Re: Dan Ranger's last ride

Dan Ranger was standing on the platform of the Lahaina Train Station on a June afternoon in 1975 with Lynn Cecil, VP of Kyle Railways, coordinating his becoming the General Manager of the Lahaina , Kaanapali and Pacific Railroad, when I first met him. I was engineer on "Myrtle":that day. I could write a book on adventures with Dan over the next 40 years.

In 1982, after a week of fitting and welding a new rear tube sheet in "Myrtle", Dan invited me to spend the weekend at his house up in Pukalani. After Sunday morning breakfast, I was describing how I got started with steam. I told him about my first Trains magazine at the age of 10. It had an article about BIG STEAM by Bob LeMassena. I carried it around for 3 months and memorized it cover to cover. My second Trains had an article about the SP Cab Forwards. I told him about how I carried that issue every day for 6 weeks and memorized it cover to cover. He leaned back in his chair, put his hands behind his head and with a huge smile, ear to ear, proclaimed, "I WROTE, that article!" I had not realized the connection until that moment.

An interesting historical footnote in the age of 21st century steam is that for a time, three generations of Rangers worked in Cheyenne on the new firebox installation of the UPRR #844.

Rangers left to right are David A. Ranger(son), Dan Ranger and Daniel I. Ranger(grandson).





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/2016 02:20AM by M Austin.