Bill - That's a FUNNY story! Thanks - Louis
In a message dated 1/28/2013 1:40:51 P.M. Central Standard Time,
macon249@yahoo.com writes:
Although I didn't run to a lot of those folks until the 80's, I ran into
George Lamphier, Roy Brauner and the likes. Lamphier liked to fool the the
young guys like me, which was easy to do. He would write notes on his track
charts, study the night before and then he would say. "Lets go over and look
at that rail we laid in 63. We were amazed that he would remember right where
he checked it before. He would reach down feel the ball of the rail, and say
"Well its only lost about a sixteenth" Those guys were great railroaders
Bill Jackson
Sent from my iPad
Pete - It's all a little
amazing to me how quickly my fussee has elicited promises of a roaring
fire of Q stories and reminiscences. I've received several other Emails
off-line on this subject and all the originators have promised to
contribute, too. There's evidently more of "us" out there that what I had
earlier thought. I've always been a big believer in recording oral
histories. All the technical information and images are fine, but if you
don't have the people side of events, it's just so much dry information to
me. You could have a roundhouse full of S-4's, O-5's, M-4's and O1a's, but
they would just sit there inanimate until a fire starter laborer climbed-up
into their cabs, lit them off and brought the locomotives to
life..... Same for the Shovelnoses at the Zephyr Pit, someone has got to
crank 'em first to get them to CUS.... Nothing happens with out
people....and from people come the stories! I think it's very important
this Q oral history is preserved as our generation is the last
link in the chain stretching back, at least in your case as being a decade
older, to the 1930s and earlier. There is one Group member and lifelong
friend who is a retired engineer that my dad hired on right out of high
school. He has been active over the years in gathering oral
histories from retired Q employees. Most of his interview subjects has since
passed away. I hope he would consider sharing some of his
collected transscripts, as well as his own memories, with us as this thread
expands. The same for every Group member reading this. If you don't put down
in writing what you think is important, then it's almost guaranteed to be
lost at some later date. Better yet, Charlie Vlk plans to do something
to more permanently preserve the stories and reminiscences appearing here,
past and present. So, to all who participate, we're slowly but surely
saving Q oral history one post at a time. And I don't want this thread to be
weighted towards train service, it's completely open to
every department from clerks to operators to dispatchers to road
masters to dining car stewards to everyone who ever drew a Q paycheck and
their family members who have something to contribute. No story or memory is
too small or unimportant not to be recorded here. Good to know that my
dad would recognize your name. I look forward to your future posts. My
son Miles, who is supervisor of demurrage for NS in Atlanta, particularly
has enjoyed the posts about how railroad accounting was handled before
computers by a legion of clerks without telephones mired
in bureaucracy - Louis
Louis
I've been jumping up and down in my chair wanting to get started with
names stories and reminiscences which you have sparked.
I think that you and I are the only folks on this list who knew and
were closely involved with the CB&Q as it was back then..I don't have
time to give you the "whole thing" on me right now, but here's a
start.
You said you were born in 1946...well I've got 10 years on you.. I'll
be 77 come March next. My grandfather whose name I carry was
President and General Manger of the Rock Port Langdon and Northern Railway
Company from 1917 until his retirment May 1, 1946...If you lived inSt. Joe
in the 50's you and especiallly your dad know where Langdon is..or should
I say was..There is not even a station sign there now...The siding, house
track and even the former RPL&N main are gone.
Every Burlington name that's been thrown out here is very familiar to
me and I've even met some of them..My grandfather was on a first name
basis with all of them and they would give him anything he wanted for his
railroad.
E.P. Bracken was probably one of the best if not THE best VPO the Q
ever had..He was my GF's hero and I have some of my GF's pesonal
correspondence with him written on his personal stationary and in his own
handwriting.
GF always said...Bracken's initials stood for Every
Person Busy. My GF attended Bracken's funeral at Tecumseh, NE in
1937 and I've got a story about that that might even bring a tear to your
eye.
When I'm able to spend an hour or so here at the computer I'll
starting putting stuff out that some of these guys have never heard
before...It;'s from when the Burlington was "family" as you
said. MY GF knew these guys and often took me with him when he
went to Chicago and other points to see them. I got lots of "stuff"
and You're the guy who can know and appreciate it like no one who didn't
know the "real" CB&Q can.
I'm sure if your dad were still wilth us he would instantly recognize
the name....
Pete Hedgpeth
-----Original
Message----- From: LZadnichek < LZadnichek@aol.com> To: CBQ
< CBQ@yahoogroups.com> Sent:
Sat, Jan 26, 2013 4:12 pm Subject: Re: [CBQ] Official
Correspondence
Bill - Your sentiments are most welcome. I, too, really enjoy the
reminisces and first person accounts that occasionally appear,
particularly from those who spent their careers in train service as
conductors, brakemen and engineers. This is what has drawn me into the
Group to start posting after years of being a silent member. Plus, I'm not
getting any younger and when I go to the big roundhouse in the sky what I
haven't put down in writing will be lost as my dad's experiences
would've been if I didn't start posting them here. There are some
excellent story tellers among the other members and at times I can almost
hear the motors in Run 8, calling out signals, the slack running
in-and-out, bacon sizzling on the way car stove and the ballast
crunching beneath their boots. Whereas I only worked for the Q during
summer vacations (one summer at the GOB as a clerk auditing tickets
and "secret passenger" reports and the other running a t
rack machine on a steel gang....that was a real experience) and
didn't make railroading a career, coming from a generational railroad
family insured that I'd be a fan all my life. One of dad's best
friends was Leonard "Lonnie" Hall who was a Q road master and
division engineer. Do you remember Mr. Hall? Do you have any memories
of Mr. Hall or reminisces of your own to share like dodging rattlesnakes
cuddled-up to the warm rails on cold nights, sun kinks, wash outs, gandy
dancers, camp cars, steel and tie gangs, mechanization and the
coming of welded rail....all the other things that made life as a road
master interesting? Are you a generational railroader, too?
Louis
In a message dated 1/26/2013 3:10:08 P.M. Central Standard Time, macon249@yahoo.com writes:
You have no idea how much I enjoy these posts, I went out as an
asst. Roadmaster right after the BN- Frisco merger and heard most all
these names. It really is a joy, after all these years, to know more
about these folks. I knew lots of people off the old Q.
Bill Jackson
Sent from my iPad
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