Diego Morales - On the Mound
Behind the Throttle: Edition 2, Installment 10
“There’s only a few of us that can run these things, but even fewer that can fix them and keep them running.”
A rather common misconception in the world of railroading and historic trains is that the industry is dominated by older folks, and that there is no room for someone under 40 in the cab of a steam locomotive. Frankly, this just is not true — trust me. There is a strong foundation of knowledge on old trains, once held by the men and women who worked on them in service, that in my opinion has all but been passed down to the next generation, and said knowledge continues to get passed down to younger and younger people with each new-hire in a shop. Our final spotlight for Edition 2 got his start with steam power and trains well before high school, and now works to keep up with passing knowledge around. Today, we meet Diego Morales, On the Mound.
Diego’s introduction to the world of trains came in the form of grand-scale ride-along trains. His childhood home was just a stone’s throw from the Hillcrest and Wahtoke Railroad, a miniature railway that hosted train rides on live-steam locomotives around different seasons and holidays. Diego and his older brother would make trips to the Hillcrest and Wahtoke with their parents once every operating period just because it was a fun way for the family to get out, but a blooming spark got fanned just a little further with each visit. Not too long after several visits, his parents began to notice that Diego, even in his early toddler years, was quite taken with the railroad and his passion became evident. At just 11 years old Diego walked into the shop at the Hillcrest and Wahtoke — not as a visitor anymore, but as a volunteer. His youth was no hindrance as the team of employees and volunteers were excited to have a young and enthusiastic member join their ranks. Diego recalls that Wednesday nights saw the weekly work sessions where he would begin to learn the art of railroading, or rather, “the basics that an 11-year-old could do and not get into too much trouble”. Diego was treated to hands-on learning on how to fire up a live steam locomotive, where all the moving parts and lubrication points were, how to switch railcars around, and much more. Even on the small scale, these experiences all translated well to Diego’s eventual career working with steam, and served to fuel his interest as he found more and more reasons to be interested in trains. Though he was too young to operate the trains during the excursions, those Wednesday night work sessions became Diego’s foundation for knowledge on railroading, and at only 10 minutes from home, he had no reason not to show out.
As Diego began high school, he visited his little slice of railroad less frequently as he grew into his new school. He found his way back as he approached his senior year, still finding enjoyment in the little trains and the steam that powered them. No longer too young to operate, Diego was running the locomotives and hosting passengers now, and even teaching some of the new volunteers the things he had begun learning well before he could drive a car. After graduating from high school, Diego found himself enrolling in junior college where he played baseball alongside his classes. Developing a strong arm, Diego continued with the sport for his two years of studies, taking accomplishments and lessons with him after each practice and game. After two years at junior college, Diego looked into a bigger school that would better equip him in the realm of academia. Transferring to Fresno State University, Diego began pursuing a degree in focusing on mechanical design and management, but felt a familiar itch returning. Still interested in steam trains, Diego looked into some railroading opportunities near his new university and found that the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad — a small logging railroad that now operates scenic rides behind geared steam locomotives — was just an hour north of his university. He made quick work of getting involved, and soon was spending his weekends in the Sierra Nevada National Forest working as a conductor and fireman on the 4-mile railroad through old logging territory. Making the jump from the small-scale trains that he grew up with to full-sized locomotives was an exciting change that broadened Diego’s views on railroading and steam locomotives. The geared Shay locomotives at the Sugar Pine also posed a whole new realm of machinery to explore, and Diego was excited to soak it all in. Diego’s time in college, especially in his last two years, was much busier than he had expected. He recalled staying in the bunkhouse at the Sugar Pine overnight on weekends, running trains during the day and then working on classwork and studying overnight before rushing back to campus on Sunday afternoons, where he would then hit the books and take the baseball field after class. He thinks back to this chapter of his life as enjoyable yet stressful, “more stressful than being the roundhouse foreman now”, he added with a smirk. In 2022, Diego walked the commencement stage with a bachelors degree in industrial design and technology, but also with loads of life lessons from the baseball field, and even more railroad experience from the little logging operation he came into.
