Doug,
By the time you and I filled mainline passenger vacancies in
the 70's all that was left was 5/6 and 347/348. As I
recall on 5/6 there were 2 turns and one flagman(Tinie Biere) and one brakeman
(RK Johnson) or vice a versa, were Aurora lodge men. The rest of the crew on 5/6
were either Aurora zone,Galesbug men or an Ottumwa man. So for you to be called
to fill a job you were replacing one of the 2 Aurora lodge men. I was called for
5/6 a few times. One time I was the flagman and Denny Cradock was the
extra Condr from the Aurora list due to the passenger load. Denny
showed me around Burlington as he had filled in a few times.
If there was a vacancy for the other positions on the
job they would be filled by the lodge the man was from.
For you to work 347/348 it was either an extra section or as
an extra condr since both brkmn and both Condr spots on both turns on that
job were Aurora zone men from Galesburg. I worked 347 as an extra Condr one time
and since there was a deadhead home the next morning on 348 and I didnt want to
sit around Galesburg I walked over to Seminary tower and caught the next frt
headed to Aurora.
I didnt think these jobs were very desirable as both the turns
were advertised 365 days a year and in the case of 347/348 it was a minimum day
and 5/6 weren't all that much better but for the high seniority,older guys these
were comfortable jobs moving toward retirement.
Leo Phillipp