Every branch, rock and curve had been given a name, known perhaps only by the men of the Tennessee Railroad. Most landmarks was named by the men that worked on the Tennessee. One such landmark was goat curve. It was named because most all the time Goats were on a cliff across the river, This looked dangerous to me but I never did hear of any falling.
I came back from the Navy WW-2 and went to work at Colditz Brothers Garage It was a dealership for Chrysler/Plymouth and International Harvester and farm machinery. The Tennessee was a good customer of Colditz Brothers, for the Tennessee had a 1941 Plymouth that was used for official business and as a track inspection vehicle. It would leave before the train and see if the track was safe for the train to operate on. Most of the time the track supervisor and railroad detective would go in the inspection vehicle. This was important for the track ran in many places between the river and the county road, there were places where one could toss a rock from the county road across the railroad into the river. Very subject to falling rocks and mud slides. A Bus that ran on the rails had a international engine in it. It was used to haul passengers. So parts and labor was from Colditz Brothers. That meant that the mechanics at Colditz would be taking care of repairs to the motor equipment on the Tennessee.
Benton Jones was older than I was and had worked for the Tennessee much more than I had, but Benton was about ready to retire. He had taught me a lot about mechanics. I guess the railroad picked me because I was younger and could serve them much longer.
One day I was home when Oran Holloway came to my house and told me that the Tennessee was buying some diesel locomotives and they was considering me as a mechanic on them and he ask that I go see Sam Blair the general manager of the Tennessee and Walter Morris the master mechanic about the job.
At my interview I told them " I don’t know anything about a diesel locomotive" I had worked on saw mill units that was diesel but that was a long way from a locomotive. However they assured me that we would have some training on the job, that a man from the Bay line in Florida "Where they had bought some used 1000 HP Alco locomotives" would come and stay a while with us to teach us about them. I told them that I would take the job. Now Colditz had been very good to me and I kinda hated to tell them but I gave them notice and told them what had happened. They told me that they felt I was bettering myself and I was for I was making $1.25 per hour at Colditz and now I was starting at $1.63 per hour at the railroad. Besides the railroad had better benefits and a good pension plan. Of course I would never live to get that, for it was so far off and I was just a young man, only 31 years old.
So I reported to work at the Tennessee Railroad shop in Oneida Tennessee. I was to maintain the diesel engine and all mechanical parts and Clayton Lloyd was to maintain the Electrical and there is lots of electrical on a locomotive. Of course we all worked together. Except we was not to help any with the steam locomotives that were there and would remain for some time. The older men did not feel too good about the diesels taking their job, so it would add to the tension if we did anything on the steamers, we would not have known how to work on them anyway. Sam Blair was the General manager of the railroad and Tom Gentry was assistant to Blair. Oran Holloway was chief dispatcher, Walter Morris was Master Mechanic.
We was allowed to go up the railroad on the trains and I really enjoyed this, well err that is until. In the Navy I always wore my shirt unbuttoned. Navy style! I was riding the front of the engine, and the fresh air was blowing in my face. Well along came mister bumble bee and ended up under my shirt, He let me know that he didn’t like it there. I wanted him out really bad too. We was both glad when we parted company. I wish we had never met! After that the ride was nice. There was a lot of interesting sights to be see. Of course there was coal loading facilities and pretty mountains, The old water tanks that was so necessary for operation of the steam engines, swinging bridges across the river.
This was rough country! Many times the section gangs would kill copperheads & rattlesnakes. Sometimes when I was not too busy I would go up with them in the inspection car (the 1941 Plymouth that had been modified to run on the rails) We would get far enough ahead of the train to do a little fishing or once I remember taking a rifle and killing a bob cat, I was with Odie Phillips that day.
I had not worked there very long until I was ask by Mr Blair if I would take the Master Mechanics position. I told him I didn’t think we would get along. We was both bull headed, but he said lets give it a try! So we did. I will always remember some advice he gave me. "John, I have took notice, when some people get a boss position they grow up. But some swell up. I think you will grow up". I have repeated that statement many times in life and have noticed how true it is. I always tried to bring this to mind and apply it to my life. Mr Blair was always good to me. And I think he tried extra hard to get along with me. He ended up being a good friend and great boss.
After several years I got word that Mr Blair had died. That was a great loss to the Railroad, for it was his life. He knew the big boss, Mr Spencer in Washington and would walk into his office like he owned the place, ask for and got most anything he wanted. He was so dedicated to the railroad, when he died he had signed personally for a tank of fuel to use in the engines. The railroad was in financial trouble at that time. Earlier one morning Mr Blair came down to the shop and made an announcement, "As of now, all salary employees will be reduced in pay by one half, including myself, until we can get things going again." All except one man went along with his plan. And after some time we was brought back up to full pay. But never did get any back pay. You see we all loved that old Railroad and the men that worked for it. Mr Blair once said, we know every man well enough that we know how he likes his bacon and eggs fixed for breakfast.
Mr Tom Gentry replaced Mr Blair, I knew Tom not only as a boss but a good friend, a fishing and hunting buddy. I was pleased to see him get the job. Things went on pretty good for a while but the news broke that the Southern Railway was buying out the Tennessee Railroad. That was sad news.
Photo by Mike Garrett
This is a picture of me riding the Alco engines out of Tennessee Railroad yard for the last time. September 26, 1973 5:16 PM
For one thing the shop force would be no longer used there. So myself, John Puckett, Tim Jeffers and Charley Burton would be transferred, or they would buy out our jobs. The rest of them went to Chattanooga I was the only one to go to Knoxville. Puckett retired and went back to Oneida and lived there until his recent death, Tim, Retired and continued to live in Chattanooga, Charley Still working. Retha and I always talked about , when we retired and went back to Oneida. But that got further away as the years went by. Thirty of them! We still live in Powell, the same place we bought when we came to Knoxville.
Since that time, much has happened. All the men that was in the shop when I first went there, are dead. All the train men that was there when I was are dead. It will soon be 50 years since I first went to work there.
I went across Fork Mountain not so long ago. I could not hardly find my way. One old water tank is left at Beach Fork. Section houses gone. Isn’t it funny how everything changes, except me!
By: John Ray Partin
Southern Railway engines moving in as Tennessee Railroad engines are moving out.(Photo by Tom Gentry)
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