Railroaders' Nostalgia > 60 Years!

60 years ago today,September, 26, 1962, I made my date as a fireman on the Southern Pacific in Eugene, Oregon. In the 40 years that I worked many changes occured. In 1962 dieselization had happened only about 6 years before. The SP still used full crews, cabooses(some wooden and without electricity), type B semaphores,trainorders, classes and sections of trains,first generation diesel locomotives,branch line depots,kerosene switch lamps,herders, strong unions, pocket watch requirements and monthly inspections by an SP watch inspector,men who had gone to