A Tribute To Great Railroaders 2-Russell Tedder-Former Chairman of ASLRRA

 

The other day, I drew Ashley Drew & Northern GP28 Number 1812.  This drawing is a gift for former American Short Line and Regional Railroad Chairman Russell Tedder.

Russell Tedder was kind enough to share with me his life’s history with the Ashley Drew & Northern.

Here is Russell’s story with Ashley Drew & Northern as told to me by Mr. Tedder himself.

 “I had my hand on the throttle ( figuratively) of the AD&N for 20 years. When I arrived in '76 we had one SW1500, three SWs of different models at 1200 HP and one SW900. The 1500 and one 1200 were the consist of the daily local from Crossett to Monticello and return, 41 miles. Soon GP announced expansion that doubled carloads of paper products. After toying with swapping two 1200s for two Alco C420s, better judgment prevailed in the form of two Paducah GP10s. By 1978 tonnage had increased and the two GP10s or one GP10 and SW1500 handled the local. Later I arranged for two GP28s, one for AD&N and one for Fordyce & Princeton, still later about 1986 two more GP28s replaced the 1200s, also two CF7s, It was a Noah's Ark roster, two of each kind.

After the Rock Island went down in 1980 nearly all traffic went to MP at Monticello with trains of 80 to 95 cars each way, on roller coaster grades, handled by a pair of GP28s. At this time the AD&N hauled 70 boxcar loads of paper, plywood and lumber per day, more cars than unloaded in the entire state of Arkansas. The GP28s and CF7s were all wonderful shortline engines. Like the proverbial bunny powered rabbit, they just keep "goin' and goin'." Sadly, by 1996 changing events made the AD&N obsolete in favor of the level Arkansas Louisiana & Mississippi between Crossett and Monroe, LA, which inherited the fleet.”

Thank you, Russell Tedder, for sharing your story with the Ashley Drew & Northern.

A Tribute to Great Railroaders 1-Conley Wright

Earlier this year, I decided to give away a number of my original drawings.  I feel that many of the best recipients of my drawings are the railroaders whom I respect.  One of the railroaders who I was lucky to meet is Conley Wright.  I gave Conley a Chicago, Burlington & Quincy SD9, as it is a railroad he fondly remembers.
It was truly an honor to meet Conley back in 2009 when I had just begun drawing trains after almost 10 years of not being able to draw. Bill Crisp and Conley both believed in me and loved my drawings. It definitely gave me the desire to do the 1,000s of hours of practice to get back my skills. I am often asked by many art critics where my work hangs, and I am always honored to tell them that my drawings hang in the offices and homes of railroaders and on some of the engines that pull their trains. Thank you Conley, for being there for me!!! You were the push that made me start drawing Norfolk Southern locomotives again and some of the first were a part of a dream I had that there be NS heritage engines. THANK YOU!!!!
The first time I met Conley was at a train show in Decatur, Illinois.  Conley mentioned to me that the railroaders of Norfolk Southern St. Louis Terminal were forming a Facebook page and that they all enjoyed my work.  He asked if I would join their Facebook group.  This gave me the confidence that there were fans who enjoyed my work.
The next thing I knew, I heard from people who had had my train magnets on their refrigerators for twenty years.  People had learned to read with my ABC’s of America’s railroads were now grown up and worked for the railroad.  It was truly exciting to become a railroad artist again.  I don’t think I would have discovered this without Conley Wright reminding me that there truly were so many people out there who knew and remembered my work.  Thank you so much, Conley.