Watco Says Goodbye to Linn Herman

Known by one Watco team member as “everyone’s friend,” Linn Herman, Director of Car Repair, died June 27, 2020, at his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

A chance meeting in Pittsburg, Kansas, led to a 37-year railroad career for Linn. Rick Webb, Watco Executive Chairman, tells the story of how Linn was recruited into the business.

“I believe my dad (Dick Webb, Watco founder) and Linn crossed paths one day, and Dad asked Linn what he was doing. We had started up operations at DeRidder, Louisiana, and it was bigger than we thought, and we needed more people. Linn believed in what we were doing there and in the vision my dad had. He was the first person from Pittsburg to join the team, and he ended up bringing the Herman family with him. Jim and Tim both work at the Pittsburg mechanical shop. Linn was a great guy, and we’ll never forget him.”

Throughout his career with Watco, Linn was instrumental in the startup of several operations. After his start at DeRidder, Linn assisted with an opportunity at New Iberia, Louisiana, to clean and repair cars used for salt in the making of Tabasco brand pepper sauce. He also led the start of operations in El Paso, Texas, and Wallula, Washington. Linn was the first trainmaster for the Winfield (Kansas) interchange, working with the Union Pacific and the Santa Fe railroads when the South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad was getting its start.

Keith LaCaze, Senior Vice President of Operations, started working for Watco in 1985 and was trained by Linn. “One thing that made Linn special was his likeability. He was just a good guy that was everyone’s friend, and he always had a joke for you.

“His versatility and his willingness to go anywhere and do anything that Watco needed him to do also made him special,” added Keith. “He worked in operations, the mechanical division, and switching, and he traveled everywhere.”

After many startups and years of travel, Linn and his wife Paula landed back in her hometown of Baton Rouge, where he served as General Manager for the Baton Rouge Railroad from 2008 to 2010, as Manager of Railcar Services from 2010 to 2015, and then as Director of Car Repair.

Linn and Paula had four children: Annette, Paige, Lydia, and Jon-Max, and six grandchildren with two on the way.

Anyone wishing to share memories or leave condolences can use the following link: https://sealefuneral.com/obituaries/rolan-linn-herman/