Jim Rice retirement
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Jim Rice operates Strasburg Railroad’s Locomotive 89 on one of his final runs after 51 year at the Railroad on Friday, Dec. 31, 2024.

 BLAINE SHAHAN | Staff Photographer

 

Jim Rice had no particular interest in trains when he first got a job as a groundskeeper at Strasburg Rail Road in 1973.

Since then, he has climbed the ranks, becoming a fireman in 1976, an engineer in 1978, a car mechanical supervisor in 1982, a roadway supervisor in 1985 and, eventually, the foreman of engines in 1992.

On Dec. 31, 2024, Rice operated a steam locomotive for the last time on his final day at the railroad, 51 years after he started.

To Rice, what began as a high school job grew into a lifelong passion for the history and preservation of steam engines, keeping him close to the tight-knit community of Strasburg.

“The railroad has always kept me grounded,” Rice said. “It’s interesting and growing. I’ve never really needed to leave.”

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Jim Rice makes his final runs on the Strasburg Railroad as he retires after 51 years on Dec. 31, 2024.

Getting started

At 15, Rice followed his lifelong friend John Bachman to Strasburg Rail Road, riding his bike to the station on a summer afternoon. He got a job as a groundskeeper, working to maintain railroad company property.

Growing up, Rice didn’t care much for trains. But he did have an interest in mechanics, taking apart lawn mowers and racing model cars with his dad.

“I knew college wasn’t in my future,” Rice said. “I just wanted to make money.”

At 18, he began training to become a fireman — a laborer responsible for keeping the coal fire burning in a steam engine to heat water and power the train. Before long, he was working on 15 trains a week.

In 1978, while firing a train, the engineer asked Rice an unexpected question.

“Do you want to run this back? The boss said it would be OK to get you started,” Rice recalled being asked.

That’s how Rice became an engineer — the person responsible for operating the entire locomotive.

“It was pretty unexpected for me. I was comfortable being the fireman, not having any responsibilities of an engineer, until that one day,” Rice said. “But that’s how we did it back then.”

His co-worker, Stephen Weaver — who later became vice president of roadway until his retirement in 2023 — remembers the laborious but fun summers of the 1970s with Rice.

“He was a careful engineman,” Weaver said. “Steam locomotives aren’t like modern machinery, which gives operators instantaneous feedback through thousands of sensors. Back then, you had to listen to the machinery and feel your way as you got underway.”

In 1992, Rice became the foreman of engines, supervising and training engineers, firemen and other workers on how to operate steam locomotives.

“Training was the neat part — working with people who were interested in the trains, their history, things like that,” Rice said.

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Jim Rice makes his final runs on the Strasburg Railroad after 51 years of service [photos]

Enjoying the ride

Rice’s most exciting moments as an engineer were larger trips to Harrisburg, Gettysburg and Philadelphia to deliver supplies and ride on Amtrak and CSX mainlines. Because steam locomotives have largely been replaced by diesel and electric trains, operating a steam train on a main railway was a significant challenge. The labor-intensive work involved shoveling coal, manning the brakes and operating hefty levers.

While serving as vice president of operations from 2001 to 2011, Rice and others at Strasburg Rail Road helped shape the Federal Railroad Administration’s new regulations for steam locomotives — training inspectors at their facility to set standards for steam trains nationwide.

“That’s always been the cool part, knowing our reputation and having such a cool place to work,” Rice said.

Over the years, Rice witnessed several tourism booms, from the increased interest in the area and the Amish after the release of the 1985 film “Witness” to the early-2000s popularity of the Thomas the Tank Engine franchise. He also worked through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. But for Rice, the constant was his commitment to preserving and sharing the history of steam trains.

“Railroads are a huge part of our nation’s history,” Rice said. “It feels good to be part of preserving and sharing that with people, seeing just a few smiles on their faces.”

Rice’s co-workers at the railroad describe him as reserved but extremely hardworking. Even though Rice wasn’t the one greeting passengers, the crew saw the effects of his dedication on every trip.

“Jim was always quietly in the background, just consistently doing the things that needed to be done,” Strasburg Rail Road vice president and chief mechanical officer Brendan Zeigler said. “He’s one of those people who’s easy to overlook, unless they stop doing their job.”

Zeigler recalls Rice as a strong mentor during the early years of his railroad career.

“He was always a great, very patient teacher,” Zeigler said. “That was probably one of his greatest strengths—his calm ability to train and instruct the younger guys.”

Weaver worked alongside Rice for nearly 30 years. Despite later becoming Rice’s boss, he always held him in high regard for his skills on the rails.

“I became his immediate boss, but the old understanding never changed: Jim was better at bossing a track gang in the field than I was. I was better at pushing paper,” Weaver said. “Some fine days, I’d ask Jim, ‘Can I work for you tomorrow?’ He’d laugh, but there we would be at 6:30 a.m., digging out old cross ties, sliding in new ones and driving spikes.”

For Rice, his greatest mentor and friend at the railroad was former president Linn Moedinger, who retired in 2018. To Rice, the commitment to the steam engine’s function and history is, and always will be, Moedinger’s vision.

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His next stop

In retirement, Rice plans to take it easy, adjusting to a new routine in the coming months.

“I just want to spend time with my wife, get things done around the house, take a few day trips here and there,” Rice said.

The railroad wasn’t the only job Rice held in Strasburg. He is a member of the Strasburg Borough Council, treasurer for the Strasburg chapter of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and secretary for the Strasburg Lions Club. But Rice plans to remain available as a resource for the railroad, offering expertise and assistance when needed.

“I haven’t given up completely,” Rice said. “And the railroad appreciates me being available for guidance, whether in writing or by training someone.”

After serving the railroad for over half a century, the company has yet to find another Jim Rice.

“At this point, we don’t have a true direct replacement for Jim,” Zeigler said. “It’s hard to replace 51 years of experience.”

Editor’s note: Brendan Zeigler is married to Stephanie Zeigler, managing editor of content for LNP | LancasterOnline. She was not involved in the assigning, reporting or editing of this story.

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