From the editor: In memoriam: Jim Gowan, rail equipment sales legend

By Pat Foran, Editor-in-Chief

The rail community lost one of its best last month. Longtime rail equipment salesman Jim Gowan died on July 18 following a battle with cancer. He was 76.

Down to earth and as genuine as they come, Gowan was a best-in-class salesman and an even better man, friends and family members say.

“Mr. Gowan was one of those legends in the industry,” as REMSA Chairman Greg Spilker, vice president of sales and marketing for MOW Equipment Solutions Inc., put it in an email to REMSA members.

Gowan grew up in New Philadelphia, Ohio, about 85 miles south of Cleveland, and lived there his whole life. Jim graduated from high school in 1966 and married Sandy, his high school sweetheart, in 1969. Jim knew early on what his professional calling would be.

“He knew he was going into sales from the time he was in 7th or 8th grade and won a contest selling newspapers,” says Jim’s daughter, Julie McCabe.

He spent his first five professional years with Dover Phila Electric in Dover, Ohio, selling switches and other electronic products.

Meanwhile, his father, William, was VP of The Nolan Co., a rail supply company in Bowerston, Ohio. In 1975, Jim signed on as a salesman at Nolan, which manufactures a range of MOW and track safety products. Jim spent 10 years with Nolan — and the rest of his career in the rail industry.

“For the next 40 years, he was on the road 48 weeks a year,” says Jay Gowan, Jim’s son and senior VP-North American Track at RailWorks Corp.

But when Jim was home, he was home.

“When he was with you, he was with you,” Julie says. “He was engaged.”

Adds Jay: “He was present.”

In addition to making him a good father, those qualities made him a good teacher — to his children (“He had a way of convincing you something you needed to know how to do was your idea,” Julie says), the neighborhood children (“He had nicknames for every one of them,” she adds) and colleagues at his various rail stops (“Every company asked him to train the young salesmen,” Jay says).

Incorporating work into life

In 1985, Jim left Nolan to join The Tamper Corp., later known as Fairmont Tamper, which was acquired by Harsco Rail in 1992. Jim worked at Harsco until 2000, when he took a turn with Racine Railroad Products, where he worked until 2010.

The final leg of Jim’s career was with equipment lessor RELAM, where he served from 2010 until he retired in 2019.

“That was his favorite job — he sold everyone’s products,” Jay says. “He just loved it.”

Another reason Jim loved it: He spent the RELAM years on the road with Sandy. The two traversed Jim’s sales territory in a Tiffin RV.

“They incorporated work into life,” Julie says.

The way the best railroaders do.

“Dad loved the people in this industry,” Jay says. “He cherished the relationships he made and the people he met on the road.”

Jim also made sure his kids knew how he felt about them.

“There was never a time we didn’t know that he loved us,” Jay says.

Jim was the best kind of legend, then. He’ll be missed. My thoughts are with Sandy, Julie, Jay and the Gowan family.