B&O in Classic Trains

[Anonymous]

The current issue of Classic Trains is, in part, a celebration of the B&O RR. I am SO proud to have been a B&O man. When I started there in 1970, you could still see traces of the old B&O style; like entering a room after a pipe smoker had left. You don't get the full blast of the pipe, but you can tell what his smoke was, and that he hasn't been gone very long. Just a sample: I worked at times with an old guy named Willie Carroll. His father was a Philadelphia Division engineer at the turn of the century. To this day, it's the custom of railroad officials to designate the crew they want for special service. Willie's dad was so designated. When Willie was about 10 yrs old (about 1920) Mr. Carroll was called for an official's special. He asked Willie if he wanted to ride the cab to Philadlephia. The answer was obvious. At the end of the run, as they were pulling into Chestnut Street Station, Mr. Carroll told Willie to get down low out of sight, as he wasn't supposed to be there. The train was stopped and after a few minutes, a porter came up to the engine from the train with a covered dish. "Mister Carroll, Mister Galloway thought the little boy up in the engine would like a dish of ice cream." That, my friends, is CLASS.

[RudyRockvilleMD]

The B&O was a class act.