Railroaders' Nostalgia > How did you get hired on?

My birthday is tomorrow and as such I was nineteen when I
graduated from High School.
Where I lived, at that time was in the country,but not any longer.
The places mentioned in my story were about one to two miles from
my house.I lived along the Atlantic Coast Line Perry cut-off.This
included a church,a goat farm,lots of orange groves, a small local
general store that locals used to do business as well as a place to
hang out.

My first job was at a garage-gas station just down the road,named
"Boat House".The name came from a tug boat wheel house that was
used as the main building.I helped the mechanic and did clean up
jobs.Of course that did not last long and I found myself unemployed.

Not much to do that summer so from time to time I would go to the store
and just "laze".One November day a guy I knew worked for the Seaboard
Air Line stopped for bread.He asked."Boy you need a job" I said,"Yes sir".
He told me to meet him the next morning and he would take me to get
an application etc.Now,mind you the shop and my house was at least 12
miles apart.Even though I had just graduated in June,the GF wanted to see
my diploma.Would you believe that? I asked him to call the school,he
would not.So my friend took time off from work and made the round trip
so that I could prove in writing I went to school.I had no car and had to
ride with my friend to and from work.Everyday he would stop to buy lunch
for the next day.An apple,banana,bread,ham,cheese.
In 1955 I had enough money to buy a car and I did not have to rely on my
friend for a ride.My friend was called "Gorilla" and remind me to write
about him.As long as he lived I let everyone know what a true friend he was!

Uncle Joe
Seffner,Fl.

I had a fraternity brother who worked summers for the Santa Fe as a switchman in Wellington, Ks. I told him I was interested in the railroad industry and he took me down to Wellington when he reapplied for his summer job, introduced me to the Chief Clerk to the Trainmaster, vouched for me, filled out an application, and we had a short interview. I was called back for a physical, passed and hired. Was never interviewed by the Trainmaster. I met the Trainmaster mid summer at Harper, Ks while we were on a mainline local switching the grain elevator there. He was helping us pass signals while we handles a long cut of hoppers. Worked as a brakeman in the Summer of 1973, finished school, hired back on in 1977 and spent 18 years with the Santa Fe.

Jim Wilson

I got to know a few engineers on the SP commute trains between San Francisco and San Jose back in the mid 60s. They let me know when the SP began hiring firemen in 1966 and encouraged me to contact the local Road Foreman of Engines in San Francisco to try to get hired on. Back then, the RFE did the hiring. I saw him and applied for a fireman's job. I did the interview, wrote the Book of Rules, and passed the physical, even though the 1966 class was already filled. The following summer I took my student trips, then, with the Vietnam war going on and the draft board breathing down my neck, I waited. No call, except from the draft board. I headed back to the RFE and pleaded my case to be hired, then waited some more. Four days before I was ordered to report to the induction center, I had pretty much given up on being hired, so a friend and I decided to go do some "foaming" while I still could. By chance I called my parents and they said SP was trying to get a hold of me. I contacted the crew caller and took the call, which was to deadhead to San Jose on #76, the Lark, then work a freight to Watsonville. I established my fireman's date and was the last man hired that year, so I guess my pleading paid off. I came back to work in 1970 with three years seniority and basically no experience. If there was any resentment from guys hired from 1968-70, it wasn't obvious. I was always grateful to RFE Gene Bacher for letting me make my date before I went in the army.

Interesting question, how did I get hired on. Unlike most guys and gals who worked for the railroad, mine had nothing to do with operation. Mine was property taxes, certainly not a field that anyone specifically seeks out! But I didn’t start with the railroad either, I started with the State of California, Board of Equalization, and one big reason why I got hired was that I liked trains. The manager who interviewed me became more interested in me when I told him I liked trains, since the Board of Equalization assessed the railroads and private car companies in California. So he reached into his desk took out a slide and tossed it to me. “Know where this is?” One look, “Sure. That the Yreka Western 19 in the engine house in Yreka.” “How’d you know that?” “I took the same photograph a couple of years ago.” Well, with that, he said, “we have to get this guy”, and on February 1, 1975, I stated with the State. Since no one else liked railroads, especially short lines, that was my domain. Pretty great job.

