Mr. Norm Nelson, an oft-quited source for B&O history passed away Monday. I met and got to know Norm on a few occasions when working at the B&ORRHS archives and at various meetings and get-togethers. He was always friendly and approachable, full of wonderful stories and detailed descriptions of how the railroad operated, what it was like and what the people who worked the trains were like. I remember one entertaining story in particular that had to do with a dispatcher in DC accidentally making some inappropriate comments into an open mic which was broadcast down the line to where Norm was waiting with his crew. He said that there were some funny responses back to the dispatcher which I’m not going to mention here. He was such an amazing contributor to the B&O Yahoo! Group as well, and a search through their archives will reveal a trove of first hand stories about the B&O and its inner workings. Some folks on the list will admit that they stick around just to hear his input. Norm, you will be missed. Hope you’re having fun with all the other ‘Domers up there sharing stories of the good old days. Thank you.
It would be interesting to find someone who actually worked on the branch to give some more deets about it!