My wife's dad was an engineer on Maine Central, I have seen a photo of him in the cab of an F3. Later he worked a safety related job for the RR. She talks about him taking her to visit the Bangor, ME roundhouse
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
My dad told me one of his uncles worked on the B&O but doesn't remember his name.
My uncle Lance had a train set than my parents were growing up but no longer exists. 20 years later (never saw again) I saw a few boxes in the basement closest when my grandpa opened it showing I think HO.
I'm the most current model railroader and railfan. I'm not giving up my hobby or interest.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
My Dad worked for Baldwin Locomotive and was an avid model railroader.
Dad and I, 1951
My Father's Father worked as a fireman for CN out of the Moncton New Brunswich yard.
I was a teenager when he died, and never knew him. But that is the onlu family history that I know related to trains.
Dave
The latest issue of Trains magazine has a great article by former editor Kevin Keefe on just this very topic. Check it out.
The Chicago and North Western Historical Society is one of the many rail historical societies which has spent quite a bit of time and resources on geneology issues -- those are among the most common inquiries to their archives and there is a sort of unwritten expectation that a modest donation is made if they can be of help. So in the bigger picture it is actually a money maker for the Society, or at least provides a source of liquid cash from time to time. For those interested in pursuing that, see here
http://www.cnwhs.org/archives_genealogy.htm
There are US census records from the past online and often they list the occupation of a breadwinner. And old city directories (the kind that instead of going alphabetically by last name, go number by number down street names) often listed occupation. All of those can be of use to someone trying to trace relatives and what they might have done for a living.
By the way those old city directories also often show where railroad crossings were. They can be a helpful resource for the prototype modeler.
Back when the railroads had millions of employees and were often the largest single employer in large cities and towns, if you didn't have a relative who was a railroader who might at least have had family friends who were. In my home town the local station agent was also the treasurer of my folks' church and my dad would often go visit the depot on church business. Of course I "reluctantly" (ha) tagged along. I thought he was the nicest man and he gave me some rail related stuff. When he died his widow gave me even more stuff. I thought he was a nice and friendly man who would show us around the depot interior -- but other railfans in town thought he was mean and crabby. I guess I had an "in" that they did not.
Dave Nelson
My father grew up in Milwaukee but he was born in North Dakota while his father, the son of an Irish immigrant, worked for the Northern Pacific. I don't know too much beyond that as far as what he did or how long he worked there. My father was born in 1919.
My Dad's father was a UP switcher engineer in Sidney NE, I'd guess driving an 0-6-0 in the 1910s - 1940s or so. My Dad's mother's Dad was a UP crew supervisor on the construction of the parallel transcontinental trackage, but I don't know the time frame.
My Mom's dad worked in the Philly Baldwin locomotive works, where he unfortunately died in an accident in the shop around 1926. My grandson and I took a train oriented trip a few years ago, including Baltimore, Scranton and Strasburg, where we saw some Baldwin steamers. I had him reach out and touch those of that vintage, as his great-great-grandfather might have helped build it.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
No history in my family, real or model railroad. I guess I'm blazing the trail.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
My grandfather is the gentleman standing in the middle of the track with a pick on his shoulder. Sorry the photo isn't better, but it was nearly destroyed over the years.
No, I didn't know he was a railroader until years after his death.
Roger Hensley= ECI Railroad - http://madisonrails.railfan.net/eci/eci_new.html == Railroads of Madison County - http://madisonrails.railfan.net/ =
My father loved trains all his life. As a boy in the 1930s, he would go down to the railroad station in Opelousas, Louisiana and watch Missouri Pacific ten-wheelers arrive with their passenger trains. But it was my mother, not my father, that worked for the railroad.
During World War II, while my father was away serving in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific, my mother and her sister took jobs with the Illinois Central Railroad in New Orleans. I'm not sure what my aunt did, but my mom's job with the I.C.R.R. was to type up the waybills which were then stapled to the tack boards on the freights which came through.
One night, a special train was being made up. As usual, mom typed up the waybills and handed them to a young man who worked at the office with her. He would then get on his bicycle, ride out to the train and tack them on the cars. All of a sudden, he burst back into the office. "I'm not going NEAR that train!" He exclaimed. "There's soldiers all around that train with MACHINE GUNS!!" "Oh, for goodness sakes...", my mom replied, "give me those bills".
Mom went out to the train and discovered that it was full of German POWs, on their way to an internment farm.
"Rosies on the railroad" My mom (R) and her sister returning home from working the night shift on the Illinois Central Railroad, New Orleans, Louisiana. Circa 1944.
"Shovel all the coal in, gotta keep 'em rolling..." John.
Kevin, we are taking the grandson up there this summer. If you would like, I can find out about your family members. If your interested, send me a pm.
I have no family members that had anything to do with railroads, and I'm the only family member that is in to model railroading, and rail fanning, besides my wife. She's from Montana, and her grandfather work on the track crew for the NP and the GN.
Mike.
My You Tube
0-6-0I am trying to find out were some worked and what other did there. Is there a way to find old employee list's for these RR. Has anyone else done this?
You might try the Railroad Retirement Board.
0-6-0 What kind of railroad history do you have?
.
Going back three genertions ago my family actually maintained railroad equipment for the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. My grandfather was the last family member to work for RBBB, but he was not involved with the railroad or the performances.
I never met any of the family members who worked on the circus trains, so they had no influence on my hobby.
The Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin has all the information on my family and all the roles they held in the circus. I doubt that is a resource that will help very many people.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Hello I have not been here in a while. I have been resreaching my family history for the last for years. And I found a few modelrailroader's and a few that worked for the real RR. The modelrairoader's I know by there obiturries and the one's that worked there by the U.S. cenus. I know one worked for the NYC and one for PRR both bye or in Toledo Ohio. And few that just list ther job but not where. one has Fireman steam Porter.
I am trying to find out were some worked and what other did there. Is there a way to find old employee list's for these RR.
Has anyone else done this? What kind of railroad history do you have?
Have a nice day Frank