Louis
You struck a cord with me. I believe the people side of railroading is the most important. When I wrote BB#35, I made sure I covered the people of Coalfields railroading. In the process, I did over 200 oral history interveiws. People often say to me, "You must like trains". I quickly correct them and tell them I like RAILROADS. The difference, of course, is the people part of railroading, not just trains!
John
--- On Mon, 1/28/13, LZadnichek@aol.com <LZadnichek@aol.com> wrote:
From: LZadnichek@aol.com <LZadnichek@aol.com>
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Official Correspondence
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, January 28, 2013, 12:46 PM
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
In a message dated 1/28/2013 11:16:39 A.M. Central Standard Time, Jpslhedgpeth@aol.com writes:
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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