Railroaders' Nostalgia > Warning, Not Safe For Work

I came across this article about a man who worked for a (unnamed, I'm guessing S.P.) railroad in San Francisco in the 1970's, starting as switch crew, then engine service, and eventually fireman. What makes the article NSFW is that at the time he was also an "adult" movie star.
The article focuses mostly on his life as a performer, but includes some nuggets from his railroading career, including how he once "borrowed" an engine to get to a studio where he was to film a scene. The article (actually, blog post) contains some fairly graphic descriptions of his experiences on and off set, and breif partial nudity. I hope I have given enough warning to those who beleive this sort of thing should not be discussed on a forum as classy as this. Now, to the link:
https://www.therialtoreport.com/2020/07/05/jon-martin/

I believe everyone on the SP in the Bay Area in the 70s is familiar with "Jon". Actually Jon Martin is not his real name. I won't reveal what it is. He also used a different name for his acting career.
I was surprised to see a "current" picture of him because I was under the impression he died a number of years ago, though I have no verification of that. Very interesting article anyway, even if it is a bit lengthy.

Yes indeed "Jon Martin" was a legend in his own time on the SP, especially in the San Francisco/San Jose portion of the Coast subdivision! He was the son of an old head SP hogger who from what I heard was not at all thrilled  about his son's moonlighting occupation! I suspect that his dad got him the job on the SP in the first place.

The SP had an extremely liberal lay off policy at the time, at least in the Bay Area. "Jon" had plenty of opportunities to take breaks from his regular railroad job (usually as engineer on a midnight switch engine at Bayshore yard) to persue his film career. He rarely worked the main line and as I recall never even got qualified as a commute engineer. The SP eventually got short of engineers in the area and tightened up the liberal lay off policy. I believe "Jon" either resigned or got terminated for not being available at that time.

You can find a couple hundred feature film credits for "Jon" in adult movie data bases, mostly as a supporting player rather than the main star of the film. Besides "Jon Martin" he worked under a whole bunch of other names, one of the most ridiculous being "Jon Martinstein"!

I remember getting a chuckle out of seeing written on the wall of a toilet stall in the switchman's shanty at Bayshore yard "(His real name) STAR OF STAGE AND SCREEN AND MIDNIGHT SWITCH ENGINES!" Now that's a legacy to be proud of!   



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/20 20:31 by johnw.

CPCoyote Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I believe everyone on the SP in the Bay Area in
> the 70s is familiar with "Jon". Actually Jon
> Martin is not his real name. I won't reveal what
> it is. He also used a different name for his
> acting career.
> I was surprised to see a "current" picture of him
> because I was under the impression he died a
> number of years ago, though I have no verification
> of that. Very interesting article anyway, even if
> it is a bit lengthy.

Huhh Huhh,, Huhh Huhh,, He said "Lengthy...."

I thought I’d heard it all on the railroad. A buddy of mine said it best around 20 years ago “The railroad and working for the railroad is like being in the land of misfit toys, it’s where all us that just don’t seem to fit right with the rest of the world seem to gravitate together.” God bless him, he was right.

Posted from iPhone

I remember seeing a film shot inside an SP caboose back in the 70's.
I've been searching for a copy ever since.

TAH

Posted from Android

Drknow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I thought I’d heard it all on the railroad. A
> buddy of mine said it best around 20 years ago
> “The railroad and working for the railroad is
> like being in the land of misfit toys, it’s
> where all us that just don’t seem to fit right
> with the rest of the world seem to gravitate
> together.” God bless him, he was right.
>
> Posted from iPhone

Well every occuptation has it's share of misfits! Lawyers, teachers, doctors, ministers and priests, law enforcement personnel, Congress people...no occupation is exempt from having their share! Some people say that misfits can occasionally even make their way into the Oval Office! I encountered my share of them in school and college, in the Army and in my pre-railroad career as well as in my 34 years on the railroad. Is there a larger percentage of them on the railroad? Not based on my own personal experience. Others of course may choose to disagree, based on their own experience. 

As for Mr. "Jon Martin" who I knew although certainly not well I'm not even sure I'd qualify him as a misfit. What he did away from the railroad was his own business and perfectly legal. Even if I was qualified it would never be my choose of a career but as that old saying goes "Different strokes for different folks!"! No pun intended with that quote!  

90mac Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I remember seeing a film shot inside an SP caboose
> back in the 70's.
> I've been searching for a copy ever since.
>
> TAH
>
> Posted from Android

Sounds like a short 8mm film with one of the biggest (!) stars of adult films made in the early days of this sort of adult material. It was called "Ride My Caboose" and with that title I just had to buy it, not even knowing that it took place on an SP switch engine and caboose. I showed it to a group of engineers in our change room in San Francisco and we all got quite a hoot out of it, especially when they cut from the outside the caboose to the supposed inside where there was an easy chair, a rug on the floor and a fireplace! I remember one of my fellow engineers quipping "Damn! I knew I should have gone braking!". There is supposedly a "Part 2" of this masterpiece of cinema although I've never seen it! 

johnw Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes indeed "Jon Martin" was a legend in his own
> time on the SP, especially in the San
> Francisco/San Jose portion of the Coast
> subdivision! He was the son of an old head SP
> hogger who from what I heard was not at all
> thrilled  about his son's moonlighting
> occupation! I suspect that his dad got him the job
> on the SP in the first place.
>
> The SP had an extremely liberal lay off policy at
> the time, at least in the Bay Area. "Jon" had
> plenty of opportunities to take breaks from his
> regular railroad job (usually as engineer on a
> midnight switch engine at Bayshore yard) to persue
> his film career. He rarely worked the main line
> and as I recall never even got qualified as a
> commute engineer. The SP eventually got short of
> engineers in the area and tightened up the liberal
> lay off policy. I believe "Jon" either resigned or
> got terminated for not being available at that
> time.
>
> You can find a couple hundred feature film credits
> for "Jon" in adult movie data bases, mostly as a
> supporting player rather than the main star of the
> film. Besides "Jon Martin" he worked under a whole
> bunch of other names, one of the most ridiculous
> being "Jon Martinstein"!
>
> I remember getting a chuckle out of seeing written
> on the wall of a toilet stall in the switchman's
> shanty at Bayshore yard "(His real name) STAR OF
> STAGE AND SCREEN AND MIDNIGHT SWITCH ENGINES!" Now
> that's a legacy to be proud of!   

i wonder what kind of supporting role one would have in an adult movie?

90mac Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I remember seeing a film shot inside an SP caboose
> back in the 70's.
> I've been searching for a copy ever since.

Back in 1977 there was a Swedish Erotica Super 8 film featuring John Holmes at the throttlestand of a SP SW1500.  He was swiveled backwards in the engr. seat and his leading lady's head was at independent brake level. Later they went to an overly spacious mockup of an old caboose.  Being a trainmaster at the time, I immediately wondered how they got permission to use that engine. I should have bought the film since it reminded me of other unfilmed incidents.