Railroaders' Nostalgia > I'm RD Spence, Vice President of Operations

Well, I opened Pandora's box, so I rearranged the day and produced....

First, I need to relate a little background.

There were several reasons for leaving B&OCT. I would probably have been appointed Chief Dispatcher in a year or so. However, I wanted to know how to run A railroad, not THIS railroad. We didn't have extensive train order territory, extensive single track, mountains, long distances, and the other challenges that the railroad industry can present. In a way, that's why low level railroad managers live out of a cardboard box in a moving van, but the process is often ineffective.

I took a road trip to California in early 1972. I was looking for someone who was hiring. The first stop was the WP office in Sacramento. Nope, but there were several SP guys there (a few of which were there because they were fired off of SP) who told me to go to SP. They always needed help.

I went over to Roseville and found that it was a popular place. There was just about a waiting line to get out of some other office and into Roseville. The Chief suggested that I try Los Angeles; they often needed help. Off I went.

In LA, I talked to EAN, the Chief. Nope, he had all the help he needed. I found out later that he did and that there was as much seniority in the office as some folks have vacation. The guys in Bakersfield called it Nighswonger's Nursery.

I talked to a spatch who said that Bakersfield always needed help. Nobody wanted to work there. It was rough territory and the Chief was a perfectionist who made a habit of firing folks or driving them to go somewhere else, even if they had the buck the extra board. That sounded like my kind of place. It turns out that Frank Bannister, the Chief in Bakersfield, and John Jenkins, the B&OCT chief, were two of the meanest, most perfectionist, most knowledgeable Chiefs I had ever met (or ever will).

FMB ran me through some intensive interrogation and hired me on the spot. He gave me a timetable and a rule book and told me to be back, I think it was the end of August.

The Saugus District, LA - Mojave and Famoso - Fresno was a really heavy train order job with lots of traffic. I was put there for a couple of weeks to learn SP ways, including some important differences in train order rules. During that time, I had gotten several different descriptions of the arrangement at Palmdale and Denis, depending upon who I was breaking in with. That culminated in getting two of them headlight to headlight between Palmdale and Harold, the next siding, in spite of what I had in the train order book. I went to FMB and told him that's it. I don't work or even break in on territory I don't know. Studying the timetable was not enough.

In the next week, I had a whirlwind trip Bakersfield - LA - Tracy - Roseville - Bakersfield. It was exhausting, but I could at least associate stuff in the timetable with real stuff. As time went on, I had ample opportunity to become expert at the layout of the whole division.

After the Saugus territory, I was sent to second trick Valley-Mountain, Mojave - Fresno (Tehachapi). I spent one evening with Kenny Galyan, one of the Very Best. At the end of the evening, he said, You're obviously a train dispatcher, you just need to go to work and get some practice on this job. I'll tell Frank you're ok to go.

FMB put me on 2d trick on the Lathrop job, Fresno - Tracy - Lathrop and Fresno-Lathrop-Polk (just short of Roseville). I was to break in with a guy who had a reputation of being a diabetic alcoholic with a bad attitude.

I showed up early and the first tricker asked if I was breaking in on second trick.

Yup.

OK, I won't confuse you with anything he might tell you different. He can show you what's up.

OK...that's a new and different approach. What I didn't know is that there was some other guy who had been breaking in for just short of forever and was considered hopeless. The first tricker thought I was him. So did the second tricker.

He left the room without a word after signing the transfer. I was sitting there waiting for him to come back. When he did, coffee cup in hand, he said, What's the program? You breaking in?

Yes sir.

So break in.

...and he left.

I was left with a really busy railroad full of stations I wasn't sure how to pronounce, locals all over the CTC line, several trains on the West Side (Fresno - Tracy) train order section, and gandys turning in permits. There were work messages for trains and local conductors telling me that the shed they were working needed five more dry loaders. I was buried, glued to the timetable, trainsheet, and CTC machine, and sweating blood.

My instructor came back after 45 minutes, coffee cup in hand, and said How ya doin' kid?

