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Biographical Info
Herman Peter “Pete” Claussen II learned to love railroads thanks to his German grandfather, who couldn’t speak English but who connected with his young grandson by taking him to a park near their New Jersey home to watch for trains that passed on adjacent tracks.
His first career as a lawyer laid the groundwork for a successful career in railroading. His experiences at the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Knoxville International Energy Expo, which organized the 1982 World’s Fair, provided connections leading to a role as President of the South Central Tennessee Railway in 1983.
The passage of the Staggers Rail Act in 1980 allowed enterprising individuals to purchase small railroads from bigger companies, and Claussen decided he wanted to take a similar chance. He founded Gulf & Ohio Railways Inc. (G&O) and on Dec. 31, 1985, Claussen’s first railroad, one of more than 18 that he would purchase, the Mississippi Delta, ran its first train.
Today, G&O, of which Claussen is chair, operates four short line freight railroads in Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina and one tourist excursion operation in Tennessee. The company also owns Knoxville Locomotive Works, a locomotive remanufacturing company that is making a name for itself developing environmentally friendly low-emission locomotive engines.
Over the years, Claussen’s passion for trains has converged with his interest in studying history and preserving historical artifacts. From finding and restoring locomotives to being active in the preservation of culture, animal habitats and parkland, Claussen has preserved history for the next generations.
Visitors to Washington, D.C. can visit the Linda and Pete Claussen Hall of Democracy in the National Museum of American History or the National Museum of African American History and Culture, where they will see another of Claussen’s contributions, a Jim Crow-era segregated railroad car that serves as one of the featured items in the museum’s Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom exhibition.
He has been chair of ASLRRA’s Legislative Policy Committee and served on the Association’s board and Executive Committee.