The Last Op to Die on Duty

[BaltACD]

Eddie Sand

My interest in railroading was heavily weighted by regular visits as a youngster to a PRR interlocking tower in my home town of Nescopeck, PA. One of my earliest memories is of witnessing the last steam-powered operation on the Pennsy's Wilkes-Barre Branch -- later pinned down as October 4, 1953; I had just completed my fourth year at the time.

And as I grew older, I made it a point to try to visit any tower of which I became aware -- in places as distant as Sterling, OH, Galesburg, IL, and San Bernardino, CA. My final "bag" was probably close to 100 locations, and looking back, it seems amazing that I got away with what I did.

But at any rate, one Saturday morning in 1986, while visiting some old friends from Penn State, I packed the car and headed to the southwest; most of the towers on the Pennsy's Middle and Allegheny Divisions were closed by that time, but CSX/(B&O) still had a few, centered around Cumberland, MD.

My "target" that morning was "CF" Tower at Confluence, PA (sometimes called Ursina), and my host turned out to be a genial gentleman somewhere in later middle age. I was informed that "the writing was on the wall" with regard to the tower's eventual closing, but Chessie was taking her time, and the job might actualy take a couple of years.

Time marched on, and a little over a year later, while eating "lunch" and working the overnight shift in a warehouse back home, I picked up the Bloomsburg Press/Enterprise and was greeted by a front-page story of a fatal rail accident in Confluence. The story left little doubt as to the identity of the victim, but regrettably, I didn't have a name to confirm it. 

But the next two decades brought the birth and development of the Internet, and about five years ago, I began making inquiries, Finally, a couple of old newspaper articles answered my question.

So allow me to present a small tribute to the late Mr. Robert F. Leonberger, who will probably keep his place as the last of his craft to give his life in the manner and peril most closely associated with his occupation. It's my hope that somewhere in the archives of this industry, a more suitable and permanent memorial will be forthcoming.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Leonberger&GSfn=Robert+&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=40&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=97624174&df=all&

I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Leonberger's son and knew of the story.  Worked 40 or 50 towers myself over the years.

[Eddie Sand]

 

My interest in railroading was heavily weighted by regular visits as a youngster to a PRR interlocking tower in my home town of Nescopeck, PA. One of my earliest memories is of witnessing the last steam-powered operation on the Pennsy's Wilkes-Barre Branch -- later pinned down as October 4, 1953; I had just completed my fourth year at the time.

And as I grew older, I made it a point to try to visit any tower of which I became aware -- in places as distant as Sterling, OH, Galesburg, IL, and San Bernardino, CA. My final "bag" was probably close to 100 locations, and looking back, it seems amazing that I got away with what I did.

But at any rate, one Saturday morning in 1986, while visiting some old friends from Penn State, I packed the car and headed to the southwest; most of the towers on the Pennsy's Middle and Allegheny Divisions were closed by that time, but CSX/(B&O) still had a few, centered around Cumberland, MD.

My "target" that morning was "CF" Tower at Confluence, PA (sometimes called Ursina), and my host turned out to be a genial gentleman somewhere in later middle age. I was informed that "the writing was on the wall" with regard to the tower's eventual closing, but Chessie was taking her time, and the job might actualy take a couple of years.

Time marched on, and a little over a year later, while eating lunch and working the overnight shift in a warehouse back home, I picked up the Bloomsburg Press/Enterprise and was greeted by a front-page story of a fatal rail accident in Confluence. The story left little doubt as to the identity of the victim, but regrettably, I didn't have a name to confirm it. 

But the next two decades brought the birth and development of the Internet, and about five years ago, I began making inquiries, Finally, a couple of old newspaper articles answered my question.

So allow me to present a small tribute to the late Mr. Robert F. Leonberger, who will probably keep his place as the last of his craft to give his life in the manner and peril most closely associated with his occupation. It's my hope that somewhere in the archives of this industry, a more suitable and permanent memorial will be forthcoming.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Leonberger&GSfn=Robert+&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=40&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=97624174&df=all&