Well..none of 'em have run into each other.

Then you're doin' fine. Oh, how long have you been breaking in on this job?

45 minutes.

Hell, you're doin' JUST fine.

...and he left.

That was it. I was qualified on the entire San Joaquin Division.

Not long after that, I was on first trick Lathrop. I was totally buried, as that job could often get. Anybody could be buried on that job. On the west side during harvest, there were several locals working sections of the line, mixed with some through trains. There were a lot of register/check the register orders. Rubber stamp work orders not protecting against extra trains would not work in that kind of traffic. There were lots of gandys (of course, it was first trick), hot trains on the main line (365 the forwarder freight and 375 the pigs, both first class trains and the Bakersfield and Fresno fruit blocks), lots of hot through freight for El Paso and Pine Bluff, and lots of lumber/paper loads ad lumber/paper empties.

I noticed a suit and a bevy of sub-suits walking around the office. It looked like probably somebody pretty important. I saw the Saugus guy and the Valley-Mountain guy (that job was a mankiller on 3rd, not first) jump up, shake hands, and talk.

The platoon came int my office, the Main Suit standing between me and the CTC panel over on the left end. They were talking among themselves. I was watching a meet with my fingers on the switch and signal controls and an eye on the clock. It was a slider-by. If the guy on the main moved right along and got between switches without stopping the guy who was diving, I could move him up a notch for the next hot one. It would be tight - BUT I COULDN'T SEE IT!

JK get the hell out of the way! I'm trying to watch this meet!

The guy moved and they all left.

A few minutes later, the main line squared away, I had just stuck out an order on the West Side and was listening to the repeat. The station I was listening to wasn't really clear and I had to listen hard. In the middle of that came

Hello, I'm RD Spence, Vice President of Operations.

BK (break - telling the operator on the dispatcher phone to stop right there)

Vice President of Operations? Really? And you don't know better than that? I've got too much going on for a chat!

GA (go ahead -telling the operator to continue the repeat.

He left. I never heard another word about it.

TAW


Edited to correct the name of the VP - too many years and arguments have gone by to retain that detail, apparently.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/15 09:21 by TAW.

Great story !  Thanks for sharing.
Tom

Yes excellent story. 

Here is a ETT showing the names.


Allen

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/15 08:11 by bradleymckay.

---

If its this time frame, then it was RDS as VPO. RLK didn't make VPO until 1976



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/15 06:22 by WAF.

WAF Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If its this time frame, then it was RDS as VPO.
> RLK didn't make VPO until 1976


Thanks. That wa a long time ago - a lot of conflicts with railroad officials after that to blur it all.

TAW

TAW,
I am still laughing about the car load (mty) of lumber from yesterday.
And today,I am totally rolling on the floor about the VPO.
To me there is nothing more funny about true railroad stories than
for the ones who can understand them.Been there and done that.
Thanks,keep them coming.

Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

TAW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WAF Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > If its this time frame, then it was RDS as VPO.
> > RLK didn't make VPO until 1976
>
>
> Thanks. That wa a long time ago - a lot of
> conflicts with railroad officials after that to
> blur it all.
>
> TAW

No worries, great story, Tom
 

I look forward to your posts, TAW!

Excellent.

Actually, Spence seemed to be a very capable VPO at SP. Made a point of spending as much time in the field and meeting as many of the troops as he could. WAF can expound upon the circumstances under which he departed SP. He went on to oversee the rebuilding and rationalization of Conrail, a job that ultimately paid off in a profitable Conrail rising out of the ashes of all the bankrupt railroads in the Northeast.

Sorry he picked the wrong time to bother you.  I am sure he realized his mistake and afterwards was not about to put out any ill will towards you.

Did JEN ever drop in on you?

