Mike Margrave is president and a member of the board of directors of the American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners, Inc., which is an organization of over 400 members devoted to the preservation, restoration and operation of private railroad cars (see http://www.aaprco.com/ ) .

This year is going to be a particularly busy year as Margrave also has planning responsibility for APPRCO's 2011 convention in Kansas City, Missouri in mid-October. In conjunction with the convention, a special private rail car trip will run from New Orleans to Kansas City with 15-18 vintage cars.

In late April, there will be a member and board of directors meeting in New Orleans to review many technical issues and other matters of interest. There are over 100 cars in the organization that meet AmTrak-required mechanical and safety standards to be fully operational.

According to AAPRCO's website, many private cars can be chartered by individuals or groups for pre-planned or custom rail trips. Contact Mike Margrave with any questions: mmargrave@mclawfirm.com .