Re: Frank Titman tribute
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýThe last time I visited with Frank (not
sure when) We talked about our mutual friend Leonard Giovannoli.?
Leonard, at one time was hoping to encourage Frank to move to
Kentucky so they could build together.? This might have been after
Frank had lost his first wife.? Anyway they were great friends
from a distance.? When I last visited Leonard, I was on a shoot in
Atlanta, so I made a special trip to visit with Leonard.? I had
given him a Rex Suburban with a little mechanical sound system,
but on arrival it didn't work.? So I got it running and cleaned
his track for the first time in many years and got things running
again.? He was having major health problems; he had lost his leg
playing football in his teen years, so with his crutch his frame
had become strongly distorted.? However he still loved to venture
down to the NS mainline (Rat Hole division) where we caught a
freight in the hole. The crew seemed to know him and we all
chatted a bit.? Finally they asked me if he was my father or
relative, I said no, but we were long time friends.? At that time
Len announced that he had elected to undergo surgery for some of
those skeletal issues but was told he probably wouldn't make it!?
Then when Frank and I then met after
his passing, he said Len had sent him all of his running equipment
as he wasn't going to need it anymore.? So perhaps some of Frank's
items had spent some time running in the coal fields in Kentucky!?
Also if you go back a long-long time
ago,? some of the early S group used to exchange hopper cars
(converted AF I assume) lettered for their RR names.? Len had a
half dozen on his layout.? He also had built two of Frank's coal
mines and of course, working mines were still all around within a
few miles.
Bob Werre
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Bob Werre