Express,mail,newspapers and baggage were handled by a few specific
suburban trains each day. Certain stations,Berwyn for example, had stub
sidings to
set out cars of express.
At most stations it was simply handled at the platform. The dinkies with
these duties were specified on the trainmasters notices at bid time.The
notice would specify how many baggage cars the job would handle on which run
and which were set out at what stations and how many were "working" cars. I
was suprised how many jobs and how many cars were involved even into the 50s
and 60s. Back in the day certain dinkies hauled a lot of mail. Recently
re-read one of the files wherein brakemen were unloading in excess of 72
sacks of mail at Aurora off a westbound dinky ! Not just one day but everday
for months.
At Downers Grove Pepperidge Farm loaded bread in baggage cars on the track
that was behind the depot. An eastbound dinky would back onto it and take
it to CUS and then 14th st.
Aurora had the express house trk.and also baggage and company mail handled
on the platforms.
Then there were the cars from Kable in Oregon that were shuttled by the
Oregon Turn wayfrt and the dinkies after the thru trains were taken off that
had done the work.
The wheel car has been extensively discussed. One thing that hasn't been
covered was the shuttling of passenger cars to and from Aurora shops for
repairs by the dinkies.
By the 70s there was only one midday job that dropped off only company
mail westbound at each station and picked up eastbound. Bill Lyons was the
brakeman on that run for years. He'd leave his uniform coat in the closed half
car,put on his frt hat and meet each agent at each stop.
That reminds me of the brakeman trying to do both milk and passenger work
on #42. But that's a future article. Then again maybe one on little know
dinky facts someday
Leo Phillipp
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