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Re: [CBQ] Official Correspondence

To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Official Correspondence
From: LZadnichek@aol.com
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:59:36 -0500 (EST)
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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:


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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