All Aboard: Railroad families take special trip

Jordan Dobson represents the third generation of railroading in his family, with a combined 91 years on the job among the three men.

The fourth generation was test-driving a paper locomotive engineer’s hat Monday afternoon. Seven-year-old Tesla Dobson and her 4-year-old brother Edison were aboard when BNSF Railway ran a special excursion train for local railroading families.

Jordan Dobson, a Kalama resident, is a BNSF engineer who works out of Vancouver. The trip gave his wife, Teresa, and their two children a chance to see the Columbia River Gorge from a railroader’s perspective.

It’s an experience Jordan Dobson had himself while growing up: “In the ’90s, I got to see it as a kid,” he said.

Tesla definitely liked what she saw. As the eastbound train broke through a screen of trees, revealing the panoramic Gorge, the 7-year-old girl offered a one-word evaluation of the landscape: “Awesome!”

The passing landscape featured regional icons such as Beacon Rock, the Bridge of the Gods and Crown Point.

Flocks of windsurfers, and the occasional osprey, navigated the Gorge winds beyond the train windows.

Jordan Dobson’s parents made the three-hour trip as well, although it was more of a railroad refresher for Rick and Cheryl Dobson. Rick, a former switchman, retired a few years ago after a 38-year railroad career.

“This is a little nostalgic for me,” said Cheryl Dobson, who grew up in railroad family. “My dad was a trainmaster.”

J.J. Richardson — Jordan’s grandfather and the great-grandfather of Tesla and Edison — worked for the railroad for 40 years, she said.

As far as Tesla carrying on the family trade, well … she was noncommital.

Monday’s trip from Vancouver to Stevenson and back was part of BNSF Railway’s six-week summer tour. The train is visiting 12 cities in Washington and Montana that are hubs of BNSF operations.

BNSF Railway has about 600 employees in the Vancouver area, regional spokesman Gus Melonas said.

Many of their family members, Melonas noted, have never ridden a train before.

That included Rick Grenz, whose son Aaron is the railroad man in the family.

“I’m 60 years old, and this is the first time I’ve been on a train,” said the Ridgefield man, who was accompanied by his wife, Jane, and their son Luke.

As the Gorge landscape streamed past the observation car at up to 60 mph, Rick Grenz described it as “one of the best attractions the Northwest has to offer.”