A railroader’s Railroader of the Year

Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief

vantuono96x72In his own words, Norfolk Southern CEO Wick Moorman, Railway Age’s 2011 Railroader of the Year, was a kid who loved trains.

A fully qualified and licensed locomotive engineer, there are few things about his job he likes better than going out on the railroad and “seeing some folks,” meaning his employees.

The former Southern Railway track worker likes offering a friendly handshake and a “how’s it going?” to an engineer or brakeman or dispatcher as much or more than he likes, when he has the chance, to lay his hand on the throttle of a locomotive. He’s as comfortable wearing a pair of work gloves and safety glasses out on the road with the people who run and maintain the operation as he is wearing a suit in front of a Wall Street investor audience at an earnings presentation.

Prior to my traveling to Norfolk, Va., to interview Moorman, the NS Corporate Communications department sent a video copy of “A Week With Wick.” It’s a great snapshot of the man who leads what is arguably the world’s best transportation company.

“The most fun I have in my job is going out and seeing Norfolk Southern people,” he says. Boarding a brand-new GE AC4400, he asks the engineer how he likes the computerized display screens and other modern technology. “These locomotives are terrific,” he remarks. “They’re models of efficiency and high horsepower.” Taking a turn at the throttle, with a smile, he says, “Sitting in the cab—it doesn’t get any better than this.”

There’s something to be said about loving what you’re doing, and having fun at it. Moorman has always felt this way, going back to his days in 1970 as a civil engineering co-op student from Georgia Tech, learning about railroading on the Southern. His job as CEO of NS? “It’s beyond the icing on the cake.”

Wick Moorman and I have an unusual connection that dates back close to 40 years. My father, the late Professor William J. Vantuono, and Wick’s father, the late Professor Charles Moorman (The University of Southern Mississippi), were scholars and published authors in the area of Middle and Old English literature. I remember my dad, in the midst of one of his book projects, talking about Dr. Moorman, and referencing his work. Years later, when the younger Moorman became CEO of Norfolk Southern, I thought, “That name sounds very familiar.”

Coincidence? Maybe not. In any case, if you don’t know Wick Moorman, you should.

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