Later that first year, I was given a major appraisal to do on one of California’s major railroads, Union Pacific. Eventually, I was moved over to administer the Private Rail Car Tax, but still did railroad appraisals. I used the fact that I worked for the State to gain access to the UP engine facilities in Salt Lake City on my 1976 vacation road trip. I need to post those here on TO.

I had always wanted to work for a railroad, and in 1978, I was hired by Union Pacific in Salt Lake – but I didn’t get hired by the railroad, I was hired by the Corporation that administered the property taxes for all of the Union Pacific subsidiaries, the railroad, of course, but also Rocky Mountain Energy, Champlin Petroleum and UP Land Resources. I was in Salt Lake City at the old Oregon Short Line offices at 10 South Main Street for 13 months before in August 1979, we were transferred to suburban Denver, consolidating the offices from Omaha, Salt Lake and Enid to one location. My states of responsibility were California, Idaho, Montana and Kansas.

Alas, 9 years and 5 months after I started, I was called into my manager’s office to be told that “my job no longer existed”. In those late 1980s days, retrenchment was the rage, and I was plucked out of the middle of the pack and let go as part of a "reduction in force". Pretty horrific, as I had two small children, a new house, and kicked out into Denver that was in the middle of a big, big recession. (It took 20 months to sell my house at a $25,000 loss.) Fortunately, my severance was handled as work time, and ended up my employment at Union Pacific with 10 years and 0 months. I just qualified for a UP pension.

The Board of Equalization came to my rescue. Within 45 days, I was reinstated to my old position. I thought there was a good chance to go to work for Santa Fe in Topeka, but that never came to pass. I worked at the Board of Equalization for three years, again working on railroad appraisals and the private car tax, when I managed to get a position with the brand new Caltrans Division of Rail, that was administering the San Joaquins and San Diegans, and one year later inaugurated the Capitol Corridor. And almost 27 years later, I retired from the Caltrans Division of Rail and Mass Transportation on November 30, 2017, 34 years with the State of California.

All in all, it certainly wasn’t an exciting railroad career, but I’m fortunate to have worked in and around railroads all of my work time. I had access to the railroad and tax files and property maps that were really helpful in understanding history and where things were. And probably the highlight of my short UP career was to go out to Idaho with members of the Idaho Tax Commission in 1986 and 1987 to show them around the UP property. A paid railfan vacation – with expenses. I’ve posted some photos of the 1987 trip in these threads:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3937124,3937124#3937124
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3937834,3937834#3937834
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3938230,3938230#3938230

Now that I have “all the time in the world”, I’ll get around to posting more.

I may not have been out there running trains, and certainly not wearing the white hard hats in operating management, but I was home most every night and never got dirty. I applaud all those who did go that route. But actually, I was working around trains before all of this. While going to graduate school at Sacramento State, I worked in the Scale Trains department of Lyman Cox’s Toy Shop in Sacramento! Now that was a great job!

Lee Hower - Sacramento



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/18 18:02 by mcfflyer.

In my senior year of high school, 1958, I had decided that I wanted to work for a railroad as a tower operator. I had hung around the local tower, called Owen on the New York Central and Robinson on the Illinois Central, listened on the dispatcher’s phones on both lines, copied train orders as they were put out to other offices, and generally understood how it worked.

I had visited a few other towers and open offices, like Palestine and Newton on the IC, Union on the PRR in Terre Haute, Wabash Avenue on the C&EI in Terre Haute, so I thought I was ready.

