Thursday, November 17, 2005

BlogThis!

November 14, Meeting outcome:

The Friends have decided to continue the tradition of opening up the Rhode Island Railroad Museum at Kingston Station for the many travelers and visitors during the week of Thanksgiving again this year. Board member and RIOL presenter Rich Neff will once again head up the effort. He has developed several point point programs to help the passengers with Amtrak train status reporting as this extra assist turned out to be a big part of volunteering in the past at the station.
Volunteers will be on hand on Tues. Nov. 21,Weds, Nov. 22, and Sun.27th.
Free refreshments and coffee will be available.

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Meeting Notice

Board meeting of the Friends of Kingston Station, Sponsors of RIOL and RIRRmuseum

Meetings are held on the second Monday of each month.
Next meeting:
@ October 10th, 2005
@ 7:15pm
@ Kingston Station, museum room

RIOL will show a 12 min DVD from OL "You can make a difference, too!" © 2005

Regular business
Committee reports
Museum Update from Chair

Thursday, September 01, 2005

Notice for September Meeting

Board meeting of the Friends of Kingston Station, Sponsors of RIOL and RIRRmuseum

Meetings are held on the second Monday of each month.
Next meeting:
@ September 12, 2005
@ 7:15pm
@ Kingston Station, museum room

Review of last meeting, which did not have a quarum, in August.
Items discussed but not voted on included.
-Treatment of landscaping at the head of bike path, by Bernadette DeAcentis.
-Possible inclusion of a NPRR switch stand at that location, from John Webster.
-Trimmings required along some of the bush at trackside.
-Minor tagging to cover on signal box near overpass.

A review of our RIOL activities during July and August.
Plans for September, including the Region One workshop at Hyannis on the 19-21st.

Update on Tower
Update on grant and work on layout by Frank Heppner.

Comments to the Friends can be made by writing to us at P.O. Box 191, West Kingston, Rhode Island, 02892-0191
Membership remains at ten dollars per year. Newsletters are sent by US Mail.

Saturday, June 11, 2005

June Board meeting 2005

Greetings FOKS Board and committee,

Meeting for June 13
@Monday
@7:15pm
@museum room

Dr. Heppner will not be attending this meeting.
Some items likely:
Letter from Mr Dick Carpenter of Norwalk Ct regarding his inspection of the Kingston Block machine.
More on reorganizing and cleanup of basement area.
Recent upkeep of display.
Landscape report, and report of more graffitti on bridge and along bike path on bench. Youths spotted
in overpass elevator.. mischievous behavior.

Friday, May 06, 2005

Friends May Board meeting

@ Kingston Station
@ Monday May 9th
@ 730pm, museum room

RIDOT and Friends met with SK Town Reps on Tower Move. May 6th. ( update )
Bernadette has plans for O Neil bike path garden.. landscaping.
Jack will report items from Omaha Summit with OL state coordinators.
Status if grants.

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

April Board Meeting / Friends of Kingston Station Inc.

@ 730pm
@ April 11th [ the second monday of the month ]
@ Kingston Station, RIRR museum room
@ Dr. Frank Heppner, Chair invites all members to attend

Saturday, February 19, 2005

March 2005 NOTICE

@ Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the new Pedestrian Overpass at Kingston Station
@ 11:00am
@ March 21st, 2005
@ Kingston Station Museum room opening / ribbon cutting at pedestrian gate

Speakers: Amtrak, RIDOT, and Friends

Annual Meeting:

@ Friends Annual Meeting
@ 7 to 9 pm
@ University Club Upper College Rd Kingston RI
@ March 22nd, 2005

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Overpass Open Jan 12th Printed from projo.com

Printed from projo.com
Pedestrian bridge opens at train station


01:00 AM EST on Thursday, January 13, 2005


By KATIE MULVANEY
Journal Staff Writer




SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- The pedestrian bridge at Kingston Station officially opened yesterday, easing the daily grind just a bit for some commuters.

"It's a lot faster than the shuttle," said John Bushoven, who commutes daily from Boston to do research at the University of Rhode Island.

