Lou Schuyler, retired SP Western Division engineer, passed away yesterday. He was in his mid-90's.

He was the person most responsible for saving from abandonment SP's branch line (known variously as the Calistoga Branch, St. Helena Branch and Napa Branch) that is today's Napa Valley Railroad upon which the Napa Valley Wine Train operates. After retiring from SP, he became NVR's senior engineer and Road Foreman of Engines, until retiring from there a number of years ago.

I frequently worked with Lou after my transfer to the Western Division in 1972, then helped Lou and Ralph Jachens (another ex-SP employee) before Wine Train operations started and they were getting the railroad's operating certification with the FRA.

Lou was a charismatic person with lots of "old head" stories he liked to tell (including how he used to take his annual vacation in late November/early December so he could sell Christmas trees).

In the Nineties when my girlfriend and I would ride the Wine Train, Lou would always insist that we ride in the cab on the return trip.

R.I.P., Lou.