Steam & Excursion > Who Is That Fireman?

This was returning from the Grand Opening of the California Railroad Museum.  A photo runby on the north side of Mt. Shasta.  Stopped at K-Falls that night and the next morning found the rest of the trip canceled.  

Ed

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Auburn_Ed Wrote:
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> This was returning from the Grand Opening of the
> California Railroad Museum.  A photo runby on the
> north side of Mt. Shasta.  Stopped at K-Falls
> that night and the next morning found the rest of
> the trip canceled.  
>
> Ed

That is my long time buddy, the late Richard (Dick) P. Yager!

Hotwater is, of course, absolutely correct. I worked with him on the 765 and remember him from his hobby shop days in Fort Wayne. His buddy Steve Moses passed away recently too.

​Victor A. Baird
​http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/22/16 17:34 by wabash2800.

Here is one of my favorite photos of our old friend Dick.  We sure do miss him on the 4449 crew.

Martin

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Both died much too young, a real tragedy.  I met Dick 1n 1975 when I was a volunteer member on #4449.  He could be funny away from the engine but was very seriouds and all business on the engine.

Well, not quite ALL business around a steam locomotive.  The 765 sat on the tail of the wye at Effner, IL on the TP&W in May 1980 while diesels did some switching of the passenger train.  Pretty soon, a well endowed young lady came up in the cab and RPY couldn't put together a coherent sentence............






 

What a great photo for rivet counters!

AKA 'The Iron Duke'. Dick was a good friend .... first encountered him in June 1984 on the return of the World's Fair Daylight in LA.  I road a couple of busses from Long Beach to Union Station just to see 4449. I was a young sailor attached to the battleship New Jersey at the time.  After the train had stopped at the bumper, I was taking the obligatory photos while wearing a USS New Jersey ballcap. Dick stuck his head out of the cab and said 'hey kid, you on the New Jersey?'. 

Yes sir!

He then said 'this hogger (meaning Doyle) was a swabbie. You wanna take a look around the cab?

Duh!!!

I climbed the ladder and was introduced to Doyle by Dick. Doyle and I started swapping sea stories. I was able to ride in the cab when the train was turned for departure towards Oregon. Talk about died and go to heaven.

In 1986, I ventured out to Eagle Mountain where they were filming Tough Guys. Same drill, except this time, I was on the pre-commissioning crew of the battleship Missouri.  Got to ride one day when 4449 was stretching her legs on the line ... ended up getting the crew invites to the recommissioning of the Missouri as well as a couple of ballcaps.

Corresponded with Dick over the years via Trainorders .... sure do miss his presence.....

Respectfully,
Burlington John

 

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