Pete, Your recollections of Ravenna are interesting. Good to hear from
someone who remembers the place. My view of Ravenna was much different from
yours. I was in Jr. Hi. and high school, living in town. It was a great
place to grow up. Because of the many engrs. and conductors who lived
there, the livng standard was high for such a small town (pop. 1800 +/-).
All the streets were paved (very unusual for those days). Good schools,
busy main street, public swimming pool, golf course, respectable homes,
well-kept lawns, etc.
I remember the old hotel. Four or five stories. I stayed there one night
when visiting there after my faminly had moved to the branch line (Wolbach,
on the Aurora-Burwell line). It must have been a miserable place to be on a
hot summer night. Ravenna had much better to offer a resident than a
trainman laying over. Across the street was the "Big Onion", a handy
watering hole for crews. Down the street on the right was Old Jawn's
tavern, where John Pesek's photos were displayed. He claimed to have been
the world champion wrestler, and owned a world famous grayhound named
"Gangster". His son, Jack, played football for Nebraska and ended up in the
pro's, then later became a professional wrestler like his dad.
"Old Jawn" owned much of the land south of town and along Beaver Creek and
the South Loup River. He didn't like tresspassers, and he used to chase us
kids off his property.
My dad's job there was a tough one. He was 2nd. trick operator. He seemed
to get most of the traffic, and the job wore on him. His ulsers got so bad
he had to get of f the main line. (Ulsers were an occupational disease for
main line telegraphers.) When we were there, the main power was mikes,
often double-headed, and M-2's, on freights, and 7000's and 4-6-2's on
passengeer trains. At that time the rails were too light for S-4's and
O-5's, but I have seen from later photos that these later ran on the Ravenns
line.
Later after high school, while waiting for my orders from the Navy, I worked
on the section gang out of Palmer. Hardest, most miserable job I ever had.
We worked 10 hour days, six days a week. I got 82 cents per hour and
thought I was getting rich.
I hope we scare up some more guys who were around Ravenna. I'm still
looking for photos. Any ideas? Dale
----- Original Message -----
From: <Jpslhedgpeth@aol.com>
To: <CBQ@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 12:02 AM
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Ravenna, NE more and more
> Dale mentioned the stock trains...These would start to move in Mid August
> and continue through the fall months.
>
> They were designed "Montana Wyoming Stock Pick Up" Commonly referred to
> as
> a "Monkey Ward"...
>
> A trip on a Monkey Ward was a good thing. A fast run with, perhaps,
> passenger units, and maybe one or two stock pickups between Ravenna and
> Lincoln..I
> caught one August 31, 1956 with the 9961A as the lead unit. Conductor
> Yordy.
> Called at Ravenna for 10:30am, departed ll:25am. Arrived Cushman 3:12pm
> tied up 3:40pm..(didn't even get the terminal hour). Paid 130 miles for
> $18.85...
>
> I earned $403 2nd half August 56.
>
> Pete
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
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