Re: LUCIUS BEEBE: December 9, 1902 – February 4, 1966

To say that Lucius Beebe had a profound effect upon many of us would be a huge understatement.

One of the most prolific and least known railroad photographers is a gentleman named Gordon Crowell. I had the pleasure of meeting him several years ago when he donated his color photographs taken in 1953 at Long Leaf, LA to the Southern Forest Heritage Museum. He told me the story of growing up in Reno, and actually knowing both Beebe and Clegg, and getting one of the first editions of Mixed Train Daily and having them sign it. The real influence of Beebe on Gordon was in 1953, when, fresh out of College in California, Gordon landed a job with GE in Rochester, NY. GE did not need him until the end of the summer, so Gordon decided to duplicate Beebe's travels for MTD on his way to NY. Buying both color and B&W film in bulk because he could afford it that way, he spent the entire trip, getting under a blanket in what ever room that he could rent, unloading the film from cameras, and film containers and storing it in light proof containers, cutting bulk film to length and reloading his film container for the next day. As an engineer, he shot a color wheel picture in the morning and every evening so that he could get the color correct years later. As I remember it, he told me that he shot over 5000 photos on that trip. When I visited him, all of those photographs were in albums and you could name a railroad and he could go directly to the album and every photo that he shot was in there.

Truly a remarkable railroad photographer (and photographer in general) who is virtually unknown today, but would not have done what he did, but for his friendship with Beebe.

Years ago, I purchased also for the museum, the collection of shots by taken by Clegg at Long Leaf in 1945. The two pictures taken of the Crowell and Spencer engines and his discussion of the Red River and Gulf RR, ultimately got me to Long Leaf where I have spent a great portion of the last 10 years as a volunteer. The photos taken by Clegg are remarkable and are unique as they were taken just one month after the abandonment of much of the RR&G and contribute much to our knowlege of the railroad.

One of those pictures though, is unique in and of itself, and I hope that the California Railroad Museum will not take exception to me posting it here. It is a picture of Crowell Long Leaf Lumber #400, still letter for its predecessor company, dumping logs in the Long Leaf log pond in October, 1945, In the picture we see the log train, the machine shop at Long Leaf (still there) and several individuals. There are a pair of Crowell employees, and in the far distance, wearing coat and hat is the president of Crowell Long Leaf, R. D. Crowell, who was LB's escort. At the far right, Clegg caught Beebe in his travelling attire. I have always thought that this picture captured the essence of the man. In the middle of nowhere, chasing his dream, but still unique.