Convention Activities. Model Railroad Layout Operating Sessions in Houston & San Antonio.

TUESDAY, JUNE 19TH, 2012
GCSF Rail Fan Safari. Exclusively put together for the dedicated rail fan photographer & “train chaser”. The GCSF Rail Fan Safari Hunters will spend the day exploring the former GCSF/ATSF lines in Central Texas. Special arrangements are being made to access some parts of the very rural railroad line areas which are normally inaccessible to the public. GCSF Safari Hunters are also encouraged to bring their backpack of camera, radio scanner, and other necessary rail fan outing gear. The activity fee for this outing will cover transportation costs and water/beverage refreshments. A “Dutch treat” social breakfast & lunch stop will be made available. This activity trip is very limited to 24 registrants.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20TH, 2012
GCSF Texan Train Ride. Society members will board buses at the Temple Mayborn Convention Center for a short trip to the historic Bertram Texas Depot for boarding of the Austin Steam Train Association passenger train. Our chartered train ride will take us to Burnet, Texas for a (on your own) lunch break of your choosing around the center of town. After our return ride back to Bertram, it’s back to Temple by bus. Train fare costs will be $50.00 Coach (open window air conditioning), or Deluxe Cars for $60.00 with “cool” air conditioning. Did we also mention that the exclusive motive power arranged for our trip will be a former ATSF, Alco RSD-15 Alligator? This trip is limited to 250 registrants.

Wednesday evening operating sessions will be held at 4 layouts with very limited participation. These are the layouts of David Barrow, Richard Zamudio, Jack Merkel, and the Centra-Mod club. Sign up early!

THURSDAY, JUNE 21ST, 2012
Fort Hood Tour. We will board our buses at the Temple Mayborn Convention Center and travel to Fort Hood, the largest U.S. Army Base in the United States. Six hours of planned activities will include a U.S. Army “rail head” & yard tour where an entire Division of military vehicles & support equipment can be quickly loaded for overseas deployment. As guests of the famed U.S. 1st Cavalry Division, we will see a special presentation of their Mounted Horse Cavalry unit, wearing their authentic federal blue uniforms of the late 1800’s western frontier era and demonstrating their superior gun, saber sword, and cavalry horsemanship skills. Also included in the tour is a visit to the “1st Cav” Museum which has interesting historic artifacts & captured equipment display items from post WWII to the recent Gulf/Middle East region conflicts. When lunch time rolls around, a buffet lunch awaits everyone at the Iron Horse Dining Facility (No Army Mess Hall here)
which is included in your extra fare activity fee. Cost is $40.00 per person and the trip is limited to 250 registrants.

THURSDAY EVENING, JUNE 21ST, 2012
Gulf Colorado & Santa Fe Railroad Presentation — Our Presentation Key Note Speaker, William Osborn, will describe his interesting oral history project regarding the GCSF Railroad at the Temple Mayborn Convention Center.

FRIDAY EVENING, JUNE 22ND, 2012
Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum Welcome Night & Barbeque — The Temple RR&H Museum welcomes all convention attendees to a Welcome Night at the Museum & SFRH&MS Archives. A traditional Texas Outdoor Barbeque, complete with live music, will be provided for all registered convention attendees. Temple CenTra Mod Model Railroad Club Open House — Housed in the former Moody Texas ATSF Depot building near the Temple RR&H Museum. Come over to see the assorted layouts and run a locomotive throttle!

FRIDAY JUNE 22ND / SATURDAY JUNE 23RD, 2012
Two days of SFRH&MS traditional convention activities began at the Temple Mayborn Convention Center. The major highlights of which will be the Presentation Clinics, Model & Photo Contests, SFRH&MS Company Store, Prototype Modelers Meet, and a “Texas size” Vendor Room complete with two large model railroad displays! We have lined up a great bunch of speakers whose presentation clinics will include a variety of Santa Fe subjects. The following is based on information available at time of printing. Additional presentations may be added.

• Frank Angstead, Intermountain Railway - Manufacturing, Present and Future.
• Tom Casey, Building Society ATSF Heavyweight Passenger Car Kits.
• Jürgen Dietrichkeit , Eastern Railway of New Mexico "Standard" Depots - Prototype and Modeling.
• Michael Gross, Weathering
• Ken Fitzgerald, Tower 55 — Gateway to Temple
• Jared Harper, Getting it Right (?) - Eskridge, KS, on the Santa Fe's Alma branch, May 1943.
• Keel Middleton, RCE to DPU, Remote Locomotives Then and Now.
• Steven Priest, The Three Heavy Shops — Albuquerque, Cleburne and Topeka
• Ramon Rhodes, Intermodal Operations
• Steve Sandifer, Livestock Operations
• Andy Sperandeo, Ready to Run in 3 Hours, the Santa Fe Edition
• Mike Tomei, What’s that Stuff on the Roof? Santa Fe Diesel Detailing 1988-1995.
• Bob Walz, Santa Fe Depots — Form and Function.
• Bob Walz, Jack Kehoe's Santa Fe 1963-1990.
• Matt Zebrowski, GCSF on the Lampasas Sub Division.

Also on these two days, the Ladies Group will have an array of activities some of which include a trip to the old historic town of Salado, Texas for shopping, a Winery tour& tasting, some cultural lunch dining, and visits to other interesting Temple area sites. The Ladies Group activity costs will be split among those who register to participate & activity fees.

SATURDAY EVENING, JUNE 23RD, 2012
The Mayborn Convention will host our 32nd Annual Convention Banquet. As always we will enjoy a delicious dinner, the company of our society friends and find out who won the modeling & photography contests.

SUNDAY MORNING, JUNE 24TH, 2012
Annual Business Meeting of the Santa Fe Railway & Historical Society ( SFRH&MS Board Officers & Directors ). Special presentation for the SFRH&MS Flagstaff Arizona 2013 / 33rd Annual Convention.

The Convention will be offering the following items in individual raffles:   

• Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway January 26, 1947 System Time Table, (Public Timetable of passenger trains);
• GC&SF Sunday, October 28, 1962 Employee Time Table No. 6, Southern Division; 
• GC&SF October 28, 1962 Employee Time Table No. 5, Northern Division; 
• GC&SF Standard switch lock with key; 
• Railroad Lantern marked AT&SF with a clear GC&SF etched globe
• (possibly) a Railroad Lantern marked GC&SF with a yellow (amber) GC&SF etched globe. 

More volunteers are needed. Please contact Eric Davis.

CONVENTION VENDOR ROOM INFORMATION
Large size Vendor Room available. If you wish to be a vendor, for information & instructions please contact:

SFRH&MS Temple 2012 Convention
Don Scott - Treasurer & Registrar
22016 Senna Hills Drive
Garden Ridge, Texas 78266-2230

Russ Covitt, Co-Chairman
Phone: 972-625-4012

YA’LL COME!