Railroaders' Nostalgia > "One Hoghead's Lament" on another board

There's a post on the "Nostalgia & History" board that would be right at home on this board. It's about the change in ambience at work as one reaches a high level of seniority. It's "One Hoghead's Lament"- http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3629048,page=1 It's got 41 responses so far, and I'd hate for anyone on this board to miss it, or miss a chance to respond.

mapboy

I read most of the posts on the other board, but with 41 responses I figured that subject was pretty much covered and didn't need my two cents. Since we're starting again, I'll say that I can relate, but only somewhat. People retired and new hires came on over the course of time, so the adjustment was gradual. The most abrupt change came in July 1992 when Caltrain went from Southern Pacific operation to Amtrak. Many of my co-workers at SP stayed there while many others and myself switched over to Amtrak. Day one included a lot of new people with little or no railroad experience, so there was definitely a break-in period. Over time, these and other new hires became veterans and I actually preferred working with them over some of the SP people I used to work with. When I retired in 2008, many of the people I most enjoyed working with, and had the best relationships with, were 20-30 years my junior.

Probably my biggest lament is the attitude change with Caltrain management over the years. In the "old days" with real railroaders like Charlie Miller and Bob Petersen in charge, if someone screwed up and there were no injuries or damage, you get called into his office, get your ass chewed out and that would be the end of it. (so I'm told). Things changed. About ten years ago, I had a minor derailment in San Jose yard when a rail turned over from recent rains. My crew and I spent three hours in the office while a local official poured over the event recorder trying to find something they could pin on us. They couldn't. Then about a month before I retired, an efficiency test was conducted on me with a red controlled signal. That part is fine. But after getting authority to pass the signal and moving at restricted speed, I spotted a burning fusee strategically placed behind an abutment so I might not see it in time to stop short. They were wrong. From what I hear from those still working, things are no better. When I retired, it wasn't because I got tired of running a train. I enjoyed that until my last trip. But with all the added bulls--t, it just wasn't fun anymore, and it was time to go. I've never had one regret.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/15 17:30 by CPCoyote.

CPCoyote Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I read most of the posts on the other board, but
> with 41 responses I figured that subject was
> pretty much covered and didn't need my two cents.


Well, I beg to differ with you on your "Two Cents". I love reading stories from rails about thing and happenings from years ago, so, why don't you go to Crackerjackhoghead's thread and tell some of those two cent tales. I'm sure we'd all get a kick out of them ,as we have the 41 ahead of you.. I just wish I had some to tell.


V

SLOCONDR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/15 18:35 by SLOCONDR.

SLOCONDR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> CPCoyote Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I read most of the posts on the other board,
> but
> > with 41 responses I figured that subject was
> > pretty much covered and didn't need my two
> cents.
>
>
> Well, I beg to differ with you on your "Two
> Cents". I love reading stories from rails about
> thing and happenings from years ago, so, why don't
> you go to Crackerjackhoghead's thread and tell
> some of those two cent tales. I'm sure we'd all
> get a kick out of them ,as we have the 41 ahead of
> you.. I just wish I had some to tell.
>
>
> V
>
> SLOCONDR

That's the best crack yet.

mapboy Wrote:
> It's
> about the change in ambience at work as one
> reaches a high level of seniority. It's "One
> Hoghead's Lament"-

I pretty-well vented my spleen on the last thread, the gist of which is "adjust, or be miserable", but I was thinking solely in the context of relating to one's fellow employees. Above, Mike (CPCoyote) points-out that it is sometimes darn-near impossible to adjust to new and demonstrably less competent, less human management. I had a run-in with the same management "team" under similar circumstances at the same time (one of whom was a good, good friend before he put on a suit).

It's hard to put all of this in perspective. Perhaps Mike and I had it "too good" for awhile on Caltrain, and in the last years before our retirements things reverted back to what is "normal" for railroading. Mike, remember when George Myers (SP San Jose Term. Supt.) got mad at (Engineer) Jack Wyrick for some reason and subsequently brought him up on charges for getting-off a switch engine using his "lead" foot even though the engine was parked, with handbrake applied? Retribution was a standard management practice in the good ol' days, too.

