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The Publication of the Atlantic Coast Line and Vol.30, No.3 Seaboard Air Line Railroads Historical Societyo Inc. 3rd Quarter 2013 ffi In this Issue: . ACL and SAL Second-Generation Diesels . stJu--r_i-J Watermelon Season - Shipping Watermelons on the Coast Line and Seaboard, Part2 . Jack Freed's ACL Passenger Service Career, Part 1: 194l-1954 . ACL's Eastern Branchlines, Part 1: New Bern Branch

V IJJ'T! -/:{rl nrurutvrRSRnv \ -r*r\EAF. ,/l Membershitr Classes Regular: $35 for one year or $65 for two years. Sustaining: $60 for one year or $ 1 1 5 for two years' These amounts in- LINHS clude $25 and $50, respectively, in tax-deductible contributions. Century Club: $135 for one year, which includes a complimentary calen- dar and a tax-deductible contribution of $87. We glad1y accept other contributions, either financial or historical SDUTH materials for our archives, all ofwhich are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law. Volume 30, No.3, 3rd Quarter 2013 Your membership dues include quarlerly issues of llrrs Soura,pafiicipa- The Publication of the Atlantic Coast Line and tion in Society-sponsored events and projects, voting rights on issues brought members'questions. Seaboard Air Line Railroads Historical Society' Inc. before the membership, and research assistance on Please remit to: ACL & SAL HS (note new address) P.O. Box 490563 Leesburg, FL 3 47 49 -05 63 Editor Make all checks payable to '.ACL & SAL H. S." Or, use your MasterCard, Larry Goolsby Visa or Discoverl or use our PayPal option via our web site. Associate Editor Foreign: Membership with delivery via surface mail is $60 per year or for two years. For sustaining foreign memberships, add $25 for one William C. Dusenbury $120 year and $50 for two years. We can accept foreign memberships only by Editor Emeritus Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or PayPal. Joseph L. Oates Renewals and Address Changes: Please send all renewals and address ACL & SAL H. S., P'O. Box Circulation Manager & Membership Chairman changes to (note new address): Circulation, 490563, Leesburg, FL 347 49-0563. Please notify us well in advance if you "Buck" Dean A. B. move; the Postal Service charges us a substantial fee for issues sent to an old Design and Production address, and we cannot cover the cost ofremailing your issue' Please help White River Productions us and yourself by letting us know where you are! Don't forget to add the 4 PO Box 9580, Kansas City, MO 64133 digit extension on yoril zip code, required now by the Postal Service. 8 1 6-285-6560 keudaly@whiteriverproductions. com On the Web at: http://www.aclsal.org RIVER Available Back Issues Certain back issues of Lrttts Sourn are available through our Product Sales depadment; please see our catalog in the "Lines for Members" newsletter inserled into the middle of this magazine or on our web site.

The Atlantic Coast Line & Seaboard Air Line Warren Calloway, Vice President Railroads Historical SocietY 27613 7413 Glenharden Drive, Raleigh, NC The society was formed in July 1983 as the Southeastem Railroad Techni- A. B. ooBuck" Dean cal Society, and in 1993 was formally organized as the ACL & SAL Rail- to better reflect the railroads covered. The Society 8390 Hedgewood Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32216 roads Historical Society is incorporated in as a nonprofit corporation and is recognized by the Larry Denton, Treasurer IRS as a 501 (c) (3) educational group. The Society's mission is to preserve 6516 Hwy. 903, Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870-8535 and disseminate the history of the Atlantic Coast Line, SeaboardAir Line, and Seaboard Coast Line railroads and their subsidiaries, afflliates, and pre- C. Dusenbury, SecretarY William decessors (including the Railroad, & West Point Rail Road, 1006 Griffln Road, Leesburg, FL34748 Western Railway ofAlabama, and Clinchfield). We welcome memberships Larry Goolsby and donations; see the enclosed "Lines for Members" insert or our web site for more details, or contact us by mail. 1 05 03 Meredith Avenue, Kensington, MD 2089 5 -2922 Printed in the United States of America Joseph L. Oates, President 509 Cocoplum Drive, Seffner, FL33584-4613 Gary Riccio 21 Velock Drive, Little Feny, NJ 01643-2032 lf the last line of your mailing label has:

The Atlantic Coast Line, Seaboard Air Line, and Seaboard Coast Line marks are the property of You need to renew now! CSX Corporation and are used under license from CSX See details at the top tight portion of this page. Please @ 2013, ACL & SAL HS consider a tax-deductible contribution to us thlough a sustaining membership or the Century Club!

