Railroaders' Nostalgia > Crew Change at the Steps

Occasionally we changed crews at Barstow at the "steps" as directed by the Barstow Hump(basically the yard dispatcher)The steps as seen in the attached image was outside the terminal office building which also housed the crew lobby.It was a short walk to the steps and it  usually meant  a blow and go.Usually trains were yarded in the recieving yard or spotted at the fuel pad.In the attached image we see Conductor L.L.Stevens and Brakeman R.J.Frieler about to board a westbound on Main One while the inbound Needles crew is dismounting their train.I do not know the identity of the others pictured ,maybe someone can help.I also can not remember if I was on Main Two waiting to enter the yard or part of the Stevens crew or possibly I follwed them out of the yard office to  record the image.The image was snapped in 1988,at which time San Bernardino was being abolished as a home terminal.Bill Webb

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Interesting.  That was still back in the time of the 500 mile inspection wasn't it?  I don't remember that happing very often.

"Everthing through but You"

Gosh UTU jackets!  I had one of these when I was a conductor on the Joint Line.  My how time flies!  Thanks for the memories!

Jerry

Looks like 5822 took a hit on the Conductor's side number board.

Would not be surprised if it was a buzzard.

tomstp Wrote:
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> Would not be surprised if it was a buzzard.

Not too many buzzards in the Mojave Desert. But there are Ravens.

What was the purpose of the mail box looking thing ??
Doug

Thanks Bill. Larry and Joe were always pretty good guys to work with.

hoggerdoug Wrote:
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> What was the purpose of the mail box looking thing
> ??
> Doug

Well that must have been where “The Fast Mail” used to stop.

We've used mailboxes at interchange points to put waybills in for the crew picking up.....makes me think some sort of paperwork was put there for crews to retrieve, or for run through crews to put stuff in for a clerk to take....I dunno....all sorts of reasons for mailboxes on a railroad. You'll find them all over.  

Look like respectable railroaders ready to get down to business, not burdened by the clown costumes
required in the 21st century

Stopping for a crew change?

The Milwaukee used to do it at Minneapolis without stopping.  New crew got on, traded seats with the incomming crew, old crew got off.

-LD

LarryDoyle Wrote:
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> Stopping for a crew change?
>
> The Milwaukee used to do it at Minneapolis without
> stopping.  New crew got on, traded seats with the
> incomming crew, old crew got off.
>
> -LD

Yeah, well, that and the Tony Lama's that Conductor Stevens is wearing went by the wayside a long time ago in the interest of safety.  Also, keep in mind that the present day road employee has to carry enough stuff with him to accomodate a 36-48+ hour round trip that there's no way he can get on/off a moving engine. Nothing like the good ol' days when they swung on and off the caboose with one hand on the grab iron and their grip in the other.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/19 17:06 by Chico43.

Impossible to do when getting on or off moving equipment is prohibited.
G

I can get on off with the best of them at pretty swift speed, (not that I do anymore) but I would surely end up in heap in the ditch if I tried it with my grip and lunch bucket together which are close to 60 pounds. 

As the 'old-timer' said; getting off is easy, just let go. It's the getting back on afterward; now that's the bugger.

cewherry Wrote:
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> As the 'old-timer' said; getting off is easy, just
> let go. It's the getting back on afterward; now
> that's the bugger.

Yep....my arms are longer than they used to be.....