From the February, 1913 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine (Buffalo News):
Mr. John Lang, engineer on the Buffalo Division, was promoted to road foreman of engines to succeed Mr. William Leid, promoted. Mr. Lang entered the service of the Erie Railroad Co. as locomotive fireman September 17th, 1886, and was promoted to locomotive engineer October 11th, 1891. It appears in selecting Mr. Lang as road foreman of engines, great care must have been exercised in choosing a man with the qualifications that he possesses and we know of no other man on this division who is better fitted for the place. His qualifications are well known by his associates, both engineers and firemen, and he is held in high esteem by them, and there is no doubt that one and all will cooperate with Mr. Lang in making his showing a successful one. We congratulate his superiors in their selection and extend to Mr. Lang our heartiest congratulation upon his promotion.

From the April, 1929 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine (Buffalo-Rochester News):
W.J. English, Superintendent, has commended J. Lang, engineer; E.B. Bishop and W.P. Conway, conductors; and E.B. Bronson, operator, for the manner in which they acted in the following emergency:

Train 90, in charge of engineer Bartlett and conductor Bishop, left Attica at 8:58 a.m., twenty minutes in advance of train 2's time at Attica. No. 90 was being pushed by the Attica pusher, in charge of engineer Frederickson and conductor Conway. The pusher was to wait for train 2 at Linden and 90 was to go to Warsaw. At Dale, 90 lost air and stopped. Conductor Bishop rushed to the phone and notified the dispatcher. Conway was on the phone at Linden and Bronson at Attica. Bronson set the order board at Linden to stop No. 2. Conway went out to flag 2 and arrange details of using the west track to Dale while the orders were being prepared and Bishop sent out flags to protect the movement. The entire emergency was arranged with precision and the time lost by No. 2, in charge of engineer Lang, was made up going into Hornell.

From the October, 1937 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Buffalo Division Engineer J. Lang of Buffalo was retired on the new Federal Railroad Retirement statute recently at age 73, after 50 years, nine months of service.