Re: [CBQ] EL Potarf Story

[Jpslhedgpeth@aol.com]

Louis

 

Don't rely on me for the spelling of Terrel..or Terril..I'm familiar with the name, but not the proper spelling.

 

A guy by the name of L.L. Smith was terminal supt at Lincoln for an extended period of time..His nickname was "Silent Smith"..I don't think I ever met him..Does the name John Gilfillan mean anything to you???  He was a long time Q man and came to the RI in 1955...He was quite a "contrversial" character to say the least.

 

When I applied for a job at the RI the personell department wanted me to go for an interview  "with our Superintendent at Fairbury, Mr.Gilfillan" to see if I was even "suitable" for railroad service.

 

I went to Fairbury on Saturday December 21, 1958 for my interview...I went up to the Supt's office on the second floor of the RI depot and division office...I went in and through the private office door i saw this guy sitting at his desk smoking a cigarette with his feet on his desk and wearing an old sweater...The Chief Clerk was on Saturday duty and told me..Just a minute Mr. Gilfillan is on the phone and he'll be right with you...I stood around in the outer office for a few minutes and Gilfillan walked out...looked at me and greeted me with this..."HEDGPETH.....THAT'S WORSE THAN GILFILLAN. 

 

We made small talk for a couple of minutes....I told him of my railroad experience with the Q and he told me of his...I threw out a few names and from then on there was no more interview...It was just an exchange of each others railroad stories....

 

Well Gilfillan became my mentor on the RI and in 1964 brought me into the Freight Claims department where he had been placed to see if he could reign in the destruction the operating department was producing in additional damage to lading after derailments...Gilfillan managed to get on the bad side of some folks at the RI and he got "dehorned" and sent to KC as Supt of Safety...I managed to hang on and later became Manager Freight Claims and later, after receiving a job offer from the AAR to be transferred to the Industrial and REal Estate Dept. to keep me there where I survived until almost the end of the RI...They eliminated my job in the Industrial dept.  Bill Hoenig who was RI's Chief OPerating officer at that time offered me a job back in the Operating Dept, but I said  "been there done that"...no more of that for me...

 

I worked as a brakeman for the Q summers 56 57 and 58....I remember the dead line...in fact I have quite a few pictures of what was there...In those days you could go out and wander around the roundhouse...even go in and as long as you didn't bother anyone they left you alone.  The last steam on the Hastings line IIRC was 55 and the only steam on the Ravenna line as I mentioned in an earlier post was the 5080 for protection at Ravenna.   Steam was still active in the summer on the Omaha division through 59 I think.

 

I'd like to have the dates for your dad's various locations..His name has always been quite familiar to me, but I don't think I ever met him...Do you remember Billy Loos who was Terminal TM and later TM at Lincoln and then I believe he went to St. Louis for some time..but I also heard that he gave it up and went back to YM at Hobson in Lincoln.

 

Well, it's like my wife always said..."Everything reminds you of something"...and that's true..."It only takes a spark to get a fire going"..That's me...I tend to drop the whole load....like the guy when you ask him "what time is it???  Tells you how to make a watch.

 

Pete

-----Original Message-----
From: LZadnichek <LZadnichek@aol.com>
To: CBQ <CBQ@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Mon, Feb 4, 2013 9:28 pm
Subject: Re: [CBQ] EL Potarf Story

 

Pete, OK, so Mr. Terrill's name was spelled with an "i" instead of an "e." Wasn't there an unrelated post some months ago from some Terrill family member wanting to find out about him? Anyway, I do not recall the name of G.L. Griggs and can not comment further as I do not know. Sounds like another "story" there if you want to share. Dad was terminal superintendent at Lincoln in, I think, 1957 or 58. Might've been '57 as I can recall steam still being as switch engines. I remember visiting the Lincoln roundhouse and dead line at the time. About all I can remember of the terminal office were the banks of teletype machines all chattering away with train lists. There was also a large framed Baldwin Locomotive Company builder's photograph of M4 6312 hanging in dad's office that he brought home one night having saved from the trash pile when his office was being repainted. The framed photograph now hangs in my home office. I've got to locate dad's service record (somewhere in a box) so I can be sure of all these dates as we moved around so often. Walker Johnson is another name that I remember from my dad and mom. He may've been Lincoln division superintendent when dad was terminal superintendent. Dad kept a copy of every employee timetable he was listed in over his career. They, too, are somewhere in a box. Those timetables would help date names/positions during the eras mentioned. Too many boxes, too little time - Louis   

 

In a message dated 2/4/2013 6:16:40 P.M. Central Standard Time, Jpslhedgpeth@aol.com writes:

Terrill was Division Supt here in Lincoln in IIRC 1954-55 era...G.L.Griggs Jr. was Supt here in 56...he was the guy who arranged for me to get a braking job...Someone earlier posted that he was taken in and told a supervisior.."This boy wants a job"...That's exactly the wording my Grandfather used when we went into see Griggs about March 1956.   Griggs Sr. and my GF had been close personal friends from many years back..I have copies of the very personal letters written back and forth between them...He said toGL Jr.  This boy wants a job as brakeman"   Griggs said..how old are you..I said   "Ill be 20 March 23rd.  He said OK...you have to be twenty...He said  "you'll be the first man hired on either divsion  (Lincoln or Omaha)....

 

Griggs "retired" sometime after summer 56 and went to live with his father in law  Fred Harris who was a banker at Alliance.  My GF and I stopped to see him early summer 1957 at Alliance...Walker Johnston who was TM at Lincoln in 56 became Supt after Griggs retired...alll that to say that's why I think Terrill was Supt before 56...His son..(I'm not sure if he was a Jr or not was a student at UNL when I was there which leads me to think Terrill was here before 56.

 

Louis may want to comment on my enclosing "retired" in parenthesis...If you don't Louis I'll say no more regarding the matter.

 

Pete

-----Original Message-----
From: LZadnichek <LZadnichek@aol.com>
To: cbq <cbq@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Mon, Feb 4, 2013 2:39 pm
Subject: [CBQ] EL Potarf Story

 

For those who remember the late E.L. Potarf who was Q vice president of operations during the 1960s, here's a story related by Fred Crissey. 

 

- - - -

 

Louis:

Here is my first E L Potarf story.  A R MacDonald (Art) told me this story in the early 1970's.  Mr. Potarf VP-O, Art (who was an operating officer by this time but do not remember what his title was when this occurred) and J W Terreill (Divn. Supt.?) were high-railing on a Nebraska branch line probably in the early 1960s.  ELP had just bought a new camera and suggested to Art who was driving that when they saw some phesants to blow the car horn and he (ELP) would get some photos of the birds in flight.  They tried this several times but the birds would not take flight.  ELP then suggested that Art continue to drive slowly, JWT would sit on one fender and throw rocks at the birds and he would sit on the other fender and get his photos.  They tried this plan but the birds still would not take off.  The birds would run ahead and then turn into the ROW grass or corn fields.& nbsp; ELP was getting frustrated and with a few well chosen words wondered why the birds would not take off.  JWT suggested that it was obvious the birds were not aware that Mr. Potarf was Vice-President.  More later.  You can forward on if you want.

Fred Crissey

 

- - - -

 

What a GREAT story! I remember both A.R. MacDonald and J.W. Terrell (I think that's the correct spelling). Arthur "Art" MacDonald was train master at North LaCrosse, WI, during the time dad was assistant superintendent there in the late 1950s. Art and dad became personal friends and stayed in touch throughout his lifetime. I well remember that Mr. MacDonald had a copy of Lucius Beebe's "Mixed Train Daily" that he loaned me to read. This, I think, was the first railroad enthusiast book I had ever read. This inspired me to have my own railroad books and over the years I have accumulated more than a hundred volumes. J.W. "Johnny" Terrell was, as I recall, a Lines West division superintendent. I can remember his name being spoken by my mom and dad, so they were all acquainted. I'm looking forward to Fred's next ELP story - Louis      

 

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