Remembering Jim McClellan: Will we see his like again?

Remembering Jim McClellan: Will we see his like again?

I returned to Milwaukee today after attending the funeral for Jim McClellan, one of the masterminds of American railroading in the last half of the 20^th century, and a real hero to many in the industry and its cadre of followers.

Ever since Jim’s passing on Oct. 14 at age 77, I’ve been wondering, who will be the next Jim McClellan? Is that person already out there in the business? Would the railroad business tolerate or even encourage such a personality? Is the environment right for another with the mind of McClellan? I’ve challenged news editor Steve Sweeney and writer Bill Stephens to research this and write a report for our next issue to go along with our tribute to Jim McClellan.

The short, quick answer to the question is this: They’re out there. In fact, there has been more than one Jim McClellan type for years: Now retired John Rebensdorf has been referred to as the Jim McClellan of the Union Pacific, and likewise, McClellan was often referred to as the John Rebensdorf of Norfolk Southern. You’ll also delight in knowing that Jim’s own son, Michael, is a vice president at Norfolk Southern, and a heck of a smart guy with his own passion for railroading. He told us yesterday that at one time he was the youngest officer at the company while his dad was the oldest. That led to some interesting discussions. At some meetings it was “take your dad to work day,” Michael quipped.

We need good railroaders of all talents, and good planning is essential for any business, of course, but it is a more difficult job than ever given the shifting and complex economy we enjoy and sometimes endure. Could anyone have planned for coal’s drastic demise, or the quick retrenchment of crude oil? Does anyone yet fully understand the implications of the expanded Panama Canal? Probably not.

Every railroad that I know has a team of smart, dedicated planners, and I’ve been fortunate to know several who are truly passionate about their work and carry off their tasks with a great appreciation for railroading’s past as well as its potential. I also know a few railroaders who are superintendents, road foremen, supervisors, and civil engineers making their way up through the ranks, and I feel good in knowing that they use their keen knowledge, vast network of contacts, and encyclopedic understanding of infrastructure to serve their companies well.

Not everybody who comes to the railroad will come to love it or appreciate it in the way Jim McClellan did, but there are enough people out there who can share some of that passion. 

One last thought came to me as I was about to conclude this: The baby boomer generation of railroaders is quickly fading. Be sure to seek them out and thank them for guiding our favorite business through the bad old days of the 1960s and 1970s bankruptcies, the convulsions in the Northeast that led to Conrail, and the change from privately-operated passenger trains to Amtrak. They’re railroading’s greatest generation.

Then look at those young men and women in offices from Jacksonville to Calgary. The next masterminds of 21^st century railroading are out there. They will honor the memory of McClellan and all others with the same outlook by guiding the industry while finding joy in the next headlight on the horizon.