John Mitchell
I too spent a lot of time with old time railroaders. I was even examined on
the operating rules while sitting in the front seat of my Grandfather's 1937
Hudson Terraplane on the platform at Langdon, MO. I was about 5 years old.
No. 21 then running as the Pioneer Zephyr was in two sections that night and
Harry Logan, RFE at St. Joe was riding the first section...he dropped off and
came over to sit with us while waiting for the second section to arrive.
Harry asked my GF who's this guy..referring to me. GF said "That's the
traveling engineer on the Rock Port Langdon and Northern..Harry said "What
does he know about the rules? GF said go ahead and ask him. Harry pointed
at the green classification lights on No. 21 and said what's those lights
mean. I said..."gonna be another one"...He asked a couple of other questions
about the rules which I promptly answered correctly. Harry eluded that
perhaps I did know something about the rules.
>From the time I could climb up on the telegraph desk in the depot at Langdon
I would grab the dispatcher's phone when the operator wasn't using it and
listen in.
I started on the Q as a brakeman in 1956 when there were lots of the old
timers you speak of still around and actively railroading. I've got lots of
stories, just as you have.
Regardless of all of the above experience or whatever I never heard the term
OS discussed as to it's origin. First memories of listening to the operators
at Langdon give their "train reports" would be something like this.
Langdon......OS No. 21 at 28 and 30. Normally the old guys didn't use the
hour. Someone said, "If a man doesn't know what hour it is he has no
business being on the railroad.
Pete Hedgpeth
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