Jim Wrinn's recent history of the mainline Southern steam program made me think how even the preservation/excursion era is fast becoming part of the historic railroad scene and deserves documentation. One potential book idea would be to document Ross Rowland's many years of main line excursion activities, from 1966 to the present. Chapters would include the begining of High Iron Company, early HI trips with 1278, 1238, 1286, SRC 90, the Golden Spike Centennial/759 era, the American Freedom Train, Chessie Steam Specials, ACE 3000, 21st Century Express, Iron Horse Enterprises/614/NJ Transit/NH&I era, and finally Pacific Wilderness Railway. Like Jim Wrinn's book, it would conclude with a complete list of Rowland excursions and dates, etc. And perhaps some excellent photography by Howard Pincus, who himself published numerous color folios of High Iron trips in the early 70's. Jim Wrinn, are you up to the task?!!!

Kurt & all,

While I've been a beneficiary of many of Ross' ventures and adventures (AFT 4449, 614 in my day)and have met him a time or two (the last being the day I showed up at New Hope and Ivyland on a weekday in 1995 and he was the fireman on Cliffside 40!), to do a book right on Ross would require someone who would have more time and more first hand knowledge of his life and times than I do. If I was retired or hand more in the bank account, I might attempt it, but I don't, so I'll challenge someone here who is closer to Ross and has more time to make the effort. It definitely would be worth it.

That said, there also needs to be a biography done on the Claytor brothers before long (Don Phillips being my choice there). I think they're heroes to just about anybody reading these pages.

As an aside, the thread below on Doyle McCormick's amazing productivity reminded me of all of his contributions over the last 30 years that should be documented as well. There are some super folks out there in this business who have gone above and beyond--perhaps that itself is a book on the Artie Barkleys, Jack Andersons and Linn Moedingers of the world as I, for one, certainly owe them more than I could ever repay them.

Jim



Wrinnbo@aol.com

I think it would be appropriate to have a text covering from 1941-present (Ellis Atwood as a starting point), a biography of significant contributors in the quest of preserving and operating steam. Names that come to mind, Blount, Spence, Rowland and Link just to name a few pioneers. Remember Ball, Hallock and Richardson too. The list goes on and on.
Of course, L and R P used to be a print forum for having feature articles on folks like those mentioned. Maybe a web feature on this site would be a good start.


cpresc1003@aol.com

Here's a well-thought-out response, Kurt:

Personally, I think the rail book field needs another "$50 slide show" book like we need another Lackawanna MU. Therefore, to be a real history book, one would have to do a semi-biographical account of Rowland as well. And while I'm sure he's a fascinating character, we'd end up with accounts of things a great many fans wouldn't really care about, no matter what they really meant to preservation. Have you read "The Man from Steamtown", the Christian-slanted bio of F. Nelson Blount? From what I have heard (in some cases from you, Mr. Bell), Mr. Rowland tends to be a very polarizing individual, someone that one either cottons to or ends up avoiding. For every person that heaps fawning praise and adoration upon him, you're likely to find someone else who can only come up with obscenities when talking about him. {Rowland is hardly alone in this--it's safe to say we could easily say the same about Messrs. Showalter, Muller, Jensen, Moedinger, Kovalchik, Disney, Ball, Hart, Link, Morgan, etc.)

The fact is, Rowland's actions over the decades have all, for better or worse, been personality driven. Such a circumstance hardly lends itself to an objective, unbiased analysis after the fact--or at least one that isn't as dry and dull as reading a bunch of baseball statistics. Of course, I'd LOVE to be proven wrong--maybe Ross is working on his autobiography as we type?

lner4472@bcpl.net