From the November, 1907 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine (Buffalo News):
Charles Davis, Road Foreman of Engines, is now back at his post of duty. Mr. Davis had been laid up for a long time with stomach trouble, and his case at one time reached a stage when there was apparently not much hope for a recovery. Three different times he reported for duty, but each time he had a relapse and finally was compelled to give up work entirely. Fortunately he changed doctors, and careful treatment has brought him around so that he is now able to look after his duties with the assistance of Engineer William Lied, who was Acting Road Foreman of Engines. Mr. Davis has lost about 40 pounds, but he now has the appearance of rounding back to his former self, and the boys are all giving him the glad hand for they are pleased to see him back again.

From the February, 1913 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine (Buffalo News):
Mr. William Leid, who during the past two years held the position of road foreman of engines on the Buffalo Division, has been promoted to supervisor of locomotive operation, with headquarters at Buffalo, N.Y. Mr. Leid entered the service of this Company as locomotive fireman, October 4th, 1883, and was promoted to locomotive engineer August 7th, 1891, and held this position up to December 7th, 1910, at which time he was promoted to road foreman of engines to succeed Mr. Charles Davis, deceased. Mr. Leid while at the throttle was one of the most capable and industrious engineers on this division, and it is safe to say that his qualifications while performing his duties as road foreman of engines were unexcelled, otherwise his superior officers would not have been pleased to promote him to supervisor of locomotive operation. We believe that no better selection could be made, and, therefore, congratulate his superiors in their selection and extend to Mr. Leid our congratulations upon his promotion, and sincerely trust that all engineers and firemen -- in fact all concerned on the Buffalo Division -- will do their best to co-operate with him, in order to make his showing most successful.

From the June, 1918 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine (Buffalo Machine Shop News):
Another birthday has come to "Billie" Leid, supervisor of locomotive operation. To celebrate the occasion, the women of the office, with whom "Billie" is popular, planned a surprise for him. At the noon hour a substantial lunch was served, which included a beautiful birthday cake with sixteen (?) candles. Guests, besides the guest of honor, were F. Tuma, master mechanic, and Henry Kreitner. That Mr. Leid may live to celebrate many more birthdays was the wish of all present.

From the April, 1931 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
A smiling young woman left the cab of the locomotive on the Erie Limited, as it stopped at the Elmira station, Wednesday, at 2:48 p.m. She was Miss Sybil Reppert, a reporter on the Buffalo Times and the first woman to ride in the cab of this engine from Buffalo to Elmira.

Dressed in overalls and wearing heavy gloves, her face black from the firebox dust, and with eyes bloodshot from the wind and smoke, she presented the appearance of a regular engineer.

She said that she had been delighted and thrilled by her ride. Blowing the whistle and ringing the bell of the locomotive had been her chied sources of amusement.

To her goes the honor of being the first woman to steady the throttle of the giant locomotive during a part of its trip from Buffalo to Elmira on which it averages more than 50 miles an hour during its running time.

With Miss Reppert was william Leid, road foreman of engines; R.A King, engineer; and C. Bromley, conductor. J.F. Wild, general passenger agent, rode in one of the coaches of the train.

The Erie Limited is one of the latest put into service on this road and has the most modern equipment from engine to observation car. Locomotive 2960 was the one the young woman assisted in driving. -- Reprinted from the Elmira Star Gazette

The reporter's story follows (from the May, 1931 issue):

William Leid, road foreman of engines, laid a caressing hand on 2960's shining brasswork. "They're like girls, locomotives are," he said. "You don't like 'em much until you get acquainted with 'em, and then you love 'em."

"Well, get up there." Leid, grizzled veteran of the service, gave me my orders, and I climbed into the cab of the Erie Limited, New York bound after F.O. Plummer, superintendent at Buffalo, gave me a pair of overalls. "I've put an awful mob of these young engineers and firemen through their paces, but you're the first girl I ever tried to make a railroader out of," he said.

"Here's the new engineer, King." Leid presented the man the Erie Railroad thought they'd hired to run No. 2.

King - Ralph King - shoved the gear in forward motion, opened the throttle, chug-chug-chug. The steel monster struggled for breath. Chug-chug-chug. The wheels turned in their places. A lurch to one side. A surge ahead. Bell ringing. Whistle blowing. Chug-chug-chuggety-chug. Rhythmic sound. Rhythmic motion. She was off.

