This touching memorial to engineer Michael Hoover who was killed tragically in a train-switching accident stands outside the BNSF Railway offices in downtown Casper WY.
The day Blasterz visited, faded flowers decorated the memorial, showing that the BNSF employees still feel the loss of their friend and fellow railroader.
The memorial is a boulder inscribed with a likeness of Mr. Hoover and images of what he loved -- hunting, fishing, and his job. The inscription on the boulder reads as follows:
"MICHAEL WAYNE HOOVER
January 8, 1953 – December 7, 2001
In loving memory f Mike Hoover, who gave his life on a cold December day at Arminto Wyoming while in his 30th year of service to the BNSF in performance of a [obscured by cross and flowers]
By his wife family, friends and fellow employees"
Blasterz were not going to move the flowers or cross out of the way to read all of the inscription. We behave the same way at cemeteries.
From the Brotherhood of Local Trainmen and Engineers website: (
visit link)
"Memorial of Engineers Killed in the Line of Duty Since 9/1/91
. . .
Arminto, Wyo. -- December 7, 2001 "Engineer killed in BNSF siding collision"
Brother Mike W. Hoover, 48 years old, lost his life when his Burlington Northern Santa Fe train unexpectedly encountered a mainline switch lined for a siding. The train was traveling at approximately 46 mph when it collided head-on with several locomotives attached to an unoccupied train, which had been previously parked in the siding for several days.
Brother Hoover joined BLE Division 207 (Casper, Wyo.) on Aug. 1, 1977. "Losing Mike is very much like losing a close family friend," said Division 207 Local Chairman Eric Kriegh."