Clinton Ensworth
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Bibliography
- "The Akron, Canton & Youngstown Railroad and the 'New' PA&WRR", Medina County Historical Society, 1993, revised 7/1996.
Obituary
From "Medina County Life":
- Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron
- Clinton B. F. Ensworth, Jr., 87, died Thursday, November 4, 2010.
- He was born November 14, 1922, in Akron.
- Ensworth graduated from East High School and served in the U.S. Army in the 35th Infantry Division during World War II. He was a Purple Heart veteran.
- Ensworth completed his education at The University of Akron and Columbia University to become a school teacher. He taught in Akron Public schools for 29 years, retiring from Buchtel High School in 1976. Ensworth also worked as a patrolman on the Portage Lakes for nine years, during summers. In 1960 he moved to a 113-1/2 acre farm in Medina County, where Ensworth started his own outdoor 7-1/2 inch gauge railroad, the PA & W. He was a pioneer in point-to-point railroad operation in the region at that time. In 1969, Ensworth was one of 18 charter members who founded the Northeastern Ohio Live Steamers/NEOLS.
- For many years Ensworth hosted train meets and authored numerous train articles. He was a member of NEOLS, the Akron Railroad Club, and many other train clubs and organizations, notably the Land Conservancy, Lighter Than-Air Society, Center for Inquiry and the American Civil Liberties Union.
- He was preceded in death by his wife of 49 years, Ruth and brother, Bob.
- He is survived by brother, Jack Ensworth of Bend, Oregon and locally, by cousin, John Bradley, Jr. He leaves daughters, Susan Shah and Jean (Phil) Schreiner, Jr., son, Clint (Becky) Ensworth, III and grandchildren, Nicholas and Michael Shah, Will and Drew Schreiner and Stephanie and Emily Ens worth.
- This special former President, General Manager and gandy dancer of the PA&W Railroad has moved on down the line! He will be greatly missed and always remembered with love.
From Akron Railroad Club:
- In Memory of Clint Ensworth Jr.
- Veteran Akron Railroad Club member Clinton B. F. Ensworth, Jr., 87, died November 4, 2010, at his home in Medina County. He died 10 days short of his 88th birthday.
- Since joining the ARRC on May 23, 1968, Mr. Ensworth several times hosted club members at picnics and other outings at his home. He frequently invited club members out to ride on his Pittsburgh, Akron & Western 7.5-inch gauge railroad. Most recently, Mr. Ensworth invited ARRC members to attend his annual meet on the PA&W, held July 17-18, 2010.
- The PA&W had about 4,000 feet of mainline railroad. Mr. Ensworth was an early participant in the live steam hobby in the United States and consequently was considered one of the elder statesmen of live steam here. The PA&W was built on the 113.5 acre farm to which he moved in 1960.
- He started building the PA&W in 1967 and finished the far loop in 1982. Mr. Ensworth was a pioneer of point-to-point live steam layouts. Before that, most operators just laid a circle of track. He also was an early advocate of operating his railroad by rules and timetable.
- Mr. Ensworth was one of 18 founding member of the Northeast Ohio Live Steamers, which formed in 1969. He was also a member of Tri-State Live Steamers in Michigan and the Cinder Sniffers in Cincinnati. He belonged to the British 7 1/4 inch Society and made numerous trips to the United Kingdom to visit live steam railroads there. Those trips gave him ideas for many of his operating practices, including adding weight to the bottoms of cars to make them more stable and less likely to derail with adults riding them.
- Mr. Ensworth mentored several younger ARRC members, some of whom have gone on to become railroaders.
- He was active in ARRC events until the end, having attended the annual picnic this past July and the October meeting. The ARRC honored Mr. Ensworth during its July 2010 meeting by awarding him a certificate of appreciation for his service to the club.
- Mr. Ensworth was born November 14, 1922, in Akron. and grew up in Goodyear Heights. He graduated from Akron East High School and served in U.S. Army’s 35th Infantry Division during World War II. He was wounded in France during the war and received the Purple Heart.
- He attended the University of Akron and Columbia University and for much of his career, Mr. Ensworth was a teacher, including stints at Simon Perkins Junior High School and Buchtel High School. He taught visual education, history and civics. He retired in 1976 after teaching in the Akron Public Schools for 49 years.
- He spent nine years as a patrolman during the summer at Portage Lakes. He was also a member of the Land Conservancy, Lighter-Than-Air Society, Center for Inquiry, and the American Civil Liberties Union.
- Mr. Ensworth married Ruth Bradley and the couple had three children. Mrs. Ensworth died at age 79 in December 2002. She had been an elementary school teacher. They were married for 49 years. He was also preceded in death by a brother, Bob.
- Mr. Ensworth is survived by two daughters, Susan Shah, of Wadsworth; Jean Schreiner, of Denver; a son, Clint Ensworth III of Medina County; and six grandchildren. He also is survived by a brother, Jack, of Bend, Oregon.
Gallery
Clint Ensworth at the throttle on his PA&W railroad in July 2010.
Clint Ensworth Jr. holds his certificate of appreciation while standing with his son, Clint Ensworth III,, during the July 23, 2010, Akron Railroad Club meeting.
- Here are some more home movies my dad took in the early 1970's.
- We open with Bob Chrismann(SP?) of Erie Pa and his home track. Bob built a very nice NYC 2-8-2. He had just a normal city lot but he did some tricks with the loco to get it to go around very sharp curves. I remember Bob very well and he was a awful nice guy. My dad and him were pretty good friends. My dad got him some prints of an L2 NYC Mohawk, I don't know if Bob ever got a start on it.
- Next is some very much out of focus shots of my dads engine on our track at home. Sad as I don' think are any movies of the engine running on our own track. Sorry for the quality.
- Last is some stuff at Clint Ensworth's track near Medina Ohio. The Bleils's brought their Pacific which can be seen a couple times. Clyde is running. I have more at the Ensworth track but it is not digitized as of yet.