About the Author J. D. Santucci (a.k.a. "Tuch") began his railroading career in 1978 as a trainman on the Missouri Pacific. After a round of lay-offs in 1985, Tuch embarked on a railroad odyssey, working in many different situations for different roads. This column tries to explain some of the nuts and bolts of the job and also demonstrates what we have to deal with on a regular basis within and without the industry. Tuch currently works through freights out of Chicago for Canadian National/Illinois Central. ©1999, 2003-2007 JD Santucci. Logo ©2002 The Railroad Network. By J.D. Santucci

February 18 , 2003
On the 15th of October 1945, William H. Bacon entered this world as the first born child of William and Katherine Bacon. Through the magic of this high tech means of communication I can actually hear many of you wondering out loud, "Bill who?" My job today is to tell you all.

I was first introduced to Bill in the spring of 1987 by mutual friend Tom O’Brien. Tom (also a railroader and fellow Engineer) brought me over to meet Bill at his house one afternoon. We happened to all be fortunate enough to be off from work at the same time this particular day. Tom told me Bill was a guy I definitely needed to meet. He was most certainly correct. Within a few brief seconds, Bill made me feel as if he had known me for years and that we had been best friends for all of them. He was that kind of person.

Bill was a true railroader in every sense of the word. He caught the railroad bug as a youngster when his father built a train table in the basement of their home. While both he and his brother Tom spent a great deal of time working on the layout, Bill really took to trains. He enjoyed building the model railroad layout as well as related chores such as making repairs and adjustments to the rolling stock and locomotives.

Time progressed, Bill grew and in 1963 he joined the military. First he served four years in the Air Force. Then in 1967 he did stint with the Marine Corps. A bad knee, carried over from a high school football injury, brought his military service to an abrupt halt in 1968.

When he came home from the Marines, Bill first tried his hand at insurance. He then moved over to the oil refining business for time. Not satisfied with such careers choices Bill searched for other opportunities. He was given the opportunity to convert his hobby of model railroading into a full fledged and financially compensating career. On 19 April 1968 Bill hired on with the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway as a Fireman. The promotion to Engineer came on 3 September 1971. Bill was now living the dream.

About a month before his promotion, Bill married Janice Kay Helderman. Kay would be an integral part of Bill’s life for the next thirty-one years. Together they would have three children, Suzanne, Billy and Laura.

During his years of service on "the J" Bill was a mentor. He trained numerous students preparing them for their careers as Locomotive Engineers. Many of today’s Engineers at the EJ&E had the opportunity to train with Bill in their days as students. He was a great mentor and had quite the way with his students. Bill was also a very active participant with Division 520 of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. He served in various capacities between the years of 1979 and 1995 including two years as Chairman of the General Committee of Adjustment, a position he held from 1983 to 85.

Bill was a gifted linguist. Along with his command of the language, Bill had an incredible and sharp wit. He combined these two skills together parlaying them into well written appeals for the men he represented, men that had been given some sort of discipline. These appeals were presented to both the carrier and the board of arbitration that made the final ruling in the appeal of all disciplinary action taken against the Engineers he represented. Bill’s combined use of language, humor and lawyer like skills made these appeals very interesting and thorough as well as amusing to those who read and took up action upon them. The strategies he used in their presentation were also a key to his efforts. He was Division 520’s version of Perry Mason.

Bill’s sense of humor was outstanding. He always barraged you with a flurry of jokes whenever you met up with him. The jokes would came at you rapid fire and you’d be in stitches. Sometimes I thought just maybe he missed his calling and should have been doing stand up. Who knows, perhaps he could have been the next Johnny Carson.

In addition to all of his railroad and union activities, Bill was very busy as an outstanding father and husband. He played an active role in regards to the guidance and encouragement of his children’s development. Having met them and getting to know them all, I speak with some authority when I say that he and Kay did an outstanding job. Bill was also very much a part of the lives of his nieces and nephews. When the grandchildren came along, he was also a very loving and devoted grandfather. Bill was well loved by all of his family.

In addition to being the devoted family man, Bill was also lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans. He volunteered his time to drive those in need of transportation, providing rides for disabled vets to and from the V.A. Clinic. But it doesn’t end here. A very spiritual man, Bill was very active and involved in his church. He was very strong in and committed to his faith which was every bit as important to him as his family and friends.

