CENTRAL ELECTRIC RAILFANS' ASSOCIATION

A not-for-profit technical & educational society, established in 1938

Upcoming Programs

IN MEMORIAM


                                                                                                                     


What's new at CERA?

CERA 2nd Friday Zoom Presentation

CERA’s November 13, 2026 Zoom Presentation

7:00 pm CT

Newer Short Link to Zoom

https://tinyurl.com/2ndFridayCERA

Link to Zoom Meeting

HARVEY LANER

Riding VIA Rail Canada's, 'The Canadian' 

In late May and early June 2026, Harvey Laner rode VIA Rail Canada’s 1950s-era streamliner, The Canadian, from Toronto to Vancouver. Hearing plans to replace the classic Budd-built equipment were underway, he booked Prestige Class nearly a year in advance in hopes of experiencing the classic train while it was still in service.

The Canadian is a 20-car train offering five classes of service: Economy, three sleeper classes, and Prestige Class. It also operates as a flag-stop train, with 71 locations across Canada where passengers, with prior arrangements can board or detrain. Prestige Class service is first-rate, with first class meals prepared on board  by the Dining Car chefs. The full trip covers four days and four nights through some of Canada’s most memorable landscapes: Ontario’s remote lake country, Manitoba and Saskatchewan’s fertile farmland, Alberta’s magnificent Canadian Rockies, and British Columbia’s exciting Fraser and Thompson River Canyons.

The program covers the route in considerable detail and explains the importance of Canadian National’s freight network and the challenges CN and VIA Rail Canada face while moving two twice weekly transcontinental passenger trains across a very busy, mostly single-track railroad.

The program opens with a comprehensive transit update for the streetcars and subways of Toronto and closes with an overview of Vancouver’s Skytrain.

Run Time: 1h23m

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!


CERA 2nd Friday Zoom Presentation

CERA’s December  11, 2026 Zoom Presentation

Holiday Party In Person Meeting

Free.Food and Beverages will be provided

7:00 pm CT

Newer Short Link to Zoom

https://tinyurl.com/2ndFridayCERA

Link to Zoom Meeting

ANDEW LUDASI

Europe and The South Shore Explored 

Veteran photographer and CERA member, Andrew Ludasi, returns and gives us a reprise of his recent ERA presentation featuring a panorama of unique photos and videos. He continues his domestic and world travels, this past December attending the ATTS (Associazione Torinese Tram Storici = Torinese Friend of Historic Trams) conference which concluded with a historic tram parade of about 20 vehicles. His presentation includes a brief showing of other developments in Milano, Lyon, Paris, and more recently in 2026, Montreal, Toronto, and on the South Shore in Indiana. The show will conclude with a short set of historic non-electric surprises for the semi-quincentennial.

Andrew Ludasi is a longtime member of both the CERA and ERA. Four years ago he retired from full time work as a transportation engineer but continues to consult currently on projects including the upcoming NJ Freight Plan 2027 update and to make New Jersey's rail GIS network accessible via a user friendly web interface.


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 2027 CERA Membership dues please do soon or contact me

for more information: Elmer Haneberg

elmer@corpevent.com

(773) 972-0470




DONATE

RENEW NOW

2027

Click  2027 Membership Renewal Form.docx


to get a hard copy of the 2027 Membership Form for mailing


Click   2027 Membership Renewal On Line Credit Card to renew with a credit card


Please consider donating to CERA. Our members and non-members alike help us keep providing monthly programming, annual books, periodic trips and events and more. Simply click on the donate button.


JOIN OR RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY

Renew Membership On Line Here

Renew at above link

Year In Review: Since 1938,  Central Electric Railfans’ Association has presented programs, published books, and hosted fan trips. In 2025 CERA Published B153, The Illini Trai, and in 2026 B154, Interurbans to Pittsburgh.  We also acquired from the Shore Line Interurban Historical Society Dispatches 2,3 &4 as well as Dispatch 6,9&12 which we distributed to tow membership classes.  We also continued our successful online programs on Zoom, offering both “open-to-all” Zoom programs and programs marketed exclusively to members and prospective members. We also returned to our in-person programming at a new location and hosted two fan trips: one  to the East Troy Railroad Museum for a meal and tour and then another trip on the South Shore to Michigan City where we lunched and then along the new Monon Corridor.

Publications: Since falling behind schedule in 2020 due to the Corona virus issues, we have been strenuously  striving to get caught up with our membership entitlements issuing B153, The Illini Trail, to our 2020 Membership, distributing three Shore Line Dispatches (a $90 value) to our 2021 Members and publishing B154, The Pittsburgh Harmony Line for our 2025 Members, the newest Dispatch 16 to our 2026 and yet another entitlement for our 2022 Members of Dispatches 6,9&12  That means we will have made FOUR entitlement commitments in the space of less than a year.

Historical Slides: The board has authorized exploring digitizing our extensive CERA Historical slide collection at considerable expense. Please consider an extra donation to help cover this or consider a one year bump up in your membership level .
















B153 The Illini Trail

available now

CLICK HERE



Copyright 2018 Central Electric Railfans' Association. All Right Reserved 

Central Electric Railfans' Association is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.  P.O. Box 503, Chicago, IL  60690

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