I just wanted to give everyone a report on Bob Richardson’s East Coast Memorial Service, held last Saturday in Bellafonte, PA. I knew I could not take the time off from work to go to Golden in May, so I planned to go to this service, put on by Bob’s nephews, to pay my respects and remember Bob.
I was surprised when Rick, the nephew, asked me to say a few words at the service. I figured that there would be a whole lot of people there who would know a lot more stories than myself about Bob. Bob was a member of the ET&WNC RR Historical Society from almost the time of its inception, and he had visited the Tweetsie as a young railfan in 1936 and 1942. In fact, he had told me about the 1936 trip in Durango last August, going into great detail about the trip, even though it was almost 70 years to the day since the trip. Bob’s memory was incredible. So I had a good story or two.
I traveled Friday night to Manassas VA and spent the night with another friend of Bobs, Curtis Brookshire. Curtis was a volunteer at the museum in the late 70s and early 80s, and planned to go with me to the service. Curtis is now an official in Manassas for Norfolk Southern. All told, the round trip for me was about 1,500 miles.
We got to the service just a few minutes before it started. And that is when I was surprised. There were just a handful of people there. Throughout the service, I learned that most of the people in the room were part of a water walking class that Bob had been a member of for many years during his retirement. It seems he made great friends wherever he went. All told, there were three people there who were there because of his railroad influence, myself, Curtis, and a Craig (sorry the last name escapes me at the moment), who was involved at the museum and currently works at Steamtown. We were all asked to say a few words, and all of us were free to share how important Bob was to us.
Bob’s relatives were very friendly and were glad we were there. They had personally fixed food for 200+ people, and there were only about 40 there. They had put together a wonderful DVD program, with words written by Bob and his family spoken over photos Bob took over the years. Very nicely done. They also gave all of us packs of chewing gum that Bob had bought. It seems he never went anywhere without plenty of gum in his pocket. I will certainly treasure that gum. The family should be commended for going to so much trouble to put on a service here in the east.
I am at a loss to understand why more railroad people did not attend. I was very disappointed, for to me Bob was probably the most important person in the history of narrow gauge preservation, bar none. I would submit that if he was not pushing the Silverton train in the Fifties in the Narrow Gauge News, and at the Narrow Gauge Motel, there might not have been enough riders to save it from ICC abandonment when the Grande tried it the first time. And without the Silverton, the C&TS might never have been thought of. Of course, without the real thing still running, HOn3 modeling might not exist as it does today either. For his service to be so unattended is a poor statement on our world today.
I certainly hope that the service in Golden is better attended. I’m sure that the magazines will cover that event, and everyone who is anyone will be there. I just know I won’t be there. And it was my understanding that most of the family can not attend the May event either. I wish all of you could have met them. They certainly seemed to have a part of their uncle Bob in them. I know I will treasure this trip and this service for the rest of my life.
What seemed to be the common denominator at the event was that it was still hard to believe he was gone. He was healthy almost to the last day, and still had a keen mind. They said he drove everywhere because the rental car companies wouldn’t rent him a car at his age. Their loss.
Good bye Bob. May the trains always run on time, and always be three foot gauge.
Johnny Graybeal
ET&WNC RR Historical Society President
