Tonight's Chicago area news advised we may see our first snow flurries on Saturday. That brought to mind the inside door frame scratches in a old baggage car at Eola. This wood car had been placed alongside the new west yard at Eola around 1916 or so when the yard was first started.
The door frame had the first snow date scratched into it from either '16 or '17 on it when I first saw it.
It was used as a warming,spot hangout by switchmen,Carmen and road crews picking up and setting out . The average was about Nov 17th or 18th so we're about on time.
I've often thought about what it must have been like to work on the RR in winter,before all the modern synthetic fibers were developed. Take a long look at the drawing on Pg 27 of BB 51 for a
Good look at layering before it was the clothing fashion of today. Brrr !
Leo