There are now 42 pictures in the Facebook album telling the story of our turntable’s January move and final site placement in Reardan, but we thought we’d include some of the best ones here as well.

The minutes from the late February board meeting and the March general meeting are now available. The majority of the general meeting was taken up by an informative presentation from Operation Lifesaver (which, by the way, is an international program that got it’s start in north Idaho).  IERHS BOARD FEBRUARY MINUTES GENERAL MTG MARCH MINUTES

This 1956 Ford C600 Cabover was Milwaukee Road truck #151 and served in the Spokane-St. Maries-Avery area. The IERHS recently purchased the truck and has moved it to the fairgrounds, and while the truck runs, it will need additional restoration. We look forward to using this great vehicle in parades and other public appearances for many years to come.

The latest issue of our quarterly newsletter is now available on the “about us” page or by clicking here. Chock full of photos from the recent turntable move and featuring much much more. Have it deleivered directly to your home by becoming a member today!

We reviewed the progress on the turntable move and installation, honored past president John Simanton for his commitment to the organization during his years of service and looked ahead to plans for 2012 and beyond. Attached are the board minutes for January and the February general meeting minutes. BOARD MEETING JANUARY GENERAL MEETING FEBRUARY MINUTES

We don’t always know how you are finding us, but we are sure thankful that you do. In the past week, after some very simple advertising, we have gone from around 60 to over 160 “likes” on Facebook. 40% of those fans are males aged 25-44, a younger and potentially more active and mobile set than the one that makes up the majority of our current membership. These new fans are folks who live all over the northwest, but quite a few of you are right here in our own backyard. While many may not ever become dues-paying members of the Friends of the INRM (for only $25 per year), we sure hope some of them will. We have a lot of exciting things going on this year, and we are looking forward to involving some of our new friends in the rewarding work of building a new rail museum from the ground up.

It was a great night at Spokane’s Old Country Buffet, as more than 50 members of the Friends of the INRM/IERHS gathered for food and fellowship at the 2012 annual meeting. New president Dale Swant presided over his first meeting and expressed enthusiasm for sharing the burdens of leadership as he invited all members to choose at least one of the 20 different committees of the organization in which to participate. The program was provided by our friends and partners at the Eastern Washington Gateway Railroad and it was clear to all present that 2012 will be one of the most significant years in the history of our organization. Minutes from the meeting added February 7.  GENERAL MEETING JANUARY MINUTES

Our eagerly anticipated UP turntable, one of the largest artifacts in the INRM collection, has arrived at the Reardan museum site. It should be offloaded by crane onto its pivot and permanent home by the end of this week. For now, here are a few pictures of the beast en route.

The lights are on at the Reardan site. This photo may not look like much, but it is a huge step toward getting the collection moved.

You can download a copy of the latest edition of “Sidetrack”–our quarterly newsletter–on the “About Us” page of the site. See photo essays on this year’s Spokane Interstate Fair, our biggest fundraiser of the year, and the latest on the U.P. turntable that will become a centerpiece of our new museum in Reardan. Members receive printed copies of “Sidetrack” in the mail, so please consider becoming a member of the Friends of the INRM today.

Our online store is offering a special sale during the month of November. Any order over $75 will receive a free embroidered patch and all orders will ship in time for Christmas. Click “visit our store” in the list on the left.

The Interstate Fair was over back in September, but as members keep sending in photos, we thought it would be worth sharing a couple more from this biggest outreach event of the year for the museum. Thanks to Bill Wagner for these great shots. In the first, we prove that dedicated volunteers come in all sizes, and in the second, IERHS Librarian Jerry Fey sports one of our new logo tees.

Member Bob Shanklin is featured in today’s Spokesman-Review in an article about his ongoing work with the Pend Oreille Valley Lions Club train rides, which use several of our passenger coaches. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/oct/02/still-riding-the-rails/

• 10 days
• Dozens of new members added
• 300 train rides
• 600 trips around the track
• Thousands of train hats given away
• More smiles than we could count…

Another Spokane Interstate Fair has come and gone and it was a wonderful year at the rail museum. We entertained lots of visitors, from 9-week-olds to 90-year-olds, and all had a great time, whether they went for a ride or walked through the museum train or did a little shopping in the depot. Thanks for visiting and helping to make it a great one for all of us at the INRM.

We don’t often get a chance to see Spokane’s last surviving streetcar out of the barn and lit up at night. But for the ten days of the Interstate Fair, here she is in all her glory. The photo, taken with an iPhone, has been doctored a bit using the Instagram app, but the colors are real.

The Spokane Interstate Fair is on!
Come visit our depot store for train ride and museum tickets and daily specials including:
Saturday, 9/10–Any toy train is 20% off
Sunday, 9/11–Any red, white & blue item is $1 off
Monday, 9/12–Any mug is $1 off
Tuesday, 9/13–25% off any book
Wednesday, 9/14–$1 off any cap
Thursday, 9/15–10% off any DVD
Friday, 9/16–Any new Inland NW Rail Museum item is 10% off
Saturday, 9/17–IERHS shirts for adults are $10 each or 2 for $18. All kids’ shirts $1 off.

As of this writing, the 2011 edition of the fair is in full swing. Since our current home is the fairgrounds, this is our largest fundraiser of the year. Come out and visit us between now and the 18th of September. And tell us what you think of the new website.

It has been a busy six months for the Inland Empire Railway Historical Society. We have changed our name to the Inland Northwest Rail Museum, designed a new logo (Thanks to Brian Gage and Pipe & Tabor Design),  built a new web site (Thanks to Scott Love and team at Spokane Web Communications),  and added a new online store (Thanks to Zane Troester and team at Zome Design). We even have a presence on Facebook (“like” us, please) and a channel on YouTube (your home for regional train videos and the latest film of INRM activities). You can find them both riding the train on the bottom of this page.

That said, this is only the beginning. As plans continue to come together for our move to Reardan, it becomes more and more obvious that our dreams for the museum site, while very realistic, will require more than our current bank balances will allow. That is where you come in.

If you are reading this, we need your help. We want you to join the Friends of the INRM. We want you to visit this site often for updates on our progress and share that news with your friends. We want you to visit us at the fair and at our annual open house. We want you to wear our logo gear. And we want you to help us honor the vibrant railroading past of this region for many years to come. Welcome aboard!