Steam & Excursion > Celebrating 60 years today of continuous railway employment . . .

. . . and noting that I retired from Amtrak exactly 20 years ago today, I look back with much gratitude for what I’ve experienced as a railroader. Having graduated from West Valley High School in ‘64 in the Spokane Valley (almost four decades before it was incorporated as a city of that name), I dutifully followed my mother’s wishes that I graduate from college by entering Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas that Fall. All I ever wanted, from as early as I can remember, was to follow in my father’s footsteps as a locomotive engineer. At the end of my third semester there, I finally said "Mom, I can't do this anymore" and returned to Spokane wondering what I'd do next. That was soon answered by an electrical-career-friend in the church which I attended who said that Todd Shipyard (in Seattle) was looking for apprentice electrician applicants. I enjoyed the work there (which included magnafluxing many hundreds of welds on the spillway gates which they were building for the new John Day Dam on the Columbia River) but it still wasn't railroading.

Finally, in mid-August '66 I laid off a day and drove south to the Mechanical Department of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway in Vancouver to seek a job in engine service. The office's chief clerk said "No, not hiring" and showed me a list of over a dozen waiting applicants. BUT ... I had an ace in the hole. I drove across the river to Portland and visited the 10th floor of the downtown American Bank Building where SP&S Assistant Superintendent John Melonas was quite surprised to see my face appearing in his doorway. I got to know him while volunteering with the all-volunteer-operated (except the SP&S engineer, fireman, conductor and brakeman) Vernonia, South Park & Sunset Steam Railroad which operated from 1964 through 1969 between Banks and Vernonia. John knew that I was employed at Todd Shipyard and, after a friendly visit, he said "I 'spose you want to go railroading". Answering in the affirmative, he picked up the phone and talked to the same mechanical clerk whom I'd visited an hour earlier. Shortly, he asked me how soon I could come to work. Wanting to give a proper notice to Todd Shipyard, I suggested September 1st, which turned out to be the first day of the last third of the Twentieth Century.

I was hired as the day shift Portland Hoyt Street Roundhouse laborer and worked every day that month. I was then able to transfer to engine service and worked my first day therein as the day shift Hoyt Street Roundhouse hostler helper on 10-04-66, the 30th anniversary of my father's firing date.

Not having any steam-qualfied firemen, the SP&S was dismayed at having to call two engineers to operate the VSP&S Spring to Fall Sunday excursion trains. Having learned to fire the steamer in the Banks yard while a volunteer with the tourist railway, the SP&S decided to run me around over a dozen hostler helpers and promoted me to fireman to fill their need on the SP&S track. My first trip as a fireman was to Vernonia on 06-11-67, my sister's 20th birthday and the picture of me on the fireman's side of the 105 was taken that day. My SP&S fireman's rules exam card may likely be the only one ever issued on a Class 1 railroad with the specific wording "Steam Locomotive Fireman" because I was restricted to steam service until the applicants for hostler helper that I had run around were all hired. As far as I know, all other rules cards stated simply Engineer, Fireman, Conductor, Brakeman, or possibly Switchman.

After 38 years I added another track gauge to my experience, 2½ feet, when I went to work for the Washington Park & Zoo Railway in Portland, where I'm on duty at 8:30 tomorrow morning. Their engineer-only steamer is a handful to operate on the constantly changing less than ½-mile run that changes from about -2% to +5.1% grade. In addition, over the years, I've been employed as an engineer and fireman on the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad in Elbe, WA; the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad in Garibaldi, OR; and still volunteer on the all-volunteer Chelatchie Prairie Railroad in Yacolt, WA where my late fellow SP&S/BN engineer friend of 60 years, Greg Kamholz, and I started in 2007 when they needed firemen and engineers for their steamer. I've run diesels and run and fired steamers on all of these lines as well as for the Oregon Rail Heritage Center where I first ran and fired the SP&S 700 which my father ran in freight service on the SP&S after it was bumped from passenger service by the diesels.
 

---

---

---

Definitely "a life worth living" for you.  And your journey continues...

Warm regards,

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ

---

---

WOW!!! - Congratulations on such a wonderful life. 
Bob

Congratulations to you and thanks for all your wonderful comments you share here on TO.   That is an amazing photo of the 105 coming over the crest of the line in your second photo.

That's a wonderful story. Best wishes on your new adventures!

You may be right about the last steam fireman only  certificate issued by a class 1.

What a wonderful career!  Congratulations!  Hope it continues for years to come.

Stan Praisewater



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/01/26 10:12 by sagehen.

Look at the grade in that 2nd photo!!!--I have a recording of this line and steamer on my old ARKAY LP album.

That's quite the path, Jim. It's great to hear from you!

Jim in KS

Such a great story to start my morning with.

Thanks for sharing your story!