LIRR Superintendents of Transportation List

Two individuals would not issue train orders during the same course of time. There must be a single authority to avoid confusion and ambiguity. (There's none of that on the LIRR.)

Bob Carbaugh signed orders for a very short period of time until it was publicized that he lacked qualification on the Book of Rules. He was proceeded and then succeeded by Charlie Powers, Sr. who rose up the ranks from Chief Clerk.

Kelly&Kelly wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 2:50 pm Two individuals would not issue train orders during the same course of time. There must be a single authority to avoid confusion and ambiguity. (There's none of that on the LIRR.)

Bob Carbaugh signed orders for a very short period of time until it was publicized that he lacked qualification on the Book of Rules. He was proceeded and then succeeded by Charlie Powers, Sr. who rose up the ranks from Chief Clerk.

Thank you. Anyone can date ROBERT E. CARBAUGH's tenure?

I don't remember exact date but I can fill in the blanks as I used to issue orders with these initials. The first Supt I remember although he was gone when I hired on in 1973, was Barney Bowers aka BGB. The Supt when I hired on was Joseph Valder aka JCV. After Valder came Larry Dixon LWD. Charlie Powers, CWP was next followed by REC Bob Carbaugh and so forth as listed above. Hope this helps.

Vincent S Campansano 2020-July 20th, 2024
Timothy W Hague July 21st, 2024 - Present (Acting General Superintendent - Transportation)

Thanks to all. I will post the revised "cleaned" up list, near future.

Based on your inputs:

5/78 – 5/81 LWD LAWRENCE W. DIXON
5/81 – 1986 CWP CHARLES W. POWERS (as Chief Transportation Officer)
1987 – 6/94 JJD JAMES J. DERMODY
6/94 - ? RAM ROBERT A. McDERMOTT (as Supt.-Train Movement). His initials used on train orders for a period of time in 1994.)
6/94 – 5/2000 RPK RAYMOND P. KENNY
5/00 – 6/01 RPK/WTJ RAYMOND P. KENNY / WM. T. JEFFRIES
6/01 – 11/02 WTJ WILLIAM T. JEFFRIES
11/02 – 5/04 NH NAT HAMM
5/04 –2008 JEA JOSEPH E. ANTONUCCI
2008 GRF GEORGE R. FARRELL
2008-2009 JRB JAMES R. BROOKS
2009-2013 RFF ROBERT F. FREE
2013-2020 SP SPIRO PAPANIKOLATOS (as General Supt.-Transportation)
2020-7/20/24 VSC VINCENT S. CAMPASANO (as General Supt.-Transportation)
7/21/24-Present TWH TIMOTHY W. HAGUE (as Acting General Supt.-Transportation)

Corrections/additions let me know. Thank you.

How far back can we go with this list?
Is there any records spanning pre 1970s?

The complete list thus far. Additions, corrections, etc. please.

1880 - FSG F. S. GANNON
JLM J. L. MORROW
1881 - IDB I. D. BARTON
1896 - 1897 WLJ WILLIAM L. JARVIS
1898 – 1899 LPP L. P. PAIRO
1900 – 5/1903 ? ?
5/1903 - ? CLA C. L. ADDISON
6/1906 – 10/1911 FH FRANK HARTENSTIEN
10/1911 - 1916 ? JBA J. B. AUSTIN, JR.
1917 – 1921 CDB C. D. BAKER
1922 – 23 WEC W. E. CANNING
1924 – 25 ? W. E. CANNING or E. B. KESSLER or ?
1926 – 28 EBK E. B. KESSLER
1928 – 31 FRG FELIX R. GERARD
1932 – 33 JFH J. F. HENRY
1934 – 9/35 EEE E. E. ERNEST
9/35 – 12/35 JCW J. C. WHITE
12/35 – 9/39 HTF H. T. FRUSHOUR
9/39 – 1941 CEA C. E. ADAMS
1941 – 48 ELH EUGENE L. HOFFMAN
1949 – 52 HBS H. B. STETSON
1953 - 55 PSM PALMER S. MOCK
1956 – 59 RDS RUSSELL D. SPORE
1960 BGB BERNARD G. BOWER
1961 – 5/66 RDS RUSSELL D. SPORE
5/1966 – 70 BGB BERNARD G. BOWER
1/71 – 5/71 JCV JOSEPH C. VALDER
6/71 BGB BERNARD G. BOWER
7/71 – 5/78 JCV JOSEPH C. VALDER
5/78 – 5/81 LWD LAWRENCE W. DIXON
5/81 – 1986 CWP CHARLES W. POWERS (as Chief Transportation Officer)
1987 – 6/94 JJD JAMES J. DERMODY
6/94 - ? RAM ROBERT A. McDERMOTT (as Supt.-Train Movement). His initials on train orders for a period of time in 1994.)
6/94 – 5/2000 RPK RAYMOND P. KENNY
5/00 – 6/01 RPK/WTJ RAYMOND P. KENNY / WM. T. JEFFRIES
6/01 – 11/02 WTJ WILLIAM T. JEFFRIES
11/02 – 5/04 NH NAT HAMM
5/04 – 2008 JEA JOSEPH E. ANTONUCCI
2008 GRF GEORGE R. FARRELL
2008-2009 JRB JAMES R. BROOKS
2009-2013 RFF ROBERT F. FREE
2013-2020 SP SPIRO PAPANIKOLATOS (as General Supt.-Transportation)
2020-7/20/24 VSC VINCENT S. CAMPASANO (as General Supt.-Transportation)
7/21/24-Present TWH TIMOTHY W. HAGUE (as Acting General Supt.-Transportation)

I would put RAM later, maybe even '97? I was hired on in '95 and enjoyed at least a year of having dispatchers telling me to "RAM it" at the end of each order I took.

Bob Carbaugh was imported from Conrail by Larry Baggerly who himself came from there along with several others. Their methods to employees was fire them for infractions and get your job back through arbitration. After Larry commented to too many people that he had the FRA "in his back pocket" he "left" the carrier and ended his days on New Jersey Transit-in train service- with disputed seniority rights.

The bulk of the other Conrail people remained and took their pensions. Perhaps K&K can chime in on how employees perceived them.

Hello 4Behind,

Tools and cannon fodder of the political establishment.

When the Conrail people, such as Carbaugh, Baggerly, Mosier, Sheehan, arrived they were viewed as outsiders. Outsiders: Those who never were in the labor ranks are never perceived well or with respect. The very fact that they moved across the land from some foreign road made them someone else's cast off rejects.

Little time passes before their behavior and performance confirms the rank's suspicions. Too often the newcomers reveal themselves as blowhards or know-it-alls or at best useful idiots.. Suckups cling to them hoping to win favor of the new bosses who don't know their past fumbling history. Skilled competent Labor shuns them, wishing not to be noticed by a fool with new progressive tried-before-but-failed visions. The ranks learn to live with them, knowing I was here when you got here and I'll be here when you leave.

As history illustrates, most play out as tumbleweeds, wondering from property to property and leaving the industry as very old disliked men sans pensions nor many friends.

On a personal note, some are good guys, some bad. But most do more damage than good and waste more of the taxpayers' dollars owing to their lack of institutional knowledge, historical knowledge, local experience and finesse.