? I/NES 3rd Suarter zol3 SOUTH TABLE AT trONTENTg'

4 ACLAND SAL SncoNn-GnNERArroN Welcome to the 30th Anniversary issue of Lines Southl Back in July 1983, DrEsnrs Joe Oates put out a 16-page, typewritten newsletter that has steadily . by Wurren Callowuy grown and matured into the colorful product you're now reading, Thanks to our readers and authors, this magazine has turned into one of the most respected titles in its field, We think this issue's four features will only enhance that reputation. 16 Wl,rrnN,rnr-oN Sn,rsoN Snrpprruc - We begin with coverage of another significant anniversary, the second- W,q.rEnMnLoNs oN THE Colsr LrNn,\Nl generation locomotives that came on the ACL and Seaboard scene 50 Seneonno, Pqnr 2 years ago, With background, detailed facts, and multiple photos from that ' by Russell Tedder exciting era, Warren Calloway explains this most significantchange in the two roads' motive power since the advent of the diesel itself. And yes, it 25 Jlcr Fnspn's ACL PlssnNGER SERVTcE was exciting - if you were there, you know what I mean. I liked ACL's ClRnrn, Plnr 1: WlsnrNcrolr UNroN F-units and Geeps as much as anybody, but the new units symbolized a Sr.rrroru, 194l-1954 prosperous railroad, power, and speed They looked drfferent, sounded different, and they were big. (Exhibit A, and winner and still : . by Alun Freed - the smoking, burbling, monstrous C-628s.) No wonder so many of us kept 30 ACL's ElsrnnN Nonrn Clnot-rNl our cameras, tape recorders, and notepads busy during those years. BRl.NcHrrNns, P,rnr 1: There's plenty more in this special 40-page issue, starting with Part 2 of Nnw BBnN Bn-q.Nrcrr Russell Tedder's watermelon shipmentstory - documenting the major but piggyback . by Michael Dunn short-lived changeover from ventilated boxcars to trailers. Alan Freed then shares the first installment about the long career of his father, ACL passenger agent Jack Freed, and some of the many places and ColuuNs AND DEPARTMENTS: he remembers, We close with another first in a series, this one on ACL's LrNns...FRoMTHEEDrroR ....3 thick network of secondary and branch routes in Eastern North Carolina. Eotronr.r.r, Poltcv.q.No SusN{rssroNs Gumolnqns . . 3 Professor Mike Dunn starts with the line to New Bern in a story that is, we HoenvSnopl-rsr ...... 39 think you'll agree, delightful. All this material didn't leave room for Letters to the Editor, but they and preservation updates will be back next issue. We would also find it delightful if you will continue helping us to promote Front cover: Three Seaboard GP40s Lines South and membership in the Society. With your support, we can look foruard to many more anniversaries. Goolsby led by 643 and 605 strike an elegant -Larry pose on a curve atApex, North Carolina, on May 28,1967. Further back and out of sight in No. 75's , the situation was not so attractive; a sun kink had just derailed several cars at the south end LirvEs Sour,q makes every reasonable effort to check the accuracy of of the south siding on newly installed articles thatappear in the magazine. We welcome corrections and additions welded rail. Calloway photo to published content. Opinions and conclusions expressed in articles are those -Warren of the author and not necessarily of the Lirves Souru staff or of the ACL & SAL Back covertop: NS 1612,a BaldwinAS-416, and a T0tonner Historical Silciety, are crossing the Neuse River with a southbound freight in We welcome submissions of articles and photographs for publication. Our "raw" 1959, and are about to arrive at New Bern. The railroad's preferred formats are Word documents and tiff scans of photographs and illustratrons. Please the line to New Bern left the NS main at contact editor for details and for other methods of submitting photos. lf you do send any items of value to us, particularly original Marsden. * Michael Dunn photo photos or other historic items, please always use a securely packaged, insured method with delivery tracking; LrrvEs Souru cannot assume any responsibility for Back cover bottom: ACL SD35 1009 loss or damage to materials sent to us. Please submit materials and inquiries leads a mixed group of C-C units to the editor: including U25C 3013, a C-628, and a Larry Goolsby second SD35 with an F unit thrown in Editor, LrNEs Sour,c for spice. The train is at Richmond's 10503 Meredith Avenue Acca Yard on November 30, 1966. Kensington, N/D 20895 goolsbycl@comcast. net n C al I oway co I lection -Warre

