I never knew about him. Sounds like a great guy!
Most of my steam excursion trains were on western logging railroads pulled by Shay, Heisler and Climax locomotives. I rode the steam train at Pt. Defiance Park in Tacoma, WA. The “Camp 6 Logging Museum” there operated a steam train from 1964 to 2010.
I was in the steam power business from 1973 - 1978 and got to ride in the cab of the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad (YMSPRR) near Yosemite around 1974. That was great fun. The YSMPRR is still operating. The railroad features two historic Shay locomotives, No. 10 (built 1928) and No. 15 (built 1913).
When I worked in China from October 1976 to April 1977, I rode across the country on steam locomotives. These were the real deal, not excursion trains.
I got to fire southern 630 way back at TVRM. I know this and that is those fireman earned every penny they made.
I got to fire southern 630 way back at TVRM. I know this and that is those firman earned every penny they made.