James Haefer

Jim was a wonderful person with great sense of humor. He was a favorite instructor of mine at Oregon Institute of Technology - 1967-1969. His teachings were instrumental in my 45 year career in the computer industry. Thank you Jim for all the laughs, the field trips you arranged and the support at college. Thank you Stephanie for loving care of Jim.

Jim was my close neighbor for over 20 years. We shared lots of meals, the newpaper, and friendship which we both cherished.

Recall ‟Jim” as he was known from the then-Northern Montana College in Havre over fifty years ago (1972-74). Had first met him a year earlier during the State Fair in the old Great Falls Model RR Club @ the fairgrounds. Best-remember his recollection of visiting ‟Expo ‛67” in Montréal while living-in the Bay Area – involved an all-rail trip from and to Oakland, and both he and his wife enjoyed it thoroughly! They booked ‟first class” accommodations all-the-way, and from the July, 1967 ‟Official Guide of the Railways” their itinerary was as-follows: SP № 12 E/b ‟Cascade” Oakland (16th St. Sta.) – Portland, UP № 457 W/b ‟pool train” Portland – Seattle (Union Sta.), GN № 360 E/b ‟International” Seattle (King St. Sta.) – Vancouver, BC (CN Sta.) and overnighted in Vancouver. CP № 2 E/b ‟Canadian” Vancouver, BC (CP Sta.) – Montréal, PQ (Windsor Sta.) and spent a few days in Montréal visiting ‟Expo ‛67” there. Return began on CN № 61 ‟Rapido” W/b Montréal, PQ (Central Sta.) – Toronto, ON (CN Sta.) w/an overnight in Toronto. CN/GTW № 159 W/b ‟Maple Leaf” Toronto, ON (CN Sta.) – Chicago (Dearborn Sta.), and overnight in Chicago. CB&Q/D&RGW/WP № 17 W/b ‟California Zephyr” Chicago (Union Sta.) – Oakland (WP Sta.). A two-week trip involving seven trains over nine RR’s, and they had a bit of added excitement along the way. Riding the parlor-lounge-observation car on the rear of GN № 360 ‟International” out of Mt. Vernon, WA they were somewhat startled by an emergency brake application from the normal track-speed of 79MPH near Burlington and the conductor came running back to the rear windows. ‟Jim” happened-to glance over his shoulder just as his wife exclaimed ‟Oh my!" and saw a car tumbling end-over-end alongside the rapidly-slowing train, then heard the conductor call-into his portable 2-way radio that the vehicle landed-in the ditch. That grade-crossing accident (driver and passenger injured) caused a two-hour delay arriving-in Bellingham, where ‟Jim” had a chance to walk-up and check-out the loco’s (an E-7A) front, and was rather amazed to see very little evidence of damage (lifting-bar from the front coupler was bent somewhat).

So glad I got to know Mr. Haefer. He was a good friend and alum of Montana State University.