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[CBQ] Grandma & Grandpa at Milledgeville,IL

To: cbq@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CBQ] Grandma & Grandpa at Milledgeville,IL
From: qutlx1@aol.com
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:53:25 -0400 (EDT)
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Don't ask me why certain things pop into my brain at times........tonight while preparing dinner and looking out into the woods here in Northern Illinois a mental picture of "Grandma & Grandpa" at Milledegville,IL came to me. There are 3-4 individuals who are participantes on this list who will verify what follows is completely factual. I dont recall if this story has been passed along on the list previously; if it has I apologize. What I am about to describe occurred in the 70's but it was so well established that it undoubedtly existed in the 60s and earlier while the Q was still in around. You may want to reference your Aurora Division or system track chart/map. Ready?
 
For the most part the "C&I", actually the C&I (Aurora to Oregon) and the CB&N (Oregon to Savanna) was a pretty sparsely inhabited run except for places like Rochelle and Oregon. One could clearly see the stars at night and not be bothered with city lights,etc. While I dont have my consolidated code handy at the moment; there is a rule that requires employees to observe passing trains for mechanical defects, in fact it goes into detail about when trains meet that an employee on the standing train cross over the tracks and watch the train passing from the other side and signal the rear end crew as to his findings (reference the hand sign clinics as to which sign to perform for a specific defect). Also a rolling inspection was required for moving, passing trains to be observed from the back platform of waycars and lo to the brakie who didn't get out of his nice warm seat and get out on the back platform. 20 below and snow flying, too bad. No standing inside as there were sounds that needed to be heard. As waycars passed signs were exchanged as to the condition of the trains.
 
Back to Grandma and Grandpa. They never took the book of rules but they sure complied with the rule about watching passing trains. Their house was near the west edge of Milledgeville with the backyard abutting the ROW; whether it was night or day the passing crew knew to watch for a sign. Grandpa was always in his bibs and grandma in her "house dress." If they were outside the head end crew got a wave and the rear end crew the same unless something was wrong. Many hoggers gave them a "hello" toot on the horn when passing.
 
Most  nights the head end crew got a little high ball from the kitchen window with a light and the rear end the same unless something was wrong. The head end crew would let the rear end know that grandma and grandpa were doing a roll bye. I was suprized how late they stayed up watching the trains go past.
During the day there would be a wave from the kitchen window. Many rear end crews would let the head know they got a "high ball" from grandma and grandpa.
 
To my knowledge the only "compensation" grandma and grandpa received was from the wayfreight and in particular Bob Harding the #1 hogger on the division. Bob and his job started out of Eola and headed  "Around the horn" via Mendota and Denrock to Savanna;returning the next day via Savanna,Oregon,Rochelle,etc to Eola. When the westbound trip left Eola there would be a momentary pause at Aurora tower as old Jake, #1 in operator seniority handed up a huge bundle of newspapers to Bob for delivery to points along the line. The papers had come off that mornings dinkies at Aurora, left by riders who were finished with them. They were brought to the tower by coach cleaners. (Newspapers were a type of currency or payment on the RR). (The waitress at the Zephyr diner at 14th st coach yard probably had more papers each morning than she knew what to do with).
Next day as the w/f passed grandma and grandpas house in Milledgville; Bob would give a couple quick blast on the horn and toss off at least one copy of each paper into their back yard.
 
I have no idea how long this mutually beneficial practice had been going on but it existed before I came on the property and was still in place when I left.
 
Leo Phillipp 
 


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