Railroaders' Nostalgia > Not my own; but from Diesel Days

Whatever else may be said about working on the railroad one thing is for certain; a railroad
job is demanding of both your time and, if you are going to be successful, demanding of your attention to
the task at hand. When you spend as much time on the job, maybe more, than with your personal family those workmates
down at the railroad become a kind of surrogate family. And just as in most families there are favorites and there are 'goats'.

Recently spengr80 wrote of the Rolls family of engineers on the Southern Pacific's San Joaquin division.
See:http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?18,3944853,3953118#msg-3953118
In his adding to that thread is a mention of another engineer, Jerry Weece and his picture at Saugus, CA. That mention of Weece
brought back a story that Jerry told me one day in the engineer's register room at Taylor Yard in Los Angeles.

There was another San Joaquin engineer, the 'Goat' in this tale, who will remain nameless, that had the nickname of "Wham-O". 
You really old heads will know instantly who I'm talking about. The 'Wham-O" appellation was descriptive of his train handling technique
and his reputation had travelled far and wide even among us L.A. division folk even though we didn't have to endure his abysmal train handling.
We knew all about him from rumor and innuendo. Also, this tale occurred when the Wham-O Manufacturing Co. was making a fortune producing
their Hula-Hoop ring toys. They still do.

One day Jerry Weese was at home and with nothing better to do, decided to call "Wham-O";
Wham-O: Hello.
Jerry: Hey _____, my daughter is pregnant again and we were wondering if you could get us some really good deals on baby furniture?
Wham-O: (incredulously) Well, why are you calling me about baby furniture? I don't understand.
Jerry: Aren't you associated with that Wham-O company that makes Hula-Hoops? They make baby furniture too, don't they?
Sound of Wham-O slamming the phone down.

Just like any family.

Charlie





 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/16 10:40 by cewherry.

God-that was funny. THanks for making me get coffee up my nose.
Somenone here once stated that the railroad is a place where crazy people can find meaningful employment!

 "Uh Uh Uh Uh , watch ya head "   was a common Hud expression when he ran and you fired for him. I fired for him at Gemco on many locals when I was cut back. He always chewed me out for the lamest things and I would bail to another job when I got the chance.  He was onery . About 5 ' tall and 5 ' around and the worst train handler around and restricted from the mainline for too many break in twos. Everytime I went to another job he would come to it when he got the chance. Then Bill Lord told me why . It was because I never spoke back to him or got mad at him and I always ran the train for him. I was about 26 years old at the time.  Bill said Hud was having trouble with health issues. After that I understood the old guy ( he was close to 70 at the time ) .  One day my wife came to Gemco to pick me up or something and brought the kids. We were switching in the yard. She came over to the engine and he saw my son and daughter in car seats and stopped the engine and got off and went over to the car. He gave the kids a pear he had in his lunch and we gave my 4 year old daughter a ride on the engine. The next day Hud gave me a childrens bible for her . He would give me things for the kids every once in a while and asked about them everyday. I found his soft spot and he nver belittled me again but continued to rag on everyone else. I can tell many stories of the hard joints, sideswipes and run through switches we experienced with his running but the trainmaster always looked the other way . Hud retired and passed away from hydro ensephylitis ( ? ) a few years later. He was definitely someone I will never forget . Hud the stud was what Ernie Hull used to call him . RIP Whammo.

Tom



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/16 12:16 by switchlamp.

Whamo..Hubert H. Hudman.. what a character.. I fired for Hud several times. We got along pretty well. He gave me old notes that he had kept for years about running times between all of the stations between Los Angeles and Mojave. I referred to them many times when on a Eugene empty train or 365 or 375. He really was a good hearted soul if you got to know him.

Hud couldn't reach the brake handles when running a switcher. He found some rubber extensions that he applied to the handles so he could look out the window. I have many stories that need to be shared. RIP Whamo..

Actually Whamo received the nickname because he was an expert with a sling shot.
Another Whammo story .. I was with him one trip to Bakersfield and he made a rough stop at the East switch at Humphreys.. The conductor on the caboose called and said " Hey Whamo what are you doing up there ?  You knocked over the stove and it is lying on the floor of the caboose !"  Whammo retort was "  well hang on and I will put it back upright !" 

Another time Whammo was firing for Myron Hechtor.  The two of them never got along very well.  The lead unit was a GP 9 with the high nose.  When Whammo went to use the toilet in the nose Hechtor locked the door so he could not get out.  The train just had exited the west portal of 26 (Coast Line) and the train hit a young girl on a horse.  The horse and girl we killed unfortunately and the carcass of the horse was on the front of the engine..  Whammo was screaming unlock the door..  An amusing but tragic story.. 
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/16 19:05 by SanJoaquinEngr.

Denny Rolls said Hud also raced ski boats .

Tom

Good 'ol Hubert!  While working second trick at Burbank Jct. one evening in the summer of 1970, "Whammo" was the engineer on an extra Chats running from Los Angeles Taylor Yard to Gemco with some hot auto parts.  Because I had an eastbound coming off the Valley, I lined the westbound extra Chats through the Allen Ave. crossovers.  Now these crossovers at the time were rated for 25 MPH.  I noticed the interlocking board indications come on and go off really fast at Allen Ave. as the extra Chats proceeded westbound.  Just after the track indication went off I heard on the radio, "Uh, Uh, Uh, Uh, hey Burbank, what are you uh trying to do uh, kill us???"  Whammo had either missed or mis-read the signal ahead of Allen Ave. and then took the Allen Ave. crossovers at 50 MPH claiming he had a high yellow!  This event resulted in me calling the signal maintainer to check out the signal indications associated with what the operator lined up at Burbank Jct.  Of course, everything checked out perfectly.  We were fortunate Hubert didn't put the extra Chats all over Allen Ave. and surrounding neighborhood.  Then there was the time when I was Asst. Terminal Superintendent at Gemco and I got up in the engine with Hubert and saw the two phone books he sat on and the handle "extensions" referred to above.  Mr. Hudman was indeed one of those unique "classic" SPRR locomotive engineers!

Pete Baumhefner