John - I couldn't agree more! People are what make the world of
railroading go 'round. With Christmas just a couple of weeks behind us, I'm now
remembering over 50 years ago when dad was assistant superintendent for the Q at
North LaCrosse, WI. On Christmas Eve, Dad, mom, brother Ken and I would all
bundle-up against the bitter cold temperatures and ride in his
hi-rail red Buick Roadmaster with the chains slapping on the icy
pavement to the "new" depot in LaCrosse out by the bluffs and city golf
course. There we would wait to greet Uncle Al who was arriving on the
nearly always on-time early evening Twin Cities Zephyr from Chicago to spend
Christmas with us. Dad's youngest brother, A.E. Zadnichek, was with the NYC in
those days and later the Penn Central in their commerce departments. Uncle Al
worked at the NYC general offices in New York City where he analyzed freight
rates and was certified to appear before the ICC to establish and
argue freight rates. He was very bright and had attended Harvard in Boston
as a Navy Midshipman during World War Two prior to becoming a supply officer at
an island base in the West Pacific. As a bachelor, Uncle Al always spent the
Holidays with us no matter what ever division point we were living at the time.
He would've taken a Pullman on an overnight NYC passenger train
to Chicago where he would've caught a cab to CUS and boarded the
afternoon Zephyr. First, with frosty breath, we'd all see the Mars
light flashing off the low hanging clouds in the distance, hear the air
horn blowing for crossings, then the Zephyr would be suddenly upon us
roaring into the depot in a cloud of snow with brakes applied. We'd see the
flash of smiling faces in the frost tinged stainless steel car
windows, plus smell the diner, diesel fumes and brake shoe smoke. With a
BANG, the conductor would release the vestibule trap door and in short
order down would step Uncle Al, scarf, fedora, top coat and all, with one
arm full of wrapped presents and the other grabbing his suitcase. In the
platform crowd, we would all rush-up to Uncle Al and welcome him for
Christmas. Afterwards, walking to the Buick parked amid the snow drifts, we'd
hear the conductor shout ".....Board" and the Zephyr's mighty E units would
roar into action quickly propelling the Holiday train out into the darkness
north to its terminus in St. Paul/Minneapolis later that evening. It was
truly a timeless moment still so deeply ingrained in my memory. Now, Uncle Al,
my dad and mom are long gone, while the LaCrosse depot has disappeared
along with all the Zephyrs that once stopped there. Who ever back then
would've thought there could be so many changes in a little over
a half century. Today, only those of us in this Group are left to genuinely
appreciate such happy moments from Christmas Eves long ago on Lines
East - Louis
In a message dated 1/28/2013 2:36:30 P.M. Central Standard Time,
cbqrr47@yahoo.com writes:
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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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