AUGUSTUS VAN NOYE, Jersey City, New Jersey.
Certainly Augustus Van Noye's appearance would not lead one to infer that the life of a railroad man was bad for the constitution, for a more healthy, vigorous specimen of young manhood it would be difficult to find anywhere. This is probably due to the fact that from his boyhood he has concerned himself only with the thing to be done and not to the worrying to be done about it. Which is a very good rule of life.

Born in Harbortown, New Jersey, March 1, 1864, a little town near the Delaware river, he was early obliged to leave school and seek employment. His first experience with the stern realities of life was as a boy on an oyster boat on Prince's and Newark Bays, where he worked during a season. Next he was engaged on a section crew on the Long Branch Railroad as a water boy for about a year, after which he worked for the same company at Point Pleasant, New Jersey, at cleaning fires, and then went to the Long Island Railroad for a summer, as a fireman, this being his first experience out on the road. For a year subsequent to leaving the Long Island road Mr. Van Noye was employed at cleaning fires for the West Shore Railroad at New Durham, continuing in this employ for about a year, up to October 2, 1886, on which date he came to the Erie at Jersey City, and has since -- except for eight months with the Pennsylvania, Poughkeepsie & Boston Railroad -- been uninterruptedly in the employ of this company. His first work was as fireman, which position he held until early in 1890, and on January 18, 1891, on returning from his brief absence on the road above mentioned he was, after braking two weeks in the Jersey City yards and firing about six weeks on the road, made engineer, and went to work running extras. He now has the Little Ferry and Weehawken coal train as a regular run, his engine being the 1165, a Class "I" Cooke.

On February 13, 1889, Mr. Van Noye was married to Miss Katie Greenleaf of Union Hill, New Jersey, and they are now living happily together at No. 30 Central avenue, Jersey City Heights. As soon as he was eligible Mr. Van Noye became a member of Division No. 135, of Jersey City, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, a membership which he still retains, taking a deep interest, as he does in all matters pertaining to his calling and the welfare of those who follow it. He is also an Odd Fellow, being a member of Monticello Lodge, No. 140, at Bergen Square. Surely if Mr. Van Noye is to be taken as a fair specimen of the younger engineers of the Erie the company has little to fear in the future as to the record to be made by the men "at the front," for he has only to carry out in the days to come the same line of conduct so far followed by him to make a record which shall be honorable and enviable.

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

From the July, 1913 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
A. Van Noye, engineer, New York Division, showed his ability recently when a slight accident occurred to his engine, 954. It developed a broken tank lifter at Paterson after hauling train 127, but his efforts to overcome the handicap were rewarded by his bringing the train to Waldwick on time.

From the July, 1921 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Engine 966, which runs between Waldwick and Jersey City, is one of the finest appearing on the New York Division and reflects credit upon engineer Augustus C. Van Noy, who started as a fireman in 1886, and was promoted to freight engineer in 1891. He was promoted to passenger engineer in 1899. The fine upkeep of this engine indicates that engineeer Van Noy and his fireman take an active interest in the appearance of the Erie's motive power.