AS Leo sez one story or mention triggers another...Here's one I didn't know
at the time and had to have it explained to me later
Summer of 1958 I was working the Fairmont-Hildreth (NE) local. Being always
the junior man I was always on the engine.
On one of my last trips late August or early September we were pretty
light...probably 6-8 cars.
At Blue Hill on the eastbound trip we traveled about 1 mile over the
Hastings-Lester Sub this line ran nearly straight North-South. The switch
from the
Hildreth-Dewitt Sub to the Hastings-Lester Sub was normal for the H-L Sub so
we had to stop and line said switch to enter that line. After I lined the
switch for us to come out we would pull through the turnout slowly and the
rear
man would line it back for the H-L sub and we would proceed south about a
mile where we would stop and line ourselves off the H-L Sub back onto the
Hildreth-DeWitt Sub. The turnout was to the left and took us around a
continuing
curve to the left (east) until we would be traveling nearly straight east.
The terrain was flat at that point so you could see all the way from engine to
waycar, even with a lengthy train which we didn't have.
I lined the switch and got back on the engine as we pulled around the curve.
Sitting on the brakeman's seat ahead of the fireman (we had one of the
"lightweight" SD-9's) I was looking back watching the rear end to tell the
engineer when the rear man was on.
As I was watching I saw the conductor standing in the baggage door (we had
one of those converted motor-cars for a waycar). He was hanging onto the
grabiron with his right hand and with his left he was pointing to the ground
and
twirling his hand (like you would stick your index finger in a drink glass and
stir it), after a few twirls he, cocked his arm and appeared to scratch his
rib cage.
I gave him the "palms up" question sign he repeated what he had done and I
had no idea what he was telling me. The fireman was watching also and he had
no idea what the sign was either.
Well we pulled on through the switch, the rear man lined it back and we
headed on east.
At the next place we stopped to make a pickup, the conductor came up and I
said to him..."What were you trying to tell me back there at Blue Hll"...He
said..."Well, I wanted you to........................"
What was he telling me??
Pete
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