RE: [CBQ] Mr. VanNortwick's O-1-A

["Charlie Vlk" <cvlk@comcast.net>]

Archie and Louis-

 

What a great letter!!!

While I never worked for the railroad my first career was with the Bell
System which was in many ways a parallel culture.   "Back in the Day"
EVERYBODY you worked with was a character and many even had nicknames (but
not to the extreme that was common on the railroads).   Today everything is
so culturally sensitive and politically correct in the workplace I wouldn't
go back to working in a corporate environment for any money...there is no
joy in work anymore.  Back then when people retired they were (mostly)
valued and missed, not marched out of the building by security with their
coffee cup.

 

The photo of 4960 at Downers Grove during WWII is great!    It reminded me
of something that has been bugging me..where are all the pictures of CB&Q
trains c.1850-1910 taken in the Chicago area?    Other than a few photos of
trains at stations there seems to be a dearth photos of CB&Q equipment taken
on the Chicago-Aurora main..much less on the G&CU before the line was built.
There should also be shots of the IC using the CB&Q to get into Chicago from
Iowa as their own line was not finished until the turn of the century...

 

William VanNortwick came to Batavia in 1835.   His son John was working back
east as a civil engineer on the canals and eventually became the chief
developing engineer for the Galena & Chicago Union and seved as a consulting
engineer for the Aurora Branch.   He later served as the President of the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy for eight years.   The VanNortwick family was
involved in manufacturing and the paper industry and J.R. VanNortwick would
be a grandson of the civil engineer and railroad president. 

 

Charlie Vlk