For anyone here who is interested in steam and followed the Southern Railway and later Norfolk Southern steam program, here's some news I hate to post. I got this message from Craig Myers, a member of the Southern Railway Historical Association and current President of the Greenville SC Chapter of the NRHS a few minutes ago:

"Mr. Purdie is in the hospital at North Fulton in Atlanta with pneumonia and a heart arrhythmia. He and his family needs your thoughts and prayers."

I had the privilege to meet Bill on 2 occasions, once in 2001 at Historic Spencer Shops at the North Carolina Transportation Museum and in 2005 at his 90th birthday celebration held at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, Georgia. He's a wonderful man and probably the most knowledgable steam man I have ever met. My thoughts are with him and his family right now.

Steven Ashley
Spartanburg, SC

I was fortunate to meet Bill Purdie in 1980, and had a long chat with him. As a 21 year old heavily involved with steam and embarking on a journey that would see the creation of RMEO, this was an incredible opportunity.

Meeting Bill was a true pleasure. What a gentleman- polite, kind, friendly, humble, and modest. He was as interested in hearing about a young kid's steam experiences as that kid was in hearing about Bill's. We often see discussions about encouraging the young'uns on this forum. Bill Purdie, on a chance meeting, certainly did that for me.

My thoughts and prayers will be with him and his family.

Steve Hunter
Cardinal, Ontario

I had the honor to ride in the cab of NKP 765 with Mr. Purdie from Lima to Bellevue, OH on his last official ride prior to his retirement from NS in the early 80's. A few years later I got to talk to Bill and his wife for a good while on an excursion with 1218 out of Atlanta. It was so cool to see someone who had worked with steam for SO long who still had SO much enthusiasm for it. Mr. Purdie told me of his recent trip to South Africa and how he had advised them "not to throw away ANYTHING" if they wanted to keep some steam running. He really is a great personality.

Prayers sent.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Bill Purdie, but I am sure that without him and a lot of others in this country who have a vast knowledge of steam power, we would not be fortunate enough to have what is now currently being operated here in the USA.

I have a friend who had worked as a telegraph operator for the Milwaukee Road and he once told me that once you understand the basic principles of how and why steam locomotives operate, then you would become convinced that they are the closest thing that mankind has ever come to creating a "living" thing. And.......my friend was right about that!

I first met Bill Purdie as a young teen starting to volunteer on railroad excursions in 1972. By the mid 70's I was lucky enough to regularly serve as a "junior assistant general flunky" on his crew, primarily when the steam train was in Virginia. Mr. Purdie was all business when getting the train ready or getting over the road. While I never heard him raise his voice to any of his people, the level of respect for him amongst the crew members was such that a frown from him would tear your gut out, and a smile would make you seem like the king of the world. When the wheels stopped turning, he would keep you in stitches through dinner and on into the evening with a vast array of funny stories about the old days on the Southern, and the adventures of keeping steam running in the diesel era. He and his late first wife, Sarah, were a wonderful set of surrogate parents to all of the young guys on the crew. "The Boss" is one of my personal heroes, and one of the greatest men in the history of rail preservation, especially in the south. I hope that he gets through this and can continue to share his knowledge with younger generations for many years. My prayers are with him, Donald, and the rest of his family.

I hope all goes well for him. We only got to meet him once briefly, but his knowledge and love for his work were evident. We don't have enough people like him.

In 1975, Bill Purdie and the 4501 were in New Orleans for the filming of 'Hard Times" a Depression era film starring Charles Bronson and James Coburn. When not being used as a prop, the locomotive was kept at the Union Station Diesel shop. The locomotive was hot, I was taking some pictures when a boy in a wheel chair was pushed over some adjacent tracks by a lady I took to be the boy's grandmother. The boy, about 14, had a muscular disease that limited his control and ability to speak but was alert and interested. The lady asked if it be all right if the boy was able to look at the locomotive. Mr. Purdie was in the cab. He said that would be fine and asked if the boy would like to ride in the cab. Now the 4501 didn't exactly have a handicap accessible cab. That wasn't a problem. Mr. Purdie rounded up his crew and me as a volunteer to boost the boy up into the cab. Another fellow and I were on the ground to lift him up and two men were in the gangway to finish the lift and position him on a cab seat. Bill then moved the locomotive down the shop lead toward Union Station and back to the shop. That boy probably didn't have too many nice days, but Mr. Purdie made sure that was one.

I sure hope Mr. Purdie can be told about N-S's recent announcement about upcoming steam excursions. That might do him a world of good right now.

Went and saw Bill today. He has heard about the new program. He seemed surprised that 630 was chosen as the mainline engine. But he did note that she has carried that honor before.

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers, he needs them.

Jason Greene