Railroad Heroes?

Mine.....Raymond Malone.  Not famous maybe but a railroad hero to me.

He was my great grandfather and had one job his whole life. From age 15 he worked for the B&O railroad out of Weston WV. He  retired in 1951 an engineer running a train from Weston to Richwood WV daily. I really feel even though I met him once as a very small child, he is part of my love of trains real and model. It was not until just a few years ago when my Dad going through Mom's papers did I find an article on him from the Weston newspaper detailing is career. That's when I found out the B&O was his only job and he had 'fudged' his age to get the job! And that he had a spotless record and had won many awards from the railroad and the BLE.

I definitely could have included my father and grandfather, both railroaders, but have

mentioned them on other threads, with my grandfather one of the main reasons I

am in this hobby.

My hero is Charles Babbage known as the "Father of Computing". My other hobby is computers and programming. While studing the Life of Charles Babbage I discovered some of his other inventions. The "Cowcatcher" and "Standard Railroad Gauge" in 1838.

I'd cast my real railroad vote for Mike Haverty of KCS.  He is perhaps the most visionary of railroad leaders since the 1950's.  Mike "did the deal" that got JB Hunt to shift so much of their long distance truck business onto Santa Fe intermodal trains.  After joining KCS, he had the vision and the guts to take a gamble on the Mexican rail franchise that is now KCSM.  He managed to "connect the dots" via rights obtained through the UP / SP merger.  Throw in the Meridian Speedway, the Mexican port of Lazaro Cardenas and the Panama Canal Railroad and we have a man who has had a tremendous impact on the industry.

Curt

Casey Jones and his fireman Sim Webb. I am sure Sim went to his eternal rest a part of him frozen in the moment when Casey shouted "Jump!" across the deck. 

Here are a few that come to mind.

• Granville Woods: Synchronous Multiplex Telegraph system that allowed communication between moving trains and the stations. Prevented a lot of accidents.
• George Westinghouse: Air Brakes. Saved countless lives of railroad workers from the prior method of stopping a train.
• Elijah McCoy: Automatic lubrication system for steam engines.
• Kate Shelley: Responsible for saving two, but potentially more than 200 lives when a rain storm washed out a CNW railroad bridge. She lived near the Honey Creek bridge and heard the bridge partially collapse when a pusher locomotive crossed. She found the surviving crew members and went to get help. She crawled across the remains of the damaged bridge, then ran to the nearby station to get a scheduled passenger train stopped before it hit the damaged bridge. She led rescuers back to the scene to rescue the surviving crew members. 

I agree with Matt on George Westinghouse, and add Alexander Cassatt of the PRR for his determination getting the road under two rivers and into NYC.

How bout EPHIRAM SHAY?

Here's his info,

http://www.shaylocomotives.com...ages/EphraimShay.htm

I'll cast my vote for Kate Shelly, of Iowa fame.

Kent in SD

I'd have to say  J.L. Cowen #1 for sure with A.C. Gilbert winning the #2 position..

They don't count as this is the "Real Trains Forum"!

John Hess, PRR work train engineer, who ran his train in reverse, whistle blowing madly, towards East Conemaugh, Pa to warn of the approaching Johnstown Flood, or PRR Telegrapher Emma Ehrenfeld, who sent the messages down the valley that the dam was becoming dangerous and could go...

I wouldn't say he was a "hero", but one of my favorites was Fairfax Harrison.  Whether Southern would have made it without him is debatable, but it is unlikely they would have had those green passenger locos.

Model train world would be my father who introduced me to Lionel trains one Christmas, who built the original GP&W for my brother and me, and who encouraged my interest in model trains until he died.

Andrew Carnegie and Matthias Baldwin.

The great heros of railroading have mostly been already mentioned.

How about some new ones? The name Wick Moorman comes to mind. I can

recall four or five years ago standing at Horseshoe Curve, marveling at

the wonder of it and never  ever thinking that one day a steam locomotive

would appear again there!

CSX takes a lot of hits, but Mike Ward kept CSX out of the hands of a hedgefund

group, and if you check around the divisions, a ton of money has been spent on

maintainance and upgrades. Just at Cumberland, two new buildings, a new big

crane inside the heavy repair building, a new turntable and out on the main lines t soon all the tunnels and overhead bridges on the route thru Cumberland will be modified for double stacks.

Ed

Oooooops missed it!!!   Wait a minute what do mean my trains aren't real!!

 The first engineer to run a locomotive in America was HORATIO ALLEN.  Shouldn't he be Americas first hero of RRing?

The Thread says Model trains and real trains!

My heroes include the people that saved the historical highlights of the railroad.

People like:

Howard Fogg.

O Winston Link.

Nixon and Mcgee

Richard Steinheimer

David Plowden

Dave Styffe and Ted Benson

Jim Boyd

R.C. Farewell

These are only to name a few. Hats of to them for being a real value add to the Historic Railroad community. Their contributions will always be remembered.

30th Street Angel

  This kind of a list has no end but it is fun to add to it.

  1. Jesus Garcia - engineer on the Nacozari Railroad pulled a blazing train with a load of nitroglycerin away from the town of Cobre in northern Mexico and into a cut before it exploded.  He died but the town was saved - 7 November 1927.

  2. Engineer James Root, Fireman John McGowan, Conductor Thomas Sullivan, and Porter John Blair - the crew of the St. Paul & Duluth Limited Train #4 who saved an estimated 3-400 people from certain death by running from Hinckley, Minnesota to Skunk Lake where they were able to take refuge from the 1 September 1894 firestorm.

 3. Engineer Harry Easton and the crew of The Bostonian who saved the lives of their 250+ passengers during the New England Hurricane of September 1938.

Heroes? The managment of the New York Transportation Authority in the 1960s for the horrible state of repair of the system, which created lots of days off from high school. The best words to hear on morning radio were 'power failure on the subway.' 

