I've been reading all these stories about problems among rail crews, and it
reminded me of one which is a classic and allegedly true. This comes from the
D&RG narrow gauge in the pages of Little Engines and Big Men, written by
Gilbert Lathrop with tales of his and his family's experiences on the
railroads. A narrow gauge passenger train stopped at Sapinero, and during
loading, a passenger asked the conductor how late the train was. The
conductor told him that they were 20 minutes late. When the passenger asked
if they would be late coming into Gunnison, the conductor replied "Nope, I'll
make up 20 minutes and go in right on time!" The train arrived in Gunnison
exactly 20 minutes late, and the conductor ran up to the engine, asking what
was wrong. The engineer remarked that everything worked perfectly. The
conductor asked "How come you didn't make up 20 minutes and come in on time
like you always do?" The engineer's reply was "I heard you tell that
passenger that YOU was gonna make up 20 minutes from Sapinero. So I just
decided I'd let YOU make up the time, an' I'D just make runnin' time."
Lathrop has tons of stories on the human side of railroading in Little Engines
and Big Men (1954) and Rio Grande Glory Days (1959). For those higher on the
seniority list, Gilbert Lathrop's name might be familiar as the author of many
short stories in Railroad, Railroad Stories, and Railroad Man's Magazine in
the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. These books are now collector's items, but they
are an excellent read for anyone who enjoys railroads.
- John Manion
Denver, CO
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