There were/are several benefits to working suburban passenger service. One is
working days and sleeping nights in your own bed. Heat and/or air
conditioning,limited exposure to the elements. Watching thousands of the nicest
dressed
members of the opposite sex go by each day,etc,etc,etc.
Many past and present suburban trainmen met their wives(sometimes multiple
ones) on the dinkies.
One of the lesser known benefits(besides the free daily paper) is "working
over town". This benefit was/is enjoyed by both engine and train crews. It
means
a side job during your layover and it was generally in the loop,so the
reference to "over town" as it was the other side of the Chicago river.
Suburban
crews are subject to the hours of service law and the assignments are generally
"on duty" for 12-14 plus hours. This means they must split rest between runs
(get a minimum of 4 hours off) or they won't be rested to complete the evening
runs.
Generally,with the exception of off peak service hours crews, you worked into
the city in the A.M. rush and then homeward in the P.M. rush(called a one
rounder) which took 25 plus years of seniority to hold or you did the above
plus
a "flip" part way out and then back to CUS in either the A.M. or P.M.
rush.These only took 20 years or so to hold. My understanding is there are no
one
rounders left on the Aurora service. Every job does at least a flip or a two
rounder.
The major industry in the city that needed part time help was the various
commodity and financial exchanges. Guys would work as floor
clerks,runners,traders,etc for 4-6 hours a day and then go back to CUS,change
and work home. Some
still even had time for an afternoon nap before rush hour !
One Condr with the same first name as myself owned two seats on the Chgo
Board of Trade. He would start his day in the Hill Yard at Aurora pre 5 A.M.
listening to the commodity markets on WGN and working on his wheel reports and
trade cards for the pit while the brakies ran the air test and set the train up
for the day. Leo would go over to his Board of Trade offices on the Saturday
one rounder to complete the weeks paperwork. He and others were know to
deadhead
into the city when on vacation from the RR to perform their duties at the
"over town job".
Other businesses using part time rail workers were the banks(as
messengers,etc., restaurants(as waiters or delivery men),warehouses,etc.One
former dining
car attendant did very well as a waiter at a private business club on his
layover as a trainman. So good that he had plenty of money from tips to play
gin
rummy for a couple hours before the evening rush.
Currently my brother is working at a loop legal firm on his layovers and
putting my niece thru college on
that salary !
Generally it took many years of working the extra list,frt,or nonpeak dinkies
before one had enough seniority to hold peak dinkies where you could work a
job over town. But one individual I recall was an exception. I believe it was
Orville Westland who had 42 or 43 years of service and 35 of them were on one
round trip dinkies ! Since the "over town job" is not rail related it is not
subject to the hours of service rules. Prior to the mid 1970's these fortunate
men were able to "double dip" on both RRR and SS if they were able to get 10
quarters of SS service !
Ah the good old days !
Leo
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