My Personal Background and Professional Information

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The Professional Information


Ah, pardon me while I pat myself on the back awhile! The primary purpose of this particular web page is to brag about myself and my many accomplishments. That shouldn't take too long!
First and foremost, I am a Locomotive Engineer for the BNSF Railroad working out of Temple, Texas. I've been doing that for about 30 years now. But it wasn't always that way. I started out working for the AT&SF as a trackman in September of 1975 at 18 years old. After four months of doing that I became a brakeman and switchman which I worked as for about two and a half years, both at Temple and out of Winslow, Arizona. Finally, at 21 years old, I realized my life's dream and became a Locomotive Engineer.

There were several times during my railroading career that I became unemployed due to business levels being slow. As a brakeman, I got furloughed for six months before landing a job with the AT&SF as a switchman in Winslow, Arizona. I worked there for about six months before getting called back to work at "home", which was Temple. The most exciting time of my life happened shortly after getting married and having a child -- I was furloughed as an Engineer on December 11th, 1985, one of those dates you just never forget. Anyway, this caused me to eventually end up in Anchorage, Alaska, working the summer of 1986 on the Alaska Railroad -- truly one of the most exciting and best experiences of my life. Sometimes I wish I had stayed on with the ARR.

After returning to the lower 48, I landed a job with the Austin & Northwestern Railroad, a newly formed subsidiary of RailTex. The A&NW was just one of many shortline railroads springing up around the country at the time. While with the RailTex organization I assisted in starting up several other shortlines, such as the South Carolina Central, the Texas & New Mexico, the Texas Northeastern and the Carolina Piedmont. I also made over seven employee timetables for several different railroads and did operating rules training and examiner work, as well as just Locomotive Engineer and groundman training. It was an interesting and rewarding time (about four years, off and on) and a time I occasionally miss, even though it wasn't all fun and games. I still welcome work of this nature though, in the end, I'm JUST A HOGHEAD.

Finally, about 1990, business levels improved and I got back on full time with the Santa Fe and I am now beginning my 33rd year of railroading (as of 09-03-07).



The Personal Side


I always consider this area to be a little silly, so I'll make it brief. I was born July 8th, 1957 in Taunton, Massachusetts and then moved to Florida at an early age. We left Florida when I was about ten years old, moving to Davilla, Texas. I went to school and graduated from Bartlett High School in Bartlett, Texas, and have lived most of the time up until now in the same general geographic area. First Bartlett, then Little River and now Rogers. I was seventeen years old when I got out of High School, and then went to work for the railroad as soon as I turned 18. I've got an older brother who lives, as he puts it, in the "Wonderful Kingdom of Saudi Arabia". My Dad, J. Gordon McKay, died February 20th, 1985. My Mom, passed away January 26th, 2006. I have been married for 23 years (as of June 2007)and have three children, with all three in college, two at Mary Hardin-Baylor University and one at the University of Texas at Austin.


My Mom and Dad circa 1972: Me and my Family:




Photo of me as a wee lad -- long hair and overalls, a precursor of things to come!:



My favorite tobacco smoking pipe, only three times a day, normally after meals: Linkman's Dr. Grabow Pipes

My favorite beer, only two a day when I get the chance: Spoetzl Brewery -- Shiner Beer

My favorite soda water, though I don't often drink sodas: Dr. Pepper -- drink it at 10, 2 & 4


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Created around April 30th, 2001, Last Updated January 4th, 2008 by R.J. McKay

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