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Gary
J. Pember
was born in Puyallup, Washington
in
1946 to Claude and Nellie Pember. As the son of a Milwaukee Road diesel
mechanic of 27 years, Gary developed his love
for
the
railroad at an early age when his father would take him along on road
trips to repair locomotives. After an honorable discharge from the
United States Navy in 1970, Gary started serving his railroad
apprenticeship at the Mi1waukee Road’s Tacoma Roundhouse.
In
1980, when the Milwaukee Road shut down, Gary was forced to work a
variety of jobs until in May of 1988 when he was able to return to his
roots as a diesel mechanic working for the Burlington Northern Railroad
at Interbay Diesel Shop in Seattle, Washington. He has worked on
everything from the Milwaukee Electrics to the BNSF’s General Electric
AC-4400 Diesels. Gary retired after 26 years of railroad service in July
of
2004.
Since
1975, Gary has created several illustrations of his favorite railroads,
which have included the Milwaukee Road and now the Northern Pacific. He
is also working on scale plans for five western Milwaukee Road
Roundhouses from Harlowton, Montana to Tacoma, Washington.
"No
More Mountains To Cross" came from the deep void felt when the Milwaukee
Road left the West in 1980, leaving a trail still visible today over the
mountain ranges where the trains pass no more.
* A note of
thanks to the following photographers who have graciously allowed the
artist, Gary Pember, to work from their photographs:
Steve
Schmollinger
Blair Kooistra
Dale Sanders
Warren McGee
Jay Lentzner
Robert Leachman
Museum of the Rockies - Ron Nixon
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