Two Track Main
A Story of the Mid-20th Century Change From Steam to Diesel Locomotives on America''s Railroads and Its Impact on People of Those Times
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October 30, 2002
Two Track Main by John William Baie
By Susan Johnson, Copy Editor, The Rock River Times
(119 pages, available from author, Xlibris Corporation and The Tin Whistle, price $19.95)
Ed Tully’s life is on a collision course with time. He’s got two wives, one in his hometown of Clinton, Ill., and one in Rockford, at the northern end of his railroad run. What’s more, his career is on the skids, as the steam locomotives he drives as an engineer of the Illinois Central Railroad, are being phased out by the newer, more efficient diesels.
Author John Baie, a Rockford native now living in Troy, Ohio, combines fact and fiction in a yarn that immediately engages our interest. He spins a tale of human passion and dreams, deceit and danger, an old order giving way to the new. As the promo on the book says, “Two Track Main is a truly unique story about people caught up in the mid-Twentieth Century change from steam to diesel locomotives on American railroads. This fast-paced, action-packed novel brings this remarkable transition to life through various characters who respond differently to change.”
In a concise, quick-moving story, we ride the rails with the crews of two major railroad lines-the Illinois Central and the Great Western. Along the way, we get a fascinating look at the history of the region. Baie includes names of actual places and products that help bring the story to life. One could stop in a bar and order a stein of the local Petritz Beer, sold in Rockford. People could see a movie at the Coronado and eat dinner at Schrom’s, a popular downtown restaurant. A guy looking for a frolic with the ladies of the evening might take a streetcar up to West State Street.
We learn about the mechanics of steam locomotive maintenance, the importance of the signal men, and the duties of the men at Murtaugh Roundhouse. In a changing industry, who’s going to lose their jobs, and who will have a chance to bid on new openings?
John Baie will have a book signing from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7 at The Tin Whistle, 1414 N. Main St., where you can meet the author and perhaps reminisce about some Rockford history. Two Track Main may also be ordered from Xlibris Corporation, 1-888-795-4274 or www.Xlibris.com. It may be ordered online at Orders!Xlibris.com
November 14, 2002
From the Rockford Register Star
'Two Track Main'
Author: John William Baie
Background: A Rockford native, Baie graduated from Boylan Catholic High School in 1964. He served in the military in Vietnam, then worked in a series of federal civil-service jobs. Now retired, Baie lives in Ohio.
Family still here: Baie's 89-year-old father, Lyle, lives with his sister, Margaret, on her farm outside Davis Junction. A brother, Richard, lives in Rockford.
Story: Set in Rockford and other parts of Illinois, "Two Track Main" employs fictional characters to tell the story of the waning days of steam locomotives in the mid-1950s.
In writer's words: "This was a huge change, as nearly half of all railroad workers lost their jobs. Yet this huge impact was largely overshadowed by other events. It was during the 1950s that television, jet aircraft ... and the (interstate highway) all came on the scene."
Publisher: Xlibris Corp., Philadelphia.
What's next: Baie returns to Rockford for a book signing from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Nov. 16, at Canterbury Books in Highcrest shopping center.
How to buy: $19.95 at Canterbury or The Tin Whistle, 1414 N. Main St., Rockford. Or at http://www.xlibris.com./
October 29, 2002
From The Clinton Daily Journal Clinton featured in new fiction novel By Penny Clifton, CDJ Community Editor
Many years ago, Clinton was quite the railroad town, with freight and pass
About the Author
The author was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois. He grew up in a house on Cumberland St. in Easta the Yard, known more commonly today as Edgewater. Mr. Baie attended the University of Illinois and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning in 1968. After his military service, including a tour in Viet Nam, he completed his Master’s degree at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville in 1976. Mr. Baie is a career federal civil servant who, over the past twenty-five years, has worked at diverse locations including Chicago, Illinois; Phoenix, Arizona; Omaha, Nebraska; Washington, DC; and Dayton, Ohio. While he is a city planner by training and experience, his real passion has always been railroads. Mr. Baie currently resides with his wife, Helen, in Troy, Ohio.