October 30, 2002

Two Track Main by John William Baie

By Susan Johnson, Copy Editor, The Rock River Times
(119 pages, available from author, Xlibris Corporation and The Tin Whistle, price $19.95)

Ed Tully’s life is on a collision course with time. He’s got two wives, one in his hometown of Clinton, Ill., and one in Rockford, at the northern end of his railroad run. What’s more, his career is on the skids, as the steam locomotives he drives as an engineer of the Illinois Central Railroad, are being phased out by the newer, more efficient diesels.

Author John Baie, a Rockford native now living in Troy, Ohio, combines fact and fiction in a yarn that immediately engages our interest. He spins a tale of human passion and dreams, deceit and danger, an old order giving way to the new. As the promo on the book says, “Two Track Main is a truly unique story about people caught up in the mid-Twentieth Century change from steam to diesel locomotives on American railroads. This fast-paced, action-packed novel brings this remarkable transition to life through various characters who respond differently to change.”

In a concise, quick-moving story, we ride the rails with the crews of two major railroad lines-the Illinois Central and the Great Western. Along the way, we get a fascinating look at the history of the region. Baie includes names of actual places and products that help bring the story to life. One could stop in a bar and order a stein of the local Petritz Beer, sold in Rockford. People could see a movie at the Coronado and eat dinner at Schrom’s, a popular downtown restaurant. A guy looking for a frolic with the ladies of the evening might take a streetcar up to West State Street.

We learn about the mechanics of steam locomotive maintenance, the importance of the signal men, and the duties of the men at Murtaugh Roundhouse. In a changing industry, who’s going to lose their jobs, and who will have a chance to bid on new openings?

John Baie will have a book signing from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7 at The Tin Whistle, 1414 N. Main St., where you can meet the author and perhaps reminisce about some Rockford history. Two Track Main may also be ordered from Xlibris Corporation, 1-888-795-4274 or www.Xlibris.com. It may be ordered online at Orders!Xlibris.com

November 14, 2002

From the Rockford Register Star

'Two Track Main'

Author: John William Baie

Background: A Rockford native, Baie graduated from Boylan Catholic High School in 1964. He served in the military in Vietnam, then worked in a series of federal civil-service jobs. Now retired, Baie lives in Ohio.

Family still here: Baie's 89-year-old father, Lyle, lives with his sister, Margaret, on her farm outside Davis Junction. A brother, Richard, lives in Rockford.

Story: Set in Rockford and other parts of Illinois, "Two Track Main" employs fictional characters to tell the story of the waning days of steam locomotives in the mid-1950s.

In writer's words: "This was a huge change, as nearly half of all railroad workers lost their jobs. Yet this huge impact was largely overshadowed by other events. It was during the 1950s that television, jet aircraft ... and the (interstate highway) all came on the scene."

Publisher: Xlibris Corp., Philadelphia.

What's next: Baie returns to Rockford for a book signing from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Nov. 16, at Canterbury Books in Highcrest shopping center.

How to buy: $19.95 at Canterbury or The Tin Whistle, 1414 N. Main St., Rockford. Or at h t t p : / / w w w .xlibris.com./

October 29, 2002

From The Clinton Daily JournalClinton featured in new fiction novelBy Penny Clifton, CDJ Community Editor

Many years ago, Clinton was quite the railroad town, with freight and passenger trains being the most prevalent connection to the outside world.

Slowly but surely, as diesel locomotives replaced the steam engine, trains ceased to stop in small towns, instead choosing to make it’s runs to and from larger cities. A new book by John William Baie tells the story of those caught up in the 1950’s conversion from steam to diesel locomotives. Clinton is one of the settings featured in the book.

“Two Track Main,” the title of Baie’s book, talks of ‘Chugger’s Bar’ on the Square in Clinton that is visited by two of the books characters, Ed Tully and Tom Hennessey while they talk of the changes happening within the rail system and visited with friends. The scene sparks memories of days gone by when local engineers would gather to talk of the steam engines and, while drinking Falstaff beer and smoking Lucky Strikes, lament over the changes happening to the rail system and the introduction of newer, faster diesel engines.

As the story unfolds, the author places the reader in the cab of a giant steam locomotive as it races across central Illinois.

A unique, fast-paced short novel, Baie writes from experience.