Contents 3 Jack Freed's AEL Passenger Service Eareer Part t l/lfsshington - Union litatiorr, 1lg4l-lg5,4 lntervieuvs bg Alan Freed

Editor's Note: This is thefrst in a series food. I enjoyed the breakfasts especially Alan: Where were the office cars parked? of articles on Jack Freed s career with the their pancakes. I think they had -the franchise Jack: The B&O, the Atlantic Coast Line, conducted by his son, in other railroad terminals. Railroad, and the Southem Railway kept a Alan Freed. Through a group of doorways was the group of cars on the upper level. Whenever a Alan Freed: When did you first go to concourse. I think the concourse was one business car came in, it was always switched work for the railroad? of the biggest, if not the biggest, room in off and brought into the upper level so the Jack Freed: In 1947,just before the war. America. As soon as you walked into the railroad officials didn't have to go up and I worked at the Washington Terminal (in the concourse, you could see on the left side all down on the escalators. Since there were Washington Union Station) as an information of the north- and westbound departing and only two single-track tunnels southbound, clerk. Of course, when you worked for the aniving trains lined up. B&O had the tracks it was less congested to keep them on the Washington Terminal, even though your from 1 to about 9 and Pennsylvania had from upper level. paycheck was from the Washington Terminal, there up to about 15 or 16. Alan: What was upstairs on the second you actually worked for seven different There were elaborate iron gates with floor? railroads. The terminal was reimbursed by illuminated signs indicating the name of the Jack: They had a doctor and a nurse these railroads, but no one seemed to know train and the major cities along its route. The upstairs. They also had a YMCA with bunk who paid what - but as long as I was paid, track number was lit up above each gate. A rooms for the train crews who laid over. I never worried about it. gateman would unlock the gates and usher There was a lounge with pool tables. They Alan: So, do you remember the railroads? passengers in and out at Irain time. There also had a bowling alley up there. It wasn't Jack: Oh yeah. Pennsylvania, Baltimore was also a Union CompanyNewsstand in the automatic you - had one or two of the & Ohio, & Ohio, Southem, the center ofthe concourse in front ofthe station fellows that would set pins for you. It was Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac and master's office. The southbound through kind of interesting because of all of the their two connecting railroads, which were trains were operated on the lower level on different groups of people who did some the Seaboard and the Atlantic Coast Line. the right-hand side ofthe concourse. different kinds of work at the station. Eventually I went to work My flrst assignment was for the Atlantic Coast Line. working at the terminal as Alan: What was the an information clerk, and station like back then? my shift was from 11:00pu Jack: Back in the 1940s, to 7:00en. We didn't have it was a bustling place. It a lot to do but we still kept had over 300 employees busy. There were two ol - they came from all us working upstairs on the over the place some night shift. really beautiful women Alan: Who was the worked there. The streetcar other person? Do you stopped just in front of the remember? station doorway. From the Jack: The other person street, you walked directly was Danny Sloane, a little into the main waiting thin fellow from Pittsburgh room. To one side, in the who had worked with the main waiting room, there railroad foryears and came was a first class restaurant down to Washington. It I believe was called - it was really interesting the Savarin and was This photo was probably taken in 1940 and showsACL's original seven- working the night shift. owned by the Union News car Champion crossing the Potomac River just after leaving Washington, He had a friendly little cat Company. It had a really D.C. The train was soon expanded to handle passenger demand and that he kept in the room big drugstore-like counter within a few years had evolved into the separate, full-length Easl and every once in a while and there were also lots of Coasf Champion and Wesf Coast Champion. ACL units ran through to the cat would find one or tables as well. It was open Washington in the train's early years. That practice resumed in 1g64 two little mice running 24 hours a day and had when ACL and RF&P locomotives were pooled between Washington around and would go chase good food really good and Florida. - -Larry Goolsby collection them and play with them.

Watermelan Season, Part ? 25 He didn't try to kill them he would just play with them. The cat kept us amused because there often wasn't much going on in the middle of the night. Alan: What were your duties as an information clerk? Jack: The information clerk was an individual who answered the phones for people who were traveling. They wanted to know how to get from point A to point B, so you were there to help those people to select the best railroad that suited their travel needs. There was also a booth, generally manned ACL E6 505, lettered for the , stands with a second E6 at the lvy City by two people, out in the n,iddle of the servicing facility just north of Washington Union Station about 1940. ACL's prewar station. People would come up and want to E units were delivered with train assignment lettering, but the practice was dropped photo, Jay Williams collection know what track the train was on and when during the war. -Bruce Fales it was leaving. They would also request timetables so they could take them home and study the schedules themselves. and I said to my boss, "l can't do that! I mean, Alan: Where was the station passenger Alan: What was your next Promotion? she'd be out of work." "Well," he said, "it's agent's office? Jack: I was promoted and started working either her or you." But then she bumped Jack: The station passenger agent's downstairs in the main ticket office as a somebody else, so it worked out pretty well. office was out on the concourse facing ticket seller, until I went into the Army I went to college, took up accounting and the northbound tracks. Our office had the terminal at the same time. I big glass windows facing the B&O and in 1943. We were on shifts - 7:00Pv to worked at 3:00pnr, and 3:00pu to 11 :00ev, and I 1 :00prl was also assigned to teach new employees Pennsylvania tracks. All the other trains to 7:00eu. During the war traffic was so about the railroad and how to handle various going to or coming from the south were heavy, with military and civilians traveling, oddball situations that might arise. on the other side of the concourse on the that they had extra ticket booths set up out Alan: How did you get your first job on lower level. The office was just in lront in the lobby. There was an X booth, a Y the Atlantic Coast Line? of the baggage area and the ticket office. booth, and a T booth, and since I had little Jack: In 1952, a friend of mine, Pat The office had a representative from each seniority, I was assigned to sell tickets from Riley, who was a depot passenger agent for of the railroads, and Atlantic Coast Line those parlicular booths. the ACL, got promoted to the downtown and Seaboard had the two front desks. The Alan: What was it like when you came ACL city ticket office. But they told him he Southem, Pennsylvania, and B&O hadtheir back after the war? couldn't leave his currentjob until he found agents there also. The agents ofthe Seaboard Jack: When I came back, the only waY somebody else to take his place. He came to and Coast Line also represented the RF&P you could get yourjob back was to bump a me and asked me ili would be interested. So Railroad. There was a young lady in the front person with less seniority. I remember the that's how I got the job as depot passenger office who directed people who needed help only person I really could have bumped was a agent for the Atlantic Coast Line and the or assistance to the proper representative. young lady. She was a former school teacher RF&P. Alan: How far was it from your office when the runaway train crashed into the station on January 15, 1953? Jack: AbouL 20-30 feet, maybe, and fortunately it happened in the morning, around 8:00, and normally the station passenger agents didn't get there until 1 0:00 or 1l :004u. Yeah, I remember when the runaway Boston train, the , came into the station concourse. When they were about a mile and a half out, near Ivy City, the engineer discovered they didn't have any brakes. The train just kept coming. The tower out by Ivy City put in an emergency call to Two sections of Seaboard's S/ver Sfar are waiting to head south at Washington the station master's office to get everybody Union Station around 1950, most likely during the height of the winter travel season. out of the way. They did, and of course, the train came in, plowing through the station Both have observation cars with the train's "silver astronomy"-themed logo. -Sam A. Appleby Jr. photo master's office and the Union Company

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These two pages from the ACL (top) and SAL December 1949 public timetables show the extensive lineup of trains each company ran from New York through Washington to the South. ACL's Florida Special and Champions competed head-to-head with Seaboard's Orange B/ossom Specra/ (Nos .45-46), (57-58), and S/yerSfa r (21-22). & HS -ACL SAL collection

