How long has it been since one of the marks of a good brakeman was how fast
he could get on and off???? Also in that era many engineers made it a habit
to see how fast they could leave town and try leave the rear end crew on the
platform.
I think I've put it on here before, but I came across an old Railroad
Magazine, which I'll find again that as part of an old timer's reminiscences
was an
account of a young conductor who boarded his caboose while carrying an umbrella
in one hand and balancing a piece of pie in the other as his train was
leaving town at a rapid pace.
The cover photo of a 1938 issue of RAILROAD is a painting titled "emergency
stop" and depicts the flagman on the bottom step of the rear coach, or sleeper,
of his train with flagging equipment in hand preparing to get off as his
train makes the "emergency stop"...it was to the flagman's advantange to drop
off
as fast as he dared, since he wouldn't have as far to walk back to provide the
necessary flag protection....it's one of my favorite railroad pictures and I
have it framed an on my desk.
AHHHHH for the "good old days"
Pete
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