Bill McKelvey receives Tom Taber Award

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Photo taken at the September 13th presentation of the Tom Taber award by Mike DelVeccio (on left), long time president of Tri-State, to Capt. Bill McKelvey. 

Tom Taber Award

Tri-State Railway Historical Society's extraordinary service award was created in 1975 after the passing of Thomas Townsend Taber II, a member and one the club's founding fathers. A former Mayor of Madison, he worked with the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders to create the Morris County Board of Public Transportation in 1961 to champion public transportation within the County. Mr. Taber's office was the former Railway Express portion of the Madison station, where Tri-State's first membership meetings were held. The award is presented as needed, and it remains exclusive. In 43 years where several hundred people have been members, only sixteen have received it. The idea for the service award came from Bob Bahrs just after his term as president, who also procured the section of rail and spikes and had it manufactured.

  • 1975 Don Dorflinger

  • 1976 Homer R. Hill

  • 1977 Don Dorflinger

  • 1978 Tom Nemeth

  • 1979 Bill Chaplik

  • 1980 John K. Fiorilla

  • 1981 Robert Rose

  • 1982 Vince Stagnitto

  • 1991 Dave Dutcher

  • 1992 Dave Dutcher

  • 1993 John Hemmings

  • 1995 Chris Mazzei

  • 1998 Mike Finfer

  • 2008 John & Gisela Drennan

  • 2010 Rich Wisneski

  • 2014 Don Oberding

  • 2018 William J. "Capt. Bill" McKelvey