WILLIAM LINEHAN, Cleveland, Ohio
William Linehan was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, March 20, 1852, and one month after this event his father, Daniel Linehan, moved his family to Cleveland, where he went into the teaming business. The young man attended school until he was 11 years of age when he commenced driving for his father. Three years afterwards his father died and he took charge of the business and managed it for his mother. After two years of successful work they sold out and Mr. Linehan went to work in the Erie shops as an apprentice. Ater learning the machinist's trade he accepted a position as such in the Lake Shore shop at Cleveland, and after remaining with this company six months left to take the place of Second Engineer on the propeller Milwaukee, running between Cleveland and Buffalo, Chicago and other lake ports. Two months afterward there was a strike among the employes of the Milwaukee, and he accepted a similar position on the P. H. Burkhead in the lumber business between Cleveland and Saginaw, with which he remained the balance of the season, going then to work in the Lake Shore shops again. The following spring he took a trip to California where he secured a position as a machinist and worked for a year. He returned to Cleveland the spring of 1874, and soon secured a position as fireman on the Erie. He fired freight one year and passenger four, receiving his promotion to engineer in June, 1879. For five years he ran an engine in the Cleveland yards, being, then advanced to road engine and assigned to the freight department, where he has remained since, acquitting himself with great credit.

In September, 1898, while Mr. Linehan was pulling through freight, he was in an accident which laid him up for several weeks. The local freight was standing on the main line at Hiram, and the crew was busy unloading freight. There was a misunderstanding between conductor and flagman of the local freight. The flagman was on Mr. Linehan's engine when the accident occurred, and he had told Mr. Linehan that the local was not going to stop at Hiram, but they did, and in the collision Mr. Linehan's engine knocked the local caboose into kindling wood, the engine going over onto her side, while ten or twelve cars were piled in the ditch. Serious injury was avoided by the crew jumping. While pulling No. 40 between Aurora and Mantua at about 1:30 a. m., and right on time, Mr. Linehan saw a headlight coming toward him. It was a single track then and both engines were going down grade to certain doom at the bottom of the grade. Mr. Linehan hooked her over on sand and called for brakes, the other engineer doing the same, with the happy result of stopping with their noses just a few inches apart. The other crew had jumped and were nowhere in sight when Mr. Linehan dismounted from his engine and walked out to see why they had overrun their orders.

Mr. Linehan is one of the oldest as well as one of the best freight engineers on the Mahoning Division, and has never received a word of censure from the officials, in fact the communications he has received from the officials have always been commendatory. He has been a member of B. of L. E., Division 167, for fifteen years and owns fine property in Cleveland.

On August 3, 1873, he was married to Miss Mary Cullitan, and two children have been born to them. Elsie, aged 23, who is married to J. C. Smith, and has one son, Russell; James, aged 21, is a fireman for a large manufactory at Randall. He enlisted in the 1st Ohio Cavalry, Troop G, April 28, 1898, and served in the Spanish War until September 13, 1898, when the cavalry was mustered out.

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

From the December, 1929 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
William Linehan has retired after 56 years service with the Erie, 51 years of which as locomotive engineer. Mr. Linehan is 77 and still in excellent health. "Bill" Linehan is widely known and beloved on the Erie and during his long term of service has counted among his best friends many of the officers of the road whose confidence in him was never misplaced and on whom they could always count to keep everything "up ahead" in satisfactory condition. His friends hope that Bill will continue to radiate the kindly nature that has won for him a place in the hearts of all with whom he has come in contact and that long life will be his to enjoy.

From the March, 1930 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Putting on Air, by J.E. Bluetgo, Mahoning Division Engineer
Probably nobody in the history of railroading ever threw on air brakes more effectively than Engineer Bill Linehan, a member of B of LE 167, who ran succesfully for many years on passenger between Cleveland and Meadville. He died last November.

It was on a trip with fireman Jake Bock and conductor Hank Merrill, back in the early 90s, when air brakes were just being installed on locomotives. The engine was No. 623, and Bill had seven cars of air out of a total of 45 cars.

Bill was an enthusiast on air, and very proud of his ability to handle it. After an uneventful run, good old 623 rolled into Leavittsburg, then a junction for the main line, with coal chute, water plug, as well as a hash house, which, of course, would make it a necessary stop in itself. Bill drove up to the water plug and stopped pronto, right on the dot. With a self-satisfied look, Bill yelled to Fireman Jake, "Just right! I guess they've got nothing on me," then proudly took oil can in hand and dismounted for the usual engine inspection; then the important trip to the beanery, where Conductor Hank came hobbling in after a short wait.

Bill, turning from his beans, greeted Hank in his crisp and snappy style. Hank, not in the best humor, gruffly acknowledged the greeting. Bill at once began to talk air, at the same time informing Hank that he was able, by properly manipulating the breeze, to stop on a ten-cent piece.

"Guess you're right, Bill, 'bout that," drawled Hank. "Say Bill, when you get ready to start, start 'em the same way you stopped 'em - the head trucks on a car slipped against the rear ones, and maybe they'll go back where they belong."

Of course Bill explained that it could not be blamed on to him, since he used only one hand. After considerable delay, and a lot of hard work, the trucks were put back into place and the journey was resumed.