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mmmmmmmmFred Boland's Photo Album:mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmlast update 9/9/18

Fred turned 70 on September 18, 1980, which was Southern Pacific's mandatory retirement age at the time. Given Fred's reluctance to retire, his send off probably took place on his birthday. By then, there were no gold watches handed out by high officials who appreciated more than a half-century's faithful service - just a cake and a company-provided plastic locomotive mounted on a board. For Fred, (forced) retirement day was one of the worst of his life, but at least he was spared experiencing what was to come, for after 1980, Southern Pacific deteriorated rapid-clip into senility, and with that came the loss of his beloved Bayshore.


The men in these photos are largely unidentified. Should you recognize any of them, please send an email to: wx4org@yahoo.com.


Old timers with Fred (center): The seated man, and the gentleman in the light suit behind him, are the Scullin brothers. 9-9-18: Mike Pierce reports that the man second from right, holding the coffee cup, is Car Foreman Joseph Bufalini, who passed away in 2002 at age 90 (obituary). Mike started his railkroad career as an apprentice carman at Bayshore, where he worked a variety of assignments, including a vacation relief job that included filling in for Joe Bosso (next photo, below) at the roundhouse, where he got to know Fred Boland and the other old-timers who were by then nearing retirement age. Mike eventually became Bayshore car foreman and later worked in the Commute yard in SF, before migrating to West Oakland and San Jose car departments. He left SP in 1985 to work as an operations manager for a stacktrain company.


(click on the above photo for a larger image)

Very few men are as yet identified in the above photo. Machinist Sal Lopez (see also second-to-last photo), is in the dark coveralls and hardhat, fourth from left. Lately, Kevin Dwyer has kindly written to furnish the names of Machinist Jon Lopez, leaning with his left arm on the locker at left center; his brother Richard, who was the griever at the time and is seen in the light coverals to Jon's left; and Gil (?) Parades, the fellow in the hardhat sitting in front of Richard. Kevin was the midnight roundhouse clerk until he went into engine service in January, 1979, so he missed Fred's party. Prior to that, he saw Fred on a daily basis, as it was Kevin's job to hand out time cards when the guys came to punch in. Thanks Kevin!

2-25-18: Steve Bosso has identified the fellow in the hard hat at upper right as his father, Joseph I. Bosso, who worked as a locomotive carpenter for SP from 1941 to 1984. After Bayshore closed in 1982, he and a few other high seniority workers managed to land jobs as a small B&B crew at Millbrae. Thanks Steve!


Fred, and possibly the Scullin brothers on either side of him; unknown person on right.


Fred and cake - In the background, next to the coffe pot, is machinist Ahmed Khan, who later worked at Oakland Diesel Shop.
The young fellow in hard hat at center appears to be Ron Hoop, later the Caltrain San Jose Mechanical afternoon shift
roundhouse foreman for about 15 years until he retired circa 2007.


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Machinists Sal Lopez and Fred Boland.


Roundhouse Foreman Glen Ransford receiving a slice of cake from Fred.


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