2 in 1.
Russ,
What was said on the radio, about how old the break was, was STUPID.
I'll reply to Jan's query about alleged animosity at the end of this
message. While I never got knuckles and drawbars (don't everybody
laugh at once)even if I had I sure wouldda never left myself that
wide open.
Yeah, a "drawbar Houston". This was the term applied to the Houston
loads called Q or K50's. In the beginning an Engineer wouldda
received a comendation had he been able to "get" a knuckle. Always
the rotary end and always between 10 and 20 cars back.
Yeah, again. The "new way". It'll probably still be called that in
the 22nd. century, kinda like the "new track" in the West yard at
Eola. No one living can remember when it was put in.
I'll give you some MAC Facts off the Q list.
Jan,
The usual "division" between on-train employees was that between
Engine Service and Train Service people. Each "hated" the other.
Hated, that is, until the common "enemy", the Company, needed to be
dealt with. Then, in the old days, everybody joined hands and put up
a solid front. Sigh, the old days.
Each craft had a "right of passage" in that no new guy was "accepted"
by the "old heads" until a certain amount of time passed and the new
guy began to fit into the group. Sometimes this period of time could
be quite lengthy. Some never made it.
Engineers hated Firemen. Why, 'cause they were SUPPOSED to. In
steam days there were countless ways to torment the Fireman. When
Diesels showed up the Engineer had to search for new methods of
showing his disdain for that "bottom feeder" on the left side of the
cab. Even the head Brakeman didn't like the Fireman. The Conducter
didn't much care about either of them unless one of them spilled his
coffee, or some other beverage.
The Engineer "owned" his engine while the Con. "owned" the train. I
suggested to a Con. one time that, to settle a dispute, what ever it
was about, I'd cut "MY" engine off of "HIS" train and go on in. He
could get in any way he wanted to. There was resolution before the
suggestion was implemented however.
In only a very few instances that I'm aware of was there any REAL
hatred between crafts. It was pretty much just the way things were.
Karl
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