Best regards,

Rob L.

rob_l Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Excellent.
>
> Actually, Spence seemed to be a very capable
> VPO at SP. Made a point of spending as much time
> in the field and meeting as many of the troops as
> he could. WAF can expound upon the circumstances
> under which he departed SP. He went on to oversee
> the rebuilding and rationalization of Conrail, a
> job that ultimately paid off in a profitable
> Conrail rising out of the ashes of all the
> bankrupt railroads in the Northeast.
>
> Sorry he picked the wrong time to bother you.  I
> am sure he realized his mistake and
> afterwards was not about to put out any ill will
> towards you.
>
> Did JEN ever drop in on you?


Oh yeah. That's on the list but I have to get back to some revenue work for a while.

My encounter with JEN had such repute that many years later, after the Mexican Air incident, a former SP trainmaster (don't remember who) heard that I went to BN, found me, and called to tell me the news.

TAW

 

JEN and the Mexican thing: I once had a locomotive which had "JEN toot toot" scratched into the plastic of the control stand.

Amazing how much train-order main-line railroading SP still had in 1972.

Best regards,

Rob L.

You know something? I'm 82 yrs old and after reading these exploits, I really am sorry that sixty years ago I didn't take a job with the Railroad. REALLY!

Jim
Hatboro, PA​

Very enjoyable story.  I remember FMB quite well when he was in OP&C, San Francisco.

rantoul Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How did co-workers react to you leaving B&OCT?

Most didn't know I was going. I stayed in touch with a few T&E guys for a while, guys that went looking to find out where I went.

Some in the office wished me well and hoped I was doing the right thing.

The third trick chief, who relieved me every night, was probably extatic. He and I were from, let's say different cultural viewpoints, leading to some friction, one might say. On top of that, he saw me as a usurper for the Chief Dispatcher position he thought would be his when JFJ retired. As that time came closer, the friction became more intense. I tried to ignore it as much as possible, but transfer time could be mmmm...unpleasant.

He never told me directly, but JFJ, the Chief, intended to pass the title to me when he left. He didn't know about the not so friendly competition going on at night. He was really upset when I left...and disappointed. In a way, I was sorry to do it and let him down because he opened a world of opportunity for me, but on the other hand, the path I took made the best use of the opportunity he presented. The office had been tight on personnel for many years. I was the first person in 8 years to qualify and go to work. However, B&OCT changed when Amtrak came along. With no passenger trains and fewer passenger trains at the various crossings, it became easier to work and easier to qualify. The night guy wound up being the only candidate for Chief, and got the job by default, just as he anticipated that he would.

TAW

 

Interesting story about Spence. You'd think he'd know to wait for a lull before interrupting.

RD Spence is mentioned on pp. 213-215 of Rush Loving's The Men Who Loved Trains. Mixed assessment of his work at Conrail although he was in a tough situation with his co-executives. He was credited with subsequently turning around the L&N.

Posted from iPhone

W. B. Blevins - Is that Bill Blevins, later of CN?  Nice guy.

ddkid Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> W. B. Blevins - Is that Bill Blevins, later of
> CN?  Nice guy.

I doubt these were the same individual.

W.B.(Bill) Blevins as shown on this timetable had a 1937 fireman and 1943 engineers date.
I believe, but have no corroborated proof, he was the son of  another Bill Blevins, a Pacific Electric yardmaster.
I do recall however that Wayne Pierce, a Los Angeles Div. engineer and  road foreman of engines,
was the nephew of the W.B.Blevins shown on this timetable.

Charlie

cewherry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ddkid Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > W. B. Blevins - Is that Bill Blevins, later of
> > CN?  Nice guy.
>
> I doubt these were the same individual.
>
> W.B.(Bill) Blevins as shown on this timetable had
> a 1937 fireman and 1943 engineers date.
> I believe, but have no corroborated proof, he was
> the son of  another Bill Blevins, a Pacific
> Electric yardmaster.
> I do recall however that Wayne Pierce, a Los
> Angeles Div. engineer and  road foreman of
> engines,
> was the nephew of the W.B.Blevins shown on this
> timetable.
>
> Charlie

Thanks.  The Bill Blevins that I knew would have been much younger.