Railroading was definitely in Al Dodson's blood. His father, a couple of uncles and an aunt had all worked for the Rock Island in Arkansas. He started in the 1950's, first in the mechanical department servicing air breaks, helping to clear train wrecks and eventually as the union representative in Little Rock.

In May of 2005 I spoke with him for an hour at his home near Gravel Ridge, Arkansas. He reflected on his time working for the Rock Island, calling it a good company. But the slow demise of the railroad was evident, leading in later years to poor moral before it was finally shut down in 1980. In the final years he warned workers to get out of debt because the end clearly was coming. Mergers with other railroads failed to pan out, in large part because of a lack of maintenance on track and equipment, which took away much of the the Rock Island's value.

Below you can download MP3 files of my interview and hear his words in his own voice.

MP3 AUDIO: AL DODSON 1 - STARTING WITH THE ROCK ISLAND. Discusses how he came to work for the railroad in the early 1950's and the bankruptcy that led to his retirement a few years earlier than expected. MP3 audio runs 8:51 (3.54 mb).

MP3 AUDIO: AL DODSON 2 - UNION REPRESENTATIVE. For final two decades of the Rock Island, he served as the Little Rock union representative, looking out for the interests of employees at a time when the railroad was rapidly declining. MP3 Audio runs 8:15 (3.30 mb).

MP3 AUDIO: AL DODSON 3 - CLEARING ACCIDENTS. For many years he worked in Arkansas and Oklahoma cleaning up train wrecks, sometimes spending days, from sunrise to sunset removing and cleaning up crash sites. MP3 audio runs 3:24 (1.36 mb).

MP3 AUDIO: AL DODSON 4 - BANKRUPTCY. Discuses the slow death of the Rock Island, which everyone saw coming. The railroad then stopped doing regular maintenance, with condition of the track and equipment going downhill. MP3 audio runs 9:43 (3.89 mb).

MP3 AUDIO: AL DODSON 5 - NEW HOPPER CARS. As part of a final push, the company began trying to create a new image, with "The Rock." He also discusses the railroad's passenger service and what he feels the nation needs now. MP3 audio runs 9:56 (3.98 mb).

MP3 AUDIO: AL DODSON 6 - AFTERMATH AND MODERN RAILROADING: Discusses the impact of the bankruptcy on employees and looks at the modern state of the industry in America. MP3 audio runs 4:42 (1.88 mb).

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