(rshsdepot) Leeds, AL

[I95BERNIEW_@_aol.com]

From The Leeds News.
 
Bernie Wagenblast
 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
Clemons to help turn depot into railroad museum 
 
Staff Report
 
Throughout Marvin Clemons’ pursuit of his degree in mass communications,  his 
master’s degree in counseling, his years of military service in South Korea,  
the Republic of Viet Nam, the first Gulf War, his service at the Pentagon or 
his  work as the assistant city editor of the former Birmingham Post-Herald, 
the  sound of a nostalgic train whistle seemed to never be far removed from his 
 memories or his thoughts.
 
In 2007, his love of railroads in the Birmingham District (includes Leeds)  
and his first job out of high school, culminated in a pictorial book Birmingham 
 Rails: The Last Golden Era he co-authored and published with Kyle Key, a  
railroad friend from their days at Banks High School. The limited edition of  
1800 copies sold out within a few months, after remaining on the Birmingham best 
 seller list for 12 weeks. The book won rave reviews and comments from 
railroads  buffs and historians. Today, the book has become a collectible. 
 
The book contains 400 color and black and white photos, many never  
published, and covers every Class I, shortline and industrial railroads  operating in 
the Birmingham District from the 1940’s through the 1960’s. It  offers a 
colorful and detailed account of Birmingham railroads through three  decades until 
the arrival of Amtrak in the early 1970’s. 
 
The book also includes all the old streetcar routes and includes a map, and  
a chapter devoted to the beautiful Birmingham Terminal Station. It has been  
called the ultimate pictorial story of Birmingham rail history. 
 
Clemons and a group of railroad retirees met at the historic Depot in Leeds  
on Saturday, Sept. 6, for the purpose of organizing a Birmingham Railroad  
Historical Society. Clemons has conferred with Leeds Historical Society  
President Frank Little and has offered some suggestions on how to turn the  depot’s 
museum into a first-class railroad museum.
 
His talk at the historical society meeting on Sunday afternoon, September  
14, will precede the Leeds 2008 Downtown Folk Festival set for Sept. 20-21 and a 
 play being presented by the historical society on the life of legendary 
local  legend, John Henry, the railroad steel-driving man. The play will be 
presented  on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 10 am and again at 3 pm on the depot grounds. 
 
Clemons is a native of Jacksonville, Fla. who moved to Birmingham in 1965. 
 
Following high school graduation he worked for the Birmingham Terminal Co.  
as an operator-towerman, responsible for moving trains through the terminal. He 
 transferred to the Atlanta Terminal in 1966. He was drafted into the US Army 
in  1966, attended Infantry Officer Candidate School and was commissioned a 
Second  Lieutenant. After serving in South Korea and the Republic of Viet Nam, 
he  returned to UAB to earn a master’s degree in career counseling. He worked 
as  assistant city editor at The Birmingham-Post Herald, before being named  
transportation editor. He wrote a series of award-winning articles on the  
Birmingham District Transportation System.
 
Clemons later entered private practice as a counselor, specializing in  adult 
career development. He has served as past president of the Alabama Career  
Development Association and the Alabama Association for Psychological Type and  
currently serves as the association’s board advisor. 
 
Clemons and his wife Kayron, an RN with St. Vincent’s East, live in  
Birmingham’s Historic Roebuck Springs District and attend Wilson Chapel United  
Methodist Church. He may be reached at _mclemons_@_bham.rr.com_ 
(mailto:mclemons_@_bham.rr.com) .
 
The public is always invited to attend the historical society’s monthly  
meetings to enjoy their guest speakers. For more information about the Leeds  
Historical Society, go to _www.leedshistoricalsociety_ 
(http://www.leedshistoricalsociety) . org  Jane Henry is the Public Relations & Publicity Director for 
the Leeds  Historical Society and can be reached at _jhenry534_@_alltel.net_ 
(mailto:jhenry534_@_alltel.net) .



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