3€HEDUlrs 3:TWIIN TASTTRN CIIIT' AND FTORIDA IHROUGH VIRGII{IA. TXT CAROI.INAS AND SEORGIA

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Newsstand, and before the train could get to Jack: Oh yeah. That wasjust one ofthose Bob Marlin. He also started in the ticket the main waiting room, the locomotive fell things it just tied up the one track. It was office at Union Station and he went with into the basement. It was fortunate that the kirid of hectic there for a little while. Seaboard. He was one of the ones that quit engine, which was a GG l, was so heavy that Alan: How did the Seaboard and thiiAtlantic and went to work for Mackey Airlines. it lell through the floor rather than going into Coast Lirre people get along since you were which flew routes in Florida. I had an the main waiting room. competitors? opportunity to go with them, but T didn't. Alan: So what was it like when you came Jack: Oh, fine. We were all fiiends. Bob was a nice fellow. They all were nice in to work that day? Maybe in the hierarchy they didn't get along flellows. C&O, , some of Jack: Well, it happened around too well, but we all worked together. If we them had beer.r there a long tir.ne, others were Eisenhower's inauguration. They had to put didn't have space on one train, we would there fbr a while and you got to know thern. barriers up the whole way around the hole, lielp the individual out to make sure he got Alan: Who was your boss? and olcourse, there was no station master's where he wanted to go even if it had to Jack: I worked for the passenger Olfice there anymore. But they put bariers be on the other's train it worked out real agent, named Frank Massi. At the time, up around it and it was kind ol interesting well. he was at home recovering fror.n a heaft it made for good sightseeing. Alan: Do you remember the Seaboard guy attack, but when he came back, he called Alan: Did most of the trains still run on you worked with? me in, and I'll never forget what he said. time that day'? Do you remember? Jack: Oh sure, that was Bobby Marlin, "Jack, you're doing a goodjob down there

