Ron Tapley Retires from Birmingham

Ron Tapley Retires from Birmingham Terminal Railway

Ron Tapley spent a big part of his last day as a team member of the Birmingham Terminal Railway (BHRR) saying goodbye to old friends and sharing advice with some of his younger team members.

“It’s really important to remember to always look after one another and to be safe in everything you do,” said Tapley. “Communication is so important and is what makes it safe and helps us do our jobs better.”

BHRR General Manager David Tarwater said, “Mr. Tapley was just an all-around great guy. It did not matter if he was on the clock or not, he was always there to help. I have known Mr. Tapley for 23 years, and he has never been injured. The main reason for his unblemished safety record was because he was deliberate in everything he did. He would look at every situation to determine the safest course to take. If there wasn’t a safe way to conduct a task, he would stop until he made it safe to proceed.”

Tapley started working in the rail industry back in 1997 for the Birmingham Southern Railroad for the track department. Four years later, the railroad experienced a slow-down, and he was offered a position with the Fairfield Southern, where he ran locomotives. Four years later, he went back to the Birmingham Southern Maintenance of Way (MOW) team and then transitioned over when they were purchased and became the BHRR.

Tapley said, “You always hear rumors when a purchase happens, and I was nervous at first. But Watco has turned out to be a very family-oriented company, and both the team and management have been super. I wanted to retire (earlier), but didn’t because I’d miss the people I worked with.”

Kris Colley, BHRR Roadmaster, said, “Mr. Tapley was a great team member and an even better guy that represented the BHRR in nothing but a positive manner. It’s impossible to replace someone who not only was a role model for everyone else at the MOW, but was a friend to everyone outside of work as well. There is no better person to have working with you than Mr. Tapley and I just want to thank him for everything he has done for the BHRR and Watco.”

Working with the different types of equipment was one of the things Tapley liked best about his job, and he will continue working with equipment in his retirement.

“I’ll still be doing some dozer and backhoe work on the side,” said Tapley. “I’d get bored sitting at home and staring at the walls. I need to keep busy.”

Tapley is also looking forward to seeing more of his five grandchildren and possibly getting to travel with his wife once things get a little more normal.

“I told the younger guys that it’s going to go by really fast,” Tapley said. “It seems like not that long ago one of our other team members was helping me pick out a locker at the bathhouse, and now I’m leaving, and someone else will be taking over that same locker.”