NS Steam Mechanic Doug Karhan Dies

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Fri Nov 12, 2021 1:49 pm

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... anic-dies/

Quote:

Doug Karhan, who was master mechanic of steam for Norfolk Southern from 1982 to the close of excursions in 1994, has died. Karhan, who began as a volunteer, became assistant to the late Bill Purdie. He died Thursday, those close to him tell Trains News Wire. No other details were immediately available.

Karhan was master mechanic when NS restored Norfolk & Western 2-6-6-4 No. 1218 between 1985 and 1987 and also oversaw work on Savannah & Atlanta 4-6-2 No. 750 in 1983, as well as ongoing maintenance on N&W Class J No. 611.

BM765 · **Joined:** Wed Oct 02, 2019 2:06 pm **Posts:** 151

Oddly enough, Dough Karhan popped into my mind yesterday as I was thinking about the old NS steam program and I did a quick search to see if he was still with us. A pic of him helping with 611 in 2015 popped up. I never met the man, but growing up with the program I knew the name as the man behind the scenes keeping not one but two mainline engines in service year after year on perhaps the most daunting schedules of the preservation era. What a tremendous amount of knowledge lost. RIP.

firefighter25dfd · **Joined:** Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:52 pm **Posts:** 89

Mr. Karhan will be greatly missed and can’t be thanked enough for his efforts in keeping mainline steam alive over the years.

The 611 group made a video tribute to him today and can be viewed by clicking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I26Q4eOAcg

Becky Morgan · **Joined:** Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:22 pm **Posts:** 495

Watching him go from that smart, confident young man to that great face that says “there is more knowledge in this skull than you will ever use”...The saying is that when an elder dies, a library burns. That’s what we lost. Highball, Doug.

Alan Walker · **Posted:** Tue Nov 16, 2021 2:19 pm

Doug was a rare individual indeed. I was fortunate to get to know him during my time at TVRM. He could be quite a character when it suited him. He also was willing to pass on his knowledge to those who really wanted to learn.