Somebody started a unique thread on Trainorders that deserves to be on RYPN. Who are your favorite steam engineers of the modern era, and what are their best moments?

It's a nice chance to give a shout-out to the talent behind the chuff!

Paul Nichini's work with #614 between Suffern and Moodna, NY is mentioned. That's one of may all time favorites. That's a tough stretch for a big steamer in the modern age and Paul ran her very well.

Rob



Ahead of the Torch
trains@robertjohndavis.com

Favorites would be Doyle McCormick who gave me my first cab ride and started me on this long steam odyssey. Also a young man named Bill Stetler who is currently the guy at the CP steam program. Bill is a young 38 and runs the big steam like he had 40 years behind him. Bill ran the 3751 on the recent Grand Canyon trip and really put her through what she was designed to do. If you were trackside and heard the 51 then you know what I mean.

Charlie Kachel of the Blue Mountain & Reading/Reading & Northern/ Reading Company. One of the best I have ever come across, he definitely knew his stuff when it came to Steam. He put on a show at all the photo runbys without abusing the locomotive, many times the railfans would give him a standing ovation as he backed the train up for reloading. Out on the mainline he ran fast and smooth. Unfortunately he has passed on and is running T1s for the big man these days.

Reading Railroad Museum
mtillger@enter.net

> Charlie Kachel of the Blue Mountain &
> Reading/Reading & Northern/ Reading
> Company. One of the best I have ever come
> across, he definitely knew his stuff when it
> came to Steam. He put on a show at all the
> photo runbys without abusing the locomotive,
> many times the railfans would give him a
> standing ovation as he backed the train up
> for reloading. Out on the mainline he ran
> fast and smooth. Unfortunately he has passed
> on and is running T1s for the big man these
> days. I might have to second that nomination. One thing I might add is that Charlie was great to be around. He was quick with a smile and wouldn't be bashful about telling old stories and often would leave you in stitches! Rest in peace, "Cho-Cho" Charlie.


sirterp@myactv.net

> Somebody started a unique thread on
> Trainorders that deserves to be on RYPN. Who
> are your favorite steam engineers of the
> modern era, and what are their best moments?

> It's a nice chance to give a shout-out to
> the talent behind the chuff!

> Paul Nichini's work with #614 between
> Suffern and Moodna, NY is mentioned. That's
> one of may all time favorites. That's a
> tough stretch for a big steamer in the
> modern age and Paul ran her very well.

> Rob

I'd have to say Grant Geist of the Ohio Central Steam Dept. cuz he's MY HERO!!!!

drotarinoh@webtv.net

I'd have to say Bill Purdie and Jim Mesimore for the Southern Rwy. were very good engineers, both of them ran in regular service in the 40's and 50's, and have run steam to this day.

I think Seth Corwin @ Steamtown does a fantastic job running a locomotive up there, and Bernie O' Brian does very well too.

Some of the local guys who work with steam in my area are pretty good when it comes to running a locomotive as well, some of them do it more than just as a hobby.

I think that Bob Krieger and Steve Lee at UP do a fantastic job too, and even as a full time job they can still find time to enjoy it.

My $0.02.

Hayes S.

crzhaze@rrmail.com

> I'd have to say Bill Purdie and Jim Mesimore
> for the Southern Rwy. were very good
> engineers, both of them ran in regular
> service in the 40's and 50's, and have run
> steam to this day.

> I think Seth Corwin @ Steamtown does a
> fantastic job running a locomotive up there,
> and Bernie O' Brian does very well too.

> Some of the local guys who work with steam
> in my area are pretty good when it comes to
> running a locomotive as well, some of them
> do it more than just as a hobby.

> I think that Bob Krieger and Steve Lee at UP
> do a fantastic job too, and even as a full
> time job they can still find time to enjoy
> it.

> My $0.02.

> Hayes S.

I worked at Roaring Camp in 1980. Not only did I get a chance to know West Side Lumber No.3 I had the pleasure to fire for one mighty fine engineer, Mr. Tom Shreve

> I'd have to say Bill Purdie and Jim Mesimore
> for the Southern Rwy. were very good
> engineers, both of them ran in regular
> service in the 40's and 50's, and have run
> steam to this day.

> I think Seth Corwin @ Steamtown does a
> fantastic job running a locomotive up there,
> and Bernie O' Brian does very well too.

> Some of the local guys who work with steam
> in my area are pretty good when it comes to
> running a locomotive as well, some of them
> do it more than just as a hobby.

> I think that Bob Krieger and Steve Lee at UP
> do a fantastic job too, and even as a full
> time job they can still find time to enjoy
> it.

> My $0.02.

> Hayes S.

Bill Purdie was a machinist at Pegram Shops in Atlanta during the 40's and 50's. Jim Mesimore was also a machinist, first at Spencer until it was closed, and then at Pegram after being transferred. At the time Purdie went to work for Graham Claytor as MM-Steam, he was second trick foreman at Pegram, followed by Mesimore on the third trick.

Both began running steam after their shop days. Purdie with the Southern steam program, and Mesimore after retirement as a volunteer at Spencer Shops.

Neither ever held seniority as engineers on the Southern.

I guess I left out our two retired but still active Santa Fe engineers Phillips Kaulke and George Clous both of needles California. Both have run the 3751 in contempory times as well as during their 40 plus Santa Fe careers. Dave Goodheart did a video documentation of these tireless enginemen on the return of the 99 railfair trip. SBRHS has the raw in cab footage part of which was used in the Goodheart film. Wathcing these two run the 51 was as close to 1940 in service as you could get. Both of these gentlemen ran all the big Santa Fe during their careers.

