05/14/2026
Time for another story for our …………….
“THROWBACK THURSDAY”
Railroad Motorcar/Speeders :
Back around 2013 I was contacted by a Red Bay, AL area native, the late Dennis Childers.
Dennis had retired years earlier from the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad. He was a family friend, and a Red Bay local. My Dad and Dennis were childhood friends and their friendship continued that way through their adulthood.
Dennis asked me to come by his place sometime when I had some free time, to look at some old junk he collected from the RR throughout his long time career. Items he told me that I needed now.
After digging through lots and lots of items and hours of good conversations on railroading, we moved around enough junk to unveil this old speeder. Wow ! These were a staple item for many many years on the railroad, that are now long gone for daily use.
He informed me that this one was used by his track and bridge crew for many years and was always stored and used in the IC yard in Red Bay. Several other locals who worked on the RR used it as well. And he named them all ! He told me the year they brought it to them, and when they got their first hi rail truck to replace it. Also how to work on it, repair, service and etc. He shared that through the years there had been numerous people approach him about purchasing it. But he wanted it to go into the right hands. I felt so honored that he thought of me.
So many good stories of Red Bay, the ICRR and just good RR knowledge came from him that day. A day I will never forget, and I throughly enjoyed. We were there 10-12 hours !
I purchased countless railroad related items from him that day from his vast collection.
But left there with lots of things money can’t buy. Stories of railroads and the countless shenanigans he and my dad got into as teens and young adults. All of which is worth way more than any material things.
We lost Dennis just a few years ago. But his railroad legacy can live on through others, and of course this awesome little speeder.
Dennis had an uncle who also retired from ICRR with over 30 years as an engineer. He was a special friend of mine, treated me like a grandson and supported me in my early years in the industry. Just wait until we post about stories from ole P*e Wee ! He was a hoot.
So, after we meticulously restored the motorcar to mechanical and museum cosmetic quality, (of course we had to test ride it)
I knew it had to stay in Red Bay, since that had always been its home terminal, and to honor a local railroader, and it was just such a cool find !
As of late 2020 the car now sets on a short section of track, in a very special place inside the amazing Red Bay Museum. I will never forget all the fun we had getting the track and the motorcar into the museum for display ! Talk about a tight fit, lots of creative thinking went into this.
If you have not visited it yet, it is a must. Especially for our locals. There is an entire section dedicated to the railroad inside.
Thanks to the wonderful staff at the museum for the excepting of this awesome piece from our private and personal collection and into theirs.
And for helping to preserve a piece of Railroad and Red Bay history !
We know for a fact this is where ole Dennis would have wanted it to be !
Thank you.
