Nostalgia & History > Remember Herby?

Anyone remember this guy, Herby?

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Yes, I remeber his drawing as well as few other folks that made their mark on rolling stock. Too bad I never took any pictures, railroad history of sorts.  Doug

Yup.  We were just cleaning out an SP caboose in Portola and we found his mark inside the bay window.

Z

Yes also one named Bozo Texino.

Adam

He was a switchman for TRRA in St. Louis. He was featured in an N&W employee magazine (May 1981) in which he stated it took him about  30 seconds to make his drawing.......



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/16 12:08 by CSX_ENG.

Here's the article with permission of Norfolk Southern's Public Relations Dept to copy.....

 

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Hosenose.

In the Allenton, PA area there was "Rocket-A SS".....

IIRC he used black chalk on cars where white would not show up well.

I was working for the MOP in Kansas City during the Herby era.  I had figured out that he had to be in the St. Louis terminal as I would would sometimes spot a drawing with the current date on an inbound St. Louis train.   I knew nothing could get get through St. Louis and all the way to K.C. on the same day

Ah the days when that was the extent of the graffitti!! We had a carmen in Pensacola, Fl on the Old L&N who tagged cars with a brakeman's lantern and "L&N Bill" where the globe would be.

Steve Panzik
Chiloquin, OR

"Herby" was truly classic!  His moniker and drawing were my personal favorite.  The palm tree and sombrero made it.  I remember the first time I saw Herby on a boxcar back in the late 60's, I was immediately attracted to the drawing.  Thanks for sharing a classic piece of railroad lore. 

Kent in CArmel Valley

I remember Herby.  He worked as a switchman for the TRRA when I was General Superintendent, 1970's.  Some folks said that the only reason we lost money was the chalk that Herby used.  Herby drove a VW bug.  He got a freight car that was spotted at Wiggins #2 for the National Feed and Grain Association, and caused several hours of overtime to clean it up for a picture.  Great guy!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/16 17:36 by CCDeWeese.

Since I donated one of the SP bay winows to Portola, I am curious as to which one you are referring to. When I donated my car, there were no indications of a Herby sighting in or out or any need to "clean out" anything.


John Ford

Posted from iPhone

Bozo Texino was purportedly applied by a car knocker working the International Bridge interchange at Laredo. I'm not sure that's true but that's what I read in Railroad Magazine back in the sixities.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bozo_Texino.jpg
His origin is obviously still a source of conjecture. I used to reproduce him with a delivery date/time on the inside of trailers unloading at my warehouse for about six years as a way to let employees know that I'd cleared the receipt pw and the driver could leave. 

Herby is so popular that I've been able to apply him to the side of my 1:48 Atlas 50' C&EI Evans boxcar via a commercially made decal.

If it really was just a regular chalk drawing, wouldn't it wash off the first time it got rained on?

Outside car markings were often done with a white "grease" pencil or crayon for that very reason; not really permanent, but lasted through a couple showers for sure at least until it baked dry and flaked off.

Atlpete Wrote:
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> Bozo Texino was purportedly applied by a car
> knocker working the International Bridge
> interchange at Laredo. I'm not sure that's true
> but that's what I read in Railroad Magazine back
> in the sixities.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bozo_Texino.jpg
>
> His origin is obviously still a source of
> conjecture. I used to reproduce him with a
> delivery date/time on the inside of trailers
> unloading at my warehouse for about six years as a
> way to let employees know that I'd cleared the
> receipt pw and the driver could leave. 
>
> Herby is so popular that I've been able to apply
> him to the side of my 1:48 Atlas 50' C&EI Evans
> boxcar via a commercially made decal.

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