Leo,
Was not exactly a secret. Some nights it was noticed at Congress
Park. For a while in the 70's they were having #82 pick up everything
at Rochelle. Since they already had Congress Park cars on the head
end California Packing/DelMonte, Swift, & Carnation did not really
care if their stuff went to the IHB so they would just set out everything.
Problem was that GI68/66 had already been there first. Meant that
many times they had to shove out on the IHB West Pass and at times
cut two crossings. I'd generally drive back to the waycar and get the
bills while this long division move was being made. I did understand
why the Conductor would be down on the IHB and no one on the
waycar.
There is also the case of the East End heading into the yard at
Downers Grove Westbound and sure enough finding the switch
between #1 and the lead half cocked. This was not unusual but if
you're in a hurry you ain't got time to stop. One day they put the
unit on the ground right on the switch. Now you gotta wait for the
truck from Cicero, right? Well, yes they did, but one crew member
just walked back to the Depot and got on a Dinky and went home.
Is that a "step off?
Russ
----- Original Message -----
From: <qutlx1@a...>
To: <brhslist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, 19 April, 2002 20:54
Subject: [BRHSlist] Step Off
> Ok,before those who know interject I'LL admit there was another step off.It
> was not sanctioned,winked at or tolerated in any way but it did exist right
> up until the carrier decided that it was good business to supply
> transportation back to the source of supply(Aurora) for C&I frt pool
> crews.Understand this happened in the form of cabs back to Aurora between
> certain hours sometime in the 1990s.Think it was part of the expanded
> agreement covering road crew deliveries in the Chgo Terminal to foreign
> terminals.
> What I'm referring to is the common practice of dropping the rear brakeman
> off at the West End of the Aurora platforms on Sat night/Sun morning from
> Eastbound C&I trains.Why you ask? Well the westbound dinkies were very scarce
> during these periods and if a crew arrived in Clyde anytime from 2A.M until 7
> A.M. it was a long dry spell for the ride home to Aurora. So Yankee ingenuity
> being what it was the crew while leaving Savanna would agree on some code
> word that meant the rear man detrained and drove to Cicero to pick up the
> rest of the crew there and then returned to Aurora on the rubber tired
> vehicle. More than one crew was caught doing this and sanctioned but it
> continued.
> I once bailed off a Taconite train on Sunday A.M. and drove to HY and talked
> to "smitty" only to learn the train was held at Downers.Remember this is pre
> portable radio everywhere days. Drove back to Downers,caught a non approved
> rest of my eye lids in the W/C and then drove back to Hy and chauffered the
> balance of the crew home upon arrival at Hy.
> Leo
>
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