Present: Martin Wheeler, Jim Frierson, Ernest, Robl, John Bobinyec, Gene Kirkland, Dan Smith, Ed Locklin, David Robinson, Jonathan Stewart and Phil Astwood

Secretary's Report: Phil Astwood read the minutes from the September meeting. They were accepted as read

Treasurer's Report: 1–Budget for 2019 – Gene Kirkland presented a preliminary budget for the coming year. Based on a membership of 187, the budget proposes an income from dues and contributions of $3,011.50 and expenses primarily for printing and mailing of $2,080.00. 2-Financial Report for Sept 29-Nov 15, 2018 – Gene also presented a financial report showing income for this period of $100 from dues and expenses of $231.74 for printing postage and renewal of the Go Daddy URL.

Four were elected to 2-year terms beginning at the January 2019 meeting. They are:

Update on CAPT Fostering Creation of an Association Similar to Virginians for High Speed Rail: For a previous meeting David Robinson prepared a set of “Goals and Objectives” for this project. In connection with that he plans to contact the head of the NC Public Transportation Committee before taking any other action. For comparison he distributed copies of Goals and Objectives that had been prepared for similar organizations and suggested that funds to support such an effort could be solicited through “Crowd Funding”. He described this system and provided examples of other places where it had been successfully used. Advertising for the Crowd Funding appeal would also serve to publicize the project.

Update on News in NC and SC Affecting Transit and Rail Passenger Service: Gene Kirkland – Ridership has been good on all Piedmonts. Bus pass is working well also. To equip a 4^th Piedmont it will be necessary to refurbish 7‘circus’ cars and 2 existing cars. Having an operating power unit at each end of the Piedmont trains has proved useful a number of times when one of the engines failed. The second track at Raleigh is now connected and is in use. Jim Frierson – The new Intermodal Center in Charleston is supposed to have been completed in October. The old station and platform will be demolished. No further information on the Assembly Street project in Columbia. David Robinson – Western NC Rail has incorporated as a non-profit. Bus service following the proposed rail line from Asheville to Salisbury may begin in 2020 connecting to existing rail at Wilson. (Recording volume too low to hear a portion of this)

Update on CAPT Newsletter and Website Issues: Gene Kirkland – Material for the newsletter is desperately needed. John Bobinyec – Addresses and phone numbers listed on the website for officers and directors are seriously out of date.

Amtrak Update: The ‘Chief’ will continue to run for at least the next year. PTC has caused trouble in a number of areas. Apparently a ‘drop out’ in PTC caused a derailment in Florida when it put a freight train into emergency. PTC problems have also caused a number of delays on the ‘Crescent’.

Reports by Officers and Directors: Ed Locklin – CSX plans to sell the track between Mobile and Jacksonville to Rail USA. John Bobinyec – NS is moving its headquarters and all of its dispatchers including those in Greenville to Atlanta. Jim Frierson – The Spectrum ads showing people walking on a railroad track are still on the air in Columbia and a number of other cities. Martin Wheeler – Light rail ridership is up but below what was expected. This is due in part to unreasonably low speed restrictions and operating problems not being fixed, The route for service from St Matthews to central city and on to the airport has been finalized. Land is being cleared for tracks for the Gateway station and a number of possible Mooresville/Lake Norman routes are being examined. A new ‘Y’ is being built near the airport which should facilitate train movement in a number of directions. There have been discussions about extending one or more Piedmonts to Selma, Goldsboro, or even Gastonia. The problem is the increase in crew costs.