I come from a railroading family. Both my grandfathers worked on the railroad. My mother's dad worked as an engineer on the PRR, (or Pennsy) and my dad's dad worked as a conductor on the B&O (or Beefsteak and Onions). I also had uncles that worked on the railroad, and my maternal grandma's sisters husband and some of their family. My grandfather worked through the Great Depression because some of the trains still were running. To see a picture of my grandpa and his steam engine on the day he retired, go back and see my old blog:
http://dizzydick.blogspot.com/2013/08/wondering-about-living-through-history.html
What I want to talk about today is how dangerous the old railroad was to work on. I had five relatives that were injured while working on the railroad. My paternal grandpa lost some fingers in a coupler. My uncle Jim had a tea cup of brains knocked out when he stepped out of the "dog house" stood up and turned around just in time to be hit by a bridge (he had to learn to talk all over again). My maternal grandma's sister's husband had the same thing happen. His name was Jack Mix, and yes, he was a full cousin of Tom Mix. For you non railroaders out there, a doghouse was a small enclosure on the rear of the tender were the head brakeman used to get out of the wind and bad weather when he was not needed. Needless to say, back in "the day", railroading was a dangerous profession.
I was not immune to being hurt on the railroad. I never worked for any railroad, but I did work for a railroad manufacturer, Pullman Standard. The first couple of years I worked various jobs in the labor gang and as a brakeman on their railroad system that serviced the plant and moved all the new cars around and which brought into the shop the cars off the main line that contained supplies to be unloaded. I received a head injury and spend a couple of days in the hospital. (Now, you see, I do have an excuse to act the way I do - grin). After seventeen years at Pullman as a die, tool, jig and fixture design engineer (I did move up to the office from brakeman to engineer after the first two years - no not a RR engineer), I also worked a time at Whitehead and Kales in Detroit converting Pullman built flat cars into automotive car carriers by adding the structure above the RR car to hold the autos. Then, I moved to Texas to work for Richmond Tank Car Company until they slowed way down and I was laid off. Getting laid off was a new experience for me, but I managed to live through it.
I will pretend to be a brakeman again, and will give you a high ball signal to have a great day, you hear?
OK, Dizzy, I'm curious now. What IS the high ball signal?
ReplyDeleteMax from Illinois.
Originally it was actually a big white ball mounted on a pole along the tracks. If the ball was hanging there, it meant that the tracks were clear ahead and the engineer could proceed at full speed.
DeleteAlso, it was in reference to hand signals or signals from a hand carried lantern to proceed at full speed. The brakeman used hand signals to tell the engineer what to do; speed up, slow down, stop, etc. Does this answer your question?
I miss that old train coming here, hearing the whistle. It picked up cattle here. Well, earlier it picked up lots of other things, like granite, etc., too. I was in high school when they cut it off here. They repaired all the track, to bring in a tourist train, but it still hasn't made it.
ReplyDeleteI miss the whistle of the old steam locomotives. They were dirty, but the chug, chug, chug of them starting up and the lonesome whistle far away in the night made up for the dirty coal and smoke.
DeleteI love trains to this day, but things have certainly changed with them. The eastern corridor still has good rail service and I mostly took the train from DC to NY to avoid the hassles of driving. I'd love to see us have the great train service they have in Europe, but the AAA would never tolerate it. They want us to drive our cars and use lots of fuel!
ReplyDeleteI still love trains, it is in my blood, but the diesels will never be as romantic as the old steam locomotives. I remember when my Dad took me in the car and we sat for a long time beside the tracks waiting to see the first diesel engine in service on that line.
DeleteI hopped a freight one time an' got throwed in jail. Does that make me a Family Railroader?
ReplyDeleteIt does in my book.
DeleteThere's something almost romantic about railroads (even though, as like your memories, things were hard) and when my kids were little I took them on one of the last passenger trails running through my hometown to a location down the line... and back..... BUT.... my best memories are the coal driven locomotives running through out back yard (next to the outhouse)..... I wish I'd taken a ride on one of those! Bill tells me about the time he hopped a train in Aztec (NM) but hopped off before it got too far out of town (he was 9 or 10)... just think of what havoc that would create these days!
ReplyDeleteWow, did Bill ride the rails? I have been told that the hobos would get up under a freight car and ride the bracing and rails that held the bottom of the car together. And that what they laid on where called rails and that is how the term got started. But I have worked where they built rail cars and I do not remember any parts that were called rails. So, I must surmise that it must have meant riding a rail car down the tracks or the rails.
DeleteLOVED the trains and was fortunate to have ridden them before they stopped running. So exciting ... back in the early 60s...
ReplyDeleteI had an Uncle to worked for the railroad ~ got injured ~ I'm not sure what it was but he received a pension for umpteen years.
I'm going to give you a link to a modern day hobo.. a young girl ~ read her riding the rails posts... just mesmerizing ... that's when I found her..
http://carrotquinn.com/2014/03/17/a-couple-of-my-train-stories/
Also check on her About tab... she is absolutely beyond .. I dunno
Thanks for the link. Those two sure did ride the rails for free.
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