Western Railroad Discussion > JR Davis Yard Roseville, CA

Does anybody know the history about the naming of this yard? Who was JR Davis?

Posted from Android

He was a UP president (or CEO?).

John Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> He was a UP president (or CEO?).

Neither.

He was UP EVP Operations, then President at CSX, then President of SP.

I recall, without verification, that was a telegraph operator from Kansas, Rhodes scholar, very well thought of as VPO, and a fairly close friend of Larry Parsons of DRGW and eastern regional fame.  Copy19 would know.

CCDeWeese Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I recall, without verification, that was a
> telegraph operator from Kansas, Rhodes scholar,
> very well thought of as VPO, and a fairly close
> friend of Larry Parsons of DRGW and eastern
> regional fame.  Copy19 would know.

Started as night Operator at Abilene, KS.  Later
became a dispatcher at Denver.  Yes, close with
Parsons.

Don't know about the Rhodes Scholar.

Jerry started out sweeping floors in I believe the Abilene, KS depot and yes became an operator.  I can vouch he was widely liked across the system.  He is among the Union Pacific executives I admired most.   I'm pleased to call him a friend.

My favorite story about him was shortly after he was named VPO we were down in Milford, Utah to dedicate the new depot. (See photo.  That's us in the suits. Jerry left.) After the ceremony we were walking up an alley from the depot to the Employees Club house when he stepped in a chuckhole and nearly twisted his ankle.  He made some comments worthy of a rail and we continued on.  The next morning we noticed not only was the hole repaired, but the entire alley had been repaved!

I think I said,  "Geez Jerry, now that you're VPO you gotta be careful what you say.  If you say you don't like those mountains over there, they will be gone in the morning."  

I did an oil painting of J. R. Davis Yard looking west from the hump with a UP engine pushing a cut (that included  CSX boxcar) toward the retarder.   The painting was presented to him at the dedication ceremony.

JB - Omaha



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/17 06:35 by Copy19.

---

A real mark of the man came with the destruction caused by Hurricane Hugo in 1989 in the Charleston, SC area.  Jerry Davis had arrived at CSX only a short time before.  At our first crisis meeting after the extent of damage became apparent he ordered that every employee in the Charleston area impacted by the storm could get a $5,000 (I may have the figure wrong, but it was a significant amount) no-interest cash loan from the company on the basis of the employee's signature if they needed to make repairs to their homes.  There was immediate push-back from the finance folks, but Davis said just do it.  My understanding is that every dollar was repaid, the right thing had been done, and he had, by one act, secured the trust of the employees.  He was, and is, a class act.

Gordon   

gbmott's story above is a good example of the difference between leadership and management.
At least management as it is all too often practiced.

He was also one of the big reasons the 3985/676 did the Santa train on the CSX I believe.
Steve

Jerry Davis grew up with me in the Salina KS area.  His Dad and my Dad were Conductors on the UP in Salina.  I remember we would see each other at Junior Old Timers Christmas Parties and other functions for the kids.
Jerry was the operator at Natoma KS on the Plainville Branch before moveing up the ladder in the system, then to Conrail, then back to the UP and always showed good management abilities and seemed to be well liked.
Brian Stevens

In 1952 when Roseville was expanded to include a hump yard with retarders, SP named it Jennings Yard after then Sacramento Division Superintendent M.L. Jennings. At what point it lost the name I'm not sure. I wonder if in time Roseville will be called Davis yard?

Another yard named after a high-ranking official was Robert Young, Chairman of the Board of the NYC. They named the big hump yard at Elkhart, IN after him. Not sure when it returned to Elkhart, probably after Young committed suicide.

One other yard that I can think of at the moment named for an official happened in an odd way, that of William Barstow Strong, president of the Santa Fe. It's safe to say that name is unlikely to change.

BCHellman Wrote:

>One other yard that I can think of at the moment named for an official happened in an odd way, that of William Barstow Strong, president of the Santa Fe.

