Nostalgia & History > Railroad Construction and Repair

Picture 1, Burmont railroad bridge, under construction or repair.  Created Date: 1895-1900.  Description: This is the bridge over Darby Creek, on the Media train line. What is now called Gladstone station was then called Burmont station, which appears in the background.  Creator: Appleton, Stephen Horne, 1854-1909.  Partner: PA Digital.  Contributing Institution: Media Historic Archives Commission. 
 

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Picture 2, Picture 1 enlarged. 
 

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Picture 3, Railroad Hand Car Workers Who Repair The Tracks.  Description: These men were employees who were in charge of handling the hand cars (it was operated by hand, not motorized). Their job was to go up and down the tracks to locate any damage which needed repairs, each man is holding a shovel for quick repairs.  Source: Glen Carbon Heritage Museum.  In Collection Glen Carbon Heritage Museum Photograph Collection. 
 

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Picture 4, Railroad track repair crew, St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company.  Created Date: unidentified.  Description: On June 4, 1888, the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. incorporates. The incorporators are lumber and real estate magnates who arrive that day by train from Minnesota and Wisconsin. The next day Tacoma headlines shout the event: "The monster milling company of Tacoma organized." The firm, known locally as the St. Paul, spurs what the historian Murray Morgan calls the greatest boom in Tacoma's history. Before the firm was incorporated these entrepreneurs had purchased 80,000 acres of Pierce County timberland, mostly Douglas fir, from the Northern Pacific Railroad's land grant. They had received from the Railroad a small island on the Tacoma waterfront called "the boot," and had purchased other land as well. By 1889, they had built the mill, laid tracks into the forest, established camps and skid roads, and were transporting 50 carloads of logs a day into Tacoma for processing. The St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company was in business until 1947, when it was bought out by the St. Regis Paper...  Creator: Kinsey, Clark. 
 

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Picture 5, Group portrait of Central Pacific Railroad Sacramento Shops employees: Car Repair Contributing Institution: California State Railroad Museum Library. 
 

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Picture 6, Title: Railroad Miscellany-Railroad car P.1.  Classification: 385.  Publisher Digitized by J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah.   
 

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Diary
 
459
 
Monday, February 7th, 1921
 
12:01 am.  The habit - "fire gazing" until 12:30 am.  8 am.  Weather clear and calm - 6 below.  Subject at breakfast:  Tom fibs "How he beat us in High Five".  Shorty as mailman.  No excitement until noon.  The "funnies".  Lunch.  Subject: "The great disaster in Denver" and "Mrs Peel's Trial".  Shaved and already for RU.  Arrive 2:10.  Biz - Practice.  Some trouble sending a telegram.  D.A. and Homan.  Brown as a "joker".  O.S. 4:45.  Arrive 5:30.  Dan as chore boy.  Dinner.  Subject: "Tom Gill" and "Baseball Game".  Chatting.  Miss Kate and a wisdom tooth. 
Recollections.
 
460
 
Tuesday, February 8th, 1921
 
12:01 am.  Dan and I conversing in bed.  "Just a few good jokes"  Ha Ha.  12:30 am.  Snore - Snore - Snore.  8 am.  Bugle call.  Weather 10 below and clear.  The mailman (Shorty) gone - 8:10 - RU.  O.S. for RU 10:30.  No. 1 and No. 3 a wee bit late.  Arrive 11:30.  Both bosses on the job.  No. 15 arrives.  Some practice.  No. 94 interrupts the procession.  12:22 pm.  Homan speaks a word or two about Bible.  Just what "final" meant.  Ha.  "Dainties" for lunch.  Practice until 4:30.  Red board clear for Gus.  O.S. 4:40.  Arrive 5:20 pm.  The Days for mail.  Chores.  Writing.  Miss J.C..  ll:30 pm. 
 
461
 
Wednesday, February 9th, 1921
 
8 am.  Dan and I raise "Cain".  Weather cloudy and calm.  20 degrees.  All well, etc.  Miss "Kate" decides on going to Eagle to dentist.  Mailman arrives 11 pm.  "Edison's tale in the Post".  Dan as housemaid.  Dinner on time.  Mr. Jack as "flunky".  To Warren's for milk.  Miss "Kate" returns on local.  The news.  A s+ of *  billed. J.F. Ortega.  O.S. RU 2:25 pm.  Arrive 3:10 pm.  All on deck.  Practice until 4 pm.  Motor car just by - plus Kate's packages.  O.S. 4:40.  Arrive 5:30.  Just in time for dinner.  Subject: "Canyon Road" and "Convicts".  High five until 10 pm.  Chats.  12:00?
 
462
 
Thursday, February 10th, 1921
 
12:01 am.  Just sealing a letter to "Happy".  Ha.  A notion to call "71" but failed in nerve.  GN.  12:30 am.  Snooze.  7 am.  Heard Miss Kate preparing breakfast.  A surprise.  Breakfast.  Subject "Emergency Hospital".  A chat with Miss Ruth F.  on phone.  Weather - cloudy - calm - 25 above.  Repairs on stove plus a real shine.  11 am.  "Annual" bath.  Lunch.  Subject: "City News" and "Homan".  A trip for milk to Warren's.  O.S. 1:30.  Arrive RU 2:10 pm.  Practice.  Motor car interrupts.  Some music (2 fiddles).  O.S. RU 4:40.  Arrive 5:20.  Chores and chatting.  10 pm.  GN.
 
