Railroaders' Nostalgia > Mad Dog Chronicles #127: Western Division Assistant Su

#127: Western Division Assistant Superintendents.

While I was on the Western Division of the SP, working as an Assistant Division Superintendent for Jones, and later for Mohan, and finally Bredenberg, there were actually three Assistant Division Superintendents on the Division. Basically, I was in charge of day to day operations. E J (Ed) Seil was in charge of mechanical operations, the old Master Mechanic position and O D (Dave, aka oh dear) Goodwill was in charge of administration.

In the 1970s and 1980s there were two basic Division Structures employed on the SP. The more common one was the one used on the Western Division. That is, the one that I have just described. The other organizational structure was most common on large Divisions that had been consolidated from two formerly smaller Divisions. The Oregon, Sacramento, and San Antonio Divisions were examples of this other management structure.

If you have been following these chronicles for some time you will note that while I was on the San Antonio Division, I was working under the other management structure. Both organization structures worked fairly well. The San Antonio structure was best on very large Divisions. The Western Division structure worked best on fairly compact Divisions

. This is not to say that the Western Division was small. In 1978 the Western Division extended from San Francisco to San Luis Obispo, from San Jose to Oakland and Tracy via the Altamont, from Oakland to Tracy via the Mococo line, from Oakland to Sacramento via Davis, from Suisun to Schellville, and included the Monterey, Santa Cruz, Olympia, Hollister, Permanente, Sonoma, Napa, Winters, Vallejo, and San Ramon Branches. In addition, the Western Division Superintendent served as the VP & GM of the NWP. In this case there was also a District Superintendent for the NWP, Hi Fowler.

There were well in excess of 3500 employees working for the SP and the NWP at that time.

Only Ed Seil had normal jurisdiction over the NWP, in addition to Jones. Except, that when Jones was on vacation, I was designated to relieve him. Only then did I really have anything to do with the day to day operations of the NWP.

Ed was in charge of all matters of a mechanical nature. All of the carmen reported to him. He had the responsibility for the day to day maintenance, servicing, and cleanliness of both the Commute fleet and the Amtrak trains maintained at Oakland. Ed also was responsible for the maintenance of all of the SP business car fleet, that was headquartered in Oakland. Now that is a thankless job to be sure

All outside locomotive servicing was also under Ed Seil. At this time the three Locomotive Plants, Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose were under a separate Plant Manager. (a circumstance that Ed deeply resented.)

Dave Goodwill had been a dispatcher on the Coast. He had then been an Assistant Superintendent of Transportation in San Francisco. He had gotten crosswise with someone at headquarters and been farmed out to the Western Division. Dave was good at what he was responsible for, just don’t ask him to do anything with operations.

Dave had his own demons as we will see in a future chronicle. He knew that he was at the end of his career and had gone as far as he was going to go at the SP. He had the grace to understand and accept this set of circumstances. J M Walton, who had a similar set of responsibilities on the SSW also knew that that was where he would retire. He also had this sense of place.

5/29/05
mdo

It's hard to chronicle the Western Division without references to W. M. Jones. Last time I saw him was around 1984 when he popped in my office on a visit from Florida, where, as I recall, he had retired with "Bunny", his wife. He was all smiles and friendly, just stayed in the open doorway to say "Hi" to everyone as he was making his rounds throughout the old Wood St. building. We've heard both sides of whether or not he had been a child actor, but never anything on his job history with the SP. Can you tell us his job history as he worked his way up to Supt.?

Yes. To the extent that i know it. Will be the subject of the very next MDC

mdo

> San Louis Obisbo

Ummm... where?

> We've heard
> both sides of whether or not he had been a child
> actor

On the other hand, I've worked for more that one Supe who often acted like a child!

Dave came down to SLO when we had a derailment at old Tunnel 10. He had a pak-set with him, one of the first ones, big & heavy. O D Vansandt talked him into leaving the pak-set with the crew dispatcher so it could be used in emergency by crews if needed. It had a lot of use over the years before the company started to give the slimlines out to conductors and brakeman. Always liked him and he seemed very calm, cool & collected. He was another I called to see how the weather was at 1707 Wood St, before I tried to contact Jones. Would like to hear more on what happened to him.