Hey, let's not forget Ross!! He knows how to put on a show at photo-runby time!

Mike Manwiller at Western Maryland Scenic Railway handles 734 like a veteran. I think he's in his twenties.


hpincus@mindspring.com

I'd have to vote for two long time Cass Engineers. "Red" McMillian, who delivered the Meadow River Shay and Heisler to Cass and then stayed on. "Red" was a whistle artist and you can hear his touch in the current crop of younger engineers at Cass. I was in the Cab, one snowy October day, when a lady fell and broke her hip at the Whittaker station stop. After they got her on board, "Red" brought the train down off the mountain in record time, reversing out of the switchbacks without a pause, but with nary a jerk.

The other engineer is Artie Barkley, now the Shop Superintendant at Cass. Artie can run 'em, fix 'em and make the whistle talk with the best of them. I was filming one day in the early '80s and my movie camera ran out of film. Of course, when you are in a hurry, it takes four times as long to change film, and when I finally got done cussin' and loadin' the camera, I looked up to see where the train had got to. There was Artie, engine stopped, waiting for me to get back in business shooting! A real gentleman!


a231pacific@aol.com

> Mike Manwiller at Western Maryland Scenic
> Railway handles 734 like a veteran. I think
> he's in his twenties.

Howard, I'd have to second that vote. I've been on several Western Maryland Scenic trips, some with Mike running and some with other engineers. There isn't any comparison. Mike has a smooth touch and can start a freight so the folks standing in the caboose don't even realize the train has started. With some other engineers, I've been flung from one end to the other!

Mike organized a two day photo charter last December that featured one day with a freight running down grade. When I look at my video, it looks and sounds like they are running up grade. Mike made it look easy. Also, he can run multiple runbys at the exact same speed, so you can cut video shots together and no one will realize they are from different runs. Not as easy as you might think!


a231pacific@aol.com

Hear, ye, hear ye. Artie is part of the class of Cass!

> The other engineer is Artie Barkley, now the
> Shop Superintendant at Cass. Artie can run
> 'em, fix 'em and make the whistle talk with
> the best of them. I was filming one day in
> the early '80s and my movie camera ran out
> of film. Of course, when you are in a hurry,
> it takes four times as long to change film,
> and when I finally got done cussin' and
> loadin' the camera, I looked up to see where
> the train had got to. There was Artie,
> engine stopped, waiting for me to get back
> in business shooting! A real gentleman!


Ahead of the Torch
trains@robertjohndavis.com

> Mike has a smooth touch and can start a
> freight so the folks standing in the caboose
> don't even realize the train has started.
> With some other engineers, I've been flung
> from one end to the other!

Which brings up a point: Many of the people who call themselves engineers or whom we foamers have crowned with that title are not really engineers at all. Some have only the experience they accumulated on one engine on one or two line segments, or on a simulator. If anything out of the ordinary takes place, they have trouble adapting. That's not to say some of these guys can't handle an engine or train correctly (some are very good), but some of them can't if anything unusual occurs.

At the other end of the spectrum are the people who have been handling all kinds of trains under all kinds of conditions for decades. Theguys out there like McCormack and Krieger and Bernie O'Brien (and others that don't readily leap to mind) who have been honest-to-God REAL locomotive engineers for nearly all of their careers. You can usually easily tell the difference between one of those guys and the "weekend warrior" types.

Of course, there are some engineers of long seniority who are no better at their craft today than they were the day the made their first trip 40 or 50 years ago.

> Which brings up a point: Many of the people
> who call themselves engineers or whom we
> foamers have crowned with that title are not
> really engineers at all. Some have only the
> experience they accumulated on one engine on
> one or two line segments, or on a simulator.
> If anything out of the ordinary takes place,
> they have trouble adapting. That's not to
> say some of these guys can't handle an
> engine or train correctly (some are very
> good), but some of them can't if anything
> unusual occurs.

> At the other end of the spectrum are the
> people who have been handling all kinds of
> trains under all kinds of conditions for
> decades. Theguys out there like McCormack
> and Krieger and Bernie O'Brien (and others
> that don't readily leap to mind) who have
> been honest-to-God REAL locomotive engineers
> for nearly all of their careers. You can
> usually easily tell the difference between
> one of those guys and the "weekend
> warrior" types.

> Of course, there are some engineers of long
> seniority who are no better at their craft
> today than they were the day the made their
> first trip 40 or 50 years ago.

My votes would have to go to two engineers that I've worked with at Texas State.
Moze Tinsley is still running at Texas State,and one of the smoothest runners you'll ever find,and his quilling is fantastic!

Jaye Morrison had retired from regular running when I met him,but I learned more about running and firing steam from working with those two men in two years than I have learned since then. Those two men know how to run and how to quill like nobody's business!

One night,firing for Jaye with a heavy train during a driving rainstorm,and the 500 slipping about every other exhaust,gradually slowing to a walk,Jaye yelled over "stop fighting her and work with her! Ease back on the valve some and let her breathe some,and we'll make this hill yet!" I had really been forcing the old girl's fire stil she was choking...to my surprise,the steam guage,which was holding the peg,began to rise...so much in fact I had to ease her back even more. We crested the grade with Jaye wailing for the crossing,safties humming,and blasting the fall leaves from the trees...all at 5MPH!

kbcotton@flash.net