Heisler Hogger, Sam McCloskey. As I visit the various preserved steam operations around the US, each railroad seems to have at least one engineman or fireman who has really mastered the "look" of the early 20th century "hogger." At the Sumpter Valley operation, that guy is Sam McCloskey. With the full beard and his signature hat, I don't think Central Casting could have come up with a better man to play the role of a log-hauling Heisler hogger in the woods of Eastern Oregon. A very experienced railroader, a talented mechanic, and a very nice guy, Sam has been a real asset to the volunteer corps at Sumpter Valley. As you might imagine, I'm not the only one who's noticed how well this fellow photographs. More than a few folks have hauled out their 70-200 f/2.8s and gone hunting for portraits of Sam. In the first year or two, he seemed a bit shy with all of the attention. Of late however, I think he's become more comfortable with it. In the world of preservation railroading, he's a rock star.
