On-Line Memorial to Homer Henry

Introduction

Homer Henry, a former Santa Fe operating department officer, past away on 27 January 2004 in Chicago, IL at the young age of 54.

This website is dedicated to the man who spearheaded the return of the red and silver Warbonnet livery on Santa Fe's locomotives, and had so many other positive effects on the AT&SF.

Background

Homer Henry was born in La Follette, Tennessee, on 01 July 1950. He grew up in an Air Force family, primarily in Southern California. He earned Eagle status while in the Boy Scouts. Homer did his undergraduate work in Economics and Physics at the University of California, where he earned an MBA degree in Corporate Finance, and then certification in International Economics at the University of Southern California. Homer had also joined the United States Air Force where he was an international pilot.

On the Santa Fe

While in college, Mr. Henry joined the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway, and became a locomotive engineer on the Los Angeles Division. In late 1980 to early 1981, Paul Nash, then assistant superintendent at San Bernardino, selected Homer to be the road foreman of engines at Barstow, and thus responsible for the Needles Distrct.

Homer was chosen for the position in order to clean up the Needles District after a May 1980 collision at Pisgah claimed the life a conductor. While at this position, he became famous for conducting efficiency tests at any and all hours of the day, as well as on weekends and holidays. He employed an "element of surprise" tactic, and his morale boosting "professional engineer" program caught senior Santa Fe management's attention.

After Homer attained his degree in Corporate Finance, he was promoted to several supervisory positions, and eventually landed a system position at Santa Fe's Schaumberg, Illinois, headquarters. In the late 1980s, he was notably responsible for the development of the U.S. version of the locomotive "safety cab". Although Union Pacific often, and wrongly, takes credit for the initial use of safety cabs, the Santa Fe Super Fleet EMD GP60Ms and GE Dash 8-40BWs were on order long before a single Union Pacific locomotive was ever delivered with the U.S. version of the safety cab.

Homer was an immense help with the San Bernardino Rail Historical Society's efforts to get 4-8-4 #3751 out onto the high iron in 1991 where the locomotive took a trip to Bakersfield and back. Homer was again instrumental in getting the locomotive utilized to pull the 1992 Santa Fe Employee Appreciation Special from Los Angeles to Chicago, and back.

There were other areas within the Santa Fe which received Homer's professional stamp. He helped boost awareness of railroad crossing safety efforts by being the engineer on locomotives utilized in several "crash demonstrations" organized for various news media. He spearheaded then ATSF President Michael Haverty's 1989 reintroduction of the red and silver Warbonnet paint scheme to the motive power fleet in order to gain additional attention within the intermodal market as the Santa Fe turned itself around in the early 1990's. He also was a collaborating figure in designating the newly swapped Amtrak SDP40F locomotives to be "SDF40-2's" (5250-class). He also worked to improve engineer training programs at the training center at Lenexa, Kansas, as well as labor agreements, and also upgraded the business car staff.

Beyond the AT&SF

Homer Henry, having been the Assistant Vice President of Transportation, departed the Santa Fe in late 1993 to become an entrepreneur. He owned and operated a locomotive engineer certification company, Transportation Certification Services, Inc., as well as a railroad temporary company, RailTemps Inc., and also Rail-Tech Productions, Inc. which aided Hollywood film projects. Homer also opened a hobby shop in Wheaton, Illinois. Homer also lectured in several countries on transportation logistic changes, and well as conducted multiple seminars for executives on railroad utilization and strategic planning.

Homer was also a model railroader, and also built plastic model kits, mostly of military aircraft. Homer also had a love of speed, whether it be cars or trains.

He will be greatly missed.

Photo Gallery

Homer Henry		Homer Henry

Click for full size		Click for full size

Acknowledgements

QStation.org would like to thank Terese M. Jones for all of her help and permission with this on-line memorial to Homer Henry. Without her unselfish aid, this site would not be possible.

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