Earl's father and uncle were engineers at So. Anderson and I fired for all three at one time or another . LEW
LEW, Your memories provide wonderful insight to railroading I witnessed as a youth in the 30's, 40's, and early 50's while steam remained on the Central. Thanks so much! This brought to mind the time I, a 14 year old, was allowed to sit in the right seat and run a B&M Consolidation down a three mile passing siding while the fireman was doing his best to keep up with whatever screw-ups I was doing with the throttle and Johnson Bar. OK, the engineer was standing right beside me, occasionally putting his hand over mine...forcefully.
Great stories guys, My story is a bit later, like mid 1990's. I was still working as a trainman. We were called on a Stockton-Denver. On the approach to Thompson Springs Utah, the DS told us they were welding rail joints ahead, and had trackntime for 4 hours. So he put us away in the siding. Just so you know, not much going on in Thompson Utah especially after I 70 was finished, just 3 or 4 dwellings, almost a ghost town. Its at the apex of a grade from both directions so we are pulling hard thru there both ways, braking by the time the rear end goes by. Well this time we stopped short of the crossing, we sat there a while and noticed that the little brick restaraunt was actually open, someone was giving it a go. We went in and ordered a sandwich and soup. This mom and here little girl were the only ones beside my hoghead and me. The little girl was talking to her mom about show and tell the next week at school, she had nothing in mind. Well you all know what I was thinking. We asked mom if it was OK, so out to the power we went, that little girl was gonna have something for show and tell. I pulled the pin behind the power, and we let her go back and forth lite power in the siding (us both in the cab with her), That little diner closed shortly afterward, and has never opened again. We wondered if anyone believed that little Girl at show and tell. Thanks for looking, it's not a steam story but all I have LOL.
Reminds me of a story I was told by an uncle who passed many years ago now. No kids in this one other than me. I always enjoyed his railroad stories. He had gone to work on the Canadian Northern in 1918. During the annual grain rush, crews who were westbound with empties could be stuck in a siding for hours on end. He told me that, if you were lucky, there would be a general store somewhere close by and maybe you could get something to cook on your scoop shovel. Sounds like a fairly rugged life, especially as I don't think there was anything like a 16 hour law in Canada then. He came to Michigan some time before WWII and went to work on the Wabash, finally retiring from the N&W.
Get some hamburger, bacon, and some buns with condiments. Cook the burger and bacon on the shovel in the firebox. Have a great lunch!!
Tom, I join the others in commenting great story. Hope the little girl did show and tell that story. Good for you.