A Love Affair with Trains

Summer 1999
Volume 106 - No.2

Glancing to the south, at a point where the high iron of the former Seaboard Airline and Chesapeake & Ohio railroads rose from the floor of Shockoe Valley to embrace the platforms of the abandoned elevated train shed at Richmond's venerable Main Street Station, with its ancient clock tower, I took note of the time. It seems as though I was only at arms length from the bumper-to-bumper motorists rocketing over the James River basin and Richmond's bustling financial district, making their way to the balmy shores of Florida or the towering skyscrapers of Manhattan.

I reached into the pocket of my faded Levis and tugged on the chain that unwillingly yielded a shining gold Hamilton Railway Special - once the most prized possession of John Everett Beazley, my late grandfather, a conductor on the Peninsula Subdivision of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad. That priceless time piece was now the most prized possession of his grandson. Thus, it seemed quite fitting that it should accompany me on this special occasion, following in his footsteps. It concurred with the station's clock. How many times had I seen grandpa smile with satisfaction after consulting that very same watch?...

I paused briefly outside the door, ran my fingers across the smooth glass face of the Hamilton one more time, looked skyward, and said, "I finally made it grandpa. Wish me luck. Thanks."

(Excerpted from "From the Cab: Stories of a Locomotive Engineer")

Doug Riddell

With those thoughts, BLE member Doug Riddell's first day on the railroad began. Like most railroaders, Riddell has an abundance of stories to describe the bumps, bruises and joys he's experienced throughout the years. But unlike most, Riddell has chronicled his stories in great detail.

In his new book, "From the Cab: Stories of a Locomotive Engineer," Riddell takes readers on a journey from his early love of trains, inspired by his grandfather, to his current career as a locomotive engineer for Amtrak. The book is dedicated to his grandfather, John Everrett Beazley, and the rest of his immediate family. His sincere love for the railroad profession is evident throughout the book, which was recently picked up nationally by Barnes & Noble.

While his grandfather inspired Riddell's love for trains, his death nearly cost Riddell a chance to become a railroader. His grandfather died after an accident on the railroad, and Doug's family forbade him from going into the industry. Worried about his safety, his parents told him he had to go to school and get a job in another field. So he did just that. He went to Virginia Commonwealth University and graduated in 1973 with a Bachelor of Science in mass communications and journalism. He then embarked on a career in radio and television broadcasting.

But even during his successful broadcasting career, he always found his way back to trains. He wrote stories about them at work, and as an amateur photographer often took pictures of them during his spare time.

While his life took a different turn, his communications talents are still with him today. He still has the silky-smooth voice of a radio professional, and one of his photographs graces the cover of his book.

His railroad career began in 1977 when a friend, Ken Kitts, told him that the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad was hiring at Richmond. Kitts helped Riddell get an interview, but Riddell relied on his persuasive personality to get the job.

"I went in for an interview, but did not get a position because of the company's hiring practices," said Riddell. "I was so angry that I called the vice-president of the railroad and told him that I would never work for his railroad. The next morning I started work."

Perhaps because of this inauspicious beginning at the Seaboard Coast Line, Riddell continued work as a reporter for a local radio station while working at the railroad. For a time, Riddell was waffling on which career he would choose. He wanted to follow his railroading dream but still wasn't sure about giving up his broadcasting career.

It was his job as a morning traffic reporter, combined with his fledgling railroad career, that created one of the more memorable moments of his life. It also helped him decide which career path to follow..

"How and why my dual careers ended is legend with my coworkers," said Riddell. One day, he was doing the morning traffic report for WRVA (a Richmond radio station), and he and his pilot noticed a traffic jam. When they investigated further, they realized that a train was blocking the road.

Then, said Riddell, "An anchor in the studio cued me and my mouth engaged before my mind. I said something along the lines of: 'That engineer jerked that train into three pieces.' My comment didn't make the people at SCL too happy."

When Riddell landed, he had a message to call the railroad office. "I called and was informed by a Mr. Robertson that maybe I should choose between my careers." A couple of months later, he left broadcasting and has never looked back.

Riddell eventually became a locomotive engineer, and upon going to work for Amtrak, joined the BLE. He became the first local chairman of BLE Division 14 when it was formed in Washington, D.C., and later served as division president from 1995-1998.

Along the way, he has written dozens of articles, and shared his love of the rails with others. He is a regular contributor to RailNews Magazine, and his other credits include: Vintage Rails, Railway Age and Trains Magazine.

He also penned a moving tribute to his friend Robert Brooks Woodward, a locomotive engineer who died in an accident on May 16, 1994. Riddell's "Guest Comment" appeared in the Fall 1994 Locomotive Engineers Journal.

The publication of his new book brought Riddell's work to a wider audience. It is in stock or available by order at most book stores. The book has done so well that Pentrex, the book's publisher, may need to do another run. Riddell held a book signing in late August at a Barnes & Noble book store in Richmond.

His book is his way of passing on the love of railroading that he got from his grandfather. Maybe, now, someone else will be inspired to follow in the footsteps of Doug Riddell.