Bob Wayman
When a completely restored Chicago, Aurora and Elgin trolley car made its debut last summer, Bob Wayman got to take a ride on the dedication day.
It was a 13-year effort to put CA&E car No. 458 in working condition for a “museum that moves.”
“He thought it was wonderful, and it is because we took something that had been relegated to being a parts donor to an operating car,” said Joseph Hazinski, curator of the Fox River Trolley Museum in South Elgin.
That was the last time he saw Wayman, who died at 88 on Aug. 9, surrounded by family. The longtime resident of Lombard and Downers Grove served on the museum board of directors and helped keep its trolley traditions — the sights and sounds of the electric railways — alive.
“He was a very amenable person. He got along with everybody, and he was dedicated to what we were doing, and he served as well as he could until he just physically couldn’t do it anymore,” Hazinski said.
The museum in a Facebook post paid tribute to Wayman and the hats he wore over the years. Wayman helped in the assembly of its electrical substation during the fledgling days of what would grow to become the museum.
“For decades he was involved in our weekend operations for the public,” the post read. “Bob will be remembered for his dedication to the organization and friendship to many.”
Rail fans like Wayman would rotate between being a conductor and motorman. A couple of times a month, he would come out on a Sunday and run the cars, Hazinski said.
“I think he liked operating any and everything that we operated,” he said.
One of the last things Wayman did for the museum was field phone calls during the week. He was “always trying to meet the public,” Hazinski said.
“I guess maybe it’s like being a sports fan or being a Cubs fan or being a Bears fan or a Packer fan. It’s just something that draws you in,” Hazinski said of their mutual passion.
Wayman had a “little bit more balance than some of us,” he said. Hazinski learned from his obituary that Wayman drove for Meals on Wheels for years.
About a year ago, last June, he was on oxygen and using a walker at the celebration for the CA&E car. “I was so glad that he could see it,” Hazinski said. And did he have a gleam in his eye? “Oh yes, yes.”
A celebration of Wayman’s life will be held Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Unitarian Church of Hinsdale on Maple Street.