Back in December at my broker's office, Mrs. Sherry McFarlane the Office Manager, related her experience as a teenager at Family Days at Centennial Yard.
Sherry's Grandfather is L.L. "Crash" Collins Jr. Retired UP Roadmaster at Odessa. When Sherry was about eighteen, the family went to the Family Days with Granddad. He had been working for T&P, the MP amd finally, the UP for over thirty years, yet none of his grandchildren had every been on a train. (Does this sound like your family?)
They did all the usual activities, games, races, tours, and a meal, but then came the train ride to Weatherford. Sherry said the train was completely full. However, that was OK with all the kids, because they wanted to ride on the platforms and vestibules so they could feel the wind and hear the train noises.
"It was a wonderful experience I'll never forget, she said.
Many of you will remember "Double L", and how he came by the nickname "Crash" after he was in two track car wrecks.
He started with old Texas and Pacific Railway, working on the track in 1948. One of his first jobs was the massive rebuild of Lancaster Yard which was renamed Centennial yard in honor of the Fort Worth Centennial in 1949.
He worked all over the T&P, from Longview to El Paso, and retired as Roadmaster at Odessa. Double L still likes to go by Abilene Depot and talk to the troops. He moved there to retire June of 1984.
UP retirees meet for a monthly lunch at Luby's in Abilene and he really enjoys those lunches.
You can contact "Double L" at:
Sherry expressed some remorse as her family was one of the last that grew up along side the railroad. Her mother was one of the last to grow up in a Section House.
Sherry still thinks Union Pacific is a great Company.
Dan is an engineer working out of Broadway Yard.
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