Spring Break
SJSU sophomore publishes book
Train enthusiast explores history
Mark Powell
Issue date: 1/30/07 Section: News
"The mechanics and rich history behind the old steam engines was just fascinating to him," Joanne Kelley said.
By age 13, her son was already doing track work around Los Gatos, learning from others who helped him along in learning even more about steam. Kelley was on his way to figuring out not only how to maintain these running pieces of history, but to one day operate them on his own.
However, there was no place for Kelley to satisfy his interest in everything steam engine when the family moved back to New York during high school.
"I did some track work there, but there was no real involvement," Kelley said.
Without any tangible participation in the steam engine industry Kelley began researching the world he loved, writing articles for the Grand Scales Quarterly, a steam engine magazine.
He even started his own online publication dedicated to the railway system.
After high school, Kelley made the decision to leave New York a second time to travel back to the West Coast in hopes of immersing himself in the steam locomotive realm once more.
"California was all he really knew," Kelley's parents wrote via email. "And when we moved to New York he missed a lot of his friends, the nice weather, the landscape, and there weren't any nearby places where he could learn to work on steam."
"Like any parents, it was sad that he chose to go to school so far away from us, but we respect his decision and he seems to be having a great time."
And for the last two years Edward Kelley has had nothing but a great time, learning to run and operate the trains he watched and read about all his life.
Kelley works and volunteers on rail lines at Niles Canyon in Sunol, as well as the Pacific Coast Railroad in Santa Margarita.
Kelley works as a fireman, whose job in the steam world includes making sure the engine keeps running properly and safely. The duties of a fireman involve more than just shoveling coal, Kelley said.
"If you screw up, it will kill you," he said. "You have to have a very wide attention span. You can't doze off. There are many ways of doing it, but only one that's right."
It became obvious that Kelley not only had obtained a large amount of knowledge about the steam engine, but also even knew how to operate one, becoming a certified fireman on his 19th birthday.
Perhaps this is why hundreds of fellow train enthusiasts from as far away as San Luis Obispo showed up to the Dec. 7, 2006 book signing at the Los Gatos Town Council Chambers. Between 200 and 250 was the approximate number of people in attendance, according to Kelley, over-filling the event by about 100 guests.
To Kelley, those kinds of people have made, and will continue to make, all the difference.
"Railroads don't run on tracks they run on people," Kelley said. "The goal of this book was to pay tribute to the people behind the steam lines."
By age 13, her son was already doing track work around Los Gatos, learning from others who helped him along in learning even more about steam. Kelley was on his way to figuring out not only how to maintain these running pieces of history, but to one day operate them on his own.
However, there was no place for Kelley to satisfy his interest in everything steam engine when the family moved back to New York during high school.
"I did some track work there, but there was no real involvement," Kelley said.
Without any tangible participation in the steam engine industry Kelley began researching the world he loved, writing articles for the Grand Scales Quarterly, a steam engine magazine.
He even started his own online publication dedicated to the railway system.
After high school, Kelley made the decision to leave New York a second time to travel back to the West Coast in hopes of immersing himself in the steam locomotive realm once more.
"California was all he really knew," Kelley's parents wrote via email. "And when we moved to New York he missed a lot of his friends, the nice weather, the landscape, and there weren't any nearby places where he could learn to work on steam."
"Like any parents, it was sad that he chose to go to school so far away from us, but we respect his decision and he seems to be having a great time."
And for the last two years Edward Kelley has had nothing but a great time, learning to run and operate the trains he watched and read about all his life.
Kelley works and volunteers on rail lines at Niles Canyon in Sunol, as well as the Pacific Coast Railroad in Santa Margarita.
Kelley works as a fireman, whose job in the steam world includes making sure the engine keeps running properly and safely. The duties of a fireman involve more than just shoveling coal, Kelley said.
"If you screw up, it will kill you," he said. "You have to have a very wide attention span. You can't doze off. There are many ways of doing it, but only one that's right."
It became obvious that Kelley not only had obtained a large amount of knowledge about the steam engine, but also even knew how to operate one, becoming a certified fireman on his 19th birthday.
Perhaps this is why hundreds of fellow train enthusiasts from as far away as San Luis Obispo showed up to the Dec. 7, 2006 book signing at the Los Gatos Town Council Chambers. Between 200 and 250 was the approximate number of people in attendance, according to Kelley, over-filling the event by about 100 guests.
To Kelley, those kinds of people have made, and will continue to make, all the difference.
"Railroads don't run on tracks they run on people," Kelley said. "The goal of this book was to pay tribute to the people behind the steam lines."
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