Credit: On loan from the Alaska Railroad
Alaska Railroad conductor Harry Ross, 2018
Harry Ross and his family came to Alaska in 1957. He graduated from East Anchorage High School in 1964 and was hired by the Alaska Railroad as a student brakeman in 1968. He became a professional brakeman in 1970, and the following year he made history as the first Black conductor of the Alaska Railroad. From 1979 to 1984, Ross monitored train operations in the Anchorage rail yard, first as a yardmaster trainee and later as a yardmaster. In 1985, he resumed conductor/brakeman duties and remained in this position until he retired in 2019. Ross and his band The Diamonds performed R&B around Anchorage for several decades and he would often sing to himself and guests onboard the train, leading to his nickname, “the singing conductor.”