463
 
Friday, February 11th, 1921
 
12:01 am.  Quite interested in writing jokes.  No. 4 by on time.  Also Extra West.  12:40 am.  Retired.  Snooze.  7:30 am.  Weather clear and calm.  Zero.  A wee too early for me.  Breakfast 9:30 am.  Mail with expectations gone up in smoke.  Lunch.  Subject: "Eagle And Railroad In The 70's".  To RU 2 pm.  Arrive 2:40 pm.  Practice.  Gus has trouble with motor car.  Homan and I have some fun.  Ha.  O.S. RU 4:50.  Arrive KI 5:30 pm.  Then the act of writing.  What I heard?  Chores.  (A keen day like spring.)  Jim arrived on No. 16.  Chatting.  11 pm. 
 
464
 
Saturday, February 12th, 1921
 
8 am.  Inspection at 9 bells so show speed.  Breakfast.  Subject: "Neighbors".  Jim as dish washer.  Dan as janitor.  Miss Kate the boss and Jack "swabs the deck".  Mrs. Merril and boys arrive 9:30 am.  Entertainment until noon.  Shorty arrives - Mail - 1 letter.  Lunch.  Jack as "butler".  Subject: "Just What Kate Said" and "Pies".  All ends well.  O.S. KI 2 pm.  Arrive RU 2:40.  Practice.  Gus and his mechanic "Jim" have good luck.  The whole "Warren" family comes to town.  O.S. RU 5:05 pm.  Tardy for dinner.  To Warren's for milk.  A keen moon lit night.  "Stamps".  11:30 pm. 
 
465
 
Sunday, February 13th, 1921
 
12:01 am.  Just wondering what was taking place 8 miles away.  Ha.  12:30 Snooze.  A dream.
Place - Eagle in drugstore.  Miss Ruth had received a letter.  I asked of her to tell how she liked such a story.  No answer and she looked quite "cheery".  Wake - 4 am.  GM.  Z Z Z.  8 am.  A beautiful day.  "John" in kitchen telling tales.  Ha.  Postal cards, the subject until lunch.  Mr. Brown, Harry and Gus motor down - returned- 12 noon.  Housekeeper afternoon.  A letter or two.  A trip to RU 5:15 pm.  Pleasant.  No. 16 does not bring anything new.  Home 7  pm.  Cards - 10:30 pm.  11:30. 
 
466
 
Monday, February 14th, 1921
 
Valentine's Day
 
No bad dreams.  8 am.  Weather: clear, calm and 20 above.  Mail arrived (Gus) but "no" "no".  Bill's invitation.  "Shorty" and his dress shoes. (Wolpers).  Ha.  Funnies with delight.  O.S. KI 11:10 am.  Arrive RU 11:50 am.  Biz rushing.  "Nel" on 94.  Mr. Day and his unfinished business.  A lunch.  No. 94 arrives -"comp"board and 550 brick.  Just fun.  Practice 3 pm.  An Irish trick on (wool sieves).  "Homan and his poetry."  Miss Kate appears and disappears.  O.S. RU 5:05 pm.   Arrive KI 5:45 pm.  Dinner.  Subject: "Frances" and "RR".  High Five - 9:30 pm.  Chatting 10:30 pm. 
 
467
 
Tuesday, February 15th, 1921
 
7:30 am.  Weather 30 above and snowing.  "Blank".  Thoughts of Minturn vanquished.  9 am.  Changes for the worse.  "Mailman" 10:30 am.  A card from E.T. and the Denver Post.  Tom Gill chats on the wire then arrives on 94 - 11:30.  Lunch.  Subject: "Sadie" and "California".  Hum.  Housemaid until 1:30 pm.  To Warrens for milk.  O.S. KI 2 pm.  Arrive RU 2:30 pm.  Practice.  The result of our (joke).  Ha.  "Jim" goes to Glenwood on 93.  First aid on a problem for Miss Esther.  O.S. RU 5 pm.  One awful drift storm.  Arrive KI 5:40.  (fish oil, M.L.D.) a queer evening (phone) ("Dad").  Cards and Chatting. 11 pm.  Subject at Dinner: "Frances Jones's red headed boy."  "Ha".
 
468
 
Wednesday, February 16th, 1921
 
7:30 am.  Sun shining.  Clear.  A few degrees below.  9 am.  A bachelor's breakfast.  Loafing.  11 am.  Mail.  A letter from O.B. - Glenwood, from Miss Betty and the News.  Lunch 11:30 interrupted by 94 - stop for Crkd Corn MSD.  A ride to RU - 5 sacks sugar to unload - O.S. 11:40 am. Ha.  Practice.  Noon.  Chatting with Miss Esther and Miss Edith.  Homan and his humor.  Tom and Owen appear for checks.  O.S. RU 4:15.  Arrive KI 5:05.  Days getting longer.  Investigating the curious collection under the porch - (Carbide) for H..  Dinner.  Subject: "Ireland" and "Carrots".  Accounts and writing until 10 pm.  Chatting.  GN.  12?
 

Picture 7, Bringing Up Father, From my Dad’s Collection. 
 

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