Short line railroad executive David L. Parkinson, 78, died Saturday, Dec. 17 at Palm Desert, Calif. after a brief illness.
Parkinson had been involved in railroad investments and acquisitions since 1988. He was founder and chairman of the Arizona & California and the California Northern railroads since their respective startups in 1991 and 1993 and chairman of the Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad, which began operation in 1997. The three railroads were sold in 2002 to RailAmerica, Inc., which subsequently was acquired by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. in 2012. Parkinson acquired the San Pedro & Southwestern Railroad from RailAmerica in 2003.
Parkinson was a director of Evraz Oregon Steel Mills Inc. since 2001. He served on the board of directors for Napa Landmarks and the California Short Line Railroad Association, and the Foundation of Intermodal Research.
From 1972 until 1986, Parkinson was founder and chairman of WESTEC Services, Inc., a California-based engineering and consulting firm. He became group president after the organization was acquired by ERC International, a part of Ogden Corp. Parkinson graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1960 and served in the Navy’s nuclear power program and submarines.