How much can you pack into one lifetime?

摘要

I learned a lot from Jim Bistline over the years. His last lesson was how to die with grace and even a little humor. For those of you who never knew Jim, and perhaps who don't even know who he was, let me give you a little background. Jim's last paycheck job was as the head of Norfolk Southern's steam program. Before that, he was general counsel of Norfolk Southern and predecessor Southern Railway. He was a young lawyer when World War II broke out, but we'll get to those stories in a moment. For those of you who did know him, the "steam program Jim Bistline" was probably the Jim Bistline you remember — tirelessly promoting the wondrous trips of N&W 611 and 1218, Southern 4501, and a host of other locomotives. He gave speeches and slide shows, introduced thousands of schoolchildren to steam, and intro- duced new generations to the wonders of an era when locomotives had personality and excitement.