When the senior class at Robinson High School organized a day trip to Champaign to visit the University of Illinois, I decided to go, but to drive myself alone. No big deal. I went to the ICRR Chief Dispatcher's office in the Illinois Central Champaign Depot, presented myself to the Illinois Division Chief Train Dispatcher, Barney Wiepert, WBW on train orders, and told him my story. He asked if I could copy a train order and knew what it meant. I said I could and did. He sat me down at one of the dispatcher's unused desks, showed me where the train order pads and clearance forms were and told me the phone would ring and he would give me a train order. The phone rang, I answered, copied the train order and he said to clear the train. I filled out the clearance card, recited it back and he have me an OK time. He then asked me what I knew about agency work. I told him that I knew very little. He told me to spend time with the agent at Oblong, a gentleman by the name of Scott Hasleton, and that he would tell him I was coming. Several mornings when we seniors did not have class or tests, I went to Oblong and Scott explained basic agency work to me.

I guess I went back to Champaign for some rules test and examination on station agency work, but that is a blank. I was told to post (break in) at Palestine for three nights on third trick and then I would work third trick the fourth night. I broke in and worked there a week or so, and then got bumped. I reported for work at 11 PM, and there was another operator there and a message that I was bumped and to call the night chief.

He said that I was to work first track at Mattoon Yard the next day. I went home, slept a couple of hours, drove to Mattoon, found the yard office and presented myself. The third trick operator gave me a 15-minute lesson in what the job was and left. There was no interlocking, very few train orders were delivered to the main line trains, but the locals from Mattoon to Clinton and Evansville originated there and needed to get their orders and messages for work enroute there. I also recall a teletype machine that transmitted messages from the agency in Mattoon, housed in a separate building, with material delivered by messenger. Not being able to telegraph was a big disadvantage at Mattoon Yard, because the only IC phones for the branches to Evansville and Clinton were the dispatchers lines, so the agents had to use that line to get messages to me. All in all, a very hectic day with no sleep. At the end of the day, the Chief in Champaign told me that I was to go to Champaign Tower, and the branch line dispatchers said that if I wanted to come back tomorrow, it was OK with them. Good day!

After that, I posted at Champaign Tower, a big interlocking, 104 levers, with four main tracks on the IC, P&E crossing on one side and IT crossing on the other side; no telegraphy required. I think the second trick operator, Bob Peer, was going in the Army. Dick Stair was the first trick operator, a non-telegrapher and likeable guy. I posted with Bob Peer. Excellent job, no problems. During that and the following summer, 1959, I worked at Champaign Tower, Kankakee Jct, and Farmer City interlocking towers, Wisconsin Street Yard train order and teletype job in Indianapolis, and Morgantown, IN, Melvin, Parnell, and Roberts, IL agencies. Posted at Gilman, an interlocking and CTC machine, but never worked the job.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/18 19:05 by CCDeWeese.

I worked in the wholesale grocery business for almost 23 years, first for Pacific Fruit & Produce (Pacific Gamble Robinson Co) at several Oregon branches. In fact, my interview for that job touched on the fact that I knew the company because I had taken train pictures from near their warehouse in Salem, Oregon. As an office manager for them, I even got to pay Southern Pacific freight bills for the loads of orange juice we got from Tropicanna. The Coos Bay branch, where I was at the time, was the final stop on a four or five stop load so we got all the broken crap to clean up and claim.

After PF&P was folded into Food Services of America, I went on to another local grocery wholesaler, McDonald Wholesale in Eugene, Oregon. Working there as a warehouseman started something of a mid-life crisis, also fueled by rumors of SP spinning off its Willamette Valley branch lines. I didn't get in on the initial start up of the Willamette & Pacific, in fact, I was in grad school trying to become an elementary teacher. That time in school at Oregon State U, though, lead me to chasing the WPRR's Corvallis Local and one day the engineer walked up to me and asked me for a copies of my pictures. That was the day that really changed things and I can thank my friend Scott Pirie (said engineer) for letting me 'in' to where I could see what a working railroad crew did.

I turned in my application to the WPRR in early '95 but was not hired until May of '96. In that time, I persisted in staying in touch with the GM Bob Melbo and his Assistant/Trainmaster B L Enfield. I also hung out with Scott and conductor Gary Dallman (RIP) and actually got some tips from both of them and their support in my getting hired. The best compliment I got from Gary was the during the time I trained with him after I was hired: He said the he would ask for me to work his job when he went on vacation the next year. And I did, working that job for four weeks with Scott the next summer.

