Veterans’ Association

of the

Chicago & North Western Railway

 

Organized December 9, 1924

 

Conductors’ Classes

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There’s a story behind these Conductor’s Class Photos.  Most were consigned to the garbage at the West Chicago in August 2005.  That’s where Illinois Division Conductor Jason Werren found them while he was working at the Provo Center as a Peer Trainer.  Jason recognized a lot of men so he took the pictures and handed them out to those he recognized and gave some others to Dave Hawley who expressed an interest in them.  Then, Dave, Randy Johnson and Tom Thornton submitted them to us and that’s how they wound up on this web site.  So, thanks again to Dave, Randy & Tom and special thanks to Jason Werren for rescuing these photos from the trash.  The May 1976 photo (3rd down from the top) came from Gary Cira. 

We’ve done the best we can with the identifications but by no means have them all.  If you recognize anyone, know the dates of these photos or have any other information about them please let us know by clicking here.  We believe all the photos were taken at West Chicago.

 

1971 Conductors’ Class

Dave Hawley sent us 4 photos including this one and others have come up with some of the names.  In the 1st row second from the left in the yellow shirt is Doug Dowty and 3rd from the left is Brad Larvick, both identified by Sebastian Dattolico. -  04/22/11 Jerry Monaghan from Des Moines is second from the left in the 2nd row directly behind Doug Dowty – identified by Chuck Hintz. -  04/13/11.  Dave Parent (4th from the left, back row) and Immanuel Swikert 2nd from the right, back row.  Thanks to G. Cira for these names.  Jim Yanke checked some old seniority rosters and determined this is a 1971 class.  Thanks, Jim! 

 

 

Fall 1973 Conductors’ Class.

Another one from Dave Hawley.  Ken Larson tells us that this picture dates from the fall of 1973 and he’s identified the tallest man in the picture – Ron Lagon whose seniority date is 08/03/1973.  Tim Deneen tells us that’s Mike Johnson on the far left.  Mike is currently working as an engineer out of Janesville.  Thanks, Ken and Tim; try and “get” some others!  Also, thanks to Marc Fineberg for identifying Jim Kozinski.  Marc thinks the date for this picture may be incorrect and possibly is in early 1976 rather than Fall 1973.  -  .  08/12/12

Dave Wells has “caught” some more – First row: second from the right – Sal Cali

Middle row: third from the right – Jim Kozinski, second from the right – Rich Eli, far right – Art Zalud

Back row: second from the right – Craig Roth, far right – Paul Johnson

These five men are all from the Wisconsin Division.  Thanks, Dave!

 

May 1976 Conductor’s Class 

Front row, 2nd, 4th, 6th and 7th from the right end are Steve Bruggenwirth, Tom Wilson, Tom Gaster and Ted Schubilske respectively.  Steve, now deceased, was from Clinton, IA and Tom Wilson is Yardmaster at West Chicago.  In the back row the last two on the right are Gary Cira and Tom Wolf on the end.  Thanks to Gary Cira for submitting this picture and to him and Bob Fisher for the identifications.  Does anyone recognize the others?  Again, thanks to Gary Cira fro identifying Tom Gaster and Ted Schubilske.  -    08/12/12

 

 

Fall 1976 or 1977 Conductors’ Class.

Tom Thornton sent us this picture from either fall 1976 or 1977.  We need some help with the identifications!

Thanks to Teresa Hawkins, we now know that Gary Norris from the Illinois Division, South Pekin, is far left in the bottom row.-  04/11/11.  Bob Fisher tells us that the man on the left in the back row is Pat Corcoran.  5th from the left in the back row is Tony Fitzsimmons identified by Jason Werren.  Thanks to Gary Elliott for telling us that third from the right back row with the orange and black striped shirt is Dave Wilcox, switchman at Janesville. -  04/14/11.  Pat is younger than Bob, so Bob feels this is a Fall 1979 Class, 2 or 3 years off from what we thought!  Thanks, Bob.

 

Summer 1979 Conductors’ Class

This is the 3rd one from Dave Hawley.  We’ve had lots of help on this one from Dave, Mary Estrada, Bob Fisher, R.B. Harrison, Cliff Lenover, Dave Martin and Mark Sabin.    

First Row, left to right (sitting):  Mike Volkmar, later an engineer working out of Boone and now Director of DPU Operations; Michael Wertz, later Trainmaster at Bill, WY and now with the BNSF; Carl Colson and Mark Sabin, later a trainmaster at Boone and now with the Iowa Northern at Cedar Rapids.

