Re: [CBQ] Aurora coal chute 1868

["Louis Zadnichek via Groups.Io" <LZadnichek=aol.com@groups.io>]

November 2, 2019

Pete - Back in steam engine days, what did the engineer. fireman and head end brakeman do when they had to use the bathroom when their train was moving since toilets were unheard of in steam engine cabs?  I can see where they could stand in the gangway when the need arose and take a whiz (so to say), but what about if they got a bad plate of food at the last lunch room and Montezuma's revenge took hold ? What then? They just couldn't stop their train to hike off into the bushes.....  I've always wondered about this never discussed facet of railroading in the good ole days...... Please enlighten us - Louis

Louis Zadnichek II

Fairhope, AL

In a message dated 11/1/2019 11:02:15 PM Central Standard Time, jpslhedgpeth=aol.com@groups.io writes:

Yes indeed Mike..THE NOSE was a location I never frequented while "in motion"...It was always my first duty when going "on duty" as head brakeman.  You always had to go "down in the nose" to see if you had the required eqipment..ie flags, lantern, torpedoes, blocks, chain, spare knuckle etc.  It was..as you or anybody who had occasion to frequent said location not a pleasant place to be. IIRC there was a toilet down there, which I never saw anyone make use of it...including me..however there was always evidence that it had been used and...it was not cleaned "frequently" which was immediately obvious when you opened the door to make your initial descent.

Pete

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Decker <mdecker@gwtc.net>
To: CBQ <CBQ@groups.io>
Sent: Fri, Nov 1, 2019 2:25 pm
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Aurora coal chute 1868

Yup, Pete, I learned that one early, and when the helper crew 'drifted' their motors through the crossover into the side of a train loading at Belle Ayr, the Engineer was 'down in the nose'.  I don't remember what the Brakeman's excuse was.

Thanks, Hol, for the clarification on the location.  The part I remembered particularly was the fireman who'd jumped excuse,

Mike

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