LAST ACTIVE LACKAWANNA STEAM ENGINEER TO RETIRE 1-4-02By Pat Lederer, CPH member and Conductor, NJ Transit, Dover NJBill Davidson started on the RR in 1943, for the Erie, in Jersey City, working in the RR shop builings. He spent a few summers there and then went into the service. When he came out, he got a job with the Lackawanna RR, in Hoboken.. that was 11-25-1946. When Bill was hired, in 1946 the oldest of the old time engineers had been hired on or about 1890!!!!! So in essence, the men who trained Bill were running trains in the 19th century! If you look in ANY Lackawanna or Erie Lackawanna railroad book, and look up basically any locomotive, Bill ran it. The Phoebe Snow was a world famous Passenger train on the Lackawanna,
that ran from Hoboken to Buffalo. This train ran until November 1966.
Bill ran this train many times, when the regular engineer was off, as
the railroad works on a senority system. The last Engineer to run this
famous train was Andy Barberra, from Madison NJ, my home town... Barberra
was known throughout the east coast as a die hard professional Lackawanna
engineer, and was constantly in books and writings.. Bill Davidson ran
trains with this man, on and off for 20 years. The last run of the Phoebe,
was the last run for Barberra, who went on running trains for Iron Horse
Rambles, mainly on the NKP Berkshire #759, sister to the New River's #765,
The Morris County Central, in Whippany NJ and later, Steamtown, in Bellows
Falls VT, until his death in 1984. The very Last Lackawanna steam locomotive that ran on the mainline, left Hoboken NJ on June 5th 1953, followed the Boonton line to Dover NJ, and into history books. Bill didnt run this particular trip, but was there when it left. Bill ran steam trains All over the lines of the DL&W,down the Gladstone branch, up to Branchville NJ on the Sussex branch, "abandoned 1966" and he is also the last remaining active train service employee to run trains on the Ancient Rockaway NJ branch, that was abandoned in 1948. The Lackawnna undertook a massive electrification project on the Morris and Essex lines, out of Hoboken, starting in 1929 andcompleted it in 1931. At the throttle of the first electric train in our area, was THOMAS EDISON. A mere 15 years after Edison ran the first train, Bill Davidson was at the controls of the same one. Davidson also knew Tom Taber, former Mayor of Madison NJ, author of many railroad books, and an avid railfan who had a library in the Madison train staion. Mr Taber had a tremendous impact on New Jerseyans and railroaders everywhere. Bill Davidson has been employed over 20,000 days on the Railroad. In the United States, Bill is in the top 5 Locomotive engineers still at his original job for that many years. Actually I think he is #2 in the USA, I believe there is a man out west with about 60 years. I Grew up in Madison, near Bill's house, and lived there until I bought a house in Succasunna NJ in January, 2000. As a kid, growing up in Madison, I began going down to the tracks behind my grandparents house. every day after school.. I started a railroading diary,by tape recording the train going by and waving to the engineers... One afternoon I rode my bike down to the station and met one of these engineers.. He asked me If Id like to take a ride.. I knew right there, thats what i wanted to do.. I began meeting many many of the train crews,a very colorful bunch of guys. They came from all over, The Lackawanna, Erie,E-L , Conrail, Lehigh Valley, and the Central of NJ to name a few. As I befriended so many of these men, they began to take me in, and share their histories with me.. They would tell me old time railroading experiences and id go home and write them down, or just memorize them.. I began to notice one thing though.. Every time I had a question that dated back a bit farther than an engineer or conductor could think of, the answer was simple. "ASK BILL DAVIDSON" Who is that?, I asked... The engineer held his hand high in the air and pointed a #1 sign with his finger. He, Paddy "my nickname to the old timers" is Number one.. He can answer that question. Go ask him.. Little did I know the quest I was embarking upon would lead me to such a terrific, talented man.. I sat and waited on the steps of Hoboken terminal, until another engineer walked by.. I asked him, where could I find Bill Davidson.. He told me, to come with him. We walked up some stairs and thru the huge abandoned Lackawanna ferry terminal waiting room, and to a small door in the middle of nowhere.. He led me in, and I found myself in the middle of the engineers break room.. He pointed to the kitchen area, and said, "Theres #1, kid" Bill Davidson was sitting at the table finishing his lunch. I started asking him a few questions, and was entranced when he spoke of days of old. You would never know by looking at the man, where he had been, or what he had accomplished in his lifetime of railroading. He was quiet, reserved, and just the nicest man you would ever want to meet. I spent the next 10 years being around Bill, and the other crews, who were all so very good to me.. When I turned 18, in 1991, I began trying to get into NJ Transit as an engineer or conductor.. Even though I knew people, It was a huge saga, but I finally got in in 1996, as an Assistant Conductor.By this time, almost all of the older engineers I had known as a kid, were retired, Except one... My first Hoboken Division training assignment was with a real nice fellow.. A conductor, Mr. Kenny Banta, one of the most respected and well known men around.. I introduced myself to Kenny, as he began teaching me the ropes. I told him of my growing up on the railroad, and of the guys I knew. When I got to Bill Davidsons name, His eyes lit up and he pointed to the front of the train.. Curiously, I went up to the front, opened the engineers door, and there was my hero... Bill Davidson..Out of the numberless runs I could have been assigned to for training, I was blessed with the best one of them all. Getting to work with Bill and Kenny was a dream come true for me. I couldnt believe it.. When our breaktime came, Bill's wife, Maryann would pick us up at the Madison train station. When weeks end came around, I was released into the mainstream railroad system, of NJ Transit, working around the clock fill-in jobs all over Northern NJ and Upstate NY. Every time I ended up in Hoboken, up to the engineers room I would go, to find my mentor, my buddy Bill. On my 2nd year on NJT I was promoted to Conductor, and am currently coming into my 6th year, and working a regular run out of Dover NJ, into Penn Station NY. On January 4th 2002, NJ transit is going to loose its most important link to railroading of days of old, and the last active Lackawanna Steam engineer. Bill Davidson's love of what he does has propelled him through a remarkable career, of over 55 years.He has touched many lives and inspired many a railroader, inluding myself. I wouldnt be where I am today if it had not been for Bill Davidson and all of the many Lackawanna men, all my friends, who are now, all but retired. For those of you, along the old Lackawanna line who can remember your folks taking you down to the tracks as a kid, and waving to the engineer in the mighty steam locomotive, Diesel, or Wicker seated Electric, whether it was in the 1940's 50's 60's 70's 80's 90's or January 4th 2002, it just might have been Bill Davidson. Pat Lederer |