Maybe the real "short-timer's lament" is that the "ambiance" never changes for the better for very long. At some point towards the end, one can no longer deal with the stench of a fundamentally rotten system of doing business that dumps upon you and other good people, employees and management alike. Despite the high-minded talk of those on-high, railroading's "ambiance" remains as it always has been. I wish that I could characterize things otherwise.

-E.O.

LV - no stories? Lol. I guess we will have to pull them out of you! I'm sure you could write a book!
Those were some of the best of times at Guadalupe, Surf and Lompoc.

And my friend EO it is indeed about attitude. I thought the guy in SLO was a tough SOB - (a pun some will
recognize) until we both ended up in Dunsmuir. Wow!

Being the senior guy these days isn't too big a deal. There are plenty of guys in and nearing their 60's
who have but a few years seniority. There are good and bad people across the age spectrum. It doesn't do any
good hanging on to the old ways of doing things. It's either adapt or be miserable. I once had a Meteorology Prof who
quit his WW2 job as an engineer for SP in Sacramento because he thought diesel enginees made him feel
like a street car operator. I think of all the people who ran up and down the same track for the last 150 years.
The job is ever changing but still the same. I still like the challenge of a heavy train on grade territory or doing 70 on
the flat land no matter who the RFE is or what his title is these days.

I'm sure many of my contemporaries remember some of those really grumpy, mean old timers from that WW2
generation. We also remember the really friendly old heads who went out of their way to teach us about railroading
and were able to help us over some of the rough times the lifestyle presents. So how we approach the job is
our choice.

The real tragedy will be one man crews. Just you and various devices watching your every move at 2am. And
waiting with your head held down for the Master Conductor to show up a couple hours later while you have every
crossing in town blocked. No thanks.

sphogger

Yes George, I absolutely remember those cantankerous old bastards that were there when I hired out. To be fair, most of the old guys were very nice and accommodating, but there were sure some gems that were anything but. The worst were often the ones you lined up with on red tag jobs. Until about 1972, Southern Pacific had a certain number of yard and freight jobs that required a fireman. I think these were for displaced engineers to bump on when they couldn't hold a job running, but new, unpromoted guys could work them too. They were called red tag jobs and their rate of pay was $4.00 less per 100 miles than the same job with no fireman. A regular engineer on one of these jobs knew what he was getting into and was usually a pretty good guy. But if you wound up with an extra board guy, it was often a different story. He was already pissed because he was taking a pay cut, then when he saw a new hire who couldn't run for him, it could make for a long day. Pool freight was the same. Maybe even worse because only a small percentage of the pool freight positions were red tag jobs, so when an engineer caught one, he was not pleased. Plus, it was a longer trip. Again, not all the old guys were like this. Most were very nice and tried to be helpful. Nevertheless, it's the cranky ones that stand out.

Oh yes, I remember the term, "Belly Robber". The unwelcome fireman who cost the hoghead a few bucks. Don't miss that. At least the powers that be
saw the wisdom in a little extra pay instructing students. Sphogger

sphogger wrote:
> I thought the guy in SLO was a tough SOB - (a pun some will
recognize) until we both ended up in Dunsmuir.

Yeah, but the interesting thing is that JJP, like a lot of us, mellowed out after he retired. Like I told you before George, I had a very pleasant extended breakfast with him a few years before he died - me the "loud-mouth, C**&S+&*!^G fireman", as he once called me. I also remember when I was a kid, a particularly crotchety old engineer who never had, and hated, kids. But after he retired (with more than 50 years' service), suddenly, it seemed, I was in his garage reading his RR mags and listening to his stories. How many guys do we know that, after a couple of retirement years, become upbeat in their outlook and appear ten years younger? The "life" takes its toll, where you let it, resist it, or are oblivious to the whole thing.

Anyway, I just ran across this 1980 SLO Tribune article by a reporter who rode the caboose of the Peddler one day. I'm sure that Sellar has a stack of the articles tucked away in his closet.

http://sloblogs.thetribunenews.com/slovault/2012/05/the-last-sunset-for-the-southern-pacific/

-E.O.

hogheaded Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> sphogger wrote:
> > I thought the guy in SLO was a tough SOB - (a
> pun some will
> recognize) until we both ended up in Dunsmuir.
>
> Yeah, but the interesting thing is that JJP, like
> a lot of us, mellowed out after he retired. Like I
> told you before George, I had a very pleasant
> extended breakfast with him a few years before he
> died - me the "loud-mouth, C**&S+&*!^G fireman",
> as he once called me. I also remember when I was a
> kid, a particularly crotchety old engineer who
> never had, and hated, kids. But after he retired
> (with more than 50 years' service), suddenly, it
> seemed, I was in his garage reading his RR mags
> and listening to his stories. How many guys do we
> know that, after a couple of retirement years,
> become upbeat in their outlook and appear ten
> years younger? The "life" takes its toll, where
> you let it, resist it, or are oblivious to the
> whole thing.
>
> Anyway, I just ran across this 1980 SLO Tribune
> article by a reporter who rode the caboose of the
> Peddler one day. I'm sure that Sellar has a stack
> of the articles tucked away in his closet.
>
> http://sloblogs.thetribunenews.com/slovault/2012/0
> 5/the-last-sunset-for-the-southern-pacific/
>
> -E.O.


I remember when that article came out in our local paper. Poor Feasby caught hell by his co-workers for it, but in time everyone forgot about it. As far as Giles (SOB) he passed away last year. He had mellowed out considerably and would come to the retiree's breakfast once a month and was welcomed by all.


V

SLOCONDR

SLOCONDR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I remember when that article came out in our local
> paper. Poor Feasby caught hell by his co-workers
> for it, but in time everyone forgot about it. As
> far as Giles (SOB) he passed away last year. He
> had mellowed out considerably and would come to
> the retiree's breakfast once a month and was
> welcomed by all.

Heh heh, yeah I know how it must have gone with Feasby (sphogger reports he's still working, BTW). A photo of me slouched all over the engineer's seat appeared in a book, once, and I ate crow for a long time afterwards. I only met Giles once during my short SLO career, when I was summoned into his office for "the talk" when I transferred in. I actually liked him for his straightforward, no-nonsense demeanor, and his VERY clear description of what would get me into trouble. Of course, I never got on his wrong side, either. In all, retirement ought to be about mending fences. None of us were saints.

-E.O.

hogheaded Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SLOCONDR Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I remember when that article came out in our
> local
> > paper. Poor Feasby caught hell by his
> co-workers
> > for it, but in time everyone forgot about it.
> As
> > far as Giles (SOB) he passed away last year. He
> > had mellowed out considerably and would come to
> > the retiree's breakfast once a month and was
> > welcomed by all.
>
> Heh heh, yeah I know how it must have gone with
> Feasby (sphogger reports he's still working, BTW).
> A photo of me slouched all over the engineer's
> seat appeared in a book, once, and I ate crow for
> a long time afterwards. I only met Giles once
> during my short SLO career, when I was summoned
> into his office for "the talk" when I transferred
> in. I actually liked him for his straightforward,
> no-nonsense demeanor, and his VERY clear
> description of what would get me into trouble. Of
> course, I never got on his wrong side, either. In
> all, retirement ought to be about mending fences.
> None of us were saints.
>
> -E.O.


The only time I had problems with Giles was when I wanted to layoff, or had to discuss union business with him, at which time we were at odds with each other on both of these subjects. I can't believe Feasby is still working. Wasn't he related to a RFE, or some such?


V

SLOCONDR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/15 17:27 by SLOCONDR.