“When I was a kid, Dad used to take the family train-watching at the IC station in Rockford,” says Baie. “Dad was and still is a huge fan of steam locomotives, and I vividly recall his disappointment when steam engines were removed. I wanted to put a human face on the largely ignored technology during the 1950s. So I created a number of fictional characters who experienced the locomotive changeover.”

The book also includes illustrations, maps and black and white photographs of Illinois Central steam locomotives.

John Baie lived in Rockford for many years. He attended U of I, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning in 1968. He served in the military, which included a tour in Vietnam, then completed his Masters at Southern Illinois University. He is a career federal civil servant and has worked at diverse locations, including Chicago, Phoenix, Omaha, Washington and Dayton. He currently resides with his wife, Helen, in Troy, Ohio.

Copies of the book will be available in the near future at the DeWitt County Museum Gift Shop.

Summary

Two Track Main is a truly unique story about people caught up in the mid-Twentieth Century change from steam to diesel locomotives on American railroads. This fast-paced, action-packed novel brings into focus this momentous transition which is often overlooked because of the 1950’s explosion of automobiles, suburbs, television sets, and commercial flight. The author starts out with an edifying discussion of the reasons for the switch to diesel locomotives. His descriptions are interesting without being onerous. Mr.Baie then brings this remarkable transition to life through the development of various characters who respond differently to change.

Two Track Main places the reader in the cab of a giant steam locomotive as its engineer races his train across central Illinois. The author then takes readers into a huge locomotive roundhouse for a look at the individuals who maintained these beasts, while they worried about their futures with the railroad. Next, our author visits a teeming railroad yard with its inherent dangers, especially for one switchman who’s preoccupied with domestic problems.

The transient lifestyle of railroaders brings challenges, frustrations, and tragedies to the lives of several individuals as they make real-life decisions and face the consequences. These railroaders and their loved ones struggle through life with the guidance and support of their parish priests, who themselves are caught up with questions of life’s meaning and death’s relentless call.

In the end, some of the author’s characters triumph over the challenges of change, while others fall by the wayside. This lively, short, witty novel brings forth a wave of nostalgia for this fascinating period in our history.

October 30, 2002

Two Track Main by John William Baie

By Susan Johnson, Copy Editor, The Rock River Times
(119 pages, available from author, Xlibris Corporation and The Tin Whistle, price $19.95)

Ed Tully’s life is on a collision course with time. He’s got two wives, one in his hometown of Clinton, Ill., and one in Rockford, at the northern end of his railroad run. What’s more, his career is on the skids, as the steam locomotives he drives as an engineer of the Illinois Central Railroad, are being phased out by the newer, more efficient diesels.

Author John Baie, a Rockford native now living in Troy, Ohio, combines fact and fiction in a yarn that immediately engages our interest. He spins a tale of human passion and dreams, deceit and danger, an old order giving way to the new. As the promo on the book says, “Two Track Main is a truly unique story about people caught up in the mid-Twentieth Century change from steam to diesel locomotives on American railroads. This fast-paced, action-packed novel brings this remarkable transition to life through various characters who respond differently to change.”

In a concise, quick-moving story, we ride the rails with the crews of two major railroad lines-the Illinois Central and the Great Western. Along the way, we get a fascinating look at the history of the region. Baie includes names of actual places and products that help bring the story to life. One could stop in a bar and order a stein of the local Petritz Beer, sold in Rockford. People could see a movie at the Coronado and eat dinner at Schrom’s, a popular downtown restaurant. A guy looking for a frolic with the ladies of the evening might take a streetcar up to West State Street.

We learn about the mechanics of steam locomotive maintenance, the importance of the signal men, and the duties of the men at Murtaugh Roundhouse. In a changing industry, who’s going to lose their jobs, and who will have a chance to bid on new openings?

John Baie will have a book signing from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7 at The Tin Whistle, 1414 N. Main St., where you can meet the author and perhaps reminisce about some Rockford history. Two Track Main may also be ordered from Xlibris Corporation, 1-888-795-4274 or www.Xlibris.com. It may be ordered online at Orders!Xlibris.com

November 14, 2002

From the Rockford Register Star

'Two Track Main'

Author: John William Baie

Background: A Rockford native, Baie graduated from Boylan Catholic High School in 1964. He served in the military in Vietnam, then worked in a series of federal civil-service jobs. Now retired, Baie lives in Ohio.

