Cotton Belt Engineer: The Life and Times of C. W. Red Standefer 1898-1981

This is the story of a Texan. This is a TEXAS story. We spell it big here because it is a big story. A big story about a man from TEXAS. A story about a man who as a young boy saw what he wanted to do, set out to do it and accomplished his life's ambition. The man's name was Cecil Standefer. The events in this book primarily happened in Texas between 1898 and 1981. He struggled some; had some personal losses and he overcame them. He grew up in a time when the United States of America grew to be recognized as a world power. His part in all that was that of a railroad employee. And not just any employee as Cecil Standefer was in engine service. He was in engine service for the St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company and he was in this service for 50 years. Cecil Standefer wanted to become a locomotive engineer from the very first time he ever saw a train. He achieved his life's ambition by becoming a Cotton Belt Engineer.

C. W. Standefer lived his entire life in TEXAS. He saw his first train when he was eight years old and then and there decided he wanted to become a locomotive engineer. He got his chance ten years later and began working for the St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt) Railway. C. W. Standefer was in engine service from 1917-1967. When he retired he was the #1 seniority engineer on the Cotton Belt's Southern Division. During his long career in engine service he saw everything from the antiquated saturated steam kettles of the 19th century to second generation diesels by the time he retired.