Nearing 90, Brodie continues lifelong passion as a railfan
BY BETTY ARCHER ALLEN Gulf Breeze News betty@gulfbreezenews.com

Scott Brodie stands on the platform of the simulated caboose that is constructed in his basement, above.

Scott Brodie is a railfan. Railfans collect and exchange detailed information about the movements of locomotives and other equipment on the railway network and become very knowledgeable about its operations.

"There were five people on a freight train: the engineer, the fireman who shoveled coal, the front brakeman, the rear brakeman and the Conductor," said Brodie. The railfan loves to hear that steam whistle two longs, a short, and a long to warn of its coming to a public crossing.

Since the advent of the Industrial Revolution nearly 200 years ago, railroads have captured the hearts and minds of railfans. The magic and mystique surrounding passenger and freight trains have become ingrained in cultures all over the world. History buffs identify places or eras that the railroads helped create and shape. Engineers marvel at the technology from the earliest coal-burners to the most modern commuter lines. Even bystanders enjoy the awesome shaking of the earth as 12,000 tons of steel rumbles by at more than 60 miles per hour. Nostalgia for the once-dominant machine has fueled its own unique type of industry. An industry designed to meet the needs of the railroad enthusiast or railfan.

The train bell at right serves as a doorbell at the Brodie home.

Brodie turned 89 last November 22. But his great "love affair" with trains began as a young boy watching his father commute to New York City by train for work. Scott was born in New York City but his family moved to Mount Brennan, N.Y. when he was about two years old. He lived near a train station and later he went to school by train. His dormitory was two blocks away from Lever Brothers Factory that was serviced by the railroad. Scott would talk to the engineer. The engineer would let him ride the train from Boston to Framington.

After receiving a degree in General Science with a major in Chemistry and Textiles from MIT Scott worked for American Viscose. He moved to Pensacola in 1953 to help with the start-up of the new Chemstrand Plant outside of Pensacola, which was owned by Monsanto and American Viscose. In Pensacola Brodie met and married Anne Martin, a native Pensacolian. They have three grown children Susan, Edith and Steven and two grandchildren.

Brodie's love affair with trains didn't end when he moved to the Pensacola area. He is a typical railfan who collects "railroadiana" or "railwayana" or artifacts from railroads and railroad operations.

As you approach the Brodies' front door you are immediately aware that the front stoop has something that does not adorn most front porches and that is a bell that you ring to let some know you are there. When you enter his home you recognize that Scott Brodie collects "railroadiana" or "railwayana." Scott and Anne had a lot of silver and china that they had collected from railroad companies over the years, which is displayed in china cabinets. On the wall in the living room you see a clock that is standard and found in most every railroad station all over the United States. The time is set daily by the Station master.

Brodie loves the passenger trains as well. He described dining car experience in detail. His granddaughter Lauren demonstrated the sounding of the dining gong that announced to the travelers that the dining car was now open.

"If you traveled alone you would be sitting in the dining car with three strangers. To order from the menu the waiter would hand you a blank tablet on which you would write what you wanted and hand it to the waiter who would turn it over to the steward to calculate the cost and return to you," said Brodie.

When you are shown the basement or the attic of Brodie's home you know that you have entered the world of a railfan. He and Anne turned a large section of the attic into a space for a large-scale model train track. These model trains and model railroads have created many happy family memories for the Brodies. This miniature railroad was a fascinating hobby and served as a wonderful way to spend leisure time. The model train layout is elaborate and ultra-realistic complete with trees, towns and people.

The basement was added long after the building of the original house. Scott and Anne soon found that their house was filling with train collections of all kinds so they decided to build a basement to store most of these things. Anne remembers when the basement was being dug out under the house the builder ask her not to run the dishwasher when he was working down there because the vibration made the sides of the basement fall in on him.

The entry way to the basement is lined with builder's plates and number plates as well as other railroad paraphernalia.

"Each locomotive has a builder's plate with the year and the place where it was made. Also each locomotive is given a permanent serial number called the number plate," said Brodie. When you get into the basement you are seated in a 1940-50 coach seat and surrounded by all the accouterments of the Observation Car where the porter served drinks and men smoked cigars. Located in this area are other train collections such as a conductor's desk for book work; locomotive gages that show steam pressure inside the locomotive; model railroad houses that Scott has made and a heavy canvas mail pouch that would be thrown on the train and picked up by hooks.

As you proceed from the Observation Car in Brodie's basement you enter a caboose complete with the reproduction of the seats in the cupola above the top of the boxcar. For many people the caboose epitomizes the freight trains. Most people can still picture the friendly wave of the conductor from the platform as the last car of the train passed through a town.

"The most important function of the caboose was that it served as an observation point for the conductor and trainmen to watch the train ahead of them and notice derailed cars, hotboxes and shifted loads before they caused further havoc on the railroad," said Brodie. You can go out the back of the caboose in Brodie's basement and stand on the platform and see a reproduction of the kind of view that the conductor and rear brakeman saw from a real caboose.

The caboose platform also provided the train crew with a shelter at the rear of the train. Modern detectors and work rules have eliminated the use of a caboose on most trains in the United States. Though the caboose is largely gone, it is certainly not forgotten.

Brodie also owns his own real caboose, a C&O 90882 wood cupola. Most railfans do not go so far as to collect real boxcars because the lack of space creates a problem. But Brodie didn't let this stop him. He just placed the caboose on a lot he owns located on Skaggs Street off Oriole Beach Road. The lot also contains his private vineyard. You can see that Brodie is the epitome of a railfan; he has collected railroad artifacts, made model trains and train buildings and owns a caboose.

In this modern time and advances in travel has separated generations from that era when locomotives powered the country. Americans embraced the automobile in last half of the last century and the railroad industry endured a barrage of bankruptcies, bad infrastructure and uncertain government subsidies. Multi-lane highways supplanted the ribbons of steel and wood connecting the country. But railfans or train enthuistists like Brodie have found a way to keep the railroad era alive.

The magnificence of the train continues to inspire people like Brodie across all cultures, countries and ages.