THE OVERLAND ROUTE Union Pacific Railroad
by Ross Grenard and John Krause
Travel back to the glory years of steam on the Union
Pacific,
as seen through the beautiful black & white ac- tion photography of Ross Grenard, Richard Kindig,
Robert Collins, John Krause and others. C60 $12.95 + s&h
TO ORDER CALL: 1-888-526-5365 or on-line at:
www.carstensbookstore.com
Carstens Publications, Inc. The Best Birthday Card, Ever
IN THIS ISSUE we published two great features about famed railroad photographer O. Winston Link, his work, and how it is pre- served. And it’s a fascinating body of work! My first encounter with Link’s artistry was not through the pages of a magazine or the walls of an art gallery, but with the man himself. I grew up in rural Katonah, N.Y., some 41
miles north of the bumping block at Grand Central Terminal. When I was in junior high school, my mom had taken a part time job at a local shopping center as a cashier. Through the most fortunate chain of unlike- ly events, my mom made friends with a woman named Conchita. “She told me her husband takes pictures of trains,” my mom explained to me, “and when I told her how you love trains, she said she would bring some things for you!” I honestly didn’t know what to make of all this, as I didn’t really know anyone who took pictures of trains. True to her word, Conchita and her husband came to visit not too long after, and I was proudly handed a bag of goodies, including a copy of the gallery catalog from Link’s 1983 shows in Europe, several poster prints, and a copy of the July 1987 issue of RAILFAN & RAILROAD featuring a series of Gasoline Al- ley comic strips paying homage to the pho- tographer through a character named “O. Winken Blink.” It was a little overwhelm- ing, but very appreciated by this budding young railfan. Now I was intrigued by this man who “took pictures of trains.” So began a series of visits by Conchita and Winston (as he liked to be called) to our home, as they lived in nearby South Salem. I wish I could tell you I learned the secrets of photography from the master, or even re- count any one of his railroading stories, but I can not. I was eleven, and the only rail- roading I knew was the look-alike commuter trains that served my town. I knew steam engines existed, but the Norfolk & Western might as well have been on the moon, as far as I could comprehend. To be fair, more of- ten than not, the conversation drifted to- wards whatever it is adults like to talk about, and that was rarely trains. One Saturday my mom announced we were going to New Jersey. I assumed that we were going to visit her family, but in- stead was surprised to discover Winston had invited us to see his steam locomotive! Housed in the former Morris County Cen- tral engine house up in Newfoundland was Winston’s ex-Canadian Pacific Ten-Wheeler 453 that he was trying to restore. We met Winston and Conchita, and one of his assis- tants, and got the grand tour. I remember that Link was very proud of his engine and was looking forward to seeing it under steam again some day. I gave him a picture I drew of an N&W steam engine with a wa- ter canteen, and Link lit up when he saw it. That summer, I got another surprise from Winston when he showed up at our house with a birthday present for me! The note in- side reads, “Hey OTTO! This is OGLE! Nee-
54 MAY 2012 •
RAILFAN.COM
dle your
mother to take you to Roanoke, Va. when an engine like 1239 (No. 1218) will be pulling big trains of passenger cars. I believe it will be around Sept. 30 when 1218 will be in the Roanoke area. Also needle her about making a LEMON PIE! Happy Birthday!—Winston” Even though I got this card a couple of weeks after my real birthday (it was dated July 16, 1989), I was still excited to get it. Along with this card was a signed copy of Steam, Steel & Stars as well as several oth- er notecards. He was quite generous and I still treasure those gifts. The “lemon pie” he refers to was his favorite dessert my mom used to make, lemon meringue pie. Unfortunately, not all was rosy in Win- ston’s world. I remember there were times he would come over to our house by himself, “to get away.” My mom later told me that Conchita would call our house looking for Winston, and he’d give the “wave off” sign to indicate that he wasn’t there. On more than one occasion, I remember Link coming to our house to “hide out.”
Many are aware of Winston’s subsequent legal battle with Conchita that resulted in a very messy divorce (see May 1994 RAILFAN& RAILROAD). Eventually Link came out the victor, and Conchita spent time behind bars.
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