Railroaders' Nostalgia > Strike One

I was a brakeman on the Rock Island's Illinois Division.
One trip I worked the rear brakeman's position with Conductor Dick Sharp.
We were eastbound and made a set out at Ottawa yard.
As we were departing town Dick said he'd show me how to deliver waybills.
He wrapped them around a fusee and put a rubber band on it to hold them tight.
As we approached the depot he said "Watch this, here's how we deliver the bills."
He gave that fusee a hard toss at the operators bay window.
Well, the fusee and waybills went through the glass window and appeared to land on or next to his desk.
I said "Oh No" and Dick said "they're delivered".

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/21 10:09 by Bob3985.

Bob3985 Wrote:
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> Well, the fusee and waybills went through the
> glass window and appeared to land on or next to
> his desk.

One morning, the bag man on Santa Fe 123 (Grand Canyon) had company mail for Willow Springs (IL). He wrapped the 1000 mile envelope into a cone shape and put torpedo lead on the pointed end to keep it that way and stabilize the flight (a normal procedure). He threw it out the bag car door as they blew by at 79 (or more - it was the early 60s). As the operator stood in the doorway at the end of the building, the bag man let fly the airmail. It hit the diagonal side window of the bay window and not only broke the glass, it cleaned out the whole sash and scattered broken glass and splintered wood all over the office. This was shortly after the operator had considered watching trains from the window after a brake shoe flew off at 60 (or so) bounced on the platform a couple of times, and erased the door he was standing next to.

TAW

Great stories, both you and TAW, Bob.  I remember an incident in Abilene KS in the late 60s when operator Keith Bunker was on the platform ready to hand up orders to an approaching train, probably at 30-40 mph.  The train hit an auto at the crossing, the auto stuck to the lead unit, fuel line broke at the carbuerator and exploded.  Keith headed back for the confines of the depot as the train and flaming hood of the auto slid past on the platform.
Brian Stevens