Railroaders' Nostalgia > RIP Clayton A. Rowe.

Clayton A Rowe. MP UP locomotive engineer and Roadforeman of Engines.   4/10/1964-3/10/2022
Claton was a close friend and fellow Trainorders poster.  loved Steam, too.  ( he posted here as Red)

mdo

This is sad news indeed. Thank you, Mr. Ongerth, for letting us know.

When he learned that I grew up in St. Louis watching and photographing the MoPac, we had an interesting and enjoyable correspondence via private messages here on TO, via e-mail, and a few phone calls. I enjoyed his MoPac stories, particularly of train handling on the roller-coaster Sedalia Sub between Jefferson City, Mo. and Kansas City, a territory I know well as a railfan. And, as some may recall from his many posts here on TO in the past, he had some sharp opinions on various issues as well. There was an honesty in those stories and expressions of opinion that one appreciated, even if his perspective was different from your own. I never met him, which I regret. Even only in the written word, you could tell that he was someone you'd probably enjoy, and appreciate and learn from, in spending time with.

Sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues on MP and UP.

MC

Sorry to hear of his passing.Thank you for the  nice tribute.Pretty young too.Bill Webb

Noticed he hadn’t even made 60. Been a lot of that lately as the Carriers work everyone like a rented mule. Mental and physical stress/exhaustion and the constant berating from the glass palaces is having a affect on people.

Posted from iPhone

That's to damn young to pass. RIP sir...

Posted from Android

Very sorry to hear of his passing.  I corresponoded some with him and know he had some health issues in the last few years.  A genuinely nice guy, great railroader, and wonderful story teller.  

SLM

He was a good friend of mine too...RIP Red.

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

Drknow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Noticed he hadn’t even made 60. Been a lot of
> that lately as the Carriers work everyone like a
> rented mule. Mental and physical stress/exhaustion
> and the constant berating from the glass palaces
> is having a affect on people.
>

Something important to consider. Once upon a time, folks worked a normal work load and had some R&R time weekends and vacation time. T&E didn't have weekends, but they could make weekends for themselves easily on some other day of the week (as an operator and dispatcher I used to prefer relief jobs with Wed-Thu off because there weren't crowds of weekenders everywhere I wanted to go). It was easy to swich from that to "being retired." Under the conditions of even the past 30 years, a lot of foks go from overload to doing nothing and their system loses momentum and just quits. Everybody needs something that takes the place of full time - even active railfanning. I've known too many who went from railroading to watching TV and didn't last a year.

TAW

TAW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Drknow Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Noticed he hadn’t even made 60. Been a lot of
> > that lately as the Carriers work everyone like
> a
> > rented mule. Mental and physical
> stress/exhaustion
> > and the constant berating from the glass
> palaces
> > is having a affect on people.
> >
>
> Something important to consider. Once upon a time,
> folks worked a normal work load and had some R&R
> time weekends and vacation time. T&E didn't have
> weekends, but they could make weekends for
> themselves easily on some other day of the week
> (as an operator and dispatcher I used to prefer
> relief jobs with Wed-Thu off because there weren't
> crowds of weekenders everywhere I wanted to go).
> It was easy to swich from that to "being retired."
> Under the conditions of even the past 30 years, a
> lot of foks go from overload to doing nothing and
> their system loses momentum and just quits.
> Everybody needs something that takes the place of
> full time - even active railfanning. I've known
> too many who went from railroading to watching TV
> and didn't last a year.
>
> TAW


Red's situation, while hardly unique, stemmed from a horrendous highway collision with a semi.  He never returned to working life after his long period of rehab.....he went straingt to retirement about 8-10 years ago.  His body (and spirit) was really damaged from all this.  When he came down with the common flu, in recent weeks, he refused to go to the hospital, and, I fear, simply gave in to it and was gone.  What knaws at me is how preventable it was.

He was gone from TO for some time now, but once was a great contributor here.  There are too many such losses.

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

He had some qwirks and in many ways quite a bit of humor.  You never knew what he say the next time your heard from him.  Rest in peace.

TAW Wrote:
. I've known
> too many who went from railroading to watching TV
> and didn't last a year.

True words here; I have seen this happen with long seniority RR co-workers who retired, and went into a kind of "dissolution."
I'm sorry Mr. Rowe passed, at only 58. I didn't know him, but I'm glad he had a Good Run, out on the Steel Rails. RIP- Red.
 

gosh darn it