Congratulations on your retirement. Enjoy, you earned it.
Rich Melvin's Last Run?
<panic> Oh no! Was this some kind of clever eulogy?
<slightly less panic> Or the last run of OGR Mag?
<relief> Oh, retiring from the right hand seat of the 765.
Congratulations! Hope you get to relax some. ��
Bob
PS Glad you are still alive.
Congratulations Rich !
I'm going out early. 1 year & 4 months left to go.
Thanks for all you have done for us.
Steve 
Congrats Rich, will we still see you around the forum?
gunrunnerjohn posted:Congrats Rich, will we still see you around the forum?
Oh sure! Nothing has changed here at OGR and I'm still flying.
I did this simply because it's time for the FWRHS Succession Plan to go into action and give more responsibility to a few of the younger guys.
OGR Webmaster posted:gunrunnerjohn posted:Congrats Rich, will we still see you around the forum?
Oh sure! Nothing has changed here at OGR and I'm still flying.
I did this simply because it's time for the FWRHS Succession Plan to go into action and give more responsibility to a few of the younger guys.
Well, I'm glad I got to see you and 765 last year in PA. Turns out the timing couldn't be better. Enjoy flying that King Air
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Glad to be able to say I was onboard 
Hi Rich:
Gary
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Are you really hanging up your railroad cap for good? You will no longer sit in the right hand seat of 765? I enjoyed my two rides behind the 765 in PA in 2013 and 2015. I met you in front of the 765 in Jim Thorpe and in the concession car. This year I rode behind the 611 from Manassas, VA. Apparently NS has cut back it's steam operations and only used 611 this year. The TVRM locos will stay at home now, and 765 will only use NS for ferry moves to other railroads like CVSR. Who knows about NS steam operations for 2017. They could let 611 run again, but it's very unlikely there will be any steam on NS in the northern states for a while or 765 pulling public excursions on NS again. Seems NS under Squires wants to cut costs, and steam excursions eat money. You could always run at Steamtown or on RBMN again. Maybe NS would let you use their tracks again to start from Bethlehem area on a future trip.
Robert K posted:Are you really hanging up your railroad cap for good?
No, I am still a DSLE at the CVSR and will run diesels there from time to time on the regular Scenic trains and our Polar Express trains.You will no longer sit in the right hand seat of 765?
That is correct.You could always run at Steamtown or on RBMN again.
Steamtown - yes.
RBM&N - no.
Congratulations Rich !!!!
Alex
Best wishes on the new chapter of your life Rich. Enjoy.
Congratulations on retirement Rich, the 765 will miss you. Though I never got to meet you in person, I hope someday I will be able to shake the hand of one of my heroes. Now that you are gone, we have to teach someone how to drive that beastly steamer!
Why not on RBMN again? You wouldn't be able to use NS again with an excursion like from Bethlehem area? So, the Horseshoe Curve and Lehigh Gorge from Bethlehem trips will most likely never repeat again? Glad I rode them. RBMN will have 2102 running next year. But, it will probably only run on RBMN track, like from Port Clinton, Jim Thorpe, Pittston, Pottsville, or North Reading, etc.
Robert,
I won't go into detail but there are so many variables and behind the scenes details that go into planning operations that most people can't begin to imagine. All these things have to work out just right for us, or anyone for that matter to operate a successful excursion. Things just don't line up right for us to return to the RBMN. Let's just leave it at that.
Chris
We all reach a point in life where a step back towards where more R n R is welcomed. I admire Rich as he seems to have fulfilled his dreams. How many people can honestly say that they engineered a steam train? Rich also was instrumental in bringing O Scale magazine to a wider audience with the change to OGR magazine. All things being said, Rich's extended contribution to the model railroading community and to the historical steam preservation community has been positive and one that has been been appreciated by many. My sincerest congratulations his retirement on his steam engine engineering role
Holy moly!!
Talk about a thread title causing sudden erratic palpitations!!! "Final Run" registers differently to some....like me!
So, after I read further, I understand the term re Mr. Melvin better. I suppose had it read "Rich Melvin Drops His Fire", there'd have been a different set of responses.
Mark Twain's famous quote comes to mind...."Reports of my death...etc."
Are you giving tours of Taj Mandalay at York?
BTW, the comment re having a layout on board is not that far-fetched. Our RV has a spare bed that lowers electrically above the front captain's chairs maintaining a horizontal attitude. Frankly it would better serve our needs to have, say, an N-scale layout constructed on this device, rather than ever expect an agile guest to make sleepy-time use of it. Wife agrees!! Well, why not?
Enjoy the retiring years! They go by too fast, I'm finding out.
KD
Maxrailroad posted:Now that you are gone, we have to teach someone how to drive that beastly steamer!
Rich, after you teach someone to "drive" 765, you can go "run" your RV. Then, we will be able to shoot some video of it holding the camera vertically! 
Seriously, congratulations and all the best to you and your family.
Your knowledge, professionalism, kindness, and thoughtfulness has made a huge positive impact on the FWRHS, and I have no doubt the group will continue prospering thanks to your contributions.
OGR Webmaster posted:Robert K posted:Are you really hanging up your railroad cap for good?
No, I am still a DSLE at the CVSR and will run diesels there from time to time on the regular Scenic trains and our Polar Express trains.You will no longer sit in the right hand seat of 765?
That is correct.You could always run at Steamtown or on RBMN again.
Steamtown - yes.
RBM&N - no.
Lucky for me I live a few miles down the road from CVSR!
Happy retirement Rich!
