Friday's activities focused on the mission and business of the NRHS.

In the morning at 9 & 10:30 am there were a series of railroad history seminars. A full list and brief description of all the seminars is available here. The NRHS Webmaster was able to attend two of the seminars:

1522 Steam Locomotive Restoration - Third Time is the Charm! - The electronic presentation by the Steam Train Association (SLSTA). provided an informative and interesting look at the restoration of this locomotive. Perhaps even more important and eye opening was the subsequent discussion about the challenges of operating a steam engine. While the SLSTA owns the engine, it must do extensive planning, cooperation, and negotiation with the railroads in order to operate. SLSTA has worked hard to cultivate a relationship of trust and goodwill with Union Pacific, and BNSF, and the work has paid dividends that permit the periodic operation of the locomotive for public excursions. 1522 is also periodically involved with BNSF's employee appreciation specials, one of which the locomotive recently returned from.

The Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis (TRRA) - Mr. Larry Thomas, Editor for the TRRA Historical and Technical Society gave a detailed and extremely well thought out overview presentation on the TRRA. The quantity and complexity of track in St. Louis and East St. Louis were a driving factor in the formation of the TRRA and its long tenure as the interchange and switching railroad for much of St. Louis. During the steam era, the TRRA had primarily 0-6-0 and 0-8-0 locomotives. After dieselization, the road had a myriad of diesels, both new and used. Mr. Edwards presentation included detailed handouts describing the TRRA and track diagrams showing the literally hundreds of miles of track in the St. Louis area. The TRRA provided service on both sides of the river.