Leo and Louis
Interesting to hear about someone still working as a locomotive engineer who is almost as old as I am..(81)...I thought that...even back in my day (1956) that an arbitrary requirement for engineers was agreed on by both "The Company" and BLE and Bof LF&E.
Can they keep on working as long as they can pass the "physical"..??
I believe that steam was last used on the Omaha-Lincoln divisions in fall 1959. In my first summer as a trainman (1956) there was still lots of steam working the yard at Lincoln and some on the Lincoln-Hastings line. I think also some was used on "Lines East" into fall 1959. If that's so then Mr. Hill could have fired steam in his first year.
Also in the summer 1956 a steam engine (5080 was one I saw at least) was kept hot at Ravenna as protection. In those days waycars were still being changed at Ravenna and I made a trip or two off the extra board from Lincoln-Ravenna and saw the 5080 at work on the Ravenna switcher..)Hours 1:00am-9:00am.
In late summer 56 I was "forced" on the Ravenna switcher for a three week stint...a lousy job..Night hours and no OT. Well, I thought maybe I'll get a break and get to work with steam. Well, it never happened. Here's why..
At that time two locals worked out of Ravenna. There was the Ravenna-Aurora-Burwell local and the Tri weekly Lincoln-Ravenna local. Both those locals used Geeps as regular power and they worked out of Ravenna on alternate nights..Hence there was always a "Geep" available for night use on the switcher..An excellent and efficient use of motive power but "fatal" to my hope and dream to work with a steam engine. Also that 5080 was run to Lincoln every month or so for "inspection"..They would usually tie a few cars on her and run her extra..I never got to do that either...
Hence I never got the opportunity to make the claim that I could have made to "have worked in PAID REGULAR REVENUE SERVICE on steam.
I do hold claim however to have "worked" in NON PAID revenue service firing RPLN 440 Nee B&MR 156 on the Rock Port Langdon and Northern..ages up to 9.
Pete
-----Original Message-----
From:
LZadnichek@aol.com [CBQ] <
CBQ@yahoogroups.com>
To: cbq <
cbq@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Jun 29, 2017 5:40 pm
Subject: [CBQ] Still Working As Age 78
June 29, 2017
Leo - Here's someone else you may want to interview:
Mr. Hill started out firing Q steam at Galesburg in 1959. He's still working as a BNSF hogger at age 78. That must set some kind of record, at least for today. I'd like to have some of his DNA!
Wonder if he's a BRHS member or knows about this Group? Best Regards - Louis
Louis Zadnichek II
Fairhope, AL