| Here is a photo of Isaac "Ike" Burket (16 January 1880 - 23 November 1967), my maternal grandfather. It was taken in Hershey Park, Pennsylvania, around 1940. Originally from Queen, Pennsylvania, he began working for the Pennsylvania Railroad as a fireman in 1900 and retired as an Altoona-based engineman on the Pittsburgh Division in 1950. He is both mentioned and quoted in an eight-page article by William D. Gorman entitled "Steam From Altoona" that was published originally in the December 1963 issue of "Railroad" magazine, page 25. "Fireman W.C. Fink was working industriously with a clinker hook to transform two dull red spots in her firebox into the more suitable 'white hot with whiskers' color. The Q-2's exhaust barked louder as Engineman Ike Burket let her out a little. . . . 'How do you like her, Ike?' the Fireman asked . . . . Burket shrugged. 'Too much iron.'" |