During the early part of my life my family did not own an automobile. Our extended family all lived in Western Pennslvania, so our trips to visit them were always made by train. My maternal grandparents lived in West Newton, PA, which was on the B&O, and my grandparents home was very near the tracks. My grandfather could sense my love of trains and would take me out to see the trains go by whenever we heard the whistle. Those visits to West Newton, and B&O steam, are etched deeply in my memory. The photo on the left, below, is of my grandfather and I watching trains.
My father was not a train enthusiast, but from my first Christmas on he always had a train layout under the tree. As seen on the right photo, below, he would often leave the train layout up for several weeks after the tree came down. I would have a wonderful time playing with my railroad.
My father was not a train enthusiast, but from my first Christmas on he always had a train layout under the tree. As seen on the right photo, below, he would often leave the train layout up for several weeks after the tree came down. I would have a wonderful time playing with my railroad.
We moved to Blairsville, PA when I was 10 years old. Blairsville, which was on the Conemaugh Division of the PRR, had a small railroad yard. Our home was on the southwest side of the railroad tracks, and the school that I would go to was on the northeast side. So every day on my way to school I would have to cross the railroad tracks and would often, as boys are apt to do, detour through the yard. I bacame totally fascinated with the trains and the yard operations. It was all of these events, in my early life, that developed my love of trains. As I grew older that love never waned, it only grew stronger!
Trains and Photography
My father was an avid photographic hobbiest. He had an assortment of cameras and a dark room in our basement. I became very interested in photography too, but not as a hobby. I wanted to photograph trains. Early on I only used a cheap Kodak "Brownie" camera, Dad didn't want us messing with his good cameras. This was unfortunate, as a lot of my early railroad photos are not too sharp. By the time I graduated from college, though, I had mastered his better cameras, including a late 1940's Speed Graphic. I now had the time and resources to photograph trains! Alas, the PRR was gone, replaced by the short lived Penn Central. But for four years, between my graduation and my marriage (which was about the life span of the Penn Central), I did get the opportunity to document the PC.
Below, on the left, is me with the Speed Graphic at Johnstown, PA, in a blurry photo taken by my future wife. To the right is one of the photos that I took that day.
Below, on the left, is me with the Speed Graphic at Johnstown, PA, in a blurry photo taken by my future wife. To the right is one of the photos that I took that day.
Me and PRR #1223
In the mid 1960's I made my first trip to the Strasburg Railroad. This was well before the State railroad museum was located at Strasburg. At that ime the only PRR steam locomotives available for public view were K4 #1361, a static dislpay at the Horseshoe Curve outside of Altoona, and D16 #1223 at Strasburg. Both of these were passenger locomotives, but the 1223 was older and, best of all, still operating! I began to make regular visits to Strasburg and the star, for me, was the 1223. Even in later years, after the PRR steam collection was moved to Strasburg to be eventually housed at the new State Museum, and E7 #5002 was back in steam, I always went to see my old friend #1223.
My Wife
I have been truly blessed to have met and married a wonderful lady who has put up with my train obsession over the years. My wife Beverly, although not a railfan, has been with me every step of the way. After we were married we lived for over a year near the main line of the, then, Penn Central Railroad. Upon hearing the sound of a train coming, Bev would run to the kitchen window and make note of the locomotive numbers and direction of every train that passed our house. She still accompanies me when I buy or sell at train shows and often tracks down some item that she knows I've been looking for. Her love and support has been amazing!
The photo to the left was taken at Latrobe some years ago. When we were both working we would often meet for lunch at the train depot, Bev would bring the sandwiches and I would buy the Cokes.
The photo to the left was taken at Latrobe some years ago. When we were both working we would often meet for lunch at the train depot, Bev would bring the sandwiches and I would buy the Cokes.