Steam & Excursion > AFT Old Guys in Portland

I made the trip up to the ORH Museum in Portland last weekend to see a few old friends (and, yes, I suppose this would include the '49).

Family Photos...

Photo 1.  Myself, Doyle, and Wild Bill.
Photos 2&3.  The AFT staff was divided up into various departments: Operations, Electricians, Tickets, Security, etc.  Bill was the Museum's Curator, and I was his assistant.  Together we made up the entire Artifacts Dept- the smallest of the AFT's departments.   In the ORN's collection is this mile post, honoring the last mile of the tour in Miami.  It carries a plate with the signatures of all the train's crew who made it to Miami.

Photo 4. Aboard SP 2455 for the run down to Oaks Park behind #2.  L2R:  Bill's wife, Tina, Myself, Wild Bill, my wife, Trish, and Doyle's wife, Laurie.  Laurie was also an AFTer- she was with Tickets.
Photo 5.  Doyle and Merle, with Ed in the background.  Ed was the logistics guy.  He scouted out all the display sites well ahead of the AFT itself.  If you followed the AFT diary "AFT Confidential" I posted a few years ago and wondered how I could possibly have so many fact about the routing etc-  I have a pretty thorough collection of Ed's work!  Merle was with the 4449 crew, but I think his involvement was more before my time with the train.  I didn't know him well.
Photo 6.  At the far left is Bobby, who worked both the 4449 Crew and the 2101.  Bob is a local and has been involved with the 4449 since the original restoration in very beginning in 1974.  On the road with the AFT, he fired.

SR

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Glad you made the trip up there. Couldn't quite get it together in time to make it.  Looking forward to Durango's little get together.

Thanks for coming back from Spain, and up from SB, or the Sierra, whatever the case may be, to celebrate and preserve these moment for all of us.  B

We returned home to The Hill about a month ago. The Portland weekend was via #14 & 11. (Both spot OT!)
SR

Many thanks SR for taking the pictures of Bobby Slover, Ed Immel in the background, Doyle and the rest of the folks.  I couldn't  make it at the last minute but do have an AFT artifact I need to give you. I was going to bring it up and give it to Rene. I think you still have myu contact info, otherwise I will come up the Hill. BTW, I have given my complete AFT file and all my pictures to ORHC except the slides once I get them digitized. 

Heyy SR! Was good seeing you at Colfax the other day, and glad you made it to PDX— thanks for sharing your pics, here!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/13/25 10:28 by IC_2024.

Thanks SR for the photos. Sorry I couldn't be there. Glad all the May 10th. festivities went well. Onward & Upward. Ross Rowland 

Great pics!!Thank you for sharing

SR...Great thread! Looks like it was a real good time. I remember signing the milepost right under Gloria Bonneville's signature which was the first signature in the left column. That was definitely the ride of a lifetime!

Craig