Jack Freed's ACL Passenger Service Careen Part I 77 at the terminal. But let me tell you one that the people who were coming through because we had a lot of group trallic thing if you make a mistake, I'll back Washington had an opportunity to take the southbound out of Washington. I recall you Lrp- I'll take care of it. Don't make later train, wl.rich was Ihe Miatnian at two that we had lots of groups from Detroit ofl the same- mistake twice." He was such a in the afternoon, or the Champion which the B&O Railroad. II was an interesting nice man. departed at night. The Iayover gave them situation. Alan: Did your boss work out of the an opporlunity to go to Capitol Hill to meet Alan: When you were in the station as a terminal too? their representatives or do some sightseeing. travel agent, which trains would you meet'? Jack: No, Mr. Massi's ottce was located They could have six or seven hours to really Jack: I would generally start ir.r early at the Atlantic Coast Line city ticket office enjoy Washington. afternoon and meet all the trains that on Connecticut Avenue. I would go down Alan: Did Atlantic Coast Line and required reservations. I didn't have to meet there every day and work 'til I had to report Seaboard operate the same number oltrains the morning train, the Everglades. It was a to the station. It was a kind of interesting job each day? local train that required no reser\ations in and you met a lot of people working on the Jack: About the same amount. I think coach, although it did ca:ny a sleeper. Ifyou railroad. Coast Line had a couple more, especially took the later train, the Champion, you'd get Alan: What kind of help did people in the winter. there just about the same time because the generally need? Alan: Did Seaboard have an equivalent Everglades took care ol a lot of the local Jack: Well, the first thing they generally Io Ihe Florida Special in the winter? stations. would want to know is if the train was on Jack: Yes, they had what they called the Then we had the early aftemoon train, the time; next would be what track it was on; Orange Blossom Special there's a song Mictmian, and in late aftemoon, lhe Florida and, finally, where could they go to get about the Orange Blossom Special. That was Special, which was strictly a winter train. ln something to eat. If they had maybe two their equivalent to the F/orida Special.Then addition tothe Florida Special., we also had or three honrs between trains, they would they had, of course, the Silver Meteor,which another winter train called the Vacationer also want to know where they could go in was equivalent to the Chompion. They had a that was al1-hear'lweight equipment - good Washington to see something and still make second , the Silver Star, and we train though. Then we had the Ch.ampion - had trains as well the West Coctst and the two Champions and later on at night, it back in time to catch their train. two - Alan: So how long were you in that job? the East Coast Champion. we had the Havana Special. Jack: Two and a half years. It was a great Alan: They had the Silver to We also had morning, afternoon, and job. I met every train, especially the main Atlanta. The ACL didn't go to Atlanta? evening service into Wilmington, North ones going south. Going north, the trains Jack: No, the only way we went through Carolina, on the Hctvana Special, lhe rolled over to the , so Atlanta on the Coast Line was on our L&N Palmetto, and the Everglades.The Havana I didn't have to be there for that, unless there connection. Special and the Palmetto provided iocal was some special reason to be there to Alan: What about the Florida Special? service and a sleeper. I guess that these meet somebody or something like that.- Jack: It was an early evening train. In the trains were scheduled basically because our Going south they were already onboard the winter we were still running the Miamian headquarlers at the time was in Wilmington. Pennsylvania train coming from New York, or they would be boarding in Washington. I wor-rld know who the passengers were and whether they needed special attention ofany kind. Aiso, we would meet all the people going south off the B&O Railroad, because they didn't have direct through service with us the way the Pennsylvania Railroad did. AIan: What B&O trains did they generally arrive on to make their connections? Jack: They would come in mostly on the Cctpitol Lintited or the Columbian in the morning. The was all- Pullrnan, and the Columbian was a coach train. Alan: Then they'd have a layover and take an afternoon train? Jack: That was the great thing about it. This group photo shows staff from ACL's Washington city ticket office in 1948. ln They'd get in around 8:30 in the morning the front row are, left to right: Bob Dent, Clerk; Kenny Pullen, TicketAgent; and for those who were using local service Francis Massi, Assistant Traffic Passenger Manager; Frank Alexander, District Sales on the Coast Line, the Everglades left at Manager; unidentified; and Warren Taylor, Ticket Clerk. Standing, left to right, are l0:30a.r,r, so it was a good connection lor Pat Riley, Depot PassengerAgent, and five unidentified staff from the freight traffic was also good from the standpoint photo, ACL & SAL HS collection them. It office. -ACL 3rd Quarter zol3 Alan: So what was the best train in the arrived from New York, the passenger being in unilorm. Well, the lurlough tickets winter? representative who rode the trains would were not good for a civilian because they Jack: The Florida Special, no question. give me the "diagram," which was a card were discounted tickets that were given to Alan: So what was lhe Florida Special showing which spaces in each car on the soldiers. I never knew who they were, and a like in the early 50s? train were occr.rpied. Once I looked at the couple of times I ran into problems where I Jack: It was a good train it was a good diagram, I cor-rld see which seats were had to make a decisiolr as to whether or not I train. lt starled offas all-Pullman,- but added available. I would stand at the gate, and was going to let them on the train. Normally coaches in 1959. We would have notable as people came through, their tickets were they always got on. people on the train Jackie Gleason with checked. Then I would assign seats, if Alan: Did you have to deal with a lot of his band. available, to those passengers waiting fbr complaints or were people lairly satisfied? Alan: How crowded were the trains? space. There were times when I couldn't Jack: They were pretty well satisfied. Jack: They were packed. Pullman find space, br"rt I always made sure that they Often, we would be informed that "impofiant reservations were especially hard to get at were put on the train in the until people," so to speak, were on the train the time. People would come in hoping to get they could be accommodated. and we were told to show them some reserr ations when there \\ ere no reser\ ations People would sometimes come up and special attention. This would often involve to be had. So. when the southbound trains show a military furlough ticket without delivering newspapers, flowers, or other things to their room while the train was stopped at the station. Alan: Who was the station master? Jack: The station master was Paul Dow. He was a nice, easygoing guy, unless something went wrong, and then he was like Napoleon he kept the boys hopping, but a nice fellow.- Alan: Did you ever meet the president of the railroad? Jack: We had a president named Champ Davis nice, elderly man. l'11 never forget, Mr. Massi- told me, "Now Jack, you're going to be down at the terminal and you'll meet a lot of people, and sometime or another you're going meet Mr. Davis." He said if This mid-1920s view of Washington Union Station shows how city streetcars once Mr. Davis asks you a question, and you came right to the front door. The enormous concourse was the site of additional know the answer, you tell him, but if you ticket booths set up to handle wartime passengers. The station thrives today as a don't know the answer, just tell him you major hub forAmtrak. Scheer collection don't know because he's not going to ask -Frank you any question that he doesn't already know the answer to. I'll never forget that. I met him a couple times. He'd get off the train and he walked with a cane. Lots olpeople were scared of Mr. Davis. I never understood why he was just such a nice man. But anyway, one day he got off the train with his cane and he said to me, "I'm going upstairs to get a newspaper, don't let the train leave without me." And I said "Yes, sir." So I'll never forget, the station master at that time was a man named Robertson, but we'd call him Robby. I said, "Robby, don't let this train go I until I tell you." He says, "Ok Jack, I won't!" Mr. Davis made his employees walk the line. His goal was to make sure that the Atlantic Coast Line was the best railroad in "&.. the East and the smoothest railroad. He This wartime photo of the Washington Union Station concourse shows one of the spent a lot of his money to keep the roadbed additional ticket booths that was set up to handle the surge of passengers. Jack real smooth and it was it really was. @ Freed collection - Freed often worked one of these booths. -Alan

Jack Freed's AEL Passenger Service tareer, Part I ?9