FLORENCE E. TRACHT, Galion, Ohio.
The subject of this sketch is familiar with railroad work from the bottom up to his present position. He was born in Galion, Ohio, June 19, 1866. His father L. B. Tracht was a railroad engineer but later kept a grocery store in Kent, at which place he died in 1896. Mr. Tracht attended school in Galion and removed with his father to Kent where he attended high school until 1882, when he began his railroad career as bell boy in the Kent yards, under Hostler William Tully receiving fifty cents a day for his services. After one year he was advanced to call boy at a salary of $1.12 a day, and served in that capacity for two years, under Engine Dispatcher M. V. Green and George Parkinson. While employed in this position he frequently called Master Mechanic A. W. Ball, Road Foreman of Engines Peter Meuser, and A. B. Youngson while they were running engines on the old New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio. At the age of 18 he was promoted to fireman of the Kent switch engine, firing for James Logan at a salary of $1.50 per day. He served two years in this capacity and then was promoted to road service, and for three years fired successively on local, through freight and passenger. In 1890 at the age of 23, he was given an engine and for the past nine years he has been running on the Cincinnati Division, east and west. His first run was made with engine 190 to Kent and return with trains 82 and 71.

While a fireman he was in a head-end collision at Rittman, which demolished both engines, the crews of which saved themselves by jumping in time. On June 19, 1891, while going into Kent yard with twenty-eight loads of grain, the train got beyond the control of the brakeman, as air brakes were used very little at that time, and ran into some passenger coaches; luckily no one was hurt. Mr. Tracht is a careful, capable engineer and is well liked by his superiors and associates. He is a member of B. of L. E. Division No. 16, in the affairs of which he takes a great interest.

He was married in Kent, Ohio, March 15, 1887, to Miss Cora A. Slater, daughter of H. C. Slater an engineer of Texas. She is a very popular lady, is quite a pianist and plays at all the local socials of the brotherhood. They have two sons, Harry R., aged 11, and Leonard E., aged 9, who are attending school. Both are well schooled in music; Harry is very proficient on the violin and Leonard possesses a sweet and melodious voice. They are much sought after to perform at entertainments.

Excerpted from: "American Locomotive Engineers, Erie Railway Edition," H.R. Romans Editor; Crawford-Adsit Company Publishers, Chicago, IL 1899.

From the January, 1915 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine
Cincinnati Division engineer F.E. Tracht was commended for running his engine for 20,995 miles between August 1, 1913 and September 1, 1914 without any engine failures.

From the December, 1932 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine
F.E. Tracht, engineer, discovered a broken rail in track 9 at BC Yard, Kent, Oct. 10. His prompt report of the defect permitted the rail to be replaced at once and no doubt avoided a derailment. Supt. Murphy has commended his action

From the April, 1925 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine
F.E. Tracht, engineer in the Akron yards, and Mrs. Tracht, are enjoying an extended visit in California.

Florence Emmit Tracht, retired engineer, died October 5, 1954. Source: Erie Railroad Magazine, December, 1954