Railroaders' Nostalgia > SP Coast engineers - identification sought

Here another history mystery....

Appears to be a ceremony of sort, perhaps a recognition for a labor shift. Nonetheless, the crew was able to take a break for a few moments to be captured for posterity with a few of the suits.

Ideas?

Ken Middebrook
Curator
History San José

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I see a lot of roundhouse forces, a few brass hats, but no engineers. Far right, front row has to be the RH clerk or timekeeper.

The boss is definitely the Big Guy in this picture!

Sphogger

I could relate an absolutely hilarious story about Low Water arguing over the phone one day with Leishman, W Div E timekeeper, but being typical RR flavored, it's not Particularly Courteous and would get me kicked off this group.

I'll hazard a guess that the gentleman is receiving his pension. When railroad retirement started, it was quite the event.

> I'll hazard a guess that the gentleman is
> receiving his pension. When railroad retirement
> started, it was quite the event.


Or, it might be the old feller's last paycheck. Assuming that he was a retiring hoghead who practiced 15:59 railroading, as many did, this likely was the saddest day of his existence. He would have had no life on the outside to go to.

When RRB came along in 1935, it was quite a relief in terms of financial security, but it did not change the 15:59 lifestyle. If I recall the figure correctly, the AVERAGE age of retirement for locomotive engineers nationally in 1960 was 70 years old. Iron horses and iron men, eh?

Observations: That big railroad official reminds me of a famous picture of Herbert Hoover, both in appearance and dress. (Note that the puny guy dresses like his boss.) Their attire was typical of the late 20's and early 30's, after straw hats went out of favor, don't you think? None of the gentlemen (even the laborers) seem to be a spring chicken, so I would guess that the photo was made after the Depression began to take hold.

I like the guy in the suit jacket, vest, tie, and longshoreman's cap. Talk about a fashion statement.

The old boy recieving the check is the only one in the photo with a mustache. Definitely dates him. Probably a pup in the Civil War era.

The Big Guy does indeed look like Herbert Hoover!

Sphogger

Lots of Fedoras visible, but I also see a couple of Bowlers in the photo as well. Just wondering if those 3000 series Atlantics were moved to commute service as larger power took over out on the through trains? I never did see one in commute service, but there were a lot of 4-6-2s still in commute service in the late '40s....my earliest commute recollections. Just loved a ride in the first car so as to observe the tender bouncing around, sometimes violently. AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA