|
Following edited Email thread between myself and List member and retired
Amtrak locomotive engineer Bob Campbell follows in hope that some one else
will remember Q RFEs Bill Childers, Gene Waller and Red Visney from Lines East
in the 1950s. Best Regards - Louis Zadnichek II
E Unit 90 mph LaCrosse Bound
I see the photo came from Barry Huff in Galesburg. He must be a
"buff" based on the source of the photo. My buddy Bill Barber recently
pointed-out to me that the photo was actually in the February 2013 issue of
Model Railroader Magazine (page 22). Barry just copied the photo, but left
off the caption which stated the Road Foreman of Engines was W. L. Childers on
train #31, the Empire Builder near East Dubuque. Rest assured, the photo
was taken just a few miles north of Savanna and not near East Dubuque. The
picture was taken by Dr. Phil Hastings (psychiatrist) and close friend of David
P. Morgan, long time Editor of "Trains" magazine. I would imagine
that both had close connections with Harry Murphy and would have no trouble
procuring a "head end" pass to ride this train. Typical practice of the
time, then and now, would be to have the RFof E or Trainmaster ride the head end
anytime a non-employee had authorization to ride the locomotive. My
purpose in writing is hopefully senior CB&Q officers Bill Greenwood or
Earl Currie or M. "Louis" Zadnichek, II might remember W. L. Childers from North
LaCrosse. A timeframe of when Mr. Childers was assigned to NoLax would be
helpful to approximate the date of the photo. I am almost certain the
engine is an E-8, post August, 1954, when the "Q" started to apply grab irons to
the noses of E-8s. It's interesting to note that in 1951 the ICC mandated
cab signals if a train was to exceed 79 MPH (a result of the ICC study following
the 4/25/1946 accident @ Naperville) yet, the double trackage between Savanna
and North LaCrosse was ABS and not equipped with Automatic Cab Signals. If
you read the ICC Docket, it is very ambiguous as to the requirement for cab
signals.
Take note the Barco reads 90.5 MPH and the GE electric speedometer (between
the two horn handles) reads, 84 MPH. Most likely, the Barco would
be pretty close to correct. Now if it was MJM running, the
train would probably be doing 115 MPH with a fusee cap stuck under the
plunger, but the speedo indicating 90!
Bob Campbell
Bixby, OK
- - - -
February 23, 2013
Bob - To answer your question, I remember that W.L. "Bill" Childers
was RFE from North LaCrosse south to Savannah when my dad was assistant supt. at
North LaCrosse from 1957 to 1960. Bill's wife Peggy was a successful real estate
agent and, to my housewife mom, was very glamorous. I recall hearing from dad
that at a later date Peggy had been so successful that Bill went back to being
an engineer so he had a regular run and regular hours to spend time with Peggy.
I remember Bill as being kind of stocky in build and kind of gruff. He was RFE
on the steam excursions during that era and did most of the running. The RFE
from North LaCrosse north to Dayton's Bluff was Eugene "Gene" Waller
who became a close friend to my dad the rest of his career. Gene had lost
his first family in a house fire and his face and hands were badly scarred from
burns suffered in unsuccessfully trying to save them. He later remarried, had a
second family and his wife in LaCrosse and my mom become good friends,
too. Gene later took a transfer to Galesburg in the early 1960s
as a RFE and I remember him taking the time one summer afternoon to tour me
around the Galesburg roundhouse and deadline including a climb up into
the cab of the 4000 where he related some first person accounts of it in
service. Gene loved steam and was RFE on the steam excursions of that era, too.
I recall that Gene retired to the Minneapolis area and has since passed away.
His wife (can't remember her name) sent Gene's railroad cyclopedias to dad for
his library and I have them now in my collections. I expect by now Bill
Childers has passed away, too. I do not have an image of him, but I do
have one of dad and Gene alongside the 5618 at North LaCrosse taken during a
steam excursion:
Speaking of LaCrosse Division engineers, remember Mr. Frankey,
the engineer who hit it big in the stock market? He usually dressed
more like a banker than a locomotive engineer. His brother was my science
teacher in junior high school at LaCrosse. Best Regards - Louis
- - - -
February 24, 2013
Bob - GREAT image! Very well could be the back of RFE W.L. Childer's fedora
clad head showing. Considering "who" was riding the cab that day, it's more
likely the RFE would be in a suit than the regularly assigned engine crew. Best
Regards - Louis
In a message dated 2/24/2013 6:14:40 P.M. Central Standard Time,
Amtrak347@aol.com writes:
Louis -
I don't know why the photo
attachment didn't come thru, but here is the original message which should
have the photo. It is very similar to the picture from Trains magazine
years ago with Road Foreman of Engines, "Red" Visney, wearing the required
"official" headwear and stogie. "Red" was later ostracized to the Q's
"Siberia", better known as Childress, TX. After retirement, "Red" and
his son, along with Dick Jensen, restored the T&P 2-10-4 #610 to operating
condition in time for the American Freedom Train tour throughout Texas in
1976. You may remember after the AFT tour, the Southern leased the 610
for several years for their steam program.
Thanks for the "recall" on
your time in NoLax and the picture of your dad and RFE Waller. I do
recall Mr. Waller working at Galesburg back in 1969 when I hired-out in engine
service.
Regarding the 5618, it was
used only one time in excursion service (to the best of our knowledge) and
that was over the Fourth of July weekend in 1958 in conjunction with an
excursion on the DM&IR. If you recall, the dust jacket to Bernard
Corbin's, "Steam Locomotives of the Burlington Route" had a photo of the 5618
on this very same excursion.
Bob
- - - - |
|