Sad news ladies and gentlemen, we've lost Johnny Degges, who went by the callsign "Deggesty." The "Night Train" came for him July 29th.
This comes courtesy of Mike MacDonald, our exiled "Wanswheel."
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/saltlaketribune/obituary.aspx?n=john-bolling-degges&pid=196577233&fhid=23304
A true southern gentleman of the old school. God rest his noble soul!
A regular here at trains.com whom I will sorely miss.
If GM "killed the electric car", what am I doing standing next to an EV-1, a half a block from the WSOR tracks?
I will miss Degge's comments. He was very knowable about many aspects of railroading.
Ed Burns NPEDDIE
Always a pleasure to see on the forum.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
OMG. I'm so saddened to hear this terrible news. I always enjoyed his posts and I'll miss him very much.
tree68 Always a pleasure to see on the forum.
My feelings exactly ..
Here's yet another person that I never met in person, but somehow felt I knew from his many postings on this forum. He was a gentleman and will be missed here by his many friends.
From his obituary I'd say his was a life that was well-lived.
One of the nicest people on these boards. Sure to be missed.
A very nice man who shared many first hand accounts of his rail experiences, many occurring long ago.
This makes me quite sad. I always enjoyed his posts, and he was a perfect gentleman. And Johnny had a wealth of information about trains. He was one of my favorite people here, and I'll miss him. My heart goes out to his family and friends.
Damn.
RIP, Deggesty.
Lithonia Operator This makes me quite sad. I always enjoyed his posts, and he was a perfect gentleman. And Johnny had a wealth of information about trains. He was one of my favorite people here, and I'll miss him. My heart goes out to his family and friends. Damn. RIP, Deggesty.
You said it well. As I am just two months older, it causes some angst for me to see a gentleman like him to be felled by the virus. Hope everyone out there takes this pandemic seriously and masks up.
charlie hebdo A very nice man who shared many first hand accounts of his rail experiences, many occurring long ago.
I agree!
Electroliner 1935 Lithonia Operator This makes me quite sad. I always enjoyed his posts, and he was a perfect gentleman. And Johnny had a wealth of information about trains. He was one of my favorite people here, and I'll miss him. My heart goes out to his family and friends. Damn. RIP, Deggesty. You said it well. As I am just two months older, it causes some angst for me to see a gentleman like him to be felled by the virus. Hope everyone out there takes this pandemic seriously and masks up.
This hits home as he went to King college in Bristol, Tn just 1-1/2 mile from where I grew up. Enjoyed exchanging RR items we both observed there. He especially was fond of the N&W steam operation and its demise. God bless you Deggesty.
blue streak 1 This hits home as he went to King college in Bristol, Tn just 1-1/2 mile from where I grew up. Enjoyed exchanging RR items we both observed there. He especially was fond of the N&W steam operation and its demise. God bless you Deggestry.
This hits home as he went to King college in Bristol, Tn just 1-1/2 mile from where I grew up. Enjoyed exchanging RR items we both observed there. He especially was fond of the N&W steam operation and its demise. God bless you Deggestry.
I am stunned to hear this. Although I couldn't always go to meet him, he would inform me of his travels and his willingness to spend some time with me during his layovers. There was also a time that he and Rikki came out to Lombard...Rikki was already losing her mobility, and we got a wheelchair so we could walk through Lilacia Park. He had a lot of experiences in railroad travel in the Southeast that made him a very knowledgeable person.And purely a class act, a throwback to the day when train travel was done in suits--I never saw him dressed in anything but.On his trips between Utah and Chicago, he'd never fail to let Mookie know about the trains he'd be on, and where he'd be when passing through or stopping at Lincoln. Finally, he and Jen will get to meet!I am, however, frustrated and angered by the disease that felled him.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Sad to hear this. Always enjoyed his posts.
Very sad to hear after nearly 15 years of interacting with him on this forum. Always fun to read his tales of the days of yore.
I had no words, and I find now that I still don't.
There is knowledge. And when we pass some of that may be recorded for posterity if the individual has distinguished oneself. But then there is experience. That is the sole possession of the one who traversed those experiences. If one is eloquent enough those experiences may be passed along as knowledge but it's not the same as being there. Our dearly departed colleague Deggesty was chock full of experiences and allocuted them brilliantly for our edification. These missives will be missed and our collective noticeably dims.
Editor Emeritus, This Week at Amtrak
I always enjoyed his stories about the way the world was.
RIP.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
!#$%#!@! virus!
Rest in Peace Johnny.
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
Johnny got a mention here, with a nice photo and an upbeat comment from a family member.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/08/04/utahs-new-covid-cases/
I should have added this sooner, but you can leave a condolance message for the family through the Stark Funeral Parlor website, it's easy to do. Start with "Obituaries," scroll down to Johnny's picture, then click on that.
http://www.starksfuneral.com
Personally, a bad year for deaths in my world, though Johnny was our first Covid-19 casualty. Some folks just radiate charm and "gentleman" in their writings; I am glad I got the chance to enjoy another unseen person of that quality for some time. I won't be the only one missing him and his observations, that's for sure.
Terribly sad to read this news.
hope his spirit will live on and rest upon the existing railroad operation, from tiny tourist to Class I, that best receives his blessing and in return blesses his spirit.
I had to dig back into my PMs to be sure - memory can be a funny thing.
I had the honor to host this fine gentleman on our railroad a few years ago. He made a trip east and included the railroad in his plans. We also enjoyed dinner later in the day.
Sorry for his and our trains family loss.No doubt he has found Ed and Mookie and are talking about trains.
stay safe
Joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
RIP Johnny,
May all your signals on the railroad in heaven be green.
Just learned of this sad news.Although i am not a regular poster He was kind enough to respond last year to a question i sent him about 50s-60s passenger consists and routing.i always found his replys and remeninces informitive.he will be missed.
Let us all keep it polite and civil about trains and railroading as Johnny would want it.
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