HERBIE CLARK - is alive and well

Hey can anyone tell me If Herbie Clark is still with us? New Haven, Conrail and Amtrak Fame 55 Years of Service God Love him. Taught me how to Run when I worked with him on the Cape Cod RR. and convinced me to stick with it. Now Ive made it to the Big time with a class 1 for 8yrs Its Been some 10 yrs now since Ive see him. Bumped into him at a Buff show, he was at the NH rail society table.

Thanks for the time.

Thanks Dave I will inquire on that forum. also I believe his son Gary is a Hogger on the T or Big A.

Herbie Clark is is just fine.

Believe it or not, he was standing up on a chair (!) washing the interior windows of the mostly "restored" West Barnstable Station a couple of Fridays ago in preparation for the weekly open house and annual West Barnstable Festival.

He and his wife attend our monthly Cape Cod Chapter (NRHS) meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at the Station.[or Community Center in the winter] When he was an engineer on the New Haven, he would stop at the WBS for mail. Some of his stories are just priceless, especially the female agent at the Station. She was a rather hefty and very strong woman who could "whip those mail bags around with one hand!" LOL

Although Herb suffers from Parkinson's disease, it is well under control with medication. Herbie still has his house on the Cape and in Braintree Highlands. He has to be about 82 years young now! A finer gentleman, no one could ask for.

I believe his son Gary is an engineer for Amtrak and runs the Big A with the Acela trainsets.

Hope this helps you out.

Paul

It's funny that CSX Engineer 98 started this thread, I just mentioned Herbie tonight at work.

I remember riding the Shore-Line on an Amtrak F40 from New Haven to Bostonin the early 90's and was amazed at how even though it was very poor visibility Herbie knew exactly where he was. I swear he knew the main by the feel in his a$$, lol.

Last I heard he was still volunteering on the Cape Cod Central.


BTW, CSX Engineer 98, after reading your post above....I answered my own question that I had PM'd you............You stupid dope!!! LOL

Thanks guys, now thats some great news for a change. I'll look him up soon and swap a few storys....

Thanks guys, now thats some great news for a change. I'll look him up soon and swap a few storys....

I was a part time engineer for The Cape cod Railroad when Herbie retired from Amtrac. I was working on his last day. Abunch of his buddies from Boston showed up at the engine house in Hyannis with four or five shopping bags full torpedoes. They layed them out from Hyannis nearly to Yarmouth for him. I wonder what his passengers thought. We were in the siding at Sandwich when he went through and he sure made some noise with his horn. That was all the more interesting because that was supposed to be a quiet zone. Neihbor there didn't like trains.
Just a little story you may find interesting. He was always a class act when ever we met.

TRR12 wrote:We were in the siding at Sandwich when he went through and he sure made some noise with his horn. That was all the more interesting because that was supposed to be a quiet zone. Neihbor there didn't like trains.

Quiet zone, all the more reason why he probably did it on his last run, just to bust the neighbor's chops.

Back in the 90s when Herbie was running the Cape Cod Railroad "pumpkins" (FP-10s) on the scenic train, I had a chance to ride with him in the cab for the trip. I was truly amazed at his expert touch on the brakes and throttle. It was the soothest starting and stopping experience I had ever had. Herb could spot a car on a pinhead if necessary!

One one trip, we had a handicapped person on the run who boarded and detrained at the Sandwich Station. Well, "the master" (MR. C) spotted the door of the coach exactly on the high level platform at the point where the ramp started down to the ground. The woman never had to move along any length of the high level. She went right out the door and down the ramp! It just blew me away just how precise Herb could be when running.

Fortunately, I snapped a few pictures of Herbie in the engineer's seat while we were moving down the line. One of the shots shows Herb looking to his left at me and I tell you, he had the biggest s..t eatin' grin on his face that I have ever seen! It is priceless! God, that man loved to run an engine! I'll have to see if I can find the picture and have a friend post it.

Paul

The CCR's 1100 and 1114 (FP-10's) are the equipment that Herbie taught me how to Run all summer long on Also the CCR's 1789 and an ex "B&M " I believe RDC unit.
We had landmarks that we went by at all the Station stops. The conductor would mearly say on the radio " 2, 3 or 4 spot on the Cars and thats were the Car would spot on the platform. Herbie told me that Most all freight Engineers make great Passenger Engineers Being able to spot a 8 thousand ton, mile long freight on a dime..... . Some of his best stories are the rivals between the New Haven and NYC guys and the Amtraks CapeCodder Trips.
I also had the pleasure to pilot a Guilford executive train to Hyannis with "old Timmy Mellon" aboard..It was his 50th birthday. There was a lot of Butt kissing going on from the Bay Colony and CCR....Herbie Just thumbed his nose and said he missed passing Mellons house on the Shore line in Conn. and giving him the "[OLD SUCK HOLE]" with the Horn as he passed by..... LOL