Family still here: Baie's 89-year-old father, Lyle, lives with his sister, Margaret, on her farm outside Davis Junction. A brother, Richard, lives in Rockford.

Story: Set in Rockford and other parts of Illinois, "Two Track Main" employs fictional characters to tell the story of the waning days of steam locomotives in the mid-1950s.

In writer's words: "This was a huge change, as nearly half of all railroad workers lost their jobs. Yet this huge impact was largely overshadowed by other events. It was during the 1950s that television, jet aircraft ... and the (interstate highway) all came on the scene."

Publisher: Xlibris Corp., Philadelphia.

What's next: Baie returns to Rockford for a book signing from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Nov. 16, at Canterbury Books in Highcrest shopping center.

How to buy: $19.95 at Canterbury or The Tin Whistle, 1414 N. Main St., Rockford. Or at h t t p : / / w w w .xlibris.com./

October 29, 2002

From The Clinton Daily JournalClinton featured in new fiction novelBy Penny Clifton, CDJ Community Editor

Many years ago, Clinton was quite the railroad town, with freight and passenger trains being the most prevalent connection to the outside world.

Slowly but surely, as diesel locomotives replaced the steam engine, trains ceased to stop in small towns, instead choosing to make it’s runs to and from larger cities. A new book by John William Baie tells the story of those caught up in the 1950’s conversion from steam to diesel locomotives. Clinton is one of the settings featured in the book.

“Two Track Main,” the title of Baie’s book, talks of ‘Chugger’s Bar’ on the Square in Clinton that is visited by two of the books characters, Ed Tully and Tom Hennessey while they talk of the changes happening within the rail system and visited with friends. The scene sparks memories of days gone by when local engineers would gather to talk of the steam engines and, while drinking Falstaff beer and smoking Lucky Strikes, lament over the changes happening to the rail system and the introduction of newer, faster diesel engines.

As the story unfolds, the author places the reader in the cab of a giant steam locomotive as it races across central Illinois.

A unique, fast-paced short novel, Baie writes from experience.

“When I was a kid, Dad used to take the family train-watching at the IC station in Rockford,” says Baie. “Dad was and still is a huge fan of steam locomotives, and I vividly recall his disappointment when steam engines were removed. I wanted to put a human face on the largely ignored technology during the 1950s. So I created a number of fictional characters who experienced the locomotive changeover.”

The book also includes illustrations, maps and black and white photographs of Illinois Central steam locomotives.

John Baie lived in Rockford for many years. He attended U of I, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning in 1968. He served in the military, which included a tour in Vietnam, then completed his Masters at Southern Illinois University. He is a career federal civil servant and has worked at diverse locations, including Chicago, Phoenix, Omaha, Washington and Dayton. He currently resides with his wife, Helen, in Troy, Ohio.

Copies of the book will be available in the near future at the DeWitt County Museum Gift Shop.

Summary

Two Track Main is a truly unique story about people caught up in the mid-Twentieth Century change from steam to diesel locomotives on American railroads. This fast-paced, action-packed novel brings into focus this momentous transition which is often overlooked because of the 1950’s explosion of automobiles, suburbs, television sets, and commercial flight. The author starts out with an edifying discussion of the reasons for the switch to diesel locomotives. His descriptions are interesting without being onerous. Mr.Baie then brings this remarkable transition to life through the development of various characters who respond differently to change.

Two Track Main places the reader in the cab of a giant steam locomotive as its engineer races his train across central Illinois. The author then takes readers into a huge locomotive roundhouse for a look at the individuals who maintained these beasts, while they worried about their futures with the railroad. Next, our author visits a teeming railroad yard with its inherent dangers, especially for one switchman who’s preoccupied with domestic problems.

The transient lifestyle of railroaders brings challenges, frustrations, and tragedies to the lives of several individuals as they make real-life decisions and face the consequences. These railroaders and their loved ones struggle through life with the guidance and support of their parish priests, who themselves are caught up with questions of life’s meaning and death’s relentless call.

In the end, some of the author’s characters triumph over the challenges of change, while others fall by the wayside. This lively, short, witty novel brings forth a wave of nostalgia for this fascinating period in our history.