Nostalgia & History > Ratted Out

It seemed an appropriate beginning to running west along the UP across Nebraska to bag an eastbound CNW at Fremont that July day 1990, overcast skies notwithstanding. While walking back to the SUV, smug with delight at the GP50 out front, I observed my youngest son holding the scanner in one hand and alternately pointing to it and making a universally recognized obscene gesture the crew’s direction. Upon remarking on this uncharacteristic behavior and its inherently pejorative aspects he respectfully and succinctly explained that the scanner had intercepted the conductor calling us into the UP operator suggesting, “…he notify the UP police.” Amid my son’s impassioned request that we immediately and without hesitation invoke an ancient Chinese imprecation resulting in them dying-on-the-law in some forgotten part of Iowa unknown to the crew-van driver, he accepted that the distance between the closest donut shop and the depot would allow us to be halfway to North Platte before anyone arrived. We left town with the next westbound unmolested.

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Your photo may be in black and white, but that's one colorful story! Thanks.

Wonder why the crew was so suspicious on you guys when they called the Rail Cops on you guys

Great story Mac!