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As late as mid'74 there was one scheduled dinky that picked up agents remittance that the ticket agent placed in an envelope and used sealing wax and his or her seal to seal up to be sent to the downtown GO
Steve in SC From: "qutlx1@aol.com" <qutlx1@aol.com> To: cbq@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thu, August 2, 2012 12:25:34 PM Subject: Fwd: [CBQ] Commuter train personnel Note: Forwarded message is attached.
Larry,
Again a nice shot !
What I am describing was suburban train crew consists until the early
1980s. First let me say first that the Condr in the picture(first man on the
ground is Dave Hicks) then the next man back is RR Charles who was a character
and a half and also wrote a short paper book of his RR adventures. He started
out as a switchman on the IHB.
On the "dinkies" minimum train crew was a Condr and two brkmn(officially
classed as collectors which had a slightly higher rate of pay than a passenger
brkmn.). They would split ticket collecting between them.In the picture you
posted the baggage section of the power car would handle newspapers,company
mail and checked baggage.I am not sure the man in the doorway is a working
employee as while there was a seperate baggagemens roster and the postion
was a promotion above brkmn but below Condr with a commensurate rate of pay; I
am not aware of seperate baggamens postions by the time of your photo on the
dinkies.This man may be a "deadhead" riding home. Also note he is not
giving a highball,which to me confirms he is not working the train. Other photos
I've seen, the man in baggage section does give a highball. By this time period
the "baggage work" was the "middle mans" responsibility. He generally went up to
the power car and took off his jacket and hat. As explanation each postion on a
dinky was bid and fixed,you were either the Condr,extra collector,middle man or
rear man. Only a few non rush hour trains had a baggage car. By the late the
early 70s they were gone and one job handled company mail from a double
deck.
Going way back there was also express and mail service in full baggage
cars.
For rush hour trains making many stops there were extra collector postions
that roamed between trains at specific times handling portions of cars
between certain points. They would literally get off and on at stops in the
burbs. These were preferred jobs . Skip stop rush hour trains had the standard 3
man crew and could handle the ticket work after (eastbound) or before
(westbound)the outlying stations.
Finally I'll make a general appeal......I have written an in depth future
BRHS Zephyr article on Mail,Baggage and Express service on the dinkies but
would love to include a photo of a trainman loading or tossing off newspapers or
baggage,etc to round out the article. I have other photos of baggage cars on
dinkies in CUS and on line but an action shot would really complete
the article.
Leo Phillipp
Former Asst & Local chairman of Aurora,IL UTU Lodge 171 and safe keeper
of the historical lodge records from
1890-1970s.
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