Railroad talk brings back memories

By TOM LAVENTURE

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HURLEY, Wis. - Author, historian and photographer Byron Babbish said his "Railroads of the Upper Peninsula, 1975-2000" presentation Wednesday was an engaging discussion with around 80 people at the Iron County Museum.

"I've never had a crowd like this," said Babbish, a Detroit based railroad historian and author of 15 books on the topic.

Many people present either worked for the railroads or were spouses and children and knew as much about the routes and timelines of the buyouts and when they were shut down. They reminisced with Babbish as he spoke about Upper Peninsula railroads including Soo Line, Chicago North Western, Milwaukee Road, Lake Superior & Ishpeming, Escanaba & Lake Superior, Wisconsin Central Ltd.. and some of the photos he took were said to be trains making the last run, he said. It wasn't known at the time and people told him later, he said.

"It's funny how you get old and all these pictures now are historical," Babbish said. "I was lucky enough that I pointed my camera a few times to freeze time."

Babbish said he knew there would be railroad people here and looked forward to learning from them. The presentation was meant to serve as talking points to stir memories to produce questions and comments, he said.

"It's often a conversation starter for the history to come out of it because it's all history," Babbish said.

Mark Bowman, of Ironwood, said his 97-year-old father was a Soo Line engineer. He grew up in Escanaba during the 1950s to 1970s, the same period that many of the photos were taken, he said.

"My father drove the Soo Line steam engine that is now displayed in Gladstone," Bowman said. "He was one of the few steam guys still around back then and he drove it there and it's never moved since."

Babbish, a retired Chrysler Corporation attorney, spent his spare time researching and traveling with his wife, Elaine, to the U.P., where he said the railroads used the older engines that he found more interesting.

"The rail fans in the steam era weren't interested in the diesels, and today's diesels are mass produced and don't have the same personalities as the Baldwins, Alcos, Fairbanks and Morse," he said.

The older steam engines were often built by steam engine companies trying to survive into the diesel era, he said. The early trains were unique and interesting compared to the General Motors trains that eventually dominated production, he said.

"You guys know your history really well," said Elaine Babbish. "Having a retired engineer and a track man here really added to the conversation."

Babbish said a neighbor's Lionel Train set rekindled his interest in trains in his 20s. Another neighbor taught him photography that would help him plan his photos well to make them so valuable today.

"I took my photography seriously," Babbish said. "When you are chasing trains you don't have a lot of opportunity to compose a shot."

Using U.S. Geological Survey maps in the days before Google Maps, Babbish said he sought out scenic locations to help his photos of moving engines tell a story with landmarks, railroad yards or cities in the background. Others were time exposure photos to reveal ghostly images of aging engines inside dark maintenance sheds.

Babbish said self-publishing made it possible to put his research and photos together and that led to the speaking engagements. Historical societies and railroad groups invite him to present, he said.

"The Chicago and North Western tracks went from Hurley, all the way to Ashland pulling iron ore cars," said Dorothy Walesewicz, Hurley. "We'd sit on our front steps at home counting the ore cars that the engine was pulling."

There could be around 100 cars if they were empty and returning from Ashland, she said. There would be fewer if they were full-force moving west from the mines, she said.

"It was part of my life," she said. "That was our entertainment."

David Brentar, a retired railroad worker for the Chicago and North Western and Union Pacific lines, said he ran the snowplows that were in front of the freight trains. He moved east as the rail lines started closing until he retired.

"They started tearing up the tracks and I told my son, who was about 6-years-old, 'Dad ain't going to be plowing snow this year," Brentar said recalling the lighthearted moment. "He said, 'awe, they'll have them fixed by December.'"

The event, co-sponsored by the Iron County and Ironwood Area Historical Societies, concluded a series of three railroad events at the museum.

A "Ghost Towns of the U.P" presentation was held in May, and Hans Schlegel presented on his model railroad depicting mining communities from Montreal, Wisconsin to Bessemer in July.