| Jerome ("Jerry" as he became known on the railroad) Lachaussee is a native of Pascagoula, Mississippi, hired on with the Louisville & Nashville on June 3, 1959, as an Extra Agent-Operator. He worked at various locations between Mobile and New Orleans for the first ten years of his service. Being promoted to Train Dispatcher at Mobile on March 16, 1965, he concurrently worked in both capacities until attaining a regular position as dispatcher at Mobile in 1969. Just a few years after L&N was absorbed into CSX Transportation Company, a new centralized dispatching office was opened in Jacksonville Florida; the Mobile office became history on January 15, 1989, and Jerry and his family moved and worked there until his retirement on February 28, 2002. He and his family subsequently moved back to Mississippi. On retirement from CSX he was presented with a Seiko wrist watch. Then, three months later, he was surprised with another honor: his very own siding! Jerry and his wife Barbara were invited to a dinner in Mobile on June 10, and the next day were chauffeured north along I-65 about 100 miles where they participated in the dedication of a new 2-mile-long siding named LACHAUSSEE. The siding runs from Mile 561.7 to Mile 563.8, near the community of Owassa, between Georgiana and Evergreen. In this photo Jerry was waving to the crew of southbound piggyback train No. 145 while a local waits in the siding. |