HI ALL
What are the IRISH MAILS you are talking about?
BILL EWINGER
----- Original Message -----
From: vlbg <vlbg@s...>
To: <BRHSlist@egroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2000 1:51 AM
Subject: Re: [BRHSlist] Steam on Suburban
> qutlx1@a... wrote:
> >
> > Russ,As mentioned previously between 1/73 and 3/80 I only went thru the
> > handthrows twice,both when"dead on the hours of service".I never ever
saw
> > anybody(except the west yd engine, when switching the paperboard or junk
yd)
> > use the handthrows. Even in the late 60s and early 70s when hanging
around
> > watching trains and "working" at the Eola rdhse as an unpaid Machinist
> > helper/hostler I saw jobs like the alley come up the main from Aurora to
go
> > into the west yd instead of coming up the lead and then behind the
tower(i've
> > got a photo or 2 of that move). The Aurora switch engine would come up
the
> > lead to Farnsworth and then onto the mains.The Irish Mail always came
and
> > went from the west yd via the mains(worked it several times). Leo
> >
> Leo:
>
> Still don't know what hand throws you are talking about. Didn't they
> put switch machines at both end of all the crossovers when they put in
CTC?
> How did the Dinkies get to and from the Hill Yard. At the time I worked
> there four terminating and four originating Dinkies used that trackage.
> Did they have to stop for switches? When I worked there the terminating
> trains went by the tower almost as fast as the ones going to Aurora.
>
> In the case of the Irish Mails I tried different strategies to hoop up
> their orders. The platform on the staircase looked like a good deal but
> I don't think I ever got the angle right. Usually went down to the
> ground and did it the normal way. I do recall that even though the
> Tower did not have a radio and the Yardmaster did, some old tradition
> required you to give yarding instructions to all the locals. Usually
> on the back of a Clearance. Such as "West Yard #3, back A3 and #13".
> Most of the time you could just hand it to them without the hoop.
> It was not the most critical information since they could always use
> the radio.
>
> At the time I worked there they were using 67A to get the NYC units
> to Galesburg in time for the Eastbound run-thru train. Since this
> was before the days of multi channel radios they pretty much had to
> make their pickup in the West yard on hand signals. That was not
> an easy task since that pickup could be 80 or 90 cars. After I
> worked 2nd a week or so I got in the habit of looking at the derail
> when I walked to work. (Yes folks, there was no road to the Tower
> at West Eola, you walked from McClure Rd.) If it was on I would
> take it off as soon as I got into the tower and signed the transfer.
> Why? It was one less thing I'd have to do when 67A needed to make
> his double. This turned out to be a good habit. One day I was
> sitting there trying to teletype something and I started to hear
> GE's. The Yardmaster had not called but when I looked to my right
> I was staring at a NYC U25B. I walked over and cleared the signal
> at Farnsworth because they were still moving. Finally stopped
> with the lead unit about 3 car lengths West of the Tower.
> I walked down and got on the lead unit. Asked the Engineer if he
> had looked at the signal out of the yard. He got a shocked look
> and asked "Did I run it, was the derail off?". I answered yes to
> both questions and went back to my Tower.
>
> This will work itself out in time. We got the Hostler deal
> done and I thought that would never really be resolved.
>
> Russ
>
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