Pete. I have created this book "Hooked on Trains" in which I've written
about my days on the CB&Q, included some pictures, etc. I would like to
share it, and would send you a copy if I knew where to send it. Dale
----- Original Message -----
From: <Jpslhedgpeth@aol.com>
To: <CBQ@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, April 19, 2013 2:15 PM
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Re: Train order delivery (was 2-10-4)
Great "word picture" DAle....You are one of the few of us who actually
experienced the sights and sounds of railroading which captured all of us of
that vintage.
Pete
-----Original Message-----
From: Dale Reeves <drale99@roadrunner.com>
To: CBQ <CBQ@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Fri, Apr 19, 2013 12:25 pm
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Re: Train order delivery (was 2-10-4)
A memory I have is of one night my dad, a railway telegraphher, let me
stand out with him on the platform as he was to hand up orders to a fast
freight. It was a dark, clear night at Inland, NE. Inland is out on the
plains where you can see for miles. We could see the headlight of the
eastbound train coming out of Hastings, 10 miles west. On a reverse curve
coming out of Hastings, the light moved horizontally across the horizon,
then steadied to a stationary light which began to inclease in intensity.
There's nothing as bright as a locomotive headlight at night, and as it
intensified, it became so bright it was mesmerizing. The light became the
only visible thing. It was just the the ever-increasing light and the
darkness. For a while there was no sound. Then you could feel it -- the
ground shaking. Then the roar, the blinding light, and when the big
Northern hit the platform, there was an explosion of sound and rushing air
and steam that was like nothing I have experienced before or since! Then
the monster was past, followed by the clatter of the long line of cars, then
the way-car, then it was gone.
While I was hard against the wall of the depot, my dad had to stand three
feet from the raging monster to reach up with the order, which was tied to
twine stretched over a Y, the order illuminated by a flashlight on the
handle of the Y. A fireman had to reach out against the cold slip-stream
and snatch the twine. In those days, telegraph messages had to be handed up
manually to the crews at both ends, as there was no communication other than
lantern or hand-signals, except train orders. If they missed a train order,
there was the likelihood of a wreck. A missed train order was an automatic
firing of the telegraph operator.
I was 10 or 11 at the time, very impressionable. We lived in the depot.
This is how I grew up on the rairoad. I have great memories. I also have
great respect for the Burlington, which was an outstanding railroad in many
respects. I have written the above and other impressions in a booklet
called "Hooked on Trains".
Dale Reeves
----- Original Message -----
From: "Winton" <wyhog@yahoo.com>
To: <CBQ@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2013 3:25 PM
Subject: [CBQ] Re: Train order delivery (was 2-10-4)
I worked in Train Order territory on the Q territory in Nebraska, Wyoming,
and Montana for 14 years with diesels on BN. We routinely picked up orders
on the head end at the 49 mph dark territory max or a few mph faster. Some
wimpy conductors wanted you to slow to about 35 mph for them to pick em up
on the caboose. They claimed the wind kicked up too much dirt in their eyes.
Others had no trouble at 50.
We picked up orders at least once every trip and often 2 or 3 times. Over
those 14 years I think I only "missed" maybe 5 or 6 times and those were due
to the operator flinching at the last second. However I had to stop and back
up, or stop and wait for the operator to drive to us, or stop and wait for
the brakeman to walk back and meet the operator, perhaps a couple of dozen
times account the string broke when I hooked it. That usually occurred with
one type of fork if the operator put the string on the the wrong side.
In ABS territory I picked up orders at 60 mph on several occasions and that
is about the max I'd want to do it!
When I worked helpers pushing on the rear end, the conductor would pickup
the orders from his caboose (or the rear helper unit if he was riding that).
The bundle would have 2 sets of orders and clearances. One for him and one
for me. My helper brakeman would go out on the front of the helper unit and
the conductor would hand him our orders across the gap. Or my brakey would
go back the catwalk along all the helper units to the trailing unit and
bring our orders back up to me.
AK
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