Safety Anniversary – BHRR Locomotive Department

3Years Injury Free

Pictured left to right: Dan Cain, Shawn McClendon, Ben Tarran, John Herron, John Gaither, Tim Boyd, Anthony Hoyte, George Freeman, and Michael Marino. Not pictured: JaCorey Murray.

Congratulations to the locomotive team at the Birmingham Terminal Railway (BHRR) on celebrating their third injury-free safety anniversary. The Alabama group observed the occasion with steaks grilled by Chief Mechanical Officer John Herron.

Herron stated, “Working with such a great group of guys that take pride in their safety and everyone’s safety associated with locomotives or their department, makes my job much easier.”

The team works on the BHRR’s 14 locomotives as well as locomotives for the nearby Alabama Warrior Railway and locomotive fleets for three customers. They also travel to Cherokee, Alabama, where Watco performs switching operations to maintain the locomotives at that facility. The experienced team also goes to several other Watco sites to assist with locomotive repairs, inspections, and maintenance. “We’ve been to Idaho, New York, Houston, and a number of Watco properties to assist with their locomotive care,” said Herron. “It’s nice to break away and visit other parts of the country and see different Watco locations and what they do and how they operate.”

On top of celebrating three years, the BHRR recently received the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association’s Jake Award. To win a Jake Award, the railroad must perform better than the Class II and Class III industry average for injury frequency rate, as reported by the Federal Railroad Administration during the calendar year.

David Tarwater, BHRR General Manager, said, “It was a group effort, and these guys are dedicated to their job and the well-being of everyone around them. They take pride in what they do and take being their brother’s keepers to heart. It’s their goal to put out a product that is safe for everyone who will be using it.”