Photographers Phil Hastings, Don Wood, Jim Shaugnessy, John Rehor, Dick Kindig, Otto Perry, and Hank Griffiths, piggy backing on J Daddy's post.   

Mary Ambler

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T..._Train_Wreck_of_1856

#1 of all time is, of course Dick Dilworth....followed by Roy White of the B&O, and who could ever forget "Race Horse" Smith, Hobart Scott, John Pilcher, Clarence Pond, and yes, even O. Winston Link of N&W fame !   Lackawanna had some greats in Sloan, and Truesdale as well.

Well...I was never in the railroad profession...but my hero is my Dad's best friend and our nextdooor neighbor when I was growing up.  He was a real railroad man from a railroad family.  His dad worked for Baldwin.  His name is Elmer Wright.  He came out west while serving in the Navy during the Korean War.  After he did his hitch, he got hired by Southern Pacific.  He worked for them for 42 years and ended his career as Yard Master of the SP Bayshore Yard in San Francisco.  When he retired he gave me all of his SP ID cards, his lantern, and his brass switch keys.  He is still bitter to this day about the UP merger.  He said, "They ruined the best railroad!"  I used to grab a cup of coffee with him on the Graveyard shift at the railyard.  Every time he drives by the barren land that was once the Bayshore Yard, he has a look of sadness in his eyes.  Elmer's son has been an engineer for UP for 30+ years.  So...Elmer is my railroad hero!  Matt

James J. Hill much admired and most hated who was responsible for the development of the northern United States.  Hailed as a hero!  And reviled as a villian!  

"Twixt Hill and **** there's just one letter, were Hill in **** we'd all feel better!"  That's not my sentiment, but was obviously someone's else s

Casey Jones....?? hero or rule violator.... Stirring the pot with this one.

In my humble opinion, Adam Kusmira, and Adalbert Kusmira, Adam was my grandfather, worked as a locomotive Engineer on the Pennsy for 46 years, Adalbert was my Father, worked for the Monongahela Connecting RR, (J&L's railroad) for 34 years as an engineer, they brought me up to respect life, family, and love of god, they also introduced me to "Lionel" trains....   Today I am an engineer on NS, and will be retiring this December, 37+ years...... No, they are not by any means famous, they taught me that through hard work and diligence, the American dream was available to me and my family, but are My railroad hero's...  and always will be......

i'll agree with old uncle Al my dad and his dad both worked for the Milwaukee Road at the Western Av coach yard in Chicago. my grandfather had over 46 years and my dad had almost 43 not including almost 4 yrs in service during WW2. what was interesting they both told me NOT to work on the railroad. my dad was an electrician and spent many years working at union station protecting the Hiawatha's worked on the business cars and actually got to sleep on the business car Milwaukee when both he and the car were trapped in the yard during the big snowfall in 1967. what us train nuts wouldn't give for that experience! they are both my hero's........

And who will speak for the little guys....those who not only operated the trains, but also built the plants and infrastructures. Literally millions out there who ground it out every day, as we saw in the UP/SP rotary video a week or so ago.  I was blessed to know some of these folks up close and personal... John Sank, Tim Borkowski, Kathy Brown, Bill Boedner, Don Meehl, Jim Caldwell, and Hudson 5432 from NWPA.  We have more than a few right here, who work /worked for the industry and the various suppliers.  Thank you gentlemen, for keeping this grand affair rolling right along...yesterday, today, and tomorrow !  In the end, the railroad is her people...

Guys,

This is easy there are some pretty remarkable people who we owe our interest in trains to--- most of them long deceased real railroad men pioneers of steam, the men who dared to dream of the first transcontental railroad and then built it,  the bold and somewhat ruthless railroad barons who were unwaiverering in their pursuit of a timely and efficient service,and  Lionel Joshua Cohen.

Without exception, the man who brought my model railroad back into my life (after letting it sleep for so many years) my DAD!

Mike Maurice

From a fan standpoint in the 1960's and a couple of decades later, I would have to nominate W. Graham Claytor as the man who brought steam back to the Southern Railway and gave us many years of great excursions.

Aside from railroading, Mr. Claytor was a true hero in WWII by defying orders and taking the destroyer he commanded to rescue sailors from the torpedoed USS Indianapolis. His ship was the first to arrive at the scene. If you don't know the story of the USS Indianapolis, do a web search.

With a handle like yours, I'd think your heroes would be Wm. White or Greg Maxwell, They sure are MY heroes.

How about our beloved webmaster, CEO, and 765 Engineer?  Hasn't he brought us all closer to trains and each other?  Who else can you say that about?

Lon"Junior" Venters  Fireman and Engineer on the Big Sandy Division 50 years. Junior was hired on the C&O Railroad at the ripe age of 14 years old, off a school yard in Pikeville, Ky 1942. Worked evening turn after school let out, as a steam engine fireman. He bought a "Boy Scout Uniform" with his 1st pay check.  When he started running from Russell, Ky to Elkhorn City, Ky he would blow his whistle, and when the kids would run down to the railroad tracks, he would through off foods and candies for the kids along his way. Railroad people have told many, many stories of Junior's helping people on his trips, up to and including, stopping the manifest freight, pulling broken down logging equipment off the tracks, and away from Danger, with his engine. Junior Venters is known by hundreds of people along the C&O/CSX in Eastern, Ky Region, and has trained engineers too numerous to count, and is a "Railroad Hero" of this region....................Brandy 

Any information about this photo? Place, date, who took it, and names?

That young fellow in the center sure looks familiar. Wonder is he's related to Rich??

Gilly

As for a hero; simple. My Dad. To this day, I'm still trying to be like him. For better, or worse. "...if you know me, you know my father"