Remembering Ed Whitney

He passed away on 2/16 at age 84.

I had numerous occasions to work with him at operational mishaps and on safety issues.

A real Whitney classic was when the Gang of 3 (Moore, Addington, and Sharpe) came to the PC from the Southern Rwy. and insisted on bringing their personal business cars with them. These cars had "soft" springs and acquired a habit of knocking down the 3rd rail on our less than perfect track. After several instances, Ed barred those cars from 3rd rail territory into GCT. I answered a call late one evening about 3rd rail knocked down between MO and GCT. The last train on the Track was Amtrak #64 with one of those cars rear out. The car was checked at GCT and strike marks were found on the bottom steps at the vestibule end. Solution: Burn the bottom steps off! Since GCT was all high-platform, the amputation was not discovered until the car was out of the territory!

Last of the Master mechanics, Mr Ed (wellington)Whitney held many hats.
Started as Fireman on Harlem line in NYC steam days he changed to Mechanical in less than a year.
In Mechanical he went up the ranks and held title as the Mechanic/Wreck master.
He was fanatic about safety, and would protect his crews like no other, rest in Peace.

He was 100% old school railroad. A hands on tough as nails guy who was always the one to call when a train either derailed or needed "modifications". He projected a mean exterior and would always test you. If you stood up to him, he respected you. Then you would see what a decent guy he truly was.

RIP "Whip"!!

I believe they named the old GCT wrecker after him, didn't they? When they rebuilt it?

Some of the Bosses in the factory where I work are old school. You do have to stand up to them but you also have to get it through your head that they're the Boss......and you're not! Once you figure that out you're pretty much home free.

What a great guy, a real gentleman. Was absolutely great to work with when it came to the "old stuff". I'd like to know 1/10th of what he had forgotten (which seemed to be nothing--- forgotten that is!). Yes, at first he "tested" me with some tough questions and gruff attitude; after answering to his satisfaction, he was as helpful as could be, and very friendly.

One of a kind, and will be missed. Sorry to hear of his passing.

I remember the old double-ended crane named in his honor and parked in North White Plains for many years. Heard many a good story about Mr. Whitney and his impact on the railroad. Sorry to hear of his passing.

I worked with Mr Whitney on several occasions when I was the tower 3rd trick tower director at both "HM" and "NW." One night at Harmon they had laid up a train on track 5 north of the station when one of the rails gave way underneath the train. The cars remained upright but the Harmon steam crane was busy all night re-railing them. Ed ran the wreck site and I ran the trains around him. He was a good railroad man.

Larry, RedbirdR33

From what I read he sounded like a terrific guy. May he rest in peace.

I knew I could add something to this one but it took me a bit to remember it. Remembering the 4000's, the de-turbinized GTC cars from the LIRR that the LIRR could not even run as MU's. Metro-North and before that the Metro Region of Conrail in 1982 was desparately short of DC equipment for the Hudson and Harlem. Ed Witney ended up with four of these bombs in NWP and I got stuck with them on a AM train out of NWP which only made around 4 or 5 stops inbound to New York. All of the radios were out, the PA did not work but after a fashion the cars would run. I had them 5 mornings a week and they gave me a portable radio so in case we needed to contact for help enroute, we could. We ran them for sometime in NWP but when the new M-3's showed up, these 4 were about the first cars to be sent away for scrap and nobody missed them.
Ed Whitney could make things work that nobody else could in his own way with hard work and maybe a wink and a prayer. God bless him.
Noel Weaver

I knew I had a photo of Ed from the 2004 Harmon Open House when he was still in good shape. He's talking here (on the left) with Walter Zullig on the right.

Penn Central wrote:I knew I had a photo of Ed from the 2004 Harmon Open House when he was still in good shape. He's talking here (on the left) with Walter Zullig on the right.

Great photo, sir... Thanks for sharing!

Don't let his gruff exterior fool you. "The Whip" was a closet train buff, as evidenced by the hat he's wearing in that picture.

If ever anyone was entitled to wear it, it was him!

(That is a wonderful photo.)

Mr. Whitney was the last of the true railroaders. He came from Southern and could fit right in. Those were real bosses-the likes of which you will never see again.

Southern ??
Ed Whitney started as 17 year old Fireman on Harlem Division of NYC, and after about a few months switched to MofE.