This week I officially retired from the Norfolk Southern as Engineer, ending more than 130 years of continuous railroading by my family .
It all started with my Great Granddad William Collin McLaughlin in the late (1880's - 1920's ) as fireman/Engineer , Granddad as machinist (1912-1965 ) ,my late father as machinist (1962-2003 ) and myself as brakeman/conductor/Engineer (1991-2022 )
There was several members of my fathers family whom worked for the railroads like his brother as brakeman / conductor and one uncle as Superintendent , and several others .
My two sons have chosen other career paths at this time other than the railroad , but who knows maybe they'll change their minds in the future .
I can remember fondly how excited my Grandmother (dads mother ) was when i told her I had hired on the railroad . So was my father who worked on the C&0 - Chessie - CSX and his brother who retired from the NS after going thru the Virginian-Norfolk Western mergers and then the formation of the NS.
I also remember back when my father and his brother told me what changes I would see in the years I would work for the railroad , And yes , I did see quiet a bit of changes in just 32 years . From four man crews when I hired to the two men crews we have today . From operating locomotives older than I was to the modern day electronic everything onboard running the train for you .
I guess that's the one change that really got me down with the job , was taking the control of the train out of your hands . I will never believe that a computer can run a train better than a human . Seems there's more derailments in the last five years since these computer formatted train operation programs have been implemented .
So now I'll just set back and watch and listen to the daily operations of the industry I was so proud of being a part of . I pray the men and women of the rails safe travels .
I've tied the engine down for the last time 
