OK, here ya go.

This happened in late 1966 or early 1967. I'm just going to copy-and-paste what I posted on Facebook, so some (perhaps much) of the terminology will likely be Greek to most AP readers.

-> He was also an RFE. Great guy, and highly respected.

I first met him in the 1960's when he was firing for John Simpson on 99-98-75-76.

R.I.P.

Trivia / Fun Fact: He was the engineer on the infamous/unofficial "Last Run of the Alco PA's" on the San Joaquin Daylight. Normally 51 and 52 were assigned EMD F units during that time, but one day two of the F's apparently became unavailable in Oakland, so the West Oakland Diesel Shop substituted two PA's on 52. At Bakersfield, F7A #6190 - itself locally famous for being the last Passenger F to still having two A-200 single-bell horns - was added to the point.

52 made it to LA without trouble, and Taylor Roundhouse turned the entire locomotive consist back on the next morning's 51. Jack caught 51 that morning as the engineer.

All went well until the train reached Soledad Canyon, and the locomotive consist suffered a catastrophic failure, with the rear of the train stopping in a tunnel.

Efforts to resolve the issue were unsuccessful, and eventually two freight units from the TF pool off a freight train rescued 51, which arrived in BAK rather late.

Market Street wanted answers, of course, and the cause was blamed on a failure in the nose m.u. receptacle on one of the PA's.

In summer 1967, the SDP45's arrived and the remaining PA's were retired anyway, but Jack - who was aware of their 'historical significance' - was forever after jokingly referred to as "the PA Killer." :) <-