Starling describes his start in the rail industry as an extra-board clerk telegrapher on the Frisco, his years as a dispatcher, and his transition into the operating ranks, where he formed relationships with railroaders who played an integral role in shaping his career—people like Hunter Harrison and Mike Haverty. He also talks about working in such locations as Hong Kong, Panama, and Mexico, where he gained experience in international container shipping. It’s a remarkable story of a remarkable man who traces his roots to “a small town in Arkansas, a crew change point on the Rock Island between Little Rock and Hartshorne, Oklahoma.”

PLEASE VIEW THE VIDEO. Prizm Productions LLC of Kansas City, Mo., winner of three 2011 Telly Awards, produced the video for KCS and Railway Age.