Railroaders' Nostalgia > Remembering Tom Lee

Just over a year ago Mr Thomas R. Lee passed away at the age of 80. He was a native of my own home town of Manhattan, KS and was well known in the railfan world as an author of at least 4 books & numerous magazine articles. Tom was also one of the founding members of the Union Pacific Historical Society. It was an honor to attend his funeral and pay my respect to a man who had some indirect, but very key influence on my RR photography.

I first knew of Tom in Manhattan in the mid-1970s. I had been into a loose association with a few local model railroaders and had just begun to test my downy wings as a railfan photographer. I had gotten into railroad photography purely as a means to procure pictures for correct placement of paint & decals on HO scale engines, cabeese & freight cars. But in the inevitable picture seeking ‘safaris’ I was taking a change was coming. I had already begun what would very soon be a complete shift out of shooting for the model painting side of the hobby, and into the world of pure railfan photography.

In the fall of 1976 Tom Lee’s reputation & aura as a RR book author who actually lived in my home town was quite overwhelming for this 21 year old greenhorn railfan. I remember thinking how cool it was for him to be from Manhattan, but I could surely never aspire to walk in the same lofty railfan circles he walked in. I was very timid & reluctant to assert myself in those younger years. I managed to purchase a copy of his first book, “Turbines Westward” It had been out for a while and when I got the chance, I exhibited a bold & unbelievable amount of intestinal fortitude to approach Tom for his autograph in that book. I was scared to death. But he exhibited an easy grace and was happy to sign it for me.

The chance for that autograph had come during an informal slide show a few of us modelers gave at the home of [the late] Mr Duane McDaniel. Duane had converted his garage at his house on Vattier St into an honest-to-goodness Model RR shop. I say this was an informal gathering with tongue firmly in cheek! Because for me, it was a huge milestone event: I was giving my first-ever slide show! I don’t recall how Tom Lee came to be in attendance, but none the less he was there. And I was nervous as hell…

In short, my presentation was horrible! I produced a combination of 126 Instamatic & 35mm slides in a completely hap-hazard order. I mixed cloudy day roster shots with back-lit train shots in a totally chaotic manner. Even with a super-friendly curve I have to give myself a grade of D-. Had I not been able to inject some humor into the show (which would become my trademark) it would be a flat F. But I’ll cling to my D-... Tom walked up to me after my ‘train-wreck’ of a show with a smile on his face. He reached out to shake my hand and imparted on me 8 of the most influential words that would ever affect my railfan photography: “You need to be a little more organized.” In a flash I understood his meaning.

36 years later I was giving another slide show. It was during the 2013 UP Historical Society convention in Topeka. It was titled: “Union Pacific through the eyes of a Santa Fe fan”. Tom Lee was in attendance. I was not the least bit nervous. During my presentation I related the story of my first show 3½ decades earlier. When I concluded I turned to Tom sitting in the audience and asked him how I did. He was beaming a huge smile and gave me an energetic thumbs-up.

Tom’s funeral was at 10:30 AM on July 24, 2014. Later that afternoon I was able to act on a hot tip that his favorite RR, the Union Pacific was running a passenger excursion over his second-favorite RR, the Rock Island’s ex Golden State Route down in nearby Alta Vista. I drove down and shot the train. I know it sounds terribly cornball, but I can smile inside my heart and know that Tom would would have enjoyed the coincidence…

1. UP 7464 passes eastbound in front of Tom Lee’s boyhood home on the south & west side of downtown Manhattan, KS on March 7, 2012. A house with a front-row seat to watch the KP of the 1940s & 50s passing by. Is it any wonder Tom became a railfan & a staunch UP fan…

2. UP 8734 is westbound with a passenger excursion on Rock Island’s ex-GSR at Alta Vista, KS on July 24, 2014. It was the afternoon of Tom’s funeral service.

Thank you, Tom. Rest in piece, my friend.
Lance Garrels
Manhattan, KS



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/15 10:41 by santafe199.

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You write well Lance. Thanks for sharing!

Great memories. I first encountered Tom in 1960 when, as a new graduated student at KSU, I stopped at the bank on Poyntz to open an account.  I had a Trains magazine tucked under my arm, just purchased at the nearby Western Auto Store, and the teller asked if I was a railfan. That would have been Tom. We had a short conversation -- there was a line waiting -- in which he filled me in on the local scene. His best advice, I recall, was to spend some time on the Rock Island down at McFarland. I did that on many weekends, sitting trackside and grading papers between trains. He also invited me to his house, where I spent an evening going through his wonderful photographs of steam and early diesel days in Manhattan. I was especially impressed because I had seen those days from the other end of the KP, in Denver. Tom, as I recall, also alerted me t the final days of rhe kanssa City Kaw Valley. And so,  I dedicate these [phoptos to his memory.

1. Rock Island E8A 655 on #39, McFarland, Kansas, November, 1961
2. Caboose, Rock Island extra 139 west headed into sunset, McFarland, Kansas, November, 1961   
3. Kansas City Kaw Vslley 5-6 with covered hoppers, Kansas City, Kansas, June 5, 1961

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Thank you for the remembrance and a very nice post ... I'm still a beginner and appreciate the references to those who blazed the trails and set the standards for rail photography ... appreciated!

Odyssey
Evergreen, Co

Let me tell you, Tom Lee was a prince of a guy. If you stopped in at  the Union State Bank in Clay Center, KS and asked to speak to Tom and the staff learned you were a railfan, you got the red carpet treatment. Unless Tom had someone in his office, you were immediately escorted to his office. Tom would talk trains, and what stories he would tell. He especially liked to talk about his wonderful adventures working excursions with the UP steam crew in the Steve Lee era. Tom treated me like a dignitary. I was also fortunate to stop by his home several times to view his railfan collection. Then there was the fun trip to Cheyenne with him.
I miss Tom . I was very fortunate to be his friend.   R.I.P. , Tom .      --- Kelly

That was heartwarming prose.
Thank you.
...Lorenzo

I first got to know   Tom when I joined the UPHS as he was the treasurer. I think I'm number 3?? something and have known Tom for a long time. A real fine gentleman and would always see him when I went to a UPHS convention. I was in Salina, KS one day taking a pic. of a special engine that was sitting when who would show up on the South side of the tracks, Tom. I walked out and drove around to the South side but he was gone but spied his car a little farther down East. I drove down and pulled up beside him and said , Hello Tom, how you doing. He was surprised that somebody knew his name there as he didn't remember mine and when I told him, he said oh yes, now I remember. We got out of our vechiles and sat down on my tailgate in the shade and talked for 30 minutes. I too was at his funeral and in fact around about 20 or so from the member ship showed up and several directors was present. upkpfan .

Lance great story. I knew Tom thru UPHS and from hanging out with the Steam Crew. I still remember stopping to pick him up on an excursion on the Salina line after his fall off the roof. He wasn't moving very good that day but still wanted to ride.
You mentioned another name I had forgotten but made me realize why model train shows just aren't the same anymore. Its because people like Duane McDaniels aren't there any more. I really miss Duane and People like him.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Steve