1. Jovi Gonyea
British Literature
Tillery
Period 2
Hello my name is Jovi Gonyea and for my senior project follow that every same passion I
had as a child for the railway and pursue a position of importance as a railway conductor.
Conducting a railway operation of any size requires a fine balance of skill, patience, and
coordination by all members of the train crew. This in itself requires an individual to go through
certain key positions and examinations, much like the ones I experienced myself.
The first of which was, after acquiring a volunteering position, to become affiliated with
the operations of the railway itself. This included; a cab ride with the engineer, a conducted run
with the Train Master, and filling out the paperwork involved with each run. At this stage of the
project I was introduced to my project facilitator, Mr. John Majewski, a sixteen year veteran of
the United States Navy SEALS, as well as a twelve year experienced volunteer of the museum
itself as one of the head conductors. After experiencing each of the different positions I had to
work my way through each one until eventually I became a certified conductor. These positions
in order were; the “Ticketer” in charge of taking passenger tickets and filling out the required
paperwork, Supervised Conductor, and Safety. Only after working these positions was I given
the Southeastern Railway Museum’s Safety Exam, which I passed on March 17th, 2012.
However with the speed at which I was being trained and how the museum runs daily, the
probability for serious issues was always present.
The first in a short list on problems I encountered in the process of completing my senior
project was a topic change there by deeming my research, as well as my research essay,
insufficient. This being due to the fact that my initial topic for my senior project was Dance and
Choreography, and my product was to direct and choreograph a “Flash Mob” of about twenty to
thirty individuals. After gathering a small group of about fifteen members the first practice was
slated, however, none showed up for the rehearsal and for varying personal reasons all but three
dropped all efforts.
This was only a minor problem compared to the problems I was faced with under my new
direction at The Southeastern Railway museum. One of the most occurring dangers, however,
was not from the train itself but from the customers walking the grounds. The Southeastern
Railway museum, however fenced in, is an open air museum meaning that most of the exhibits
are open to the general public and there are generally no restrictions to where guests can go on
the property. On one occasion I can recall we had a young woman and her infant run onto the

2. track toward the Locomotive as we were departing the main platform causing us to take
emergency measures. This particular incident was just a case of ignorance and the museum was
not at fault. Another major issue comes with the age of the property itself. Since much of the rail
on the property is over seventy years old they have a tendency to crack, warp, or even break
away completely causing the museum and the train crew to shut down operations and fix the
issue immediately. This photo taken in February shows exactly what I had to deal with at the
museum on several dates.
In conclusion, I would like to say I thoroughly enjoyed the process leading up to my
certification as well as the position I held and still hold today. I admit I was deterred at first,
thinking that I wouldn’t be right for the job and that I would break down under the pressure
dealing with such heavy machinery. However, after completing my certification, I couldn’t
imagine doing anything else and it has become almost natural to step off the side of a moving
train car, or to climb onto the roof of an idling locomotive. I do plan to continue to practice and
build upon the skills I have acquired at The Southeastern Railway Museum as a volunteer, not as
a legitimate railroad conductor. I plan to attend Kennesaw State University, under their branch
of Georgia Tech’s Air Force ROTC, and upon graduating, enlist into the United States Air
Forces as an Officer. With that I would like to thank you for your time and patience, and I also
invite you to visit The Southeastern Railway Museum to experience the museum for yourselves.