Ray Pimlott. Courtesy of his family
Raymond Leroy Pimlott was born on April 2, 1933, in Oakland. His early years were spent in Oakland near 40th and Shafter Streets, where his love for trains was ignited.
Ray contracted polio as a child while living in Oakland, a disease that had no preventative vaccine nor definitive cure at the time. Due in large part to the tenacity of his parents following treatments prescribed by specialists, Ray survived this mostly debilitating and deadly disease. While confined to his bed, Ray waved to the engineers on the trains that passed by outside his window every day.
Later, Ray and the family moved to Richmond where he graduated from Richmond High School in 1951. He went on to graduate from Cogswell College with an associate’s degree in electronics.
He was drafted into the United States Navy in 1955 and served as an electronics technician on the Destroyer USS Frank Knox, a radar picket ship. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1957 and spent the following summer working with his brother Ken as a firefighter on the Modoc National Forest in Alturas, where the family had roots. Shortly thereafter, he started his career with Chevron Research Company as an electronics technician.
Ray married Ruth Ann Watson on May 27, 1967, and they moved to the town of Diablo and ultimately their forever home in Lafayette. He spent much of his time with family working on projects at home and with his dad, brother and nephews.
In the mid 1970s, Ray discovered the Redwood Valley Railway, the steam train in Tilden Park. He started as a volunteer but within a few months was certified as a locomotive engineer. That was the beginning of Ray’s second career and a calling for the remainder of his life.
Ultimately, Ray retired from Chevron and the railroad became his full-time passion. He mentored many generations of new engineers over the years as he evolved to become the Redwood Valley Railway’s Chief Engineer. Over the decades, Ray was involved in and led many projects at the railroad, including the design and construction of a parade float powered by a steam locomotive.
Ray’s most rewarding and enduring accomplishment was building a steam locomotive from start to finish, taking many years to complete. The Number 7 is still in service today at the Redwood Valley Railway.
Ray continued working at the railroad until around 2020, when his health prevented him from making the trip. While his final years were challenging physically, he continued to be sharp as a tack right up to the last day, never losing his wit or sense of humor.
Ray passed away peacefully on Jan. 25. He is survived by his wife Ruth, sister-in-law Carolyn, brother Ken, three nephews and a niece.
“*” indicates required fields