Re: [CBQ] reports ? What reports ?

[ralph linroth <wcman8@yahoo.com>]

Archie, Leo and list.

I knew Joe fairly well in the middle of his career when he was stationed at Galesburg ( as terminal Supt. I believe),  and I was the Galesburg Local Chairman.   I thought  he was a straight shooter and the word was on him if you didn't ever lie to him he would go the distance for you.  I found this to be true.

One railroad days in Galesburg the FRED concept was fairly new and the company had put one on display in the big tent.  It happened it was right next to our UTU booth.  Joe knew this new technology was a symbol of reducing trainmen jobs and he came over to our table and apologized and had it moved to another location.  If I remember right he met and married a lady from the Division office.

After he retired he lived in the country about 8 miles outside of Galesburg.

Bud Linroth

--- On Fri, 1/18/13, qutlx1@aol.com <qutlx1@aol.com> wrote:

From: qutlx1@aol.com <qutlx1@aol.com>
Subject: [CBQ] reports ? What reports ?
To: cbq@yahoogroups.com
Date: Friday, January 18, 2013, 5:32 PM

 

Archie thats interesting because I first met Joe at Aurora in the mid 70s as Asst Div Supt. He was smoking those little cigarellos on a constant basis. He was a RRer's Railroader. The first real, first hand dealings I had with him was when we derailed a load of lumber coming down Sugar Grove hill at about 60 MPH(see prior post for all the details). He heard our call on his office radio and was on scene in minutes and was directing things and knew immediately the cause and sent the trainmaster walking looking for a broken rail.

 

Then a couple years later I spent a night with him in a Jordan spreader on the Denrock-Mendota line when the track looked like a canyon with snow all around higher than the loco cat walks and in some spots higher than the windows. He had been on the plow all day when we got there to relieve the first crew and he was still there when another crew came to relieve us 12 hours later.

 

Joe had been an operator somewehre in Missouri or So IL early in his career as I recall.

 

When I worked for him at the White House he really treated his staff well and really knew his business. He didnt take any silliness from the line mgrs when he wanted something resolved. He knew the regions operations like the back of his hand. He reported directly to Gary Wittle, who I believe went onto Montana Rail Link and wrote a 3 part series on his mgmt expereinces. It's a good read but hard to find. It's title is "It gets in your blood".

 

I understand Joe did later get the axe in a downsizing and tried to put an end to his life at Big Rock but I believe he survived but have not heard anymore.

 

Leo

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