From my friend and former General Superintendent of the WMSR Doug Beverage:

It saddens me to send this message.....Our friend and fellow railroader Conductor Richard "Dick" Markle passed away in the Cumberland hospital at 4:15am today....He had a heart attack New Years Day at home.

Arrangements as I know them are.....viewing 10am - 12 noon, services to follow on Saturday Jan.9,2010 at the Scarpelli Funeral Home – 108 Virginia Ave Location, Cumberland, MD.

Please notify everyone that you feel appropriate.

Thanks,

Doug Beverage

Dick was a fine gentleman...

The photo shows Mr. Markle in the vestibule of the leased P70 coach.

I enjoyed working with Dick on every trip during the period I fired for Jack Showalter.

This was definitely NOT the first thread I wanted to read tonight. Richard and I go back approximately 30 years to the days when he was a conductor on MARC commuter trains. He was a railroader's railroader, and an absolute character to boot. He loved steam engines, and whereas most of his contemporaries retired to golf courses and other senior oriented activities, Richard (as I always called him) kept on railroading, both on the Western Maryland Scenic, and the Potomac Eagle. My wife (whose name he could never remember and who called her "Mrs. Kevin) and I spent many hours in his company. He was always interesting.

If there is a silver lining it's the fact that he didn't linger in a nursing home. My prayer had been that God would take him on board a train just before or just after a run so he could leave this earth from the place he loved most, but this is definitely the next best thing.

Sue (Mrs. Kevin) and I send our prayers and best wishes to his family.

Very sad, he was a very nice man.

http://www.times-news.com/local/local_s ... 34027.html

Longtime scenic railroad conductor dies at 82

Cory Galliher
Cumberland Times-News

CUMBERLAND — The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad lost one of its most iconic employees Monday morning when 82-year-old conductor Richard Markle died as a result of cardiac arrest suffered on New Year’s Day.

Markle was the railroad’s main conductor. He worked with the railroad for 17 years and had been a conductor for more than 50 years, including time working for the B&O Railroad.

“Richard really became kind of the face of the train,” said Dave Williams of public relations firm McClarran & Williams. “He wore the conductor’s outfit and everything. He collected the tickets ... (as) a conductor, he really knew how to play the part, how to walk the train and click the tickets. He (was) the face of the train in the way it charmed people into thinking they were in another time.”

“Richard was great, we loved Richard,” said Donna Corley, scenic railroad representative. “We called him our cuddly conductor.”

Corley said Markle had no plans to retire and intended to stay with the railroad as a conductor. Since he was the railroad’s main conductor, the railroad will have to hire a new conductor, Corley said, though she wasn’t yet aware of a time frame for finding one.

“He was a big part of the train’s charm and will be missed by everybody,” said Williams. “He brought authenticity to it. From the day there was a scenic railroad, there was Richard. Many, many people have come and gone as train employees but he’s been there.

“He had a great voice for it, too,” said Williams. “When he stood on the platform, you could hear him all the way down the train platform. If you can’t hear when it’s time to get on, then you miss the train.

“He’ll be missed by the whole train family,” said Williams.

Contact Cory Galliher at cgalliher@times-news.com.

This great photo was recently posted to railpictures:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 99&nseq=22

Really sorry to hear about Richard. I worked with him as an LSA on The Capitol Ltd. in the mid-80's when it was combined with the Broadway W. of Pittsburgh. A true gentleman and railfan/railroader. I did have the opportunity to ride with him on the WMSR a few times and also ran into him at a couple of train shows. I believe he was a tin plate collector. The WMSR and all of us have lost a great friend and resource.