Dick Dunlap and Mike Irvin

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 16:02:23 -0800 (PST) 
From:  "David Gibson" <dtgibson49 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Dick Dunlap 
To: "Frank Scheer" <f_scheer at yahoo.com> 
    
Frank,

I spent a week or two in the motive power dept, while
in the training program.

After going to Decatur in April/May, 1973, you did not
hear much about the fissure.

I do remember, when the training group I was in, had a
meeting with Dunlap.  He stated that we were slated
for terminal positions. I guess he was right.

Thanks for the copy.  It did bring back some memories.

Dave


February 1, 2006

Hello, Dave:

I guess if anyone were to know where operations
trainees would be placed, it was Dick.  I'm sure he
determined who went where with every promotion about
of the Operations Training Program that George
Gearhart oversaw from the Safety Department.

As I look back over the decades, I often wonder what
the circumstances were that made some career
advancements occur while others didn't.  Aside from
Dick's hand in matters, I do believe the were often
more circumstantial than any other factor.  My
understanding is that I was sent to Decatur to replace
the former trainee who was assigned there and killed
in the propane explosion.  Where that dreadful event
not to happen, fate may have placed me elsewhere with
difference circumstances to ensue.  Who knows... I
might not be writing you since I wouldn't have met
you.  Perhaps I may have stayed with N&W for my career
among a different group, as you did.

C. M. "The Bear" Irvin's career was the polar opposite
of my own.  I never knew him well; any conversations
were generally brief and under unpleasant
circumstances.  A tragedy in his life is when his dogs
were shot when they strayed onto a golf course near
his home in late 1975, which is perhaps the only time
I saw a more humane side of his character and some
visibly genuine remorse.  I never did know the
circumstances, nor did I ever hear of how his later
successes positioned him to later occupy the office
that Dick held.  That was quite a rise in two decades:
from Assistant Superintendent at Decatur to VP -
Operations.

J. C. Wright seemed to go in the opposite direction;
he was Assistant Terminal Superintendent at Decatur
while I was there.  I understand that after I left in
February 1976 --gee, 30 years ago at the end of this
month-- he back-slid into a Trainmaster's appointment.

Mike Payne, Trainmaster on the Brooklyn District, had
a lot of character in my opinion.  He passed on at
least one promotion in order to stay at Decatur so his
deaf son could stay in school there.  It was rare in
the 1970s to see many railroad supervisors let their
family needs come before Mother N&W.

As for K. K. Davis, general yardmaster, with whom you
worked with most while at Decatur Terminal, I new very
little about his career, interests, or how he fared
after I left.  The same is true for George Clark as
second trick terminal trainmaster, Horace Miller and
Hugh Salmons --apparently, no relation to another Hugh
Salmons at Roanoke-- who were Road Foremen of Engines,
and several others whose names escape me now.  Bill
Steinke left about the time I arrived in 1974; I
understand he married a woman from Taylorville with a
ready-made family and eventually went to work for
TrailerTrain at Chicago.

Nick Kennedy seemed to be the best liked and respected
trainmaster by the operating crews.  Perhaps it was in
part that he was "old Wabash" and shared many of their
attitudes.  He certainly lived up to the images of
Irish temper when someone got on his wrong side.

Well, Dave, we've all traveled many miles.  Let's hope
the future ones are better than those which have
receded in our rear view mirrors.

Good night and good morning,



Dr. Frank R. Scheer, Curator 
Railway Mail Service Library, Inc. 
f_scheer at yahoo.com 
(202) 268-2121 - weekday office 
(540) 837-9090 - weekend afternoons 
in the former N&W station on VA rte 723 
117 East Main Street 
Boyce VA 22620-9639 

Visit at http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org 

P.S. I have a DVD about RPOs available at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6602057992
There is also a 120-minute VHS cassette with five films that include RPO footage at
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6602058187