In this concluding column, I end my long and interesting visit to Darktown, Hokendauqua, Whitehall Township, where I have been speaking to Mr. Michael Bednar who has life long roots in the unique hamlet.

A well known railroad authority, Mike spent his early years attending the Hokendauqua Elementary School. He fondly recalls his school years.

"I had wonderful teachers during my school years," he says. Do my Whitehall-Coplay readers remember Ms. Williams, Mrs. Morrow, Mrs. Schaffer and Mr. Faust? In sixth grade in the old high school, the students had two legendary guests – Richie Ashburn and the pride of Egypt and Whitehall High School, Curt Simmons. The popular ballplayers stressed good citizenship in a very inspiring address.

Mike's first bus ride took him to the brand new Whitehall High School. He spoke of teachers Edgar Beidelman, Alan Dangler, Carl Case and Sam "Bud" Nevins.

"They were tough but fair, teaching us skills we utilzied for life," he said. "Mr. Beidelman nourished my lifelong love of history."

Mr. Bednar is a passionate authority on our local railroads. The interest was stimulated at age 11 when he was allowed into a Lehigh Valley caboose. He still remembers the old railroaders who encouraged him to pursue an eventual railroad career. There at the Biery railroad yard was Bob Blank, Lewie Geiger, Paul Whitemen, Wilbur Bowman, Anthony Gallagher, Harry Tindall, Clem Fitch, Duster Hindline, Charlie Mullen, Joe Pasch and John Krist.

In 1966 Mike walked into the Lehigh Valley Railroad office in Bethlehem. He was hired at the age of 17 at a wage of $2.86 an hour, great money in 1966. He was given training in billing, scheduling and placement of cars. Mike was sent to Flemington, Stockertown, Slatington, Lehighton, Coplay and Cementon.

Soon he was routing cars from railroad towers. A rapid learner, Mike worked in Glendon and the Bethlehem tower, routing many 150-car trains. With changes in railroading, Mike drove each day to Elizabeth, N.J., as a train dispatcher.

Mr. Bednar's ultimate goal was to become a locomotive engineer. Amazingly, he operated an engine for years on his day off, without being paid. He was determined to be proficient if the opportunity to be hired as an engineer ever came. A dream became a reality when in 1991 he was offered an engineer job.

"In order to qualify, the railroad superintendent Mr. Jeff Seidel rode with me for two days and certified me as an engineer," he said. "In those days there was not the volumes of paperwork that you have today."

At the time, coal was carried from the coal regions to the port of Philadelphia for export throughout the world. Mike's longest train was a 140-car unit. His largest engine was a five-engine multi-unit. One of the runs took large amounts of paper pulp to Mehoopeny, site of a giant Charmin paper plant.

The Lehigh Valley Railroad was now called the Reading Northern.

Although coal is still carried, current cargo includes ethanol, North Dakota oil and even garbage. Piggyback units bring stock from the ports of the west to the east coast.

In his years on the rail, the trains have fought blizzards and massive snow drifts. The cargo had to be delivered to waiting customers.

I asked Mike what his favorite run was.

"It was a joy running through Lehigh Gorge," he said. "The scenery is beautiful and the 26-mile run is peaceful. What a sight under a harvest moon or a moonlit night, passing over a snowy landscape."

Since 1991, Mr. Bednar has written 10 railroad books, filled with beautiful photographs. Five books tell the history of various chapters of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. His latest book is "Trackside Around the Pennsylvania Cement District," published by Morning Sun Books. The book is co-authored by Ken Bealer.

Mike has wonderful assistance from his wife Donna, a Whitehall graduate who is a patient and meticulous typist. Mr. Bednar's brothers Keith and Daniel continue the family tradition as railroad engineers.

The Bednars are proud of daughter Pam and son Kenny. Grandchildren Matthew and Korey are also becoming railroad buffs.

I asked Mike why he authored all these books, and he replied with emotion in his voice.

"The railroad has given me a good life," he said. "I will never forget what older railroad men taught me. In these books we not only remember railroads but the dedicated men who ran the roads."

Mike writes a newsletter for the Lehigh Valley Railroad veterans and is a member of Hawk Mountain Railroad Society, Anthracite Railroad Society and Lehigh County Historical Society.

A warm thank you to Mike and Donna for their cooperation and friendship. It was my first visit to Darktown and I enjoyed learning and writing about the hamlet's citizens and history.

A thank you for all his assistance also goes to my "always" photographer Larry Oberly. Can you believe this writer does not own a camera or computer? Alas, alas!

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In two weeks we will open another page of local history for you, my faithful readers.