All right youse guys let's have a couple of "bean hour" stories.
NO 1...It was summer 1956. I had just hired out on the Lincoln Division as
a brakeman..It was my 2nd or third trip...I was called for a work train...to
deliver and unload a number of cars of gravel at the Lincoln Air Force
Base...LAFB was being expanded at that time and lots of work was being
done..runways
extended, buildings being built etc...There was lots of construction material
moving in and there were worktrains out there just about every day.
For those not familiar with Lincoln and LAFB LAFB is located on what was the
original main line to Ravenna and points west...When the new line was
constructed in the early 1900 the line was downgraded to just another branch
line...
The line physically began at a point on the passenger cutoff NW of the
Lincoln Depot...it proceeded generally NW paralleling the UP to a point a
couple
miles north of the Junction where it turned west and headed for Seward...There
was a station just NW of the LAFB which was originally named Woodlawn..This was
the official name of the station serving LAFB and remained so until the line
was abandoned west of about where it originally turned west in the early
1980's.
Anyhow we had probably 50 or more cars of gravel and one GP7...We headed out
of Lincoln Yard through the passenger depot and up the hill toward
LAFB....This was probably about 9:00A -10 am...I can still recall standing
behind the
engineer as we struggled up the hill at a slow walk..The ammeter was in the
"red
Zone" for some time and I can recall that hoghead saying...I've only got
about 10 minutes left...(You couldn't run over a certain amperage for over a
relatively short time without damaging the traction motors...this was known as
the
short time rating)...We did finally get the loads up the hill and into the
contractor's unloading facility.
We worked around the area spotting loads and shuffling cars for the rest of
the day...Finally about 5:00pm or so we had our train together and were ready
to head back to the yard...Probably about 3 miles or so...take about a half
hour or so and we could tie up.
As we started back the whole crew including the conductor were in the
cab...Finally someone said...hey..we've been on duty long enough to go
eat....At that
time the trainman's contract as well as the engineman's said that a crew was
entitled to a "reasonable time" for a meal period after 6 and 1/2 hours on
duty with no reduction in pay..In other words you got paid while you were
eating...we were on OT so, of course, that was the thing to do..
There were a number of restaurants along Cornhusker highway which paralleled
the railroads there so we just stopped and the whole crew walked across the
road and went into some kind of a tavern place....
We had just ordered when in walked Asst. Supt. G.L. Griggs, and Trainmaster
Walker Johnston....What in........are you guys doing????? We need that engine
back right now.....Bill Manske the old conductor pled the case that we were
entitled to eat....I don't remember the exact out come at the moment, but
anyhow
we got right out of that place and back on the train and headed back to the
yard.
Sometime during the next school year I was down at the depot one evening
walking up and down the platform. When who should I see but Bill Manske...Bill
was a real old head..Seniority around 1912 or so...He was working a passenger
job that night and had his uniform on.
I walked over to him and Said Hello Bill.....He looked at me quizically for
a second and then grinned...He said....'"I remember you.....you was with us
the day we got our A..... bit for eatin..."
Just one of those little memory flashes brought about by "Are these guys
legal.
Pete
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