Friday 8/4/06 my Grandfather and brakeman / conductor for Southern Pacific Railroad for 38 years passed away from congestive heart failure…He was 88 years old…He started his railroad career on the old T&NO which became the SP in 1952…He meant a lot to me and I still remember his many stories about his adventures on the rails running the Texas and Mexico border of the Sunset Route - San Antonio Division of the SP…Our family buried him in a cemetery adjacent to the tracks he started his career on…the Kerrville Branch…He took out his first train on that branch and worked many hours and rode many miles from San Antonio to Del Rio and back to keep the trains running on schedule…Here’s to you grandpa!..another fallen flag…Chuck
Saddness and joy all mixed together. The stories of these people are great stories and I thank you for sharing. Sounds like he may have had a few steam stories to tell as well. I am sorry for your loss and glad there was gain to share with us.
He served in the Army pre-WWII…He tried to rejoin for the war but since he worked for the railroad by then he was deemed “essential personnel” stateside so they would’nt let him re-enlist…his trains back then took a lot of troops, tanks, planes, and jeeps to the front…chuck
sorry for your loss … sounds like the old fella had an interesting life and at least you have his stories to remember . maybe you should model something from his life on your layout as a monument to him (if you haven’t already)