Hello Everyone, I have always had a love of railroading, especially steam, from my early childhood days. My first train trip at age 4 was with my dad on the last steam train to run on the Gainesville Midland Railroad in September of 1959. This was a doubleheaded steam trip between Athens an Gainesville, Georgia. The following is a brief list of my employment on the railroad over the years. In addition to this I have just recently retired from a 40 year stint as a minister that ran concurrently with my railroad employment during the years of 1982 to the beginning of 2022. Six Flags over Georgia, Operating Seasons of 1970 through Spring of 1975. Railroad locomotive fireman and engineer. Astroworld Park, Houston, Texas; Operating Season of Summer 1975. Foreman of Railroad engineers and firemen. Southern Railroad Steam Excursion Program, March of 1970 through May 1976, volunteer locomotive mechanical crew member and locomotive fireman. American Freedom Train, May 1976 through November 1976, locomotive fireman and mechanical crew member. New Georgia Railroad, January 1990 through June 1994, Locomotive mechanic, Locomotive fireman, and Locomotive engineer. Stone Mountain Railroad, 2010 to current, locomotive engineer and mechanic, promoted to assistant lead in 2012; Currently a senior engineer and assistant lead. I just happened upon the Trainboard site this morning doing some research and decided to join. I dabble in the HO Scale, but currently have no layout. I will be happy to share photos from my escapades over the years as I have time.
Hi Bill, welcome. Happy to have you aboard. You definitely have had an enviable railroading career. Looking forward to your photos.
Welcome to Trainboard. A good friend of mine ran the steam locomotive at Astroworld during the last 10 years before it closed in 2005. It about broke his heart.
