Remembering Ray Pimlott, Tilden steam train engineer for over 40 years

"Ray contracted polio as a child while living in Oakland, a disease that had no preventative vaccine nor definitive cure at the time. Due in large part to the tenacity of his parents following treatments prescribed by specialists, Ray survived this mostly debilitating and deadly disease. While confined to his bed, Ray waved to the engineers on the trains that passed by outside his window every day."

"In the mid 1970s, Ray discovered the Redwood Valley Railway, the steam train in Tilden Park. He started as a volunteer but within a few months was certified as a locomotive engineer. That was the beginning of Ray's second career and a calling for the remainder of his life."

"Ultimately, Ray retired from Chevron and the railroad became his full-time passion. He mentored many generations of new engineers over the years as he evolved to become the Redwood Valley Railway's Chief Engineer."

Raymond Leroy Pimlott was born in Oakland in 1933 and developed a passion for trains during childhood, despite contracting polio. His parents' dedication helped him survive the disease. After graduating from Richmond High School in 1951 and Cogswell College with an electronics degree, he served in the U.S. Navy as an electronics technician from 1955 to 1957. He then worked for Chevron Research Company while raising a family in Lafayette with his wife Ruth Ann Watson. In the mid-1970s, Pimlott discovered the Redwood Valley Railway steam train in Tilden Park, volunteering initially before becoming a certified locomotive engineer. He eventually retired from Chevron to pursue railroading full-time, becoming Chief Engineer and mentoring generations of new engineers.

Read at www.berkeleyside.org