A B&O Engineer Retires – September 1951

During the 1950s, the days of steam-powered locomotives were numbered. The diesel trains that would replace them were easier to maintain, more efficient, more reliable and required smaller crews to run them. 

But what about the old-time railroaders who had spent their entire careers on steam locomotives?

Here’s a charming story about one of them – Frank C. Fairhead of Lorain – who would not have to deal with the coming changes, due to his retirement from the B&O after 45 years of service.

The article below ran in the Lorain Journal on September 13, 1951. 

The article notes, “Frank C. Fairhead, 65, 2338 Livingston-av, stepped from the cab of B. and O. engine 1057 yesterday afternoon, officially ending 45 years of service on that line.

“Fellow railroaders clustered around to congratulate Fairhead on his retirement, and Douglas Wallace, general yardmaster, was on hand to “order him from the cab of the engine” if need be. It was all in the spirit of fun, but the railroaders showed in their gruff way that the popular engineer would be missed at the local B. and O. yards.

“And Fairhead, by the way he looked back over his shoulder at old No. 1057, showed that he too was retiring with regret.

““That baby’s got the same type boiler our engines had when I started work here back in 1906,” Fairhead said. He explained that all the engines have been modernized, overhauled and safety devices added, but the “boilers remain of the same type as in the early 1900’s."

"Fairhead has been an engineer since 1913 and has spent the past 10 years in the yard. The previous 35 years were all spent on the road as fireman and engineer.

“The retiring railroader has long been associated with the Central Lorain’s Businessmen’s association and has taken an active interest in civic affairs.

“Fairhead won the plaudits of his co-workers and other B. and O. officials upon his retirement.

“Ralph Gohlke, terminal agent, said the veteran engineer was a “regular and faithful worker with an excellent safety record.”

“Now that his days of herding the iron horses are a thing of the past, Fairhead intends to turn his attention to his favorite hobby, flower raising. He will also undoubtedly spend a lot of time working on the model village in his backyard.”

2338 Livingston Avenue.

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A funny thing happened while I was preparing this post. 

In an effort to find out more about Mr. Fairhead, I Googled his name and found a few mentions of him in Baltimore and Ohio Magazine. I decided to include this short article (below) from the October 1938 issue about a picnic of the B. & O. Athletic Association of Lorain held at Chippewa Lake. 

As it notes, “a special train of nine coaches left Lorain at 9:30 a. m. with 619 of our employees and their families. They arrived at the Lake at 11:00 a. m. and, after a day of great festivities, the return trip was made, leaving the lake at 6:00 p. m., and arriving back in Lorain at 7:15 p. m.

The article gives special credit to the crew who handled the train at no charge to and from the lake. The crew listing includes Engineer F. C. Fairhead; the fireman; the conductor; and E. J. Brady (my grandfather), one of the three brakemen that day.