Eugene “Gene” Hulburt Blabey II, Chairman Emeritus of the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad (LAL) and the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad (WNYP), as well as Board Member Emeritus of LAL subsidiary B&H Rail Corp. (BH), died Sept. 2, 2024, according to LAL, WNYP and BH.
Blabey combined a career in journalism with a 50-plus-year involvement with the short line railroad industry. He was inducted into the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association’s (ASLRRA) Short Line Railroad Industry Hall of Fame in 2021, as one of three “visionaries,” who the association said exemplified the qualities of innovation, entrepreneurialism, perseverance, and service.
Blabey, who retired in 1987 as United Press International’s (UPI) Vice President and General Manager for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, “became intrigued with short lines as a young UPI reporter,” ASLRRA said during its Hall of Fame induction announcement. “He wrote a story about a community’s effort to preserve railroad service and later followed up with an account of how that effort led to the formation of LAL. Blabey made a personal investment in the venture.” He served on the Board of Directors and as President and Chairman of LAL (Railway Age 1997 Short Line of the Year). He was also on the BH Board.
Blabey continued to invest in short line development with his business partners Dave Beers and Tony Hannold, supporting the Ontario Eastern, Ontario Central, Maryland & Delaware Railroad, and the former Virginia & Maryland Railroad. In 1975, Blabey and Hannold started the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad, and Blabey joined its Board. Later, Blabey raised the initial capital to form WNYP and served for a time as its President and Board Chair. He was also on the Morristown & Erie Railroad Board.
With a “keen understanding of the value of PR and politics,” ASLRRA said Blabey helped to advance the industry. He held two terms on the ASLRRA Board as representative for the Eastern Region and was a member of the association’s Legislative Policy Committee, Passenger Committee, and Railroad Industry Working Group.
“As a lifelong fan and railroad industry advocate, Eugene played an integral role in developing and promoting short line railroads and their importance for the communities they serve,” LAL, WNYP and BH said in a statement. “We are honored to work for a company that was built with vision and passion, and we are grateful for Mr. Blabey’s unwavering focus and commitment in driving the success of all our railroads. His countless years dedicated to the railroad industry and more specifically the short line railroad industry will go unmatched. Gene’s entrepreneurial spirit was ignited at an early age. He was blessed to be able to turn his passion for railroading into his life’s work. Aside from his family, the LA&L, B&H, OMID and WNYP railroads were the most important things in his life. He was always grateful for the people in his life and those that helped him make his dream a success.”
“Gene was a legend in our industry and a leading voice on short line matters,” ASLRRA President Chuck Baker said in a statement. “We were honored to induct him into the inaugural Short Line Railroad Industry Hall of Fame class in 2021. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.”
Blabey passed away surrounded by his family, including his wife of 59 years, Shirley; his son Eugene (Annie); his daughter Nancy (Chris); and four grandchildren, according to LAL, WNYP and BH.
