I have a vague memory of an anecdote within a larger article in Trains
about a BN crew (in the 70s) that took a transfer to the BRC during a
snowstorm. Naturally, they died there and had quite a wait for a ride
back. One man's wife called the BN to find out when he might get home.
The person who took the call said "Oh, he's dead over at the Belt."
"<gasp> Dead???! <sob sob sob>" "Oh geez lady, I don't mean he's dead,
he's just dead." This did little to calm her. The man in question was
called on the company radio and told to phone home immediately. (I'm
paraphrasing the actual conversation; like I said, it's a vague memory
of something I read a long time ago, and it was probably paraphrased in
the first place.) (Also, sorry about the delayed response. I'm a couple
weeks behind on my email.)
--
David Streeter
On 6/28/2021 10:18 AM, Leo Phillipp via groups.io wrote:
A couple comments in response to comments made by others in this
chain. My time reference is the 1970s.
The problem with transfers was the very nature of the beast. As a
transfer crew your dragging around a lengthy train on a foreign
railroad. You’re going to be the last thing moved. All home road moves
will go in front of you. It was a daily, constant scene of westbound
foreign road transfers backed up on mains 4 and 5 between Union Ave
and the Belt bridge. They would literally be parked nose to tail.
There might even be a train or two setting down on the Panhandle
waiting it’s turn. With 16 hours to work it would be more likely to
make this slow, sluggish trip and then get back home caboose light.
But with the reduction to 14 and then 12 hours it became much more
unlikely to make a round trip under the hours of service.
I’m sure the same thing was happening to BN crews at foreign yards.
It would be interesting to hear from someone with knowledge of how all
this accumulated foreign stuff made its way back home.
Leo Phillipp
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