William Lorenz Pope, Sr

My father, William Lorenz Pope, Sr, (“Willie” “Little Man”) began his career with the NC&StL in 1937.  I found letters he wrote to my mother from Paducah, KY, on NC&StL stationary so am assuming that he went there to “train” to be a fireman.  He left the railroad for a short period of time, returned to Lexington, TN, but railroading was in his blood.  He worked for Gulf Oil in Lexington during this period of time.  I was told by Mrs. Latta, whose husband (Malcolm Latta) later became the watch master at Nashville’s Union Station, that when I began to crawl I went across the floor when I heard the train by nearby.  She said he was so excited.   He moved to Nashville in 1940 and my mother and older brother followed the next year.

During WW II he was exempt from serving due to his position as a fireman.  He hauled troops and equipment all along the N C St L lines during this period of time.  I don’t know exactly when but he became an engineer on steam engines, later diesels and eventually worked for the L & N.  I liked for us to pick him up at the station during the war as I would be picked on by the soldiers going through the area.  After the war he was an engineer on passenger and freight trains until his retirement.  When I got older, if he was on a passenger train I would stand on the viaduct at the station to wave at him.  After the train came to a stop the fellow working the gate in the center of the viaduct would let me go down and wait for Daddy to come from the wash room and we’d go up the steps together.  When he went in and out of “Cedar Street” I had to wait in the car as I was not allowed to go up the hill where the men went in and out.

During his railroad career he ran out of Nashville to Bruceton and Chattanooga.  He had what I called the “Midnight Run to Bruceton” where he went to Bruceton and then brought a train back to Nashville that had originated in Memphis.  I made this trip with him a couple of times riding in the engine with him.

He too was a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and I can remember the strike.  It was nice having him home during that period of time but I am sure he would rather have been out working.

Like all N C & StL dependents we could ride the train for free.  My mother’s parents lived just outside of Lexington at a “whistle stop” called Timberlake.  I can remember it was the 5th stop after we left Bruceton & Hollow Rock.  I counted them off, i.e, Beuna Vista, Westport, Yuma, Wildersville & then Timberlake, and just beyond Lexington was Luray where my father’s grandparents lived.  The conductor would pull the brake cord, the passenger train would stop, we would get off and spend several days or a week with my grandparents.  When we were ready to return to Nashville my grandfather would go out with his white handkerchief and flag down the train, we’d climb on and return to Nashville.  If it was after dark he would use a lantern to flag the train.  I also rode the City of Memphis several times to and from Nashville and Lexington.

• Daddy’s first trip was August 24, 1928 on H6A 2-8-0.  There is a picture of this engine # 375, in Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Ry. History and Steam Locomotives by Richard E Prince, while it was in switching service in Memphis about 1947.
• On the cover of the N.C.&St.L. Ry. Bulletin is one of the publicity photos of the City of Memphis taken by H C. Hill.  Daddy wrote on it that the picture was taken May 8th, 1947, W. L. Pope, Engineer, H. C. Hall, Fireman.
• On September 13, 1953, Daddy drove engine # 576 into Centennial Park and parked it where it sits today.
• On January 4, 1953, history was made when the last NC&StL steam engine #406, a 2-8-0  made its last passenger train operated from Bruceton-Union City line.  Daddy went back to the position of Fireman and C. W. Morrow was the Engineer.  According to the NC&StL Bulletin dated February 1953 “While a delayed departure from Bruceton of some 45 minutes made the arrival at Union city somewhat late, as the final mile into the bustling West Tennessee town was reached, however, Engineer Morrow used up much of the remaining steam to play a swan-song on No. 40’s whistle, a sound long familiar to all within hearing.”
• In November 1970 Daddy dead-headed out of Nashville for Chattanooga.  There he became
  the engineer of the Howard Baker steam engine train which on its political run from Chattanooga to Nashville.

Submitted by Betty P. Redmond (daughter)