Get to Know Your 2025 DCNRHS President, Dean Edmonds

My name is Dean Edmonds. I am honored to have been elected to serve as your DCNRHS president for 2025-2026. There is so much our DC chapter can be proud of, and I look forward to working with the incoming board and volunteers to continue the Chapter’s missions.

A little about me. I grew up in Lincoln MA, a suburb of Boston. Although the Boston & Main Fitchburg line ran through my town, my real introduction to trains was summer vacations at my grandfather’s place in Connecticut. My brother and I would go to the New Haven Railroad’s Southport, CT, train station weekday afternoons to watch trains for about 40 minutes until my grandfather arrived back from New York City. He was always on the last car, the Southport Club car. While waiting for grandfather, there would be least 5 passenger trains that passed, among them the east bound Merchants Limited and a west bound all stops mail train. Initially, all trains were pulled by electric locomotives, the heavy commuter trains usually being pulled by the New Haven’s class EP-3 engines. Later the McGinnis flamboyant EP5 class took over and then the FL-9 diesels.

Seeing the GE logo on all those electric engines I wanted to go to work where they were built. Following graduation, I accepted General Electric’s corporate manufacturing management program offer with an assignment in the housewares small appliance division followed by an assignment at their Erie, PA, transportation system facility where GE built locomotives. One of my Erie assignments was production control supervisor for locomotive traction motor and alternator coils. Completing the corporate program, I was immediately selected to be part of the team to upgrade the propulsion manufacturing section of the facility for manufacturing the dash 8 and 9 diesel locomotives.

Once the facility updates were completed it was time to find a new position. About that same time, I got married and took a job with a contractor in the Washington, DC, area supporting US Army programs. While working there a colleague suggested I check out the Dover Harbor resulting in me becoming a DCNRHS member in 2011. 

After 7 years as an Army contractor, I took a position with United States Postal Service for what was to be a “temporary” job. I spent 30 years with the Postal Service most of that time in the HQ vehicle engineering group where I was part of the initial effort to test electric vehicles and became a key member of the engineering group that prepared the vehicle design requirements for the new postal electric and gas versions of the Next Generation Delivery vehicle. As vehicle project engineer, I initiated the Postal Service’s Heritage vehicle program restoring a Postal 1929 Ford Model AA delivery truck, a 1980 jeep, and arranged for a current Long Life Vehicle (LLV) curb side Postal delivery vehicle to be added to the fleet when it is retired.

Even as a child I loved making things work and move which still continues.  I love machines and transportation. Summers during college years I drove tractor trailer trucks transporting antique and war bird airplanes. During college years I became a licensed commercial multi engine pilot with instrument endorsement. While at General Electric I attended GE’s locomotive school in Erie, PA. Later while working for the Postal Service, my son and I attended Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad’s steam locomotive fireman and engineer classes. In my spare time I continue my interest in model railroading focusing on heavy electric railway locomotives. Currently I am active in saving and restoring the 1927 riverboat Delta Queen to operation.

I am particularly interested in sharing the grace, elegance, and civility of past rail travel with the younger generations. I enjoy preserving and operating our beloved 1923 Pullman. The Dover Harbor is the only standard era Pullman car the general public once could purchase tickets to travel in that is Amtrak certified. It is a living museum piece, not just something to look at and not touch in a museum, instead it is a car you can touch; enjoy dining on a meal prepared aboard by a chef, and “travel and sleep in safety and comfort” over the nation’s rail network.

Working with the board as a past treasurer, I learned the Chapter offers members so much. Our monthly newsletter, The Timetable, continues to highlight current railroad activities and fascinating articles; the trip committee offers tours and trips that are exciting and educational; and do not forget our Martin O’Rourke Memorial Library at Bowie Tower; and Chapter Zoom and in person meetings.  

I am excited and looking forward to continuing the work of past presidents in keeping the chapter thriving and active in all chapter endeavors, and of course keeping the Dover Harbor polishing the rails with happy riders.

Come join us, volunteer, and help the chapter in making great thinks happen. I welcome your suggestions, comments, and dreams for the Chapter.

Regards,

Dean Edmonds