It was on this date in 1998 that we lost a fine man and noted Alco expert, George W. Hockaday. George was the son of a NYC locomotive engineer and grew up with railroading in his blood. His career included working for Alco for a number of years, as well as stints at Monon, Delaware & Hudson, and Ontario Lines (Ontario Midland, Ontario Central and others). George also traveled extensively troubleshooting Alcos wherever needed. He literally worked from coast to coast in the US - at one time he inspected some switchers stored on a barge in a NY City harbor, on another occasion he helped get Napa Valley Wine Train's FPA-4's running.
Hockaday spent time in Mexico working on the C628's and other units down there, and told of riding the cab of a freight barreling down the track, with a thick stack of train orders setting meets (in Spanish) - and the crew sound asleep! He was instrumental in resurrecting numerous Alcos which otherwise would never have run again, many of which continue to serve today. He even occasionally "lowered himself" to work on an EMD!
In addition, he had countless stories of his adventures all over, and unlike some folks, his were true. He was a church-goer but loved a dirty joke. Working on a locomotive he was a combination of wizard and absent-minded professor. He had an anecdote for almost every railroad-related topic. As a rail worker George was able to take pictures in many places the average railfan was not, and some years back many of them were published in a book. The editing was poor and there are frequent caption errors but it's well worth owning for those interested in these engines.
The younger Alco fans probably never met George and may or may not have heard of him. But they owe him a debt of gratitude for preserving these machines. Those of us who were fortunate enough to know him as a friend as well as a co-worker will never forget his zany expressions, midwestern drawl, and his love for all things railroad related. George was not just someone who working on the railroad, he was a railroader.
RIP George.
Hockaday spent time in Mexico working on the C628's and other units down there, and told of riding the cab of a freight barreling down the track, with a thick stack of train orders setting meets (in Spanish) - and the crew sound asleep! He was instrumental in resurrecting numerous Alcos which otherwise would never have run again, many of which continue to serve today. He even occasionally "lowered himself" to work on an EMD!
In addition, he had countless stories of his adventures all over, and unlike some folks, his were true. He was a church-goer but loved a dirty joke. Working on a locomotive he was a combination of wizard and absent-minded professor. He had an anecdote for almost every railroad-related topic. As a rail worker George was able to take pictures in many places the average railfan was not, and some years back many of them were published in a book. The editing was poor and there are frequent caption errors but it's well worth owning for those interested in these engines.
The younger Alco fans probably never met George and may or may not have heard of him. But they owe him a debt of gratitude for preserving these machines. Those of us who were fortunate enough to know him as a friend as well as a co-worker will never forget his zany expressions, midwestern drawl, and his love for all things railroad related. George was not just someone who working on the railroad, he was a railroader.
RIP George.
For a look at what GWH had done with it, here's one pic: 