Only problem with this scenario is that it is unlikely Barstow was named after Santa Fe president William Barstow Strong.  I think that historians just assumed this to be the case without any actual evidence to support it.  Also, I think it is a bit unusual to name a railroad station after someone's middle name.

A newspaper at the time stated that Barstow was named after a mining engineer whose last name was Barstow (I have his first name at home).  I don't know if he owned land in or near the site of Barstow but he did own land in Calico (around 10 miles away).

 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/17 14:07 by johnsweetser.

BCHellman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> At what point it lost the name I'm
> not sure. I wonder if in time Roseville will be
> called Davis yard?
Roseville WAS named J R Davis Yard when the UP rebuilt it more than 10 years ago....
G

johnsweetser Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BCHellman Wrote:
>
> >One other yard that I can think of at the moment
> named for an official happened in an odd way, that
> of William Barstow Strong, president of the Santa
> Fe.
>
> Only problem with this scenario is that it is
> unlikely Barstow was named after Santa Fe
> president William Barstow Strong.  I think that
> historians just assumed this to be the case
> without any actual evidence to support it.  Also,
> I think it is a bit unusual to name a railroad
> station after someone's middle name.
>
> A newspaper at the time stated that Barstow was
> named after a mining engineer whose last name was
> Barstow (I have his first name at home).  I don't
> know if he owned land in or near the site of
> Barstow but he did own land in Calico (around 10
> miles away).
>

According to Myrick, the town was first named Waterman when the SP reached it, then was renamed Barstow in honor of William Barstow Strong. He went on to state that his "middle name was selected due to the fact that his last name had already been appropriated for a station in Kansas." (pg 765-766, Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California, Vol 2.). If you have strong and convincing evidence to the contrary, then there'll be a lot of publications that will need errata, including Wiki.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/17 18:56 by BCHellman.

ExSPCondr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BCHellman Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> Roseville WAS named J R Davis Yard when the UP
> rebuilt it more than 10 years ago....
> G

Understood. My point was that it was once named Jennings yard, and at some point lost the name. Yards named after officials don't necessarily seem to keep them. I was wondering if the same will happen to Davis yard.

Another example is the former T&P yard in Ft. Worth that was named after T&P President J. L. Lancaster. It was renamed Centennial Yard when it was rebuilt in 1971. I understand it is now Davidson yard after the retired UP CEO.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/17 21:47 by BCHellman.

Thanks for the information and pix. Is Jerry in the middle?

Posted from Android

Doc885 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for the information and pix. Is Jerry in
> the middle?
>
> Posted from Android

Yes, wearing the black horned rim glasses.

BCHellman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ExSPCondr Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > BCHellman Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > Roseville WAS named J R Davis Yard when the UP
> > rebuilt it more than 10 years ago....
> > G
>
> Understood. My point was that it was once named
> Jennings yard, and at some point lost the name.
> Yards named after officials don't necessarily seem6
> to keep them. I was wondering if the same will
> happen to Davis yard.
>
> Another example is the former T&P yard in Ft.
> Worth that was named after T&P President J. L.
> Lancaster. It was renamed Centennial Yard when it
> was rebuilt in 1971. I understand it is now
> Davidson yard after the retired UP CEO.

Jennings Yard and the name Roseville Classification Yard were both conceived  at the very same instant during a motor vehicle inspection trip of the Roseville Yard by DJR and VPO WDL and the Sacramento Division Superintendent and Division Engineer  in either 1965 or 1966. When going by the Hump Tower from Roseville Road the Chairman said ", Get that sign down from that building and don't put it back up." . An hour later the sign ceased to exist and so did Jennings yard..



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/17 16:41 by JLY.

Copy19 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I did an oil painting of J. R. Davis Yard looking
> west from the hump with a UP engine pushing a cut
> (that included  CSX boxcar) toward the retarder.
>   The painting was presented to him at the
> dedication ceremony.

Have you posted a photo of that painting anywhere?  Thanks for the stories!

Paul Birkholz
Sheridan, WY