304 N. Glover Drive, Longview, Texas 75601
It has been well said that ‘first impressions are lasting
impressions,’ especially as it applies to one’s early life.
I was ‘brought up’ in the days when steam power was king.
The old steam locomotive engineers were the ‘astronuts’ of
my boyhood days. Yes, even the fellows who piloted the steam
highly esteemed on my part as a youngster. In heart, their work was
my workand their delights in operating steam powered machines was
my delight, and I looked forward to the day when I would be more
than just an onlooker. But, strange as it may appear, I never
reached the goal of my boyhood ambitions. After I became a
teen-ager I turned aside to persue another course in life and
became a preacher of the gospel of Christ. This course I have
persued for 65 years helping the Lord to run ‘the gospel
train’ with the gospel of Christ as the power thereof. (see
Romans 1:16.) During the years of my ministry I have traveled
extensively as an evangelist mostly by trains powered by steam
locomotives. Thus I have been associated with many people who
worked for the railroads and during that time I never lost my
interest and enthusiasm in steam power.
When I saw the hand-writing on the wall that steam power would
soon begin to give way to other powers more practical and
economical, I then decided that I should get busy and help to
preserve some of the things belonging to the age of steam. Thus my
hobby was born; and for quite a number of years I have enjoyed this
hobby very much. As I went over the country collecting these
artifacts the reactions of the people were varied. Some regarded
what they had as ‘junk’ and were glad to get rid of it.
Others thought of me as a ‘steam engine nut’ and often
times would ask, ‘What are you going to do with all these old
discarded things?’ Still others were somewhat emotional. One
aged man who had operated a large lumber plant southern Lousiana
sold me a steam whistle with this sad comment: ‘I hate to see
this whistle go, for we have used it on one of our locomotives in
these woods for forty years. I can still imagine how it sounded
when the engineer would do some ‘fancy whistling’ as he
would bring the log trains into the plant.’
At first, the scrap metal dealers had a field day in buying, for
practically nothing, the steam locomotives, bells, whistles, and
other things. But very few railroad compaines were thoughtful
enough to preserve these things for future generations to see and
enjoy. Some companies did donate some of their bells to churches
and parks over the country. Some cities received steam locomotives
which were placed in parks without any protection from the
elements. Many of these engines were robbed of all removable parts
by thieves and vandals. It is a pity to look upon some of these
huge monsters of the rails in their state of delapidation. Even
some of the fellows who worked for the railroads for many, many
years, and who were in ‘the middle of the patch’ didn’t
make any effort to save any of it. But the day for finding and
purchasing these things is almost gone. The few remaining tourist
railroads using steam power over the country have quickened the
interest of the people in getting these things and perserving them
for future generations to see and enjoy. I still find this hobby
facinating at the ripe age of 83 years. The invitation goes out to
all steam age enthusiast to come to see me and the collection I
have.