Central Electric Railfans Association upcoming events

CERA's 2nd Friday, July 10, 2026 Zoom Presentation: David Wilson: Traction and Steam 60 Years Ago (Friday, July 10, 2026)

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

CERA 2nd Friday Zoom Presentation

CERA’s July 10, 2026 Zoom Presentation

Newer Short Link to Zoom

https://tinyurl.com/2ndFridayCERA

Link to Zoom Meeting

DAVID WILSON

Traction and Steam – Sixty Years Ago

Sixty years have passed since David – your presenter – carried his Brownie Hawkeye and then Sears 35 mm camera to Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New York to photograph traction properties there. Closer to home he documented traction on the CTA, South Shore Line, I C Electric, and RELIC trolley museum with occasional attention to steam powered excursions. Take trip in CERA’s time machine!

David Wilson has been infatuated with trains and trolley cars since infancy. As a teen-ager, he worked at the RELIC (now Fox River) Trolley Museum near Chicago. He joined CERA in Chicago at age sixteen and has presented transportation and history related programs in the nearly six decades since. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in transportation. In his forty-eight career he worked for four railroads and a freight forwarder. He finished his career in 2015 as a bus route planner for the Chicago Transit Authority. He has authored From Garfield ‘L’ to Blue Line Rapid Transit as well as transportation history articles. His new book Towns Along the Q, will be published this summer.

Older Longer Link to Zoom:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88929318526?pwd=ICg6ZpFwsa6fpHIQ7PDvgowdyzD1HV.1

Meeting Number 889 2931 8526 Passcode 022656

There will also be a short In The News program preceding the regular program.

This program is open to all CERA members, their guests and the public.

Mark this date on your calendar!

If you have not yet paid your 2026 CERA Membership dues please do soon or contact me

for more information: Elmer Haneberg

elmer@corpevent.com

(773) 972-0470

CERA's 2nd Friday, August 14, 2026 Zoom Presentation: Harvey Laner: 4 Amazing RDC Rides (Friday, August 14, 2026)

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

CERA 2nd Friday Zoom Presentation

CERA’s August 14, 2026 Zoom Presentation

Newer Short Link to Zoom

https://tinyurl.com/2ndFridayCERA

Link to Zoom Meeting

HARVEY LANER

Four Amazing RDC Rides

Between 1949 and 1962, 398 RDCs were built by the Budd

Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, most being retired by the

1980s. This Harvey Laner produced program features four rail

operations that employed RDCs late in the unique car’s history.

Trinity Railway Express -TRE opened the first segment of a

commuter rail line in the in the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex. To

prepare for the service, in 1993 DART purchased 13 RDCs from

VIA Rail Canada.

Portland & Western - In early 2003: The excursion train operated 4 days per

week during the spring and summer seasons for three years until

the end of the Lewis & Clark Exploration anniversary celebration

on October 5 th , 2005.

Cuba - The group visited 14 Cuban sugar mills

spread over a large geographic portion of the island nation. Travel

over these long-distance routes was on a charter two-car train of

former VIA Canada Budd RDC cars.

BC Rail – On June 6, 1992, Harvey Laner rode BC Rail’s RDCs from North Vancouver to Whistler BC and captured on video an exciting mix of beautiful scenery and interesting railroad operations, viewed from the cab.

Older Longer Link to Zoom:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88929318526?pwd=ICg6ZpFwsa6fpHIQ7PDvgowdyzD1HV.1

Meeting Number 889 2931 8526 Passcode 022656

There will also be a short In The News program preceding the regular program.

This program is open to all CERA members, their guests and the public.

Mark this date on your calendar!

If you have not yet paid your 2026 CERA Membership dues please do soon or contact me

for more information: Elmer Haneberg

elmer@corpevent.com

(773) 972-0470

CERA South Shore Ride In (Friday, September 25, 2026)

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Announcing our September 25th CERA Fan Ride in for our 85th Anniversary!

We will be traveling from Chicago's Millennium Station (or any station along the way) to Michigan City's 11th Street station, having lunch and then traveling along the newly opened Monon Corridor to the Munster/Dyer station with a return to Chicago Millenium Station.

The trip departs on the 10:30 AM #109 from Chicago's Millennium Station and arriving in Michigan city qt 11:56 AM where we will have about two hours for lunch and sightseeing before we depart at 2:22 PM for a ride along the newly opened Monon Corridor to Munster/Dyer , transiting through the Hammond Gateway.

We will leave Munster/Dyer at 4:42 PM for a direct ride back to Millenium Station arriving at 5:52 PM

The current South Shore Line Train schedule is HERE

It's longer email address is: https://mysouthshoreline.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/SSL.012826.A.March2026WebsitePDFs-D5.pdf

The Map for the South Shore Line is attached MAP HERE

Costs: Everyone pays their own fares and lunch. There is NO CERA cost.