Several years ago some of my railroad buddies and I started to meet on a semi-regular basis for breakfast and conversation. Eventually Bill became one the regulars to participate in our little meetings. We would sit around, eat some breakies, drink some coffee and talk. While the talk was mostly railroading, we also touched upon numerous other issues. Our little breakfast club could easily last for two hours a session. And of course there were always several jokes from our favorite comic. Somewhere along the way our little group got dubbed "The old fart railroaders breakfast club." I held the honor of being the baby of the group for the longest time.

We lost one member who transferred to Indianapolis in 1999, but otherwise our group was actually growing as several other faces joined up with us over the next few years.

Bill was an avid model railroader and modeler of many other things. He loved to build models of all types. Bill was known to build various models for his friends be it locomotives, ships or airplanes. Many railroaders that worked with Bill were the recipients of replicas of the various locomotives operated by the EJ&E. Bill customized them to appear exactly as those he skillfully operated while on the job. Others received airplanes and ships carefully and caringly crafted by Bill.

A large model railroad in his basement was a continuous work in progress for Bill and as he grew, son Billy. They spent many hours together working on and developing the layout. The two of them also built numerous cars and locomotives for the layout as well. Bill was extremely proud of the skills Billy developed in modeling. He was indeed the proud papa and thrilled that he and his son could share the same hobby, a hobby that would bring them closer together.

Several times I brought some of my locomotives over to Bill’s house to operate on his railroad. Between running the model railroad and talking shop about the real job of railroading, the time we spent in that basement always flew by far too quickly.

On April 5th of 1999, Bill retired after a fulfilling career with the EJ&E. He closed out his career working his regular assignment, the Griffith Switcher. His locomotive that day, the EJ&E 663 was decorated with a banner proclaiming his last trip and impending retirement. Bill was able to go a little younger than most railroaders cashing in on the Carnegie Pension offered to employees of the J by their former parent U.S. Steel. Retiring several years before most railroaders are able, Bill planned to spend a great deal of time doing things he didn’t always have time for while he was working. Although judging from what he did while actively employed, it was hard to imagine how much more he could do. Bill could imagine though, and did.

Bill’s retirement wasn’t the end of the Bacon era on the J. Son Billy carries on the family tradition in railroading as a Train Dispatcher with the EJ&E.

Tragedy struck the Bacon family in July of 2002 when Bill and Kay’s daughter Laura and her husband Joe perished in a freak accident in the Arizona desert. It was a very difficult time for the Bacon family. It is devastating for a parent to lose a child, but the strength Bill brought forth helped his family work through this tragedy.

In September 2002, the breakfast club met again. While he missed the August gathering, Bill was in attendance for this one. We laughed, joked, talked and of course, ate breakfast. When the time was over for that round, we all parted company and went our merry way. When I got home from the meet I had mentioned to beautiful bride that we really needed to get over to see Bill and Kay. Little did any of us know what lie ahead.

On the morning of October 15th 2002 I received a call at work informing me that our friend Bill Bacon had passed away earlier that morning. His passing came exactly fifty-seven years to the day after he joined this world. We weren’t just mournful at the loss, we were devastated. Bill’s death was not only a tragic loss for his friends and family, it was truly a loss for mankind. He was an incredible person, one of those people you were glad you were able to meet and get to know.

He is back together with Laura and Joe, but we certainly miss him here. Bill left behind quite the legacy though, a wonderful and caring family, grandchildren who will certainly carry on in the tradition of him, numerous Locomotive Engineers who learned from one of the very best and many people who only wish they could be the person Bill was.

Since his father's passing, Billy has stepped in to pick up another family tradition. He has joined the old fart railroader’s breakfast club. Now he is the baby of the group and I pass this honor along to him with pride.

Some folks say that Bill is running the ultimate train up in heaven, a train that is amply powered, easy to handle and that never has problems while rolling over the road. I disagree. Bill ran all the trains on the railroad and his model railroads here in his mortal life. I firmly believe he is now on that heavenly stage entertaining with the likes of George Burns, Uncle Milty and Ernie Kovacs. I believe that heavenly choir is not singing, but rather laughing at the humor and wit of Bill Bacon. I am certain he has them all in stitches as he fires off a barrage of jokes, anecdotes and witty sayings. And his comedy cup shall never go empty. His comedy material cup shall always runneth over with fresh, new material.

Rest in peace Bill, rest in peace.

And now you all know just who Bill Bacon really was.

And so it goes.

Tuch