Not a good pic, but some of the railroad china i've collected. From Left to right. Great Northern, UP Challenger, Mil Road C/S, SP and SP business car:
This is the original style of device used to get train orders to a moving train. Known by it's shape as a "hoop." This action became known as "hooping up orders." And remained so, even long after the fork replaced these. But, these had several drawbacks. First, they were hard on the train crewman's arm. As they'd receive it, by jabbing their fist through it, (the operator/agent/telegrapher/leverman on ground holding it up in air), it would slap into their fingers or arm. Or they'd break. As can be seen by the pictured size, they also required the man/woman on ground to stand a little closer to any moving train. Dangerous. And last- Once the orders were unclipped. It had to be returned to the station. From a moving train, that meant tossing it back off as fast as possible. Into the ditch, bushes or who knows where. (Two of these. One from the engine. One from the conductor in a caboose, or a trailing passenger car.) At night, the poor operator had to go looking for both, in order to use this device again for the next train. And, if the train crew disliked the operator, they were known to hold on a little bit long, and then toss into the mud, etc........ Hence evolved the "fork" with it's string that caused less pain. And need not be returned or recovered. Boxcab E50
A train order fork. Manufactured by The Hi-Speed Delivery Fork Company of Shelbyville, Indiana. Used for "hooping" up orders to passing trains. The original design of these was a "nine" shaped loop, known as a "hoop." The operation name thus remained "hooping" throughout their lifespan of use. Much safer to use than their predecessor, with string, and break away bamboo tips. The operator on ground could stand further away from a passing train. And need not chase after hoops in the weeds. This example, as was the earlier posted hoop, were both used by a friend of mine who worked for the Milwaukee Road. Boxcab E50
Wow there is some really cool memo items here,train order hoops,matches,slices of rail,keep them coming.
Wow, you guys sure are up on your railroad stuff. Here is one of the sockets taken off a mast where the train order yokes were mounted. There were three sockets on a mast each at a different level. The top was for the locomotive and the other two were for the conductor whether he was in the vestibule of a passenger car or the platform of a caboose. The mast slid over a rod mounted next to the track and was locked in place. These were still in use on the Union Pacific at Tower 17 until it was retired about two years ago. Sure was strange to see train orders "hooped" up to a modern diesel locomotive.
When I acquired this one, was browsing it's contents. And discovered member of my great-grandmother's family was a Milw agent in the 1920's! Boxcab E50
For the eastern lines of the Milw. Before they'd absorbed their CM&PS RY (Lines West) subsidiary: Boxcab E50
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/654/1488.jpg Here is a number board off of a Santa Fe diner. The car was the first light weight diner ordered from Pullman and was used to provide backup for the all Budd Super Chief before W.W.II. Santa Fe did not buy any more Pullman diners until it re-equipped the Super Chief in the early 50's. The car then was used in pool service or being assigned to various trains like the Texas Chief. The car was sold to Sunny Look's restaurant in 1968 and used as a dining room adjacent to the restaurant. The restaurant eventually donated it to the Houston Gulf Coast Museum. The car was not in good shape because of the "Pullman Rot" and the trucks were destroyed because the restaurant had the suspension in the trucks welded up when it used it. We were salvaging parts off of it to restore other Pullman built cars before we sold it to someone for use as a roadside diner in Waelder, Texas. That did not last long and it ended up in a scrap yard. The car has popped up again as part of a road side diner off of Interstate 10 outside of Luling, Texas.
It may not be the way we'd care to see these railroad classics, but I have always liked the old "roadside diner" concept. Maybe because of their railroad/interurban heritage. Perhaps due to their time frame for popularity. Boxcab E50
I don't collect much, but LEW sent me this NY Central rule book and another friend gave me the Adlake and UP switch lock keys.
This plate is fixed to my house wall, near the gate It is an original cast iron plate from a line close to where I lived in my youth.
