Railroaders' Nostalgia > Milkshakes !!??

Way back in the mid 1980's BC Rail was doing a large rail replacement project on the Lillooet sub. I was called off the spareboard at Williams Lake for a temporary short duration work train. Our job was doing some clean up after the rail change program, picking up some stick rail and other OTM materials. Anyhow the job dragged on for 3 or 4 days and finally we got things done and tied up early evening in Williams Lake BC.

The Roadmaster was quite pleased with our work and how well things went. He told us to take an extra 30 minutes on our tie up and gave us a "purchase order" for the local restaurant, the Bil-Nor,  and for the whole crew to go have dinner afterwards. In those days a work train crew was 4, Conductor, Engineer, 2 Brakemen and don't forget we had a Burro Crane operator and his groundman.

Anyhow, off we went to the Bil-Nor for a meal on the company. The weather was still warm for that time of the year and we all had a bit of a thirst. Someone on the crew suggested that we have a cold beer with our meal. There was a discussion about perhaps it would be a violation of Rule "G"." Naw we are tied up, off duty and not on company property". Then there was the concern of how the cold wobbly pop would show on the restaurant bill. The wise old Conductor left the table and chatted with the owner of the eatery and came back and pronounced "problem solved". 

A day or two later I bumped into the Roadmaster and he was wondering if I had gone for dinner that evening and how many actually went. "Well there were 6 of us there, train crew and MOW employees". He muttered about the 12 milkshakes on the bill from the restaurant. I grinned and the lights came on in his mind "never mind and never again".

Doug

That was cool; I loved how the conductor solved the "milkshake" issue.

Great story, Doug.  Thanks!

Really is great story!