My name is John C Durant, not to be confused with my son John E Durant. I was born in Paterson, NJ on March 7 1944. A life long resident of Bergen County, I went to St. phillip the Apostle school then Saddle Brook High. From 1959 to 1960 I attended Sistersville High in West Virginia.
Although my fater worked for Curtiss Wright Corp, I come from a railroad family. My grandfather and uncle were both locomotive engineers for the Baltimore & Ohio assigned to Brooklyn jct., WV and Glenwood (Pittsburgh) Pa repectfully.
As a child I spent my summers in West Virginia at both my grandparents houses, never more than a block away from the B&O's Ohio River Sub-division. At that time (until 1957) the B&O was 100% Steam. Upon hearing a whistle I would run for the tracks. My Grandfather Durant would often take me with him on runs to Hartzel, WV or Benwood.
After graduation from High school, I workrd various jobs until 1967 when I hired out with the Erie Lackawanna RR as a Work Equipment Repairman Helper. I progressed from helper to foreman until 1975 when I bid the Scale Inspectors position in Hoboken, NJ. At the time the EL had three scale inspectors located at Hoboken, Meadville,Pa east and Meadville, Pa west. My territory covered from Hoboken/Jersey city west to Waverly, NY
April 1, 1976 The first day of a new railroad Conrail.. And then 26 years later I was there during the split.. Then it was the NS years until Feburary 1, 2001 when I accepted the last of two buyouts. There it was 34 years and I was out. i was 56 years out and retired.
I now spend my time working on our house and out Labador Retrevers, model railroading and photography. I am an avid photogrpher and my equipment includes a Nikon D700 Digital SLR and a Nikon N8008 35mm SLR. Of couse a full compliment of lenses to fill my camera bag.
All in all its been a great ride and I would do it all over again.. BTW, I miss those Conrail years
