The True Story of Ken's Railroad Chili
By Ken B. Jamin and Warren A. Newhauser
Ken’s Railroad Chili was developed by a railroader, who worked as a tower operator (1973-1979, 1985-1988) in the Milwaukee Road’s famous Rondout Tower (Milepost 33), on the outskirts of Chicago. The old tower, which still stands today, is near the site of the largest train robbery in U.S. history (1924), endured many bitterly cold Midwest winters. Those winters also tested the mettle of the railroaders, who sometimes worked in near-Arctic conditions to keep the tracks open and the trains running. In a scene that has been repeated for over a hundred years at railroad outposts everywhere, half-frozen “rails” staggered in from the cold to warm up with a cup of hot coffee and a bite to eat before venturing back outside to perform their duties.
Ken had a culinary passion, and loved to cook. One cold winter, he began mixing various seasonings and spices, resulting in a chili recipe which would soon prove remarkably popular. After perfecting his recipe, Ken often prepared it at home, and brought it to work in a crockpot to share with his co-workers. When he wasn’t controlling train traffic at the busy junction or sending messages via the ancient telegraph key on his desk, Ken was ladling out the chili, keeping his co-workers bowls full of the steaming concoction.
Soon, train crews were calling ahead on the radio from Tower A20 in Northbrook, IL, to ask if he was serving chili that day. If the answer was, “Yes,” they parked their mile-long freight trains in the east siding, and hiked through the snow to the tower, where the hot chili awaited them. This is why Ken says that Ken’s Railroad Chili is, “The only chili in the world good enough to stop a freight train in its tracks.”
Before long, the word got out, and the mouth-watering aroma of chili, simmering in the pot, filled the office almost daily. Like any good railroader, Ken soon discovered a “short-cut.” To save time in preparation, he began pre-measuring the seasoning mixture into empty margarine tubs, which he then stacked in his kitchen cupboard. One day, after casually telling a co-worker about his “short-cut,” his pal asked him to sell him one of those tubs, so he could prepare Ken’s chili for his family at home. Another co-worker, who overheard the conversation, said, “Hey, I’ll buy one too!” The rest, as they say, is history.
At first, his co-workers purchased the chili seasoning mix for their families and friends. Then their relatives and neighbors wanted to buy it too. Soon, the orders were rolling in. Individual orders of forty and fifty packages were not unusual, as his customers shared it with their family and friends around the country. At first, Ken bought the ingredients in bulk, hand-blended the mixture in large stainless containers, then packaged it in small plastic bags.
On one occasion, a Metra conductor, not knowing that his co-worker Ken was the same Ken whose name was on the label, spent a whole day driving around in Chicago with his wife, looking in vain for the chili seasoning in every grocery store they found.
Change was on the horizon though. After the once-proud “Milwaukee Road” was sold to the Soo Line, Ken decided to move on. The Rondout tower chili days were over.
Although Ken left the railroad industry for several years, he became an active volunteer at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL, located about 60 miles northwest of Chicago. There, he met Warren R. Newhauser (Milwaukee Road employee from 1967-85) and his son Warren A. Newhauser, who were just beginning the restoration of the Milwaukee Road Dynamometer car (X-5000), which CP Rail had been recently donated to the Museum. Ken was familiar with the car, and had often seen it passing through Rondout on train #261 destined for the West coast.
Since it was built in 1930 by the Milwaukee Shops, the ‘Dyno’ has miraculously survived an odds defying array of events including the dieselization era, numerous internal political battles, plans to be scrapped, the Milwaukee Road’s sale to the Soo Line, the Soo Line’s absorption to CP Rail, and even subsequent offers for private purchase. “But now the Dynamometer car faces its greatest challenge ever – the slow deterioration from the elements. This really motivates us to get on with fund-raising efforts. Our vision is to raise the funds necessary to purchase indoor storage space and restore the car to its’ original operating condition,” said Warren A. Newhauser, curator of the Dynamometer car.
During the Dynamometer’s maiden run at the Illinois Railway Museum in 1992 and for several years thereafter, Ken donated chili to raise funds for the restoration project. “We’ve served a lot of chili on the Dynamometer car since then, cooking it in a large pot on the old Vulcan propane stove. “The chili was always a sellout, and we’ve raised several hundred dollars for restoration efforts with Ken’s Railroad Chili,” remarked Warren A. Newhauser. “One time, while the “Dyno” was in the Museum’s caboose train, visitors kept coming aboard the car for a bowl of chili after the ride, saying they could ‘smell it from two cars back’ in the train, he added.
In 1997, Ken moved away from Chicago to return to the railroad industry that he loves. In addition new health department regulations went into effect severely restricting the serving of food on trains at IRM. The days of serving Ken’s Railroad Chili and fresh baked cornbread in the galley of the Dynamometer car had ended. Ken’s new duties kept him busy and as unable to take orders for the now-popular seasoning. It seemed like the end of the line for both the Dyno fundraising efforts and Ken’s Railroad Chili.
However, while on a visit to the Museum late in the summer of 2000, Ken met Warren A. Newhauser again, seemingly by chance. They reminisced about the “good old days of chili on the Dyno,” and since decided to market Ken’s Railroad Chili seasoning mix for the purpose of raising money to preserve the Dynamometer car.
This time, however, a professional food packaging company was hired to blend and package the seasoning. ”Ken’s Railroad Chili” is now available in a 4 oz. packet for a donation of $6.00 postpaid. One packet makes approx. 10 pots of chili. Of course, there’s 30 day money-back guarantee if you’re not completely satisfied (if you haven’t eaten it all by then).
