Hello Railfans, We are once again pleased to present… The 2nd (or 3rd) Annual COTTON BELT Symposium: Railroad Legacy and Lore Saturday, August 16, 2008 | 9:00am-12:30pm (2nd annual if you don’t count the 1st attempt that fell victim to an ice storm on Nov. 30, 2006. If you were among the small group that braved the ice to participate in that abbreviated event, you may consider this the 3rd.) To be held at the James G. Gee Library on the campus of Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, Texas. Located approximately 60 miles northeast of Dallas, and north of I-30, along SH 50 & SH 11. This is a free, public event to share, document, preserve, and celebrate the legacy and experiences of the employees and families connected to the St. Louis Southwestern Railway in northeast Texas and system-wide. A special invitation is extended to all former and current railroad employees and their families to come and share recollections of their railroad days. Everyone is encouraged to bring and display historical photos depicting people, places, equipment, and rail operations. Anyone interested in the railroad and its history is invited to attend. Please share this information with anyone who might be interested. The program features noted authors and historians, Jonathan Gerland, Dr. Otha Spencer, and Cheryl Westhafer. Mr. Gerland will discuss the service of the Cotton Belt and connecting railroads to early logging operations in east Texas. Dr. Spencer will discuss the social impact of the railroad in the communities in and around the Commerce area. Dr. Spencer will be available to sell and sign copies of new book, That Lonesome Whistle: The History of the Cotton Belt in Commerce, in case you haven’t yet obtained your copy. Ms. Westhafer will present artifacts from, and discuss the railroad collection at the Commerce Public Library. The program will also feature a panel comprised of current and former railroad employees and family members who will recount various as