Nostalgia & History > KC potty truck

Now there's a classic! I remember at St. Louis Union trailer, they would have guys come right through the vestibule doors with a large black hose and stick it into the toilet. What a high class operation that was. 2nd photo they are servicing the River Cities before it is turned. Image 3 shows a bunch of remnants from the station after they tore out the tracks and plopped the office building on the East side. By the way, the GSA is now occupying a large share of the Two Pershing Square complex.
All photos were taken in 1986.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/15 01:46 by mp51w.

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I found my notes, December 30, 1986 at Kansas City, MO. Here is the inbound River Cities framed by a derailed bulkhead flat. Anybody remember the details of the wreck?

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WOW! Now that truck's "class" for AMTRAK. It reminds me more of a coyote hunters wagon. Love the paint job, especially over yellow!

mp51w Wrote:
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> Now there's a classic! I remember at St. Louis
> Union trailer, they would have guys come right
> through the vestibule doors with a large black
> hose and stick it into the toilet. What a high
> class operation that was. 2nd photo they are
> servicing the River Cities before it is turned.
> Image 3 shows a bunch of remnants from the station
> after they tore out the tracks and plopped the
> office building on the East side. By the way, the
> GSA is now occupying a large share of the Two
> Pershing Square complex.
> All photos were taken in 1986.

It's against the rules to criticize Amtrak.

Back when the railroads ran passenger service they just dumped the poop on the tracks.
Which is why MofW crews learned to stand way clear when a passenger train rolled by.
I remember as a kid watching crews hook hoses to the sides of SP San Joaquin Daylight train cars in Fresno to unload the tanks those cars were equipped with.
I also recall watching the roadbed fly by through the toilet when I flushed it.
I have a railroad decal on a board posted by one of our toilets that reads "Kindly flush toilet after each use except when train is standing in station."
At least the johns are cleaned here. A friend who once rode a train in Russia once said the toilets were so filthy he peed off the back platform for the rest of the trip.
And then there are Arab "toilets"...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

mojavebill wrote--And then there are Arab "toilets"... What are Arab "toilets"? upkpfan

MojaveBill Wrote:
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>> I have a railroad decal on a board posted by one
> of our toilets that reads "Kindly flush toilet
> after each use except when train is standing in
> station."

That's was common sign, even in foreign countries. My mother, as a child, in Germany during the war, would ride trains to school. She said as kids they often liked to defy the rule and use the john at the stations. I'll bet kids did the same here too. I recall filming trains at Highwood, Illinois in the early 70s with my kid sister. (My dad had business at the nearby Naval Base so he dropped me off at the station outside the gate and my kid sister tagged along.) My sister asked what the brown and white blotches were on the tracks. I replied, "What do you think they are?" She figured it out and let out an "ouooooooh gross!"

> And then there are Arab "toilets"...

My brother lived in a college dorm with a number of Arabs students. He told me that on one occasion he happened to notice someone's feet pointed in the opposite direction on the floor of bathroom stall than most people who sit on the stool...."



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/15 16:16 by wabash2800.

On the farm, they would call that the "honey wagon".



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/15 16:14 by wabash2800.

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> On the farm, they would call that the "honey
> wagon".


In Milwaukee, it was Ye Ol Honey Wagon! LOL!

As a kid living nearby the Rock Island in the late 40's and early 50's when steam and diesels were pulling the Imperial and the Golden State passenger trains I'd occasionally walk the track and see the remains of wet toilet paper among the ballast and cross ties. Evidently the feces and urine were much disintegrated as I don't recall seeing such, but never had the urge to investigate further. My favorite was finding the little whiskey bottles that patrons had pitched from the vestibules to the right-of-way ditches.

I doubt the car inspectors and repairmen wore blue latex gloves when working beneath these passenger cars, let alone ever seeing a pair!! Now thinking of it, the only 'latex' I ever heard of in those days were what came from some heavily locked machines hanging on the walls of mens restrooms in fuel service stations along the highway. I never had a quarter to find out what was in them, nor would I'd known what to do with it had I fetched one, but I heard some childhood stories from friends and what they found in their parents bedroom dressers!! Oh, I derailed and must get back on track!

In the Air Force we used to call the Fleet Service guys who ran the toilet service truck the SWAT team!
SWAT as in Shit, Water And Trash!

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> On the farm, they would call that the "honey
> wagon".


And the people who worked them were "Honey Dippers."

I too remember the toilets where you saw the track go whizzing by. While you took a whizz!

LOL