Since the high-speed Acelas began running about four years ago, travelers had to take a shuttle bus from one side of the tracks to the other. Some commuters scrambled through the weeds, up a hill and across Route 138 when they cut their schedule close.

Now, they can dash up the stairs, over the footbridge and down another flight to catch a departing train.

"It's definitely a good thing," Bushoven said.

The Carlin Construction Co. began work the $4-million footbridge two years ago. Amtrak received approval for the two handicap elevators set in the bridge structure, clearing the way for the yesterday's opening, said Tracy Connell, Amtrak spokeswoman.

The "up and over" bridge opened briefly at Thanksgiving.

The walkway was designed in cooperation with the Friends of Kingston Station to complement the Victorian wood-frame station. It offers views of the tracks extending in both directions. The Carlin Co. built a similar bridge in Old Saybrook, Conn., but the Kingston bridge will be the first of its kind in Rhode Island.

The Friends of Kingston Station will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the coming months.

Katie Mulvaney can be reached by e-mail at kmulvaneXXXXXprojo.com or by phone at 277-7417.


Online at: http://www.projo.com/southcounty/content/projo_20050113_train13.1aa075.html

Thursday, January 06, 2005

Printed from projo.com

Printed from projo.com

Kingston Station overpass is almost ready


01:00 AM EST on Thursday, January 6, 2005


By KATIE MULVANEY
Journal Staff Writer




SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- The new footbridge at the Kingston Train Station trembles as the Acela streaks underfoot. At three stories up, the walkway offers a bird's eye view of the high-speed train as it approaches and retreats like a silver bullet.

It's a sight all will soon be able to catch. Work is nearly complete on the $4-million pedestrian bridge, signalling yet another milestone for the storied station that dates to 1875 and sees 90,000 passengers a year.

"We look at it as a tremendous investment in Kingston," said Frank Heppner, chairman of the board of the Friends of Kingston Station. "We're moving into the era of major passenger traffic."

The "up-and-over" bridge was opened briefly to travelers at Thanksgiving. Amtrak is now awaiting final inspections and expects to permanently open the overpass by the month's end, according to Amtrak spokesperson Tracy Connell.

Previously, passengers simply walked across the tracks to catch a westbound train. Acelas, at 130 mph, made that practice too dangerous.

"They're just too fast, too quiet. It's too easy to have an accident," Heppner said.

A shuttle bus has taken passengers from one side of the tracks to the other since the high-speed trains began running about four years ago.

Carlin Construction Co. began work on the walkway for Amtrak two years ago. A high water table in the Kingston area forced the company to build a footbridge above the high voltage catenary lines instead of a tunnel, said David French, a flag conductor with Amtrak.

The company built a similar bridge in Old Saybrook, Conn., and another is under way in Guilford. But, it will be the only one of its kind in Rhode Island, French said.

The walkway was designed in cooperation with the Friends of Kingston Station to complement the Victorian wood-frame station. Windows lining the bridge offer views of the tracks heading east and west. Two towers, containing the stairwells, connect the crossover.

Late last month, workers put the finishing touches on the bridge as they awaited approval for two handicapped-accessible elevators.

"Kids will like it in the summertime," French said.

Inside Kingston Station, passengers were ready for the bridge to open.

"It gets you the other side without taking a bus. It works for me," said Bette Erickson, of Kingston, who was headed to Boston.

The Friends of Kingston Station plan to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the footbridge in the coming weeks.


Online at: http://www.projo.com/southcounty/content/projo_20050106_sktrain6.fb7c8.html

Wednesday, January 05, 2005

TGVweb - Acela Express Model

TGVweb - Acela Express Model
Fun for a rainy day project.. keep kids of all ages busy cutting out Acela paper model.

January 2005 Notice

First meeting of 2005
Friends Board

@ 715pm
@ Monday the 10th
@ RIRR Museum
@ Kingston Station

Mr. Everett Stuart will preside at this meeting.
Dr. Heppner is out of the country this week.
Members may attend in audience of the meeting.