Nudge

topper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > > San Louis Obisbo
>
> Ummm... where?

Gee, Topper, spell check didn't mind that spelling. I fixed it kind editor,

mdo

mdo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> topper Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > > > San Louis Obisbo
> >
> > Ummm... where?
>
> Gee, Topper, spell check didn't mind that
> spelling. I fixed it kind editor,
>
> mdo
>
Well, you're getting closer. Want one more try?????

mdo Wrote:

> San Luis Obisbo

[Har!]

Just cal it "BI"


Nudge

mdo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> #127: Western Division Assistant Superintendents.
>
> E J (Ed) Seil was in charge of
> mechanical operations, the old Master Mechanic
> position and O D (Dave, aka oh dear) Goodwill was
> in charge of administration.
>

Is Ed Seil any relation to Don Seil, recently Terminal Supt at Oakland and now down at West Colton?

SW1200

SW1200 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> mdo Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > #127: Western Division Assistant
> Superintendents.
> >
> > E J (Ed) Seil was in charge of
> > mechanical operations, the old Master
> Mechanic
> > position and O D (Dave, aka oh dear) Goodwill
> was
> > in charge of administration.
> >
>
> Is Ed Seil any relation to Don Seil, recently
> Terminal Supt at Oakland and now down at West
> Colton?
>
> SW1200



If he is, which I doubt, I sure feel sorry for Ed. We use to call Don "Horse Face" when he was the ATM at El Centro.


steamjocky

topper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> mdo Wrote:
>
> > San Luis Obisbo

OK OK Now carefully copied from the Timetable:

San Luis Obispo

I supose that you want me to write it 100 times. Mumble mumble, shouldn"t edit these things before coffee.

Don Seil is Ed and Gerry Seil's only son.

mdo

mdo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> topper Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > mdo Wrote:
> >
> > > San Luis Obisbo
>
> OK OK Now carefully copied from the Timetable:
>
> San Luis Obispo
>
> I supose that you want me to write it 100 times.
> Mumble mumble, shouldn"t edit these things before
> coffee.

Gee, and you did so well with "Ouachita" and "Nacogdoches"...

The Timetable, the Timetable, always refer to the timetable.

Tells you when the trains are due. Tells you how long the sidings are and where they are.

Tells you what their names are, and how they are SPELLED. That is if you read the timetable to begin with.

You expect an old snake to be able to spell, just because we lead you hog heads around with a lantern??

mdo

mdo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Timetable, the Timetable, always refer to the
> timetable.
>
> Tells you when the trains are due. Tells you how
> long the sidings are and where they are.
>
> Tells you what their names are, and how they are
> SPELLED. That is if you read the timetable to
> begin with.
>
> You expect an old snake to be able to spell, just
> because we lead you hog heads around with a
> lantern??
>
> mdo

I have your brain right here.

Just follow the light.

J.

mdo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Timetable, the Timetable, always refer to the
> timetable.
>
> Tells you when the trains are due. Tells you how
> long the sidings are and where they are.
>
> Tells you what their names are, and how they are
> SPELLED. That is if you read the timetable to
> begin with.
>
> You expect an old snake to be able to spell, just
> because we lead you hog heads around with a
> lantern??
>
> mdo


Uh....yes.
(heh heh heh)

steamjocky

When you state "There were well in excess of 3500 employees working for the SP and the NWP at the time," I presume you mean the SP Western Division and the NWP.

JohnSweetser Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When you state "There were well in excess of 3500
> employees working for the SP and the NWP at the
> time," I presume you mean the SP Western Division
> and the NWP.

Yes. I guess that I did not make that clear.

mdo

Mike i thought Don had an older brother.. he grew up around the corner from me as a child in Glendale, Ca.....I did not see much of them because they went to private school...and had their own circle of friends