Son of a 30+ year Frisco employee - 1949/1981 R.E.Metzger

I seen that leather case before, I used to help put down the plastic, to capture the oil with him. The dozer guy, (me) was always the last guy to leave and help out. Good memories. The derailments stick with you.

 

Dad was indeed the "oil capturerer" - when he became the first Frisco "Environmental Engineer", he was doomed to deal with one mess after another - infinitum. He told me once that when the EPA came into being, he was dealing with other (EPA) civil engineers who had an appreciation of the problems the railroads were facing. But the "PROs" got hired away from governmental service by the hundreds of other smokestack industrials who needed them to try and understand/comply with the new regs. So ...... their replacements were from the US Coast Guard - and at least initially, they didn't have a clue. just wasn't their area of expertise.

 

Cracks me up that Pop consistently mis-spelled "Meramac" - he never could spell worth a hoot. Mom told me she had to "take college English" to get him through Purdue - and I know I proof read (and corrected) several of his water control plans he then submitted to the EPA while I was at SMS.

 

Glad to meet you Ken - and I guess my confusion about spelling "Meramac /Merimec / Maramec" is well deserved! I haven't lived in Missouri since late 1971, so never a reason for me to even see a reference to that name......

 

I remember running across your dad's name in some of my dad's stuff. I will look!