His son posted this on Oct. 04 on another forum. I met him a few times on my trips out .RIP Mr Blea.
Tom C.
"I'm sorry to say that former C&TS Engineer and Trainmaster, Gerald Blea, passed away this morning in Rio Rancho, NM at age 61. Gerald grew up in Antonito, Colorado during the final years of Rio Grande narrow gauge operations. This is where his love for the narrow gauge began. Later in life, he worked for the C&TS from 1986 to 2000. Afterward, he went on to Amtrak where he continued as a locomotive engineer until 2012. During the course of his railroading career, he met countless friends and acquaintances, many of which lasted through the decades. Because of this, I felt this was the best way to reachout to the narrow gauge community with the news of his passing.
-Zack Blea,"