“Put our best foot forward and show them what we can do from Day 1.” According to team members, that’s been Engineer Josh Whorley’s message to the Great Lakes Central Railroad (GLC) team for months.

The GLC joined Watco in October 2025 after nearly 20 years of independent operations. Change can be difficult for veteran railroaders like Whorley, who’s been on the GLC for 12 years, but he embraced it and urged his team members to do the same. Engineer Larry Norton says that’s just who Whorley is.

“Our motto during the transition to Watco was ‘Show them our best,’” Norton said. “That came from him. He helped make sure we didn’t let Watco, customers, or anyone else down while we adjusted to changes. He makes all of us better.”

The team says Whorley has taken the same approach to his job his entire career, especially when it comes to safety. He recently caught a damaged tank car during a routine inspection. Norton said the GLC received the car from another railroad, and Whorley’s keen eye spotted the issue and prevented the car from leaving the yard.

Joining Watco also brought new team members and new rules. Norton and Senior Trainmaster Kevin Mayer say Whorley has taken the lead on training new hires and familiarizing the team with new standard operating procedures (SOP). Recent catches include a trainee missing a step while verifying a track warrant. He stopped the process and explained what was missed and why it’s important. There was also uncertainty about the length of time to wait during brake tests. Whorley stopped, looked up the rule, and only restarted work after the crew all knew the correct procedure.

“I’ve been doing this for 30 years and I’ve never felt safer than when I’m working with Josh. That says a lot,” Norton said. “He knows all the rules and stops work anytime there’s a question. Our careers, and our lives, are on the line. He makes sure we take the time to get everything right.”

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