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To add to Leo's Earlville Turn. I won bid on the East End Swing Job as an operator bids ending Dec. 31, 1973. At the time I was working 2nd trick Aurora Tower off the extra Operators board. The East End Swing Job worked Mon-Tue 2nd trick Congress Park and Wed-Thur third trick Congress Park. Friday was third trick Eola Operator. 1973 was the year BN went to the Compass Computer Program of car movement so every car had to be kept track of in the computer using the old punch cards. At Congress Park we had to interchange receive each car with one set of cards and program for waybills. Then Interchange Receive in another set of cards and program. We would then shuffle the deck so they were on the right track-box for train makeup(another deck and program) All with an even then antique card reader and computer system. IBM 1050 (IBM repairman spent as much time there as I did working the swing job) At Eola the operator had a IBM 2770 system with HIGH SPEED card reader and printer. When a train was departed in Cicero(Another deck for the train and program then another deck and program, for the departure) This would go thru the main frame in St. Paul and send a arrival deck to Congress Park and Eola so they could arrive the train and then put in any train consist and then Depart the train.( Same thing for Eastbound trains only course in reverse) It was not unheard of for 2nd trick at Congress Park to receive upwards of 300 cars plus a nite as all Penn Central traffic went thru the IHB and Congress Park to the BN. We had a lot of fruit and veg reefer traffic go to IHB for PC an then the empties come home. Had a unit coal train with mixed CB&Q and other pre-BN roads both two and three bay cars for Corn Products each week. So the second trick job had a helper added with the new computer and the reason I as able to get back on the railroad as an extra operator. Well the clerks Union did not like that at all (even though operators were in the clerks union) so they got the extra operators job pulled off and replaced by a clerk. Only trouble is the clerks job was for 5 days when it needed a relief and they could not figure out how to get a relief clerk out to Congress Park two days a week. So here I am two days a week working my tail off trying to do two peoples job I worked the job about 6 weeks the first two months of 1974 and the TM asked me if I wanted to break in as a train dispatcher. My first day was Valentines Day 1974 having tied the knot the previous Sept. Working the third trick at Eola with YDM Charlie was really fun as the 2770 had a beeper when in trouble and He would ride me as I could not keep the beeper shut off and it kept him awake. HE would stay pretty grumpy till he was about 3/4 thru his thermos and/or got his nap. As the third trick operator you had to arrive the trains and get the deck of cards to forward the cars. Any empties you had to sit down with the car distribution print out and assign the cars (using another deck and program) Often there would be more cars then needed or sometimes not enough so you had to decide wither to send the cars or split them to fill at least a couple of the needed empty orders. About 2 AM you had to send in the Switch Eng. Hours for the previous day and then get the orders ready IF any for the morning rush. There use to be only 7 dinkys came out of the Hill Yard and they had at Train Order(flashing order board) coming out of the yard about Farnsworth which told them to get orders at Eola. So you had to make up three sets for each train Headend for the engineer on the control car and two sets for the Conductor and Flagman. You never knew where the trainman would be to pick up their orders so with three hoops it was out the hoop up the orders?? There never was any way when you bundled up in the cold and snow not to get snow blown down your neck when they went by often at speed and never knowing where the trainmen would pop a head out to get the orders. 35years later Retired as a DS after two moves with office consolidations Steve in SC See you in La Crosse __._,_.___ Posted by: STEVEN HOLDING <sholding@sbcglobal.net> __,_._,___ |