Railroaders' Nostalgia > Whats good for the goose......

On October 31, 1976 the Southern Pacific re-issued their 'Rules And Regulations Of The Transportation Department'. One of the major changes in this
edition was that the 'book' was now in a different format, of a loose leaf variety. The stated purpose of this was that as rules were changed, updated, revised or
deleted the company would periodically issue new pages with those changes printed on them to be inserted by the employee in their rule book.
No longer did we rely on making margin notes, scribbling over existing or outdated rules if in fact we took the time to make those notes at all. Altogether a nifty idea.
Now everybody is "on the same page" so to speak. True to the cause, the SP would periodically issue packets of revised pages and the latest ones I have are dated
June 1, 1978 which then dates this tale to sometime after that.

One afternoon, after June 1, 1978,  I was called to take some 'lite' engines from SP's Taylor yards in Los Angeles to the yard at West Colton, CA. Under the SP's
labor agreements at the time, such lite movements were made with a fireman, no conductor or brakemen involved. Any switch-throwing or other trainmen type duties were to
be assumed by the fireman. I can't remember exactly how we obtained our train orders that afternoon since under normal circumstances they would have been delivered by
the trainmen who went on duty at the main yard office which is where the train order operator held forth. In our case that day they may have been delivered to the engineers register room
by a messenger (clerk). In any event with orders in hand the fireman and I walked to our power at the turn-out tracks and prepared for the trip. This trip is entirely within interlocking or CTC limits
so there were no train orders dealing with authority, only the usual mundane slow orders, tracks out of service, watch out for's etc. As our lite movement proceeded  down along
the banks of the Los Angeles river toward the lower end of the 'C' yard which is where Dayton Avenue signal tower interlocking is located, I look again at our orders. This time I
notice a message stapled to the clearance and flimsys. It reads:

      "RULE OF THE WEEK:

          Read, understand, discuss among crew members and be prepared
          to discuss with operating officers Rule 19-A. 

          H.C. Ballance--Asst. Terminal Supt."

Now for you readers who know me from my days prior to retirement you will recollect that I always tried to obey any rule or instruction that I was aware of. This note on this day was
no exception. I stopped my engines at the normal stopping point on the track next to the river (sorry, I can't remember its number or name), got out my rule book and turned to rule 19-A,
Page 48. Hmm. Where is 19-A?, Can't seem to find 19-A. There's Rule 19, then Rule 20 but no Rule 19-A. The fireman gets his book out. Again, no 19-A. Hmmm. I turn the page back one.
Aha, what's this? At the bottom of the previous page, page 47 is printed: "Page Revised
                                                                                                                    June 1, 1978"

Oh my, could it be that Mr. Ballance has not kept his rule book up to date?. I called the yardmaster at the lower end, (Mike Cude's dad, sorry I can't recall his first name). How long before
we get to move?, I ask. "Don't know", came the reply. I got off the engines, rule book in hand, climbed the stairs to the dinger's office and asked if I may use his phone. Sure.
I dial the assistant terminal supe's number. It's now after hours. The phone is picked up by Roger Bretzius, assistant trainmaster. Now, I have known Roger from way back. we switched together
he as a helper, I as the fireman on the Bullring 'Tramp' job; one of the good guys. "Hey Roger, I've got a problem". "What's that?, "I've got a message from Mr Ballance to read and understand a rule that I can't
seem to find. "Oh, which one's that?". "Rule-19A". I can hear the sound of a desk drawer opening and slamming shut; the sound of pages being turned. "OK", he says, "here it is right here at the bottom
of page 48 and he begins to read; "Outside, of block system limits.....". I interrupt, "Roger, what page are you on?. "Page 48", he answers. Roger has the same out of date rule book!
 "Wow, Roger, I don't have any rule 19-A on page 48. Wait a minute Roger, go back to page 47, my page 47 has a note at the bottom that
says: "Page Revised June 1, 1978", does your book have that?  Silence.  Then: "Uh, I see what you mean. I'll take care of this...and thanks." 'No problem, Roger. Have a great day".

In fairness to Mr. Ballance, I would say that he was most likely carrying out orders issued from on high and that his day to day duties didn't involve such mundane
activities as keeping his or his staff's rule books up to date. But there is a responsibility that you assume when you go to work on the railroad be it as a lowly trainman or engineer
or as the president and that is, as General Rule B said, in part: "Employees must be conversant with and obey the rules and instructions". What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

(Disclaimer: Rule 19-A may not be the exact rule cited in the message. As I began constructing this posting my brain urged me to say the rule deleted was one of the 17's, either A,B,C or D but 
try as I may, I can not find a deletion of any of those rules. Rule 19-A was deleted by the page revision I have cited so I have used it instead.
Suffice it to say that my principle message remains, don't require others to do what you have not done yourself. Bad precedent).

Charlie



 

Still happens today Charlie.

Hi Charlie ;
The track next to the river was called 20 . Mike Cudes dad was always called BB as long as I ever worked with him.  Never knew his first name. What a nice guy as was Mike .
Tom

That sounds typical of Harry. Don't check your facts before you act.

WKB

Posted from Android

BB's first name was Big.  His younger brother,  who was also a switchman for a while, and of course Mike's uncle's, initials were LB.  Both had the same middle name.

​Here is today's whatisits:  From the hints above, what was their mddle name, and what was BB's younger brother's first name? 

 

ExSPCondr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BB's first name was Big.  His younger brother, 
> who was also a switchman for a while, and of
> course Mike's uncle's, initials were LB.  Both
> had the same middle name.
>
> ​Here is today's whatisits:  From the hints
> above, what was their mddle name, and what was
> BB's younger brother's first name? 
>
Well..., logic would lead me to guess 'Brother' but.....then again mother and father Cude couldn't have known their next child, if indeed LB immediately followed BB,
was going to be a boy. So....I'll guess 'Boy'. With all this logic I'll guess LB's first name was 'Little'.

This reminds me of a couple of brothers that went to the same elementary school that I did. Their last name was Pancake, which is common among certain native
American tribes. The older of the two was named General, the younger Sperry. I wonder if their parents had a scheme in mind to pocket some endorsement money
from their little progeny?

Charlie
>  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/16 19:54 by cewherry.

Charlie,
​You got the first half quick!  Their middle name was indeed boy.
​​So now, what was Mike's uncle's first name?

switchlamp Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi Charlie ;
> The track next to the river was called 20 . Mike
> Cudes dad was always called BB as long as I ever
> worked with him.  Never knew his first name. What
> a nice guy as was Mike .
> Tom

Mike and I worked together for many years at the Shops. A nicer guy you would never meet. Still can't believe he's gone. I still keep in touch with Maggie, his wife...yesterday was his birthday...

ExSPCondr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Charlie,
> ​You got the first half quick!  Their middle
> name was indeed boy.
> ​​So now, what was Mike's uncle's first name?

Must have been "Little"

Thanks Jeff for the info on Mike .
Tom

KiskidinTx wins the daily whatisit!

cewherry Wrote:
> This reminds me of a couple of brothers that went
> to the same elementary school that I did. Their
> last name was Pancake, which is common among
> certain native
> American tribes. The older of the two was named
> General, the younger Sperry. I wonder if their
> parents had a scheme in mind to pocket some
> endorsement money
> from their little progeny?
>
> Charlie
> >  

I remember General, Charlie. We went to high school together. I tell people about General and they laugh and say "Yeah, right, someone named their kid General Pancake? You're crazy" ,but yup, you verified it for me.