That's it! I was trying to figure out exactly where Mr. Logan was on the locomotive. Not many clues here but I figured the castellated nut above his head is the pivot point of a "Butterfly" firebox door on the boiler backhead. The angled pipe to the left was used to open and close the door manually and on most engines there was also a foot pedal to open the door automatically for "hand firing." You can see part of the flue sheet inside the firebox above his right ear. Jack took the picture from the cab floor.

That is certainly a very well-worn and stained Fedora that Leroy is wearing.....probably his favourite work-hat.
I'll bet that it has seen a few years since it left the manufacturers.

From the stubble on his face, I would guess this was well into a long shift. Mr. Logan looks like a gentleman who started his shifts with a clean shave.

This gentleman is likely conducting inspection or repair of stay bolts inside a radial stay fire box. He's crawling (or peeking) out of an open butterfly fire box door. He appears to have air lines under his left glove for tools. Stay bolts keep the boiler in perfect radius around the fire box and are hollow so that when tested under pressure they leak and water can be detected on close inspection. A leaking stay bolt must be ground out and replaced. A deafening and dirty job.

I think this is the finest exposure on the whole site, to date. Great composition and lighting. Delano's masterpiece, perhaps, and shows how amazing Kodachrome could be. (I used it exclusively, even for night shots with that slow 16 and 25 ASA, even if I had to sit for hours waiting for an exposure.)

I grew up in West Chicago, which was a fairly small town when that photo was taken, maybe 5000 people at most. Chances are good I crossed paths with him or more than likely his kids. He looks like a hard working good guy.

I wouldn't mind in the least buying this man a drink and talking shop with him.

[I'd buy him a boilermaker. - Dave]

Based on my research, I am fairly confident that this is Leroy Logan, born circa 1889 in Illinois. He is found in the 1930 Census and was working for the railroad at the time.

could be the inspiriation for the super-realism artists. Delano creates with photography what those guys do with an airbrush.

Another fantastic Jack Delano photo. The lighting really brings out the character in his face.

When I first saw the photo I thought I was looking at Henry Fonda.

This bloke looks a lot like the first tradesman I was assigned to when I was an apprentice boilermaker. Happy memories!

It seems as though his glasses might fit quite snug under those goggles.

I can smell the welding now.

Jack Delano is one of the great photographers who need not sign his work.
You know who took that photograph that just knocked you off your feet!
Whatta guy!

But then again I find most of Jack Delano's work to be amazing. You can almost smell the oil, sweat and coal dust.

What a face!! He has not had an easy life. He looks weary.

Wow, it's like looking through a window directly into the past.