Pete
I have made a little study of the "family" connections
on the Beardstown Division. I noticed two very
different patterns. The first, and most common, is
that all the family members belong to the same craft,
i.e. all trainmen, all enginemen, all carmen, etc. or
secondly, they all belonged to different crafts, i.e.
one was a trainman, one was a clerk, another was a
shopman, and so on. In my MOP family, (yes, I'm not
pure), my grandfather was a section foreman, one uncle
was a track welder, another uncle was a car cleaner,
and my mother was a clerk.
John D. Mitchell, Jr.
--- owwells <owwells@s...> wrote:
> Pete:
>
> Did you know that Engr. Gomer Roberts and his
> brother Trainman Ezra Roberts
> worked during this time. Also Gomer Roberts and Abe
> Holloway where
> brothers-in-laws. O. W. Wells III
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <PSHedgpeth@a...>
> To: <BRHSlist@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2002 10:08 PM
> Subject: [BRHSlist] Nepotism on the Wymore
>
>
> > I found this little jewel in RAILROAD September
> 1943...I'll put in on
> > verbatim and then offer a few comments.
> >
> > "FATHER-SON crews in train and engine service on
> the Burlington Route,
> Wymore
> > Division include Condr. P.S.Caldwell and Brakeman
> J.M. CALDWELL, Condr.
> > J.D.Wilson and Brakeman D.A. WILSON (Now in Navy),
> Condr. A.H. Stoldorf
> and
> > fireman D. M. Stolldorf, Engr. J.P. Shoff and
> Bkmn. W.E. Shoff (Army) and
> > Fireman H.C. Watson and his son Bkmn. C.M. Watson.
> >
> > Brothers on the same division include Condrs. R.A.
> and W.E. Robinson,
> > Condors. A.H. and J.C. Littrell, Condr.
> W.H.Delehoy and Bkman T.L.
> DELEHOY;
> > Condr I.Patton, Engr. E.D. Patton and Bkmn. S.M.
> Patton; Engrs. A.J. and
> W.L.
> > Mischnick, Engrs H.C. and J.A. Hill and Engr.
> W.Watson, Fireman H.C. atson
> > and Bkmn. W.M. Watson.
> >
> > And these brothers-in-law: Condr. P.S. Caldwell
> and Engr. M.A. Johnson,
> > Condrs. W.E.Robinson and J.I. Brown, Condr. G.R.
> Johnson nd Fireman C.W.
> > Hansen and Bkmn. I.B. HOLLOWAY and Bkmn. D.W.
> GREENING.
> >
> > Fathers-in-law and sons -in-law: Engr. R.H.
> Gourley and Bkmn. L.W. Neuman,
> > Engr. R.Cook and Bkmn. D.G. WALKER, Switchman H.L.
> Peck and Bkmn. R.K.
> > Bachenberg, and SWitchman H.F. Hall and Bkman C.J.
> Hiner (Army).
> >
> > Uncles and nephews: Condr. G.W. Hines and Bkmn.
> K.H. Steward, Brakeman
> W.D.
> > Moyer and B.G. Hemperley (Army) Condr. E.L.
> Story, Engr. E.D. Patton and
> > Brakemen I. and S.M. Patton; Engr. M.A. Johnson
> and Bkman. J.M CALDWELL
> and
> > Chief Dispatcher C.E. Temple and Bkmn. J. F.
> Miller.
> >
> > For a small division I consider this a pretty good
> line-up.----J.M.
> CALDWELL
> > (BRT 493) 1030 F St. Lincoln, NE."
> >
> > Well maybe it wasn't really nepotism, but it seems
> like the employement
> rules
> > and management policy wouldn't allow this kind of
> thing today...
> >
> > The names in ALL CAPS are men I knew and worked
> with in the 1950's on the
> > Wymore Division. At that time all these guys were
> young conductors
> working
> > the non preferred jobs and the conductor's extra
> board. I didn't know any
> of
> > the "fathers" in 1943...they had all retired, I
> guess, by the time I came
> > along.
> >
> > I worked my last tour of duty on the
> Fairmont-Hildreth local from July
> > 18-September 6 1958 with J.M. (Merle) CALDWELL,
> Condr. I suspected at the
> > time that Merle was a "closet railfan"...as he and
> other guys I worked
> with
> > got to know me a bit and found out my genuine
> interest in the railroad,
> they
> > would tell me stories of railroad past.
> > I have run across adds in old RAILROAD magazines
> where Merle had
> advertised
> > for pictures etc. He was born in 1910 and hired
> out in 1928 when he was
> 18.
> > Someone said to me one day.."Merle's got a lot of
> seniority for his
> > age"...and he did.
> >
> > D. A. (BUCK) Wilson was local Chairman for the
> Trainmen at the time I was
> > there. I worked with GREENING as conductor on the
> Pioneer Zephyr when it
> was
> > running as Train 44 Lincoln to St. Joe and
> returning via Wymore as 42-90).
> > Walker was a "forced" conductor on 93-94
> (Lincoln-Wymore turnaround local)
> > summer 1958...that was a go to work at 3:00am job
> at Lincoln...Wymore
> about
> > noon and CF about 8:00pm for the return trip with
> about 8 hours of
> switching
> > in the Crete Mills on the way back...It was a
> pretty good paying job, but
> > abysmal hours.
> >
> > I don't know if any of these guys are still
> alive... I know Merle
> Caldwell,
> > and Buck Wilson are gone, don't know about any
> others.
> >
> > Well, writing this little thing has probably
> benefitted me more than
> anyone
> > else out there, but I thought that it might fit in
> with Leo's recounting
> of
> > some BRT stuff, which I have found extremely
> interesting.
> >
> > Just from memory, it seems like most of the
> Trainmen belonged to the BRT
> > rather than the ORC and the enginemen to the
> BofLF&E rather than the
> > BLE....That might be a slanted viewpoint since I
> tended to get better
> > acquainted with the younger firemen and brakemen
> rather than the old heads
> > Conductors and Engineers.
> >
> > Well that's a little trip down memory lane for
> me....
> >
> > Pete
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
>
>
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