Railroaders' Nostalgia > sphogger retires!

As of yesterday, sphogger, long time SP brakeman & hoghead, who has since run trains for the Yellow Dog, has informed me that he officially retired yesterday, leaving his juniors to fight over his space in the Roseville - Dunsmuir pool.

You didn't think that I was going to be silent about this, did ya George?

Again, congrats!

EO

Congratulations again George. Hope you enjoy many years of good health and doing whatever the heck you want.

Congrats on retirement, but please, there is only one Yellow Dog. That would be the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley, later IC.

Made legend in the song "Yellow Dog Blues" by W.C.Handy C.1913

Posted from Android

Yes indeed, all done. 38 years. As a couple old heads told me, you'll know when it's time. Very true. I'm fortunate, I hired out at a good time, had a great career and enjoyed every minute of it. As EO suggests it was the people that made it so enjoyable. Some of them TO members I've known a long time and the younger guys who I had the pleasure of working with these last few years. Thanks.

Sphogger

George,

Green, kickem. Going to stay there ot drift back towards the Coast.


Nudge

sphogger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes indeed, all done. 38 years. As a couple old
> heads told me, you'll know when it's time. Very
> true. I'm fortunate, I hired out at a good time,
> had a great career and enjoyed every minute of it.
> As EO suggests it was the people that made it so
> enjoyable. Some of them TO members I've known a
> long time and the younger guys who I had the
> pleasure of working with these last few years.
> Thanks.
>
> Sphogger


Congratulations to the BEST brakeman I ever had!!!!! Glad you retired George. Have a great time and remember, us old one's meet at the Cowgirls Café the 1st Monday of every month at 0900. I'll EXPECT you there.


Virlon

Thanks Nudge, lookin forward to spending time on the Central Coast. You got it LV! sphogger

SLOCONDR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Congratulations to the BEST brakeman I ever
> had!!!!!

So, speaking of being brakeman, George. Do you remember when you were on the tail end of that train out in the Salt Ponds approaching Alviso, when we broke in two a few cars behind the engine, because the Rhino knee-jerked and gassed the train on account that he and I were so busy yapping that we forgot a yellow and came face-to-face with a red?

Why, you ask, was George such a good brakeman in this situation? Because he timed his walk up the train to coincide with the completion of the knuckle change-out. This was insightful professionalism at its finest: deduce what happened based upon the known MO of the head end crew, then let them straighten-out the mess that they no-doubt created (-:

Such was only one incident in the (too) long, legendary career of sphogger (Don't spoil it with the truth about what you were doing, George.)

Ed

hogheaded Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SLOCONDR Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > Congratulations to the BEST brakeman I ever
> > had!!!!!
>
> So, speaking of being brakeman, George. Do you
> remember when you were on the tail end of that
> train out in the Salt Ponds approaching Alviso,
> when we broke in two a few cars behind the engine,
> because the Rhino knee-jerked and gassed the train
> on account that he and I were so busy yapping that
> we forgot a yellow and came face-to-face with a
> red?
>
> Why, you ask, was George such a good brakeman in
> this situation? Because he timed his walk up the
> train to coincide with the completion of the
> knuckle change-out. This was insightful
> professionalism at its finest: deduce what
> happened based upon the known MO of the head end
> crew, then let them straighten-out the mess that
> they no-doubt created (-:
>
> Such was only one incident in the (too) long,
> legendary career of sphogger (Don't spoil it with
> the truth about what you were doing, George.)
>
> Ed


Now that is funny.Railroad men are in a class by themselves.
I don't think there is any other job that can go from being
hard to being happy.Always great times and stories.

I took a buyout 27 years ago after 32 years.I have never regretted it.

Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

George have a long and happy retirement I will miss you and our discussions on railroad history in the yard office. Now if only the saw would go.

ppcx032 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> George have a long and happy retirement I will
> miss you and our discussions on railroad history
> in the yard office. Now if only the saw would go.


Damn, I'd rather see the "Saw" stay working. Why put him out with the rest of the sane population....


V

SLOCONDR

Oh yes, The 'Saw. :) Good luck!

