Meet Terry Beck

I am a sixty-four year old husband, father, grandfather, retired railroader and hopefully, friend to many. I was born and raised in Brownwood, Texas. I received my first twelve years of education in Brownwood. I attended Tarleton State in Stephenville, Texas my freshman year of college, then returned to Brownwood and attended Howard Payne for two and a half years. I hired out to the Santa Fe Railroad in 1971 and had to take out on full physical disability from the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad in 2007. On the railroad I worked as a Gandy Dancer (Trackman), Machine Operator, Foreman, Track Supervisor, Qualified Locomotive Engineer, Brakeman/Conductor, Manager of Safety, Trainmaster and Assistant Superintendent.

Several years ago I began putting together a journal containing stories, essays and aphorisms  along with bits and pieces of my life as well as the lives of some of the folks I had known and loved as I traveled through the fifties, sixties, seventies and on until today. It started out as a journal to leave behind for my kids and grandkids just so they would know what had been on my mind from time to time. Most of the material concerns me (or someone like me), my family and friends, growing up in my smallish hometown (could be anybody's hometown), and, being that I worked for the railroad for almost forty years, there are railroad stories. Although I don't consider myself as a writer, nor am I trying to convince anyone that I am, I have now decided to put a book or two together and pass on my thoughts and memories in hopes that others will enjoy the fun and happiness, the occasional sadness and the growth of a simple man from childhood to manhood.