Middle row – Jim Linney, Iowa Division Engineer, now deceased (1st from the left); Paul McGhee, Illinois Division Engineer (2nd from the left); Cliff Lenover, Illinois Division Conductor from South Pekin (5th from the left); Steve Miller from Des Moines, Iowa (2nd from the right) - Steve left the UP in 2004; and Jim Ford, now an officer with the BRC in Chicago (far right).

Back row – Randy Williams, Wyoming engineer originally from South Pekin (3rd from left).  Second and third from the right are both from Spooner, the latter being Morino, first name not known.

Three Trainmaster attendees are not pictured – Garry Neuman, Jim Steever and Gary Torgeson.

Thanks to R.B. Harrison for identifying Mike Volkmar & Mark Sabin and to Mark Sabin who, as a result, filled us in on several others.

Mark Sabin, who attended a 1974 Conductor’s class at West Chicago, explains that this was a three-week rules class at West Chicago for Conductors.  The four men in front were attending as part of their Trainmaster training.  Several were said to have been Iowa Division trainmen and one may have been from Altoona.  Thanks, everyone! 

 

August 3, 1979 Conductors’ Class. 

 

This class, made up of 19 men, included: Roger Ahreni, Gary Craig, Dave Espey, Wayne Evans, Bob Fisher, Carl Gibbs, Tom Gliem, Paul Hellenschmidt, Mike Hermet, Brain Hess, Mike Kumkoski, Bob LaBorde, Wayne Messler, Derrick Pagan, Randy Plutchak, Mike Richards, Len Schutz, Mike Vincent and Loa Webwe.  Identified are:

 

Front Row:  Carl Gibbs (far left), Dave Espey (2nd from the left), Brain Hess (4th from the left).

Middle Row:  Mike Richards (3rd from the left), Bob LaBorde (3rd from the right), Bob Fisher (far right).

Back Row:  Mike Vincent (far left), Gary Craig (4th from the left), Mike Kumkoski (5th from the left), Wayne Evans (6th from the left), Wayne Messler (on the far right).  Wayne, also known as “Stretch” for obvious reasons, took a buy-out in the early ‘90’s.

 

Wayne Evans, Bob Fisher, Brian Hess and Mike Richards are from the Illinois Division.  Dave Espey and Gary Craig are from the Iowa Division.  At the time of the photo, Mike Vincent was from the Ore Division at Escanaba.  Later, he worked on the Western Division and today he’s with the BNSF at Omaha, NE.  Carl Gibbs is from the Wisconsin Division.  The Central and Iowa Divisions were also represented.

 

Who are the others?  Let us know by clicking here.  Our thanks to Dave Hawley for this fine picture and to Bob Fisher, Jerry Drager, Jon Emery and Karl Pachmayer for helping with the identifications.

 August 31, 1979 Conductors’ Class.

 

From Randy Johnson we have another Conductors Class photo, this one from August 31, 1979.  Randy identified 3 in the middle row and Bob Fisher got the other two.

Front Row:  Ed Lenord, Iowa Division (1st on the left), David Waitr (3rd from the left)

Middle Row:  Randy Johnson (far left), Roger L. Dornacker (5th from the left) & Douglas H. Renner (6th from the left).

Back Row:  David Conn (3rd from the right) & Robert E. Gilliam [“Bobby G.”] (4th from the right.)  Bobby was from Des Moines and left the C&NW in 1993.

These three men are from Local 312, Adams, Wisconsin.  Do you recognize any of the others?  Please let us know by clicking here.  Our thanks to Randy for this fine picture, to Mary Estrada for identifying “Bobby G.” and Michael Powell for identifying Ed Lenord.

Thanks to Chuck Hintz, we now know the two men on the far right in the front row first – Paul Rehben and next to him on the far right – Toby Anderson; both from Boone Iowa.  Dave Kroeger has identified the second man from the left in the front row – Rod Henson.  Thanks, Chuck & Dave.  -   11/26/11

Here are two more just received.  We have two identifications and no dates though the lower one may be from 1979.  Seated on the left in the front row is Ian (Pat) Alexander.    Third from the right, also in the front row, is Dan (Hard Rolls) Kunda.  And, also in the third row at the left is LeRoy Price, Wisconsin Division Engineer serving as Officer-in-Charge.  Thanks to R.B. Harrison for this identification. -   11/27/11.  If you recognize anyone else, please let us know by clicking here.  Thanks to Jason & Dave and also to Bill Wismeth who identified Dan Kundra. 

 

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Revised:  08/12/12

 

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