After college, Diego returned to his childhood home and was reached out to by his old friends and coworkers at the Hillcrest and Wahtoke. The little operation had grown substantially since he left for school and the shops at the railroad were now hosting contract work for various organizations, rebuilding and maintaining steam locomotives for operators all around the west coast. Needing skilled people they trusted, the Hillcrest and Wahtoke offered Diego a job helping manager the several contract jobs the little railroad began picking up, helping small-scale steam engines around the region steam once more. He excitedly accepted the job and began his role overseeing many of these rebuilds, some for major clientele like Disney! Diego’s time at university helped prepare him for some of the business and administrative objectives, but his education continued into this job as he was given the freedom to learn how to do many of the essential tasks in a shop on his own. One of his greatest takeaways was learning how to weld on stainless steel — an invaluable skill in any machine shop, but especially in the fabrication of new components on locomotives (tender tanks, cabs, etc). Diego spent two years working in the contract role at Hillcrest before moving to his now-home, a place he’d spent almost a decade dreaming of.
The Durango and Silverton in southwestern Colorado is a world-renowned railroad, gaining fame from its 150-year-plus lifespan as a steam-powered time capsule in the Rocky Mountains. Hauling several hundred thousand passengers every year, mostly all behind steam locomotives that have been running the same track their whole careers, it’s obvious why so many railroad and steam enthusiasts become infatuated with the railroad and make it their goal to work there someday. Diego is no such exception, and after his first trip to Durango while in high school he was sold on the idea of making a future in the small mountain town. He would go on to visit several times during his college career and developed a relationship with his now-boss, Matt Cunningham. Each visit, Cunningham would further encourage Diego to make the move, but Diego wanted to be sure it was the right path and took his time on the decision. During college, he also met the woman that would become his wife, and they welcomed their two daughters into the world. In 2023, after continuing to dream about Durango, Diego made one more visit with his wife and kids to see how they liked the town. With the approval from his family and an open invitation to start, Diego was finally able to make Durango his new home.
In 2024, Diego accepted the role as Contract Manager and Machinist in the roundhouse of the mighty Durango and Silverton. Finally ready to move his life down to the high desert, Diego was beyond thrilled for this new opportunity that he had dreamt of for almost a decade now. Now having held the job for a year, Diego has seen countless contract jobs come and go and worked his way into the bigger picture of the steam powerhouse that keeps America’s tourist railroad running, and helps other places do the same. Seeing the wealth of knowledge in his shop, Diego has realized that operations are important, but having skills to maintain the engines is crucial: “There’s only a few people that can run these things, but there’s even fewer than can fix them.” The contract jobs in the D&S shops are proof that the D&S is a special place with a large skillset for working on steam, and Diego is glad to be a part of the greater force that helps places without their own shop or knowledge keep their locomotives operational. The young shop force at the D&S has similarly inspired Diego, seeing how many young people are attracted to the narrow gauge railroad for a place to learn. He compared it to a steam locomotive university, where people come and spend a few years learning to machine and work on steam engines, before moving on and taking their new knowledge with them. Diego is far from the youngest person employed in the roundhouse, and his now-role of the foreman of the roundhouse has given him a platform to teach. He thinks back to his extensive time on the pitcher’s mound while playing baseball in school, where he really learned how to work as a team. His coaches were tough on him and his teammates, and he sees why now; all working towards a common objective, he divides his shop forces to individual tasks and expects his crews to complete their side of the project and ask questions as they arise, and coach those who need to learn a new skill to complete said task. He feels that people really want to learn in the roundhouse, and being in charge of the team that keeps water boiling for so many places is a great mission to be a part of.
As Diego continues to see locomotives return to service and continue their lives in steam, he is hopeful for the future of historic railroading. His main ambition with his career is to ensure that small operations have the tools they need to keep their locomotives running, or are able to enlist help from a place that does. Diego has a soft spot for the smaller tourist railroads that gave him an introduction to steam at such a young age, and hopes that more enthusiastic young people have the same opportunity to be inspired and immersed in a world of running gear, cylinders, oil, and smoke: “Me coming from a small tourist railroad, I want those places to stick around even when heavy maintenance comes around”. Steam gave Diego a purpose when he was young, and something to be excited about and work towards. As he grew up and found new passions and hobbies, Diego always found a way to keep steam in his life and relate his new undertakings back to the passion that helped him find himself at a young age. Helping others find that same drive by means of steel and steam is Diego’s hope for his future, and he works on the mound as his team welds, fabricates, fires, and learns - bringing fire to engines and life to the communities they serve.
Thank you for reading this edition of Behind the Throttle, and thank you for joining us throughout this wonderful reintroduction of the blog. When I started writing Behind the Throttle at just 19 years old, I had lots of hopes to keep this project alive as long as I could. With every story, I hope I make the railroad world just a bit more in touch, and hope more people will bring themselves into this community that teaches, drives, and helps others enjoy something bigger than themselves. Tune in here shortly for a brief recap on Edition 2 before we break until October! Until then, I’m Max Harris, and I’ll see you folks down the line.