Western Railroad Discussion > Ultimate Railfan Adventure Story in SJ Mercury today

Posted on Sat, Jul. 15, 2006

Pals, one with fatal illness, hit road

By Anna Tong
Mercury News

In the spring of 1990, two teenage friends in San Jose received a frantic letter. A friend had moved to Colorado to live with a girl who promised to take him to the prom, but then she kicked him out, leaving him homeless.

Eric Stephens and Eugene Vicknair, scraped together $400 and set off on a rescue road trip. Along the way, they became fascinated by the historic railroads they encountered.

Sixteen years later, Stephens and Vicknair, both 35, are still best friends, and they left Thursday to re-live their trip. But this time, it's not to pick up a heartbroken teenager: It's about celebrating life in the face of adversity.

Last year, Stephens was diagnosed with brain cancer. The two friends had always talked about reprising their 1990 trip, but they never had time. Now, however, after the doctors said Stephens may have only two years to live, it is time.

``When Eric got sick, part of it was that it was going to be now or never,'' said Vicknair, who lives in Santa Clara. ``Part of it was, darn it, brain cancer doesn't have to beat somebody. You got a tumor, so what? That doesn't mean you roll over and stop living.''

So while Stephens underwent six weeks of uninterrupted chemotherapy, Vicknair began concocting what they have dubbed ``Eric's Big Journey.'' Vicknair's girlfriend, Wendy Holtz, and paramedic David Epling, will round out the crew.

The trip will last 22 days, in time for Stephens to come back to San Jose for another round of chemotherapy and to celebrate his three-year anniversary with his wife. Throughout the eight-state trip, which makes a loop around the western part of the United States, they will be stopping in towns to raise awareness of brain cancer -- and to raise money to fight it. In Denver, they will participate in the Angel Adventure, a five-kilometer walk that supports the National Brain Tumor Foundation.

They will also be riding the five historic railroad lines that they rode in 1990 and taking photographs to document the railways' changes over the last 16 years.

Seeing Stephens and Vicknair together is watching two grown men revert to their irreverent teenage selves. Both are constantly scrambling to tell stories and jokes -- often vulgar ones. Vicknair begins telling an anecdote from their 1990 trip, and Stephens starts giggling and says, ``Oh no! not that one!''

The first trip didn't turn out the way they expected. ``We show up at Colorado, and we're banging on the door,'' said Vicknair. ``And our friend comes out and says, `Eugene, what are you doing here? I'm in love and I'm gonna stay!' ''

``We wanted to kill him!'' jumps in Stephens. ``But the trip was a total blast anyway.''

That Stephens is even able to re-create that trip now is amazing. A year ago, his left side was completely paralyzed and his kidneys had shut down. He has been able to partially regain mobility with the help of his wife, who stayed with him in the hospital during the day while working at night.

``We don't treat the tumor as a death sentence,'' said his wife, Andrea Lockwood. ``It hasn't changed our relationship. We still love each other -- it's just a little harder now.''

Even with her support, Stephens said, it's been hard. A former construction worker, he once biked 10 miles a day. Now, he uses a walker. He hasn't fully regained control of his left hand, but he still tries to do the things he loves, including playing the guitar.

What made it more difficult was the anger attacks the tumor gave him. Formerly calm, he saw that any small mishap could make him ``go bananas.''

In the last few days before their trip, Stephens and Vicknair were working on last-minute repairs to the $600 recreational vehicle nicknamed ``the Beast'' that they bought off Craigslist, and outfitting it to accommodate Stephens.

But forget the serious stuff.

This trip is really about two best friends having the time of their lives.

When they were leaving Thursday morning from San Jose's Diridon station, somebody had called the cops at the sight of the huge, beat-up recreational vehicle parked in front of the station. Stephens and Vicknair took one look at the police and burst out into peals of raucous laughter. As the policemen looked on bemusedly, they took photographs of themselves caressing the police cars.

``We haven't even left yet and we're already in trouble!'' shouted Vicknair, as he helped Stephens board ``the Beast.'' Still shaking with laughter, they drove away to begin their big adventure.


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Contact Anna Tong at atong@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5843.

This sounds like the makings of a great movie (TV or wide-screen). "TRAINS," anyone?

rbx551985 Wrote:
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> This sounds like the makings of a great movie (TV
> or wide-screen). "TRAINS," anyone?

"National Lampoons Railfan Vacation"?

That article is very nicely done. While I had read some snippets on TO about getting ready for the "Railfan Adventure," I sure didn't know the backstory to it, and the incident with the cops at the end is priceless.

They spent today riding the Grand Canyon Railway and tomorrow wil ne along the BNSF in AZ