I do remember a knuckle on the beets at Alviso with Rhino! If I didn't make it to the joint on time it wasn't for the lack of trying:) Also remember multiple knuckles on an LAOAF in San Jose after a young runner failed to properly execute a running release. Another beet train knuckle at Honda on a foggy night with no radio. The only light I had was my lantern, fusee's and the phosphorescent glow of the ocean waves. I don't remember the crewmen involved. I also admit to 2-3 or my own seatbox knuckle failures that were graciously taken care of by my trainmen friends ;)

sphogger



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/15 12:57 by sphogger.

hogheaded Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SLOCONDR Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > Congratulations to the BEST brakeman I ever
> > had!!!!!
>
> So, speaking of being brakeman, George. Do you
> remember when you were on the tail end of that
> train out in the Salt Ponds approaching Alviso,
> when we broke in two a few cars behind the engine,
> because the Rhino knee-jerked and gassed the train
> on account that he and I were so busy yapping that
> we forgot a yellow and came face-to-face with a
> red?
>
>
> Ed

don't ya just HATE when that happens ...

happy retirement SPH

Posted from Android

sphogger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> I do remember a knuckle on the beets at Alviso
> with Rhino! If I didn't make it to the joint on
> time it wasn't for the lack of trying:)

George, you gotta work with me on this. Legends based upon the truth are boring...well, maybe excepting the Rhino's.

Now, do you remember the time that you saw the damsel in distress, hit the air and climbed through the window onto the running board along the boiler... no, wait, you were still a brakeman in those days...

EO

sphogger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Oh yes, The 'Saw. :) Good luck!
>
> I do remember a knuckle on the beets at Alviso
> with Rhino! If I didn't make it to the joint on
> time it wasn't for the lack of trying:) Also
> remember multiple knuckles on an LAOAF in San Jose
> after a young runner failed to properly execute a
> running release. Another beet train knuckle at
> Honda on a foggy night with no radio. The only
> light I had was my lantern, fusee's and the
> phosphorescent glow of the ocean waves. I don't
> remember the crewmen involved. I also admit to
> 2-3 or my own seatbox knuckle failures that were
> graciously taken care of by my trainmen friends
> ;)
>
> sphogger

Wow! The only hog I ever heard get multiple knuckles or drawbars was Martimus Maximus on the Western and I'm from the AT&SF!

WP-M2051 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> sphogger Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Oh yes, The 'Saw. :) Good luck!
> >
> > I do remember a knuckle on the beets at Alviso
> > with Rhino! If I didn't make it to the joint
> on
> > time it wasn't for the lack of trying:) Also
> > remember multiple knuckles on an LAOAF in San
> Jose
> > after a young runner failed to properly execute
> a
> > running release. Another beet train knuckle at
> > Honda on a foggy night with no radio. The only
> > light I had was my lantern, fusee's and the
> > phosphorescent glow of the ocean waves. I
> don't
> > remember the crewmen involved. I also admit
> to
> > 2-3 or my own seatbox knuckle failures that
> were
> > graciously taken care of by my trainmen friends
> > ;)
> >
> > sphogger
>
> Wow! The only hog I ever heard get multiple
> knuckles or drawbars was Martimus Maximus on the
> Western and I'm from the AT&SF!

Come to think of it, I remember sitting on a light engine in the Black Butte siding early one night when the air went on an eastbound empties as it pulled into the Siskiyou siding next to us. It busted-in-three, so we ferried knuckles for the crew . Must have been an Ashland train, though I don't recall subsequently giving it a boost. I also remember running an uphill two unit swing help somewhere above Hotlum on a long train of empties whose South End crew had reported to us as a dynamiter. We had a speed restriction ahead and rather than throttle back on the grade, Howard Boswell used the air. I'm pretty sure that we broke in three on that one, too. Howard had the 7347, which despite the patriotic paint, was a cursed loco.

EO

George... I'll chime in also. Well the young conductors at 0200 in the chicken coop are probably happy that us ol' SP farts are gone. I can remember more than once when some brand new MYO would come out of the back office and explain to us how we were going to railroad that night in Roseville yard! No extra board, CMS dropping a number of spaces, and us with a whole 4 hours sleep. Every rail on this thread has lived that. I don't miss Bakersfield, you probably wont miss Dunsmuir (especially the all nighters!). You will enjoy a well earned retirement...Craig

I think the appropriate term is yellow fever. :)

px320 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Congrats on retirement, but please, there is only
> one Yellow Dog. That would be the Yazoo &
> Mississippi Valley, later IC.
>
> Made legend in the song "Yellow Dog Blues" by
> W.C.Handy C.1913
>
> Posted from Android

Posted from iPhone

Awesome, congratulations. Wish you many fine days receiving RR checks!
JB

Boy, I had forgotten about old "Boz". Sounds just like him. I hated to catch an SLE or SLW with him on the point or on the helpers. When you topped the hill at #13 in either direction, you braced yourself for the worst. You had to sit there and just KNOW he would do something to tear the train up.


Nudge



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/15 18:38 by spnudge.