Railroaders' Nostalgia > Mad Dog Chronicle # 128 Remembering BFB

#128: Remembering Benjamin Franklin Biaggini, Jr. 1916 – 2005

I have any number of recollections of Mr. Biaggini. Here are a few of them.

Facial hair was definitely not in style at the SP in the 1970s and 1980s. I had taken a week off to go on a Boy Scout camping trip with my son. During this trip I had started to grow a mustache. The day after I returned from this trip there was a senior management conference at the Silverado Country Club in the Napa Valley. Division Superintendents were invited. We were the lowest level managers to be included in these conferences, which were held once a year. I actually was scheduled to make a brief presentation at this conference. I was to describe the efforts on the Western Division to improve employee communications.

There was always an opening reception at these conferences. A chance to get acquainted with senior managers in other parts of the rather vast, Southern Pacific Company conglomerate.

Both D K McNear, the railroad’s president and R D Krebs, then the Vice President of Operations came up to me, separately and privately commented that BFB was not going to like this new mustache. Krebs wanted me to leave the reception and go to my room to shave it off right then. I refused.

As fate would have it, my assigned seat was at a table next to the head table where BFB, DKM, and RDK were all seated. I was actually seated right behind Mr. Biaggini. Soon after I was seated, Mr. Biaggini turned around and noticed me. “Oh, Ongerth,” he said. “” I see that you are growing a mustache… Is that helping you with your employee communications efforts? It looks good on you.” That put an end to efforts to have me shave it off since both Krebs and McNear overheard this exchange between BFB and I.


A year or so later, there was a business car special inspection trip. As the Division Superintendent, I rode with the special as it left the Western Division. Several days later, I met the special train at Tracy as the train was on the return leg, coming up the San Joaquin Valley. Ken Moore, the Superintendent of the Sacramento Division got off with his Division Engineer as I prepared to board with my Division Engineer. Moore was shaking his head, obviously not a good trip.

Off we went towards Martinez and Oakland on the Mococo line. This was a forty mph railroad in 1982. We were rocking along and there was not much conversation. Then McNear picked up the Western Division timetable and began to question me about the various supervisors who were listed on the front cover of the timetable. Soon he came to M H (Max) Howard. We were traversing Max’s district. I had already told those assembled on the rear of the car Sunset that this was Max’s Trainmasters District. Now I expanded on that.

Max had been the Trainmaster on the Martinez District for well over twenty five years. He ran a good district, kept his overtime in check. Took care of his customers. Max had the refineries along San Pablo Bay in his district. He took good care of them. His locals and road switchers always managed to get the customers served and the work done in spite off considerable main line traffic.

I mentioned that at this point in time, Max was well past retirement age of 65. In fact, he was fast approaching 67. This was also BFB’s age at that time as, he too, had chosen not to retire when he reached 65. However, I said, Max is still sharp and works hard, he is doing a very good job. At this point, Biaggini, who had not said anything at all since we had exchanged greeting as I had boarded the car Sunset, spoke up. “Well, I will just have to take him to lunch. Us older guys just have to stick together!!”

I then realized that I had my foot in my mouth up to about the ankle. Have you ever seen a six foot, 185 # man try to hide under the chair cushion on the car Sunset? It can not be done.

6/18/05
mdo

Thanks MDO for this.

Anything on Lacey?

When rail photographers chased the SP passenger specials, BFB was riding, the photographers almost always received a friendly wave from Ben (very unlike todays UP management riding the inspection specials). I heard that on one inspection trip in Oregon Ben started a conversation with several fans, while the train was stopped at a red signal...

AM

Great chronicle Mike. I hope you have more Ben stories coming.

MDO, as always, very informative comments/insight into the workings of the SP juggernaut and BFB.

Would be interested in your thoughts on Dennis McNear - one-time rising star at the SP - and what ever became of him? He was then president of the SP while I was working there (in MOW) during the mid-eighties, but disappeared from view shortly thereafter. Was he a casulty of the aborted SP/SF merger plan, or did the DRGW/SP merger in 1988 do him in? And where is he today?

I have two memorable meetings with Bill Lacy, the first was while I was firing the West Pool, Los Angeles to Indio, stopped in the siding at Pomona and waiting for the fleet. Mr. Lacy and his testing team (not "Raiders") arrived on scene and there was a young officer from San Francisco who climbed on the engine and demanded entry, I had locked the door when they drove up and refused to open up until he showed me some identification and authority to board. After he presented a business card, I opened the cab door and let him enter with another young officer. He was a bit miffed by then and demanded my watch and watch card for inspection, I refused and explained that he was not a Los Angeles Division officer nor a traveling watch inspector, these were the only people that you were required to surrender your watch to in those days. I was gun shy about giving up my Hamilton to anybody for inspection, the last officer checking it managed to drop it on the cab floor, broke the crystal and damaged the case on it. Anyway, I thought this young officer would have a hissy fit after I said no, he again demanded my watch and card and I explained to him that he was not listed anywhere on my timetable and would not see my watch. He went into a long tirade about insubordination and how I would be fired and suffer severe judgement from the investigation. About that time I caught a glimpse of Bill Lacy walking into the cab with his fur hat on, I re-explained my position to the officer and watched Mr. Lacy listening to our conversation, he broke into the conversation and told me that I was absolutely correct, I didn't have to present my watch to this officer. He then asked if he could inspect my watch and watch card, I said yes, by all means, since he was listed prominantly on the cover of my timetable as a General Officer of the Company. He never raised his voice or made any threatning remarks, he checked my watch, signed my watch card, asked a few questions regarding Restricted Speed and left the engine after shaking my hand and telling me to keep up with the rules and never stop reading them. I thought he was quite a pleasant person, then again, I never had him go off on me.

I'll tell of the other encounter some other time.

MDO
Max always got Supts in trouble one way or another.
There were many instances of "Hoof in Mouth" disease during a trip on the "Sunset". One learned early on not to adlib to any question as it was generally a trap.
24 years riding the mourners bench in SP 150

Transferred to Colton Effective Yesterday, posted 7/8/04: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,756906,756906#msg-756906
Mad Dog Chronicles - Alligators, posted 10/13/04
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,803302,803302#msg-803302

Searching for the titles didn't work, for some reason. Searched MDO as Author and came up with 13 pages for last year, jumped through until the date showed up and then found the thread.
Seems to be a difference in how the 'browser' in each PC or MAC works. On this set-up (a PC), copy and paste the URL into the TO reply window and that's all. Noticed that if the sentence is to continue after the URL there needs to be a couple of blank spaces after the URL to make it work. It only shows as blue after it's posted.

Hey, a new trick/ thanks TCnR

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,846124,846124#msg-846124

boomer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Would be interested in your thoughts on Dennis
> McNear - one-time rising star at the SP - and what
> ever became of him? He was then president of the
> SP while I was working there (in MOW) during the
> mid-eighties, but disappeared from view shortly
> thereafter. Was he a casulty of the aborted SP/SF
> merger plan, or did the DRGW/SP merger in 1988 do
> him in? And where is he today?
>
>
D K (Denman) McNear left the SP when Phil Anschutz"s Rio Grande Industries acquired the SP. I believe that he just retired. I just spoke with him at the memorial service for Mr. Biaggini. Interesting to note that both Rob Krebs and Matt Rose were both also at the service. Krebs delivered the eulogy.

That's right, it was Denman, not Dennis. Very interesting about Krebs/Rose both being at the service. Thanks for the update.


mdo Wrote:

> D K (Denman) McNear left the SP when Phil
> Anschutz"s Rio Grande Industries acquired the SP.
> I believe that he just retired. I just spoke with
> him at the memorial service for Mr. Biaggini.
> Interesting to note that both Rob Krebs and Matt
> Rose were both also at the service. Krebs
> delivered the eulogy.

When you write that book, I'll buy the first copy. And buy you lunch when you deliver it. I'm serious as a heart attack. These stories bring to life that which the rest of us only dream about.

john1082 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When you write that book, I'll buy the first copy.
> And buy you lunch when you deliver it. I'm
> serious as a heart attack. These stories bring to
> life that which the rest of us only dream about.



And I'll buy you dinner!


steamjocky

john1082 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When you write that book, I'll buy the first copy.
> And buy you lunch when you deliver it. I'm
> serious as a heart attack. These stories bring to
> life that which the rest of us only dream about.


HEY mr O not only write a book but think movies, every month at the different location retires and rail meet like oaklands old rail club meet ,all kinds of history/rail tales are remembered i ve been telling the retires to write them down. my favorite involves the egerly island napa river incident with the commadore