A little brown house by the track down at the end of Fillmore Avenue. A woman, three babies in the window.

"My wife and kids," said Bill Dauman, fireman of 2960.

I took over the firing. Two wheels in front of me. One controlled the steam engine that works the automatic stoker, one the blast that sends the coal scooting evenly over the furnace. I turned the wheel to the right. "Heavens," said Bill. "Not so far." I turned it back again. I had stoked a locomotive.

But it's not so simple for Bill. He's got to see that he doesn't get too much coal on, or too little. Too much and she'll make smoke. Too much and she'll stop. Too little and the steam pressure will fizzle down.

"Come on," yelled Leid, from the engineer's side of the cab. "I want you to take her over the hogback" -- a big hill Buffalo side of Attica. And I took her -- oh, I took her!

I swung the reverse wheel back in the corner. Full power ahead. I opened the throttle a little.

"Widen out," they yelled.

I opened her wide.

White marker by the track. "W" on it. Crossing 1300 feet ahead. I whistled -- two longs, two shorts. White smoke in my eyes. Snow in my face. Wind whistling around my collar.

A signal post. Raised arm. Green light. "Clear block," I yelled to bill. "Clear block," Bill yelled to me. Man by the track ahead. I whistled. He stepped away.

"Here's the top," King yelled in my ear over the engine's roar. "Shut her off. Shut her off!"

I released the throttle, closed it.

Signal light. "Clear block." Crossing signal. Whistle. White steam blowing back. White ground beneath. Silver rails hidden in the snow. Old 2960 plowing through. A bridge. Wind blowing away the smoke.

Back in the cars were people -- good people -- in my keeping. Two old ladies, white-haired, were dozing in the same double seat, a lavender shawl across their knees.

And here was I, with 560,000 pounds of steel beneath my hand. Wind in my ears and the rush and the roar. The swaying cab, white smoke meeting whiter ground. A speeding, tearing, lurching engine in a blind white world.

"Oh gosh, Lord," I gasped. "You took care of this train."

The smoke cleared away. I realized that nothing less than a cyclone could get that engine off the track; that it was guided by the trusty steel rails underneath, not by me; that if anything were in the way the automatic train control would stop us. And moreover that two of the best engineers in the state of New York were standing right back of me taking mighty good care that the Almighty and I got No. 2 into Attica -- and on time.

King went back on his shift as engineer. I went over to help Bill.

In the firebox the flames blew orange and scarlet swirls. Outside the snow flurries were white gusts.

"We're coming into the Sugarbush," said Leid. "Back 22 years ago when I was an engineer on this line, the snow used to be so bad the plow would leave high white walls standing between the tracks."

We hit a drift -- were lost in a white blizzard a minute or two. Powdered snow from the Sugarbush. We shook ourselves free. Bill swept the engine with the biggest broom on any railroad going out of Buffalo. He bought it in my special honor.

We sped on. No more drifts. Tree covered hills.

And then fairyland. Letchworth park, gift of Senator Letchworth to the State of New York. Trees. Tall young pines in straight rows like sentinels.

And the Erie's Portage bridge -- 236 feet high -- 820 feet long. Below, Genessee river gorge and Portage Falls. Turquoise water, leaping spray, white as the snow-covered hills. Falling water. Roar of train calling to the answering echoes.

We pulled into Hornell, one minute before the Chicago Section. The two sections joined, and 2960 pulled them both, on down through the lower tier, by the banks of the Susquehanna and the Delaware. Down through Jersey to New York. At Hornell I went into the parlor car in my overalls to visit with J.F. Wild, passenger agent, and listen to the radio. We got off at Elmira for the return trip and at Hornell were joined by Harry R. Adams, assistant general manager.

Hereafter, when I set out to go places, I shall be among those who sink back on the velvet cushions, play the radio, read the magazines, flip bridge cards, or maybe dance in the aisles of a club car.

From the May, 1932 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
William Leid, Road Foreman of Engines of Buffalo, was retired and placed on the special payroll recently at age 70 after 48 years, six months of service.

From the June, 1932 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Lifelong associates and friends of William Leid, veteran road foreman of engines on the Erie Railroad, gathered at the Hotel Statler in Buffalo on May 2nd to help commemorate his retirement after 42 years service with the company. Mr. Leid had reached the retirement age of 70 years.

Mr. Leid was born April 21, 1862 and began service with the Erie Oct. 4, 1890. His promotion was rapid. In less than a year he became an engineer. Subsequently he held the positions of acting road foreman, road foreman of engines, supervisor of locomotive operation, mechanical trainmaster and again road foreman of engines.

Frank O. Plummer, the superintendent at Buffalo, made a nice speech extolling Mr. Leid's career and then presented to him a traveling bag. A similar presentation was made to Mrs. Leid and the couple received wishes of many more years of happiness. Many other speeches and dancing followed.

Among those present were Mayor C.E. Roesch of Buffalo; C. James, superintendent of motive power; Harry Adams, assistant general manager; Martin Quick, assistant to the vice president; G.M. Boh, district road foreman of engines and fuel supervisor; H.G. Preston, retired foreman of engines; W. Moore, master mechanic; T. Shea, vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers; J. Gilmer and D.C. Huff of the B of LE; A.W. Baker, trainmaster; E. Ingling, superintendent of locomotive operation; R.A. Bork, road foreman of engines; H. Ulbricht, inspector for the I.C.C.; E.M. Kain, assistant general freight agent; Mr. and Mrs. E.C. Umlauf; Mr. and Mrs. D.W. Fisher; Mr. and Mrs. George Sikes; Mr. and Mrs. J. Morris and daughter of Hornell; and A.V. Hill of Meadville.

Mr. and Mrs. Leid live at 353 Woodlawn Avenue, Buffalo.
A photo was also published.

From the August, 1932 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Buffalo's Centennial Celebration last month was notable for the splendid exhibits provided by the railroads. Equipment, old and new, comprising locomotives, coaches, inspection cars and cabooses were brought to the fair from long distances by the railroads who cooperated whole-heartedly with the city in making its hundredth birthday celebration a success. Rain marred the centennial during most of the ten days, but in spite of the unpleasant weather, crowds visited the exhibition held on the waterfront near old Fort Porter and enjoyed a varied program, culminating in a nightly display of fireworks.

The Erie exhibited Engineers' Engine No. 499, so-called because it was built by subscription of Erie engineers at the Cook Works of the American Locomotive Co., at Paterson in 1893. It was exhibited the same year at the Chicago World's Fair. By way of contrast with the past the Erie also sent to the fair one of its latest and most powerful engines, the Class S-4 type built by the Lima Locomotive Works at Lima, OH, in 1929. This locomotive weighs 846,800 pounds as against the weight of 224,830 pounds for the 499. The difference in power is also interesting, the present engine having 85,000 pounds as compared with 17,700 pounds for the engine of 39 years ago.

Three Erie retired road foremen of engines were on hand to explain the intracacies of the locomotives to the interested throngs and on July 4th it was estimated that 75,000 people inspected the Erie exhibits lined up on sidings with those of the other railroads entering Buffalo. The Erie foremen were William Leid of Buffalo, Hamilton G. Preston of Hornell, and W.H. Menner of Jersey City.

On Transportation Day, July 8th, the Erie engines were visited by President C.E. Denney, Vice President R.E. Woodruff and a group of other officers of the railroads who were guests afterward of the Chamber of Commerce at a luncheon for railroad men at the Hotel Statler.

Messrs. Leid, Preston and Menner enjoyed their role of lecturers at the Erie locomotives. Bill Leid said he believed at least 500 women had qualified as engineers after he finished explaining the workings of the S-4 to them, and the wife of an Erie engineer told Mr. Menner that after looking over the powerful engine run by her husband she had more respect than ever for his ability.

Preston said it was interesting to notice the questions asked by the visitors about the railroads and their operation. On the whole, the public showed an intelligent grasp of railroad transportation and a lively interest in the problems confronting the second largest taxpayers in the country.

While inspecting the gadgets in the engine cabs, the most frequent questions asked were how to start and stop the locomotives and how much speed they could make. Sizing up the great length of the S-4, an interested woman spectator exclaimed, "Fancy trying to knock that off the track with an automobile," evidently having in mind what reckless motorists try to do almost daily in some part of the country.