OCTOBER 2024 – Aaron Malone has been a conductor on the Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad (DREI) for about two years, and in that short time, he’s made himself to be an integral part of the team

“When I first met him, Aaron told me this was his dream job,” said Dave Waltz, DREI conductor/engineer and a 20-year industry veteran. “I just laughed and said, ‘Just wait until you do it for a while.’ He still brings that same enthusiasm every day and makes everyone around him better.”

Malone started working out of the DREI’s Decatur, Illinois, depot, which is about an hour-and-a-half drive from his home in Paris. Fortunately, the DREI has a depot in Paris as well and Malone was able to transfer there about a year ago, where his already-promising start continued its upward trajectory.

“He’s always helping out and really, really wants to learn,” said Waltz. “When he makes a mistake, he wants to know how to fix it and makes sure he knows how to avoid it in the future.”

Waltz says once Malone came over to Paris he meshed with the team well. The more experienced team members took him under their wing, and he absorbed as much information as he could.

“If he’s done with the yard job in seven hours, he sticks around and helps other jobs before he leaves,” Waltz said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s 95 degrees, raining, or anything else. He makes everyone else’s jobs easier and is probably the hardest worker I’ve seen in my entire career. He just loves being out there and that’s hard to come by.”

Trainmaster Ben Jackson echoed Waltz’s sentiments. Malone is next in line on the DREI to attend engineer training. He also added that Malone’s contributions go beyond what he does while on duty.

“He always volunteers to take on extra work if we need a hand. I don’t think he’s ever said no,” Jackson said. “He’s got a bright future, and I can see him moving up in the company. He’s even helping us recruit. We just hired one of his referrals and we’re interviewing another. He’s a great resource for our team.”

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