Memories are coming back now (it's been 15+ yrs) - we did prohibit boarding
Trailer Train flats on C&NW but not conventional ones. I only recall
boarding a flat once while working Proviso during a BRAC strike. This was
one case where height was a disadvantage whereas boarding house cars was
tougher on shorter men (& I keep using the male pronoun as all train service
people at the time were men; ironic in a way as C&NW had a big push at the
time for hiring minorities in train service but the thought of women working
trains didn't even cross anyone's mind). That said, men switching flat
yards were generally in good shape as the constant running to switches,
boarding and stepping down from cars AND hanging to the sides could be bone
wearying especially with hot weather and long switch lists. The romantic
photos of guys hanging "off" the sides of box cars are just that - real
rails held their bodies close to the side of the car to keep more of the
weight off their arms. ABout the only time you would really stretch out was
to see the engine on a curve (or the track ahead) or an occaisional
'stretch'. A big yard, or working a long passing track could mean some
l-o-n-g rides. Getting back to the flat, the other problem was there was
nothing easy to hang on to while riding and standing atop a flat on rough
track is not advisable. And on rare occaisions that a flat had stakes in
the pockets, they were a no-no as some could snap off (we lost an
experienced switchman in St. Paul that way as the stake broke and he fell
down a long steep hill hitting his head on a rock. Best to ride a flat was
to lean over some but the taller you are the tougher that is. Tank cars were
indeed rougher than house cars but they varied a lot due to wide range of
ages and construction style - I seem to recall an easier time with old 8,000
gal UTLX's than big new ones. In any case, even though a man might be
tempted, especially with a long ride on a covered hopper to ride the end,
that was forbidden as you would no longer be in sight of the engineer (in
event of a fall OR the need to suddenly signal a stop). I always recall one
of my Sunday School teachers in Dubuque, a long-time Milwaukee switchman -
never have known a man with a stronger grip and years later I learned why -
yrs of boarding & riding cars, throwing (bending) switches and making hoses
on cold days made for strong hands. He was also catcher on a semi-pro
softball team but then I've known a lot of brake & swtichmen who were pretty
athletic. And to bring things back to the Q, at Grand Crossing Shops (No.
LaCrosse) the main pastime during beans for the shop forces was pitching
horseshoes - for the oldtimers it was a question of when they DIDN'T make a
ringer according to my grandfather & his friends! (And for your modelers,
the pit was on leeward side of a shop building with tie stubs for a
backstop). Gerald
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