Now, almost 22 years later, I am on the verge of retiring from the best job I've ever worked. I will miss the many good folks that I've worked with and really miss sitting in the right seat running that old hunk, the 1501. It's been fun!



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/18 20:30 by roustabout.

It should be noted that Mr. Roustabout and I are both graduates of Oregon State University in 1973. Go Beavs! And see you at Winterail, Lou!

Lee Hower - Sacramento

Posted from iPhone

Once upon a time a family connection was an extremely valuable asset in seeking employment, as we shall see.

My dad, William Wherry, was a Pacific Electric Railway employee in Los Angeles, California; however he passed away 11 years before I turned 18 and could hire out the railroad. Fortunately, 3 doors down the street from our home lived a SP San Joaquin Division locomotive engineer, Ernie Fromm and his wife Ruby. They had no children and after my dad's death Ernie and Ruby took an active interest in my brother Bill and me; sort of unofficially 'adopting' us. As I grew older I began to regard Ernie as a father figure in my life and I'm sure the feeling was mutual; he looking at me as the son he never had.

As I grew older I discovered a cache of "Railroad" magazines in our garage that my dad had collected. I would read stories about railroading by such authors as
Harry Bedwell, 'Haywire Mac' McClintock, Gilbert Lathrop, John Johns and a whole cast of others. Soon I was hooked. I wanted to experience life on 'The Roaring Road'.

One day while I was about 14, I told Ernie I thought I would like to go to work on the railroad as a brakeman. The look of pain in his eyes was evident. "Why, what's
wrong with being an engineer?", he asked. Oh, nothing wrong with that, I just didn't know if I had what it would take. At the time Ernie was working in pool freight service between Taylor Yard, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. One day after one of Ernie's trips he was driving down the street toward his house when he spotted me.
He stopped the car and handed me a set of train orders from his latest trip. I read them but had no idea what I was looking at. Soon he was having me sit at his kitchen table after almost every trip and with a rule book and an employees timetable we would go over each flimsy and he would patiently explain the meaning of them. I began look for his car after each trip, wait a respectable 10 minutes, (I could hardly give him a few minutes alone with his beloved Ruby) and then peck at his kitchen door. It wasn't until several years after these 'school' lessons, when I had gone to work on the SP before I came to realize how selfish it was of me to intrude on their precious time together. Not once did Ernie or Ruby ever stint of their time they allowed me.

One month before I was 18, in September 1962, Ernie took me to the Master Mechanic's office at SP's Taylor Yard in Los Angeles there to meet the Road Foreman of Engines, Rollin Roberts in an effort to get me hired as a fireman on the Los Angeles Division. It was obvious I could not be hired right then but it was just an opportunity to get my 'foot in the door' and do a little groundwork so that when I was 18, at least Mr Roberts would be able to connect a face with a name.

At the front door a secretary told us that Mr Roberts was not in at the moment but that he was expected soon and to go down the hall to his office.
The secretary added that: "Douglas of the Pacific Electric is in that office but you can wait for Rollin there." The PE was still a separate entity in 1962 but their
officials worked jointly with the SP. Ernie and I entered the office to find 'Douglas of the Pacific Electric' on a phone, involved in conversation, oblivious to our presence.
We seated ourselves along a wall to await the arrival of Rollin Roberts. A few minutes passed and Mr Roberts entered.

As they shook hands Ernie turned toward me and said: "Rollin, this is the boy I was telling you about, Charlie Wherry.
At this point, Homer Douglas, Pacific Electric Road Foreman of Engines, who had now finished his call blurted out: "Wherry, Wherry...I know a Wherry!
Looking at me he asked: "Are you related to Bill Wherry?" My mind is reeling. I am puzzled. I can't figure out how he could know my brother, Bill, only 4 years older than me.
"Well, yes", that's my brother. "No, no, no. The Bill Wherry I know died about 10 years ago, he was a dispatcher on the North." (Northern District of the PE)
The light turns on in my head. "Oh, yes, that was my dad".
"Bill Wherry was your Dad?". I nod.
"Say, I remember one day he was dispatching. We made about 4 or 5 meets and never had to stop. It was unbelievable. I never saw anything like it."
Turning to Roberts, Douglas asks; "Say, is this kid trying to go to work here?" Roberts nods with a smile, "Yes I think so."
"Hire em'!!", Douglas blurts.
Laughing, Roberts adds; "Well, I guess I don't have a choice. With a recommendation like that I guess I will".

As it turned out, a month later, when I did turn 18, the SP had just furloughed some firemen but Rollin Roberts pointed me to the Pacific Electric Building in downtown Los Angeles
where all hiring was done for both SP and PE. He had made some calls and determined that the PE was hiring brakemen and on October 1, 1962 I made my 'date' on the
same railroad where my dad had dispatched trains and one memorable trip by a man that remembered him 10 years after his death helped open that 'door' a little wider.
Yes, a family connection could be a very valuable asset indeed.

Charlie



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/18 22:50 by cewherry.

I had no "inside connections" or anything; I simply applied.

I was in high school in early 1972 in San Rafael, CA. I don't remember what month I put my application in but it was while I was still in school I submitted an application in San Francisco, possibly while on Spring Break. Just after I graduated high school (June 1972, my 18th birthday was at the end of May) I got a letter from the SP telling me to come to 515 Bay Street in Oakland for an interview. I guess I did good because they sent me to the SP medical office in Oakland and I was told my training would start in early September (don't remember the date). So basically I went to work for SP less than 3 months after high school graduation and less than 3-1/2 months after turning 18 years of age.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/18 16:08 by Railbaron.

I had been discharged from the Army in 69. I stopped and put in an application in LA for the SP. Roberts talked to me and said they were not hiring. I called Comac Signal and they put me back to work as a lineman in the Bay Area. I had put in an application for a lineman/Signal Dept. with the SP in Oakland. It was in the spring of 69 when I was working in the City and Comac had us on ladders attaching strand to concrete buildings. Well, the ladder broke and I rode that piece of strand down to the trailer. I called the owner and quit. I hired to climb poles not old ladders. I went to work at a finance company as an asst. Manager in their San Bruno office. My mother called me from the ranch in Goleta saying that the SP was trying to get in touch with me about a lineman's job on a gang in Oakland. I told her I would call them but I put this on the back burner. In the mean time, I put in an application to the SP for engine service in the City. My Uncle had me talk to someone at the WP (later learned he was the Vice Pres.) in the City but I was told I would be in switch engine service only. I had to think about that one too.

Well, the phone rang at work and it was the SP asking me if I still wanted to go to work as a Fireman on the Coast. I said sure and I took a day off to fill out the paperwork and get an x-ray. About a week later I got a call from the SP that said I flunked the back x-ray. How could I. I never had hurt it and I was fit, after getting out of the Army less that 3 months previously. Well, my mother told me I had another uncle that was the chief radiologist at Children's Hospital and she would call him. She called me back and I gave him a ring. I asked him what this could mean. He called me back a day later and said that my back was fine but I may get Lumbago when I was around 80 years old.


Well, my Grandfather always told me when you are dealing with a big company, go to the top man first in order to get results. Having ridden 98 & 99 between SF and Santa Barb many times growing up, I had heard the name of D.J. Russell. So, I sat down and wrote him a letter. What did I know. Well, about a week later I got an answer back from him saying to contact R.L.King, DOuglas 2-1212, Ext. 22019 at 65 Market St. in the City. (He was the General Manager at the time) I called Mr. King's office and he asked me If I could come in the next day to see him. I said sure and was there at 9:30 AM with a tie and coat on. Well, I sat down and he asked me what experience I had. I told him 2 years in the Army working as an engineer on steam and diesel engines. He then said, "I just wanted to make sure you weren't a log haired hippy". He then asked when I would be ready to go to work. I said anytime. He then reached for the phone and dialed a number. He told the person on the other end that he was sending over a man for engine service and to take care of it. He hung up the phone and asked if I knew where 7th St, Diesel Terminal was. I told him I could find it. Then he told me to talk to a Road Foreman of Engines Bacher and he would line me up on what to do. I stood up to leave and Mr. King said, "By the way, if you have a problem here in the future, don't call the President of the company."

I found 7th St. without much trouble. I went in and talked to the RFE and he gave me a timetable, rule book, switch key, coach-caboose key, a test to be a Locomotive Fireman and a sheet to be filled out by engineers on my student trips.

I had to make two Daylight Hostler, two night Hostler, two day yard, two night Yard and a round-trip to Watsonville. I was paid about $8.00 a day. When I got all done I went back to the RFE and gave him the test and the check ride sheets. He then walked me across the hall to the Crew Dispatchers and told them to mark me up.
I was called the next morning, "May 7, 1969" at 6:30 AM on duty at 7th St. for the depot switcher #1823. I worked with Engineer H.E. Bullard and made $28.08.

That date would be my service date all through my career. It was my Fireman's date and later I would have August 14, 1972 as my Engineers date.


Nudge



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/18 14:15 by spnudge.

mcfflyer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It should be noted that Mr. Roustabout and I are
> both graduates of Oregon State University in 1973.
> Go Beavs! And see you at Winterail, Lou!
>
> Lee Hower - Sacramento
>
> Posted from iPhone

Yes, I almost literally ran into Lee while I was photographing SP's train 706 in Corvallis one day. We had many adventures, including getting kicked out of a yard or two.

I had quit teaching in the fall of 1972 after graduating college that summer. II wasn't cut out to be a teacher. I was working as a security for the Georgia Ports to pay the bills. I tried to get any job I could the the Southern Rwy. The only thing they had was a clerks job, but one requirement was you had to be ablate type 20 words per minute. I can't. I went to church with the master mechanic of the Savannah Division of SCL. I asked him one Sunday if the SCL was hiring, he said he would call my parents the next day if they were. He called and said be in his office at 8:00 the next morning. I was. He took me down the hall to the road foreman's office. The roe asked me if I could change the oil in my car. I said yes so he gave me an application and said bring it back filled out. I had t back the next day. They sent me for the dreaded back x-ray. Mine was OK. I went to riding the road, had to make 5 trips to Colombia,SC, 5 to Jacksonville, FL, work 5 hostler jobs, and ride 5 switch engines. I probably violated every part of the hours of service doing that. I would work a hostler job and a switch engine the same day. Go for Savannah to Columbia had a 16-18 hr layover there, Sleep some and work on writing the rules. Leave Columbia go to Savannah go home change clothes and catch a later train to Jacksonville. Come back home do a switch engine and then go to Columbia. Got marked up June 22, 1973. That seems like an eternity ago. Stayed until January 1, 2013 39 years and about 6 months. Would have made it 40 and a half, but didn't want tot take the rules test in 2012. Now retired 5 years and its the best job I ever marked up on. I still miss running a train and some of the people, but I DO NOT miss working for the RR.

I simply went into SP San Francisco Terminal Supt. Jim Bays' outer office, sat down, and stared at Florence, his secretary, until she couldn't take it anymore and let me see Jim. For you cognoscenti: Yes, he had his feet on his desk when I entered.

Ed Gibson

hogheaded Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I simply went into SP San Francisco Terminal Supt.
> Jim Bays' outer office, sat down, and stared at
> Florence, his secretary, until she couldn't take
> it anymore and let me see Jim. For you
> cognoscenti: Yes, he had his feet on his desk when
> I entered.
>
> Ed Gibson


Nothing more exciting than riding with Jim Bays through the yard - he made the Indy 500 look like a funeral procession!

In 1955 my father knew a man that got me in the door at the S.P. in Los Angeles. While I did not know I had a problem and my back had never bothered me, I failed the back x-ray.

A man down the street, Mr. McBride, a car foreman at the U.P. heard of my story and got me in the door at the U.P. yard office where I did not need a back x-ray. I retired after 44 years.

It only happened one time that I know of, but coming to work one morning the Chief Clerk called all of us on the daylight and midnight shift that had worked with a new clerk. He asked us if the new clerk would qualify. While the new clerk had really tried, we all agreed this person would never qualify. The Chief Clerk picked up a bunch of papers from the mess on his desk, and then began softly cussing. The new clerk was over the "derail", and having worked 60 days, fell under union protection. This person went on to an undistinguished career on the railroad.

Eugene Crowner

Doc Jones, a regular here on TO, is to blame for the start of my career on SPRR. We were both interested in railroading through high school. He graduated in 1965, two years ahead of me, and hired out as an extra board telegrapher on the SP's Los Angeles Division. When I graduated from high school in 1967 I couldn't wait to do the same thing! He introduced me to the LA Division Station Clerk, Phyllis Pedigo, at the old PE Building at 6th and Main in Los Angeles. Phyllis took a liking to me and hired me as an extra board telegrapher (later renamed to train order operator, as the key was retired by this time on SP). My first assignment in the summer of 1967 was at Oxnard, California, where I misspelled Oxnard on the first order I copied, spelling ONXARD instead of OXNARD. Oh the joys of being a "newbie"!!!

Pete Baumhefner

These are great stories, gentlemen, and I hope to read many more. Being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 20 derailed my aspirations to work for the railroad so I took another path in life. Oh well, I've enjoyed being a life-long foamer and I appreciate venues like trainorders which help me to live my dream from the outside of the industry.

I have "hired out" a number of times, maybe that makes me a bit if a boomer, I don't know.

Anyway one of the more memorable was to Metro-North Commuter Railroad out of New York City in the summer of 1985. Having grown up in Upstate New York, (yes the REAL Upstate like near the Mohawk River, not Tarrytown or Ossining !) put me around many guys off Erie Lackawanna. One EL engineer character by the mid 80's had landed the job at MNCR as Chief Road Foreman of Engines. Another former EL engineman was bounced around on jobs on Conrail and finally moved to Peekskill, NY to work as a hostler at Harmon Shop. This guy was the boyfriend of one of my rail buddies mother and I was asked if I could provide some muscle to facilitate the move. It would also give time after getting things somewhat settled in the new apartment to check out some of the action on the lower Hudson River.

All went well and by early afternoon my buddy and I were riding towards the City for a lark and adventure. Arriving at Grand Central we decided to look up our Roadforeman buddy who was I believe down on Track 14 in a small office trailer. After getting caught up and all the RFofE turns to a guy named Jerry Larkin and says these boys want to hire out. Larkin picks up the phone calls someone and slams down the receiver telling us to report upstairs to Herman Peterson. Ummmm...... ok, whoever Herman Peterson is....... yeah..... hire out.....sure.... So up we go and Herman was in Personnel and waiting for us with applications and pencils etc. We sit down and fill out the forms and a 3 minute interview with Herman and I am sent downstairs with a stack of papers to the medical office. I am immediately poked, prodded and examined and x-rayed and sent off back to Herman with another stash of papers. Herman tells me my buddy is disqualified account of his hearing but if I would deliver these (yes another huge pile of papers) to Jim (or was it Joe - I forget) Timmins at Harmon Shop on my way north that would be the thing to do.

Ok...... back we go to Harmon, drop off the papers to a very gruff Jim Timmons (Shop Manager) and head up river to Peekskill where the simple question was asked, "So, how was your day", "see any trains?"

That was a Friday. On Monday morning at 10AM I am working my front desk shift at a Howard Johnson Hotel 4 hours Upstate - newly married and with a new baby - and a very gruff Jim Timmons is wondering why the hell I didn't report for work. Huh ???? No job title was mentioned, no pay was mentioned, no benefits ...... NOTHING and now this guy wants to know why I didn't report at 8am? He said the job was still mine (laborer - mechanical 1st shift) if I reported by the next day at 8AM. Well I immediately resigned my position, then called the wife (maybe backwards) packed my bags and drove to Peekskill and reported at Harmon. Dang that was fast and crazy !!! Well it lasted3-4 months and I got loads of overtime working day shift car shop and night shift diesel shop but the wife finally said it was her or the job...... well...... ok I quit but then later on she took off anyway. It was back to Howard Johnson hotels for a brief finale before getting back into railroading again.

Doug Ellison



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/21/18 18:00 by train1275.

These are all interesting and one never knows the twist of fate with the man upstairs that puts us where he wants us and in my cases the industry. After college and a stint in retailing I stayed with relatives in Indianapolis looking for work in 1994. A good friend suggested we take a weekend getaway to Chicago on Amtrak's Hoosier State. I called Amtrak reservations and in addition to the reservation information I had a casual conversation with the clerk that I was looking for work. She was super nice and told me of openings in reservations and I immediately sent off my resume to California which had a reservations office at the time. I called the personnel office out there to confirm they had received my resume and the person that answered was extremely rude and I was shell shocked to say the least. I then wrote Tom Downs a nice letter along with my resume explaining what happened and if he had any suggestions on getting a position and then went on about applying for other positions. Yes, even then getting a job was a full time job! I'll never forget coming back to my relative's place after an interview with Southwest Airlines at the airport and getting a phone call from my mother in Florida that there was a letter from Amtrak. It was a letter inviting me to come test for a position in on board service in Miami to work the Florida to New York trains. I jumped at the chance and the competition was with over 1,000 applicants for 15 positions so I did the best I could. After testing in downtown Miami a huge crowd gathered as someone from personnel came out and read a list of names that had passed testing and were candidates for interview. I interviewed the next day at the station on 79th Street and was so excited just to interview. I was thrilled beyond measure to be one of the ones selected and vowed to work as hard as I could to win passengers over. In my many positions in the industry over the years it remains one of my favorite jobs I've ever had in working with people, part of the team, traveling, and I learned a tremendous amount through experience and the veteran old heads. Sure, there are horror stories of OBS on Trainorders, but in my experiences they were mostly all positive and I grew to love my Amtrak family. When I went over to the freight side the family just wasn't the same but interesting memories there too, though to this day loved being taken under the wings of some of the veterans and shown railroading. I remember my first solo trip north working the 10-6 Sleeper on the northbound Silver Star as we screamed to a stop in Ocala, Florida and out of the corner of my eye the conductor and I saw this lady jumping up and down almost like a cheerleader. As I turned my head I saw it was my mother! It was wonderful to say a quick hello, hugs, and goodbye as we quickly got underway toward Waldo. She and dad had come to meet the train from their weekend river place to the west. That's where its really at with where I am today because of my parents as they were tremendously supportive of me and to never give up, even during the terrible times God is good and he will bless us.

Following graduation from high school in June 1945 I attempted to go firing on SP's Coast Division but was told I had to be 18 yrs old. However I was told that Al Cochran the San Jose roundhouse foreman could give me a job. I went and talked to him and was hired with the understanding that when I turned 18 in October I could go out as a student fireman.

On my birthday I went to the Mission Bay roundhouse in SF and met with RFE M.E Ketchum. I don't recall any physical exam being required at that time as he set me up with a couple of weeks of student trips. As I remember they consisted of a couple of days on yard engines at Bayshore, a round trip between Bayshore and Watsonville Jct, another round trip Watsonville Jct and SLO, A round trip SLO to Santa Barbara and a helper day out of SLO.

Fifteen days later after writing the rule book I made my seniority date on an afternoon goat in SF. All told I spent 22 years in engine service and 20 years in the General Office retiring in 1987.

Not a bad journey for a kid that liked trains.