Remembering Mal Ferrell, railroad author, aviator

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. — Anyone who doubts that aviation and railroading are often a shared affinity should consider the life of Mallory Hope Ferrell, a skilled photographer and writer, decorated military and commercial pilot, and the author of at least 21 railroad books, mostly concerned with narrow-gauge and shortline steam railroads.

Lt. Colonel Mallory Hope Ferrell (USAF-retired), a former pilot for Western and Delta Airlines, died Dec. 25, 2023, at his home in Peachtree City, after a long illness. He was 88.

Along with his many books, Ferrell had dozens of bylines in Trains, Classic Trains, and other railroad periodicals. One of the most notable stories was his portrait of Colorado narrow-gauge preservationist Robert W. Richardson, “Uncle Bob and the 346,” the cover story for the February 1988 issue of Trains. In it, Ferrell described how legions of narrow-gauge fans grew up in Richardson’s shadow; the same could be said of the author himself.

Ferrell’s books touched on nearly every aspect of narrow-gauge and steam short-line history. They included such classics as “Silver San Juan: The Rio Grande Southern,” for Pruett Publishing in 1973; “West Side: Narrow Gauge in the Sierra,” for Pacific Fast Mail in 1992; and “The South Park Line,” for Hundman Publishing in 2003.

Ferrell also had a special place in his heart for a Class I railroad, the Virginian, located near his childhood Tidewater home in Portsmouth, Va. He wrote: “I would go to sleep each night listening to the sounds of a Virginian 2-8-2 switching the yards. The gentle sounds and pungent aroma of smoke would drift through the night air and into my bedroom window like a soothing gauze.”

But it wasn’t all railroading for Ferrell. In fact, his first love undoubtedly was flying. Born Nov. 23, 1935, as a child he witnessed planes attacking German U-boats off the Virginia coast. As a teenager he had a job at a local airport and earned his pilot’s license at the age of 15 — before he even had a driver’s license — and in 1959 joined the Air Force through the ROTC program at the University of Miami.

Active duty followed, with deployments during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 and later to Vietnam, where he had three tours of duty and flew a variety of aircraft, including multiple missions in the F-105D Thunderchief. Among his decorations were the Distinguished Flying Cross, five Air Medals, and the Bronze and Silver Stars.

After Vietnam, Ferrell worked briefly in his family’s flooring business before landing a job as a flight engineer on the Boeing 707 for Western Airlines, followed by his many years as a pilot at Delta, which acquired Western in 1987. He flew the 727, the 737, and retired as an international captain on a Delta 767.

Writing for Editor David P. Morgan in the Summer 1973 issue of Airliners International magazine, Ferrell reflected on his interests in both aviation and railroads. “My parents did not care for my flying and did everything possible to encourage my interest in other fields,” he wrote. “I had always liked steam locomotives and trains, so when my enthusiasm for airplanes began to show, they gave me a set of Lionel 027-gauge trains. That didn’t work too well, though, for then I liked both trains and planes.”

Ferrell is survived by his wife of 48 years, Gloria Gaskins Ferrell; three children from a first marriage and a son with his widow, and numerous grandchildren. Services with military honors were held Jan. 13 in Peachtree City, followed by interment the following day at St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church in Alapaha, Ga. The family suggested donations to Gideon’s International or Samaritan’s Purse.