Railroaders' Nostalgia > New Brakeman

I hired out as a Telegrapher (Train Order Operator) on the Rock Island in 1966.  When the RI shut down I had worked
various operator and clerks jobs as well as a stint as a extra Train Dispatcher.  I had never worked in the operating crafts.
After the RI, I worked for the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern (again as an operator) while they operated the Joliet to Peoria trackage
under Directed Service.  After the "J" pulled out, I was without a Job or even a prospect of a job.  A buddy tipped me off that
the North Western was hiring brakeman at South Pekin, Illinois.
Pekin, Illinois is across the Illinois River from Peoria. South Pekin is a small town a few miles South of Pekin.  I went down to
the Job Service office in Pekin and filled out an application.  In due time, I was notified to report to a motel in Pekin for a job interview
and testing.  The end result was that I was hired (along with 3 other former RI people).  They had all been in T&E service on the RI.
We spent a week on rules classes and tests and then were paired up and sent out on student trips.  This consisted of a round trip
from South Pekin North to Nelson, Illinois where the Peoria line connects with the Proviso-Clinton, Iowa main line.  After our return to
South Pekin, we marked up on the Extra Board.  On November 7, I was called for and Extra South for 6 pm.  We had the CNW 6906
and PNC 1808 for power.  I was called for a train over railroad that I had never seen!  In any event, it was uneventful and we tied up
at Madison, Illinois (East St. Louis) at 2 AM.  The attached Train Orders are from that trip.
zr190



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/20 06:33 by zr190.

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I should add that this was the initial set of orders.  We received more order at Barr and Beneld.
zr190

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More orders
zr190

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Last one.
zr190

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Lots of business on that line then, that's for sure.  Is the rubber stamped location on some of the orders unusual?  I've never seen that before.  TIA.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/20 18:53 by ntharalson.

That's some pretty sorry hand writing.
JB

3rdswitch Wrote:
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> That's some pretty sorry hand writing.
> JB

You should see some of the train order books I have. These orders are examples of excellence in comparison.

TAW

ntharalson Wrote:
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> Lots of business on that line then, that's for
> sure.  Is the rubber stamped location on some of
> the orders unusual?  I've never seen that
> before.  TIA.
>
I do not recall seeing rubber stamps used on train orders elsewhere.  I know as an Opr, I never used any.
At that time, the Dispatchers were in South Pekin and wrote their own orders (no Train Order Oprs), so
maybe that had something to do with it.  
In response to the comment below, I think these orders are quite legible.  I know if I had written them, they wouldn't be that good!
zr190

The ICG used rubber stamps for the same purpose in the 80s

Very nice look back. I had forgotten that C&NW had used PNC power. IC/ICG had some PNC geeps scattered all over the system for awhile. Thanks for the memory jog.

Excellent look back at doing it the old way.  No paper flag provided, so the rear end crew would be flagging if needed.  Into the siding at Allen and identify two extras.  The DS gave them right over 394 so no concern there, but as the night wore on they would be thinking about 380 departing Madison at 3am.  As it turned out, they made Madison by 2am, so a good trip.   BSB

South Pekin, 1980.....did  Mike Sheridan run your training classes?

 

Spoiled by the typed orders on the ATSF

3rdswitch Wrote:
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> That's some pretty sorry hand writing.
> JB

PossumKing Wrote:
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> South Pekin, 1980.....did  Mike Sheridan run your
> training classes?
>
Name sound familiar, but I don't remeber for sure.
I know he was a Conductor and seems like he was originally from the CGW.
zr190