Re: PC: Young PC and PC(v)

[EMDSD80MAC <EMDSD80MAC@xxxxxxx>]

I am also interested in the formation of a Penn Central Historical Society. I
was 18 when the Penn Central began operations. I was with her from inception
to Conrail. Every day of her life, minus December 1970 to June 1972 (US Navy).
I photographed her, rode on her (in passenger trains, Freight cabs and Buggys)
I spent a portion of Every day on the Penn Central  in one way or another. I
knew all the Penn Central people on the division, from Beacon Park to
Readville to Providence and to Selkirk. The people made the Penn Central. They
were friendly, eager to educate. and in exchange for a "hello, wanna take a
passenger?",  quick to ask if you wanted to come aboard. All the colorful
nicknames...names which told a story about the owner.
Dick "Rapid Fire" Foley, Bobby "Red" O'Brien, Jim "Choo-Choo" McDonough, Joe
"Half Pint" Poli, (never came out of the buggy),  Jim "Beetle" Bailey, Jerry
"the Mayor" Dunleavy,  Phil "the Count" Nolfi,  And a whole host of characters
that made the Penn Central "colorful". Penn Central engines, though black,
were resplendent when fresh out of the paint shop. I was fortunate to be
accepted by and do a lot of railroading with these great people. As bad as the
company was, The job always got done. And, The PC owed it all to it's people.
Real railroaders, dedicated barons of the high iron, who, through their own
determination, caused the PC to last as long as it did. Most are gone now. But
they carried the PC, proudly into Conrail, without missing a beat.  Of the
5,000 locomotives Penn Central owned, almost half were on deadlines by the
formation of Conrail. Through no fault of the great Shop forces on hand,
system wide. They did the best they could, with what they had to work with.
PC performed "maintenance by crisis" Per order of the "robber barons" in
Philadelphia. It was the largest corporate merger in American History. and
they sucked it dry in less than 2 years! 
The PC was a giant. But to me, familiar and friendly. For this reason and for
train watching with the Penn Central for 8 years and 3 months of the prime of
my young life, I will never forget her, and so, wish to help to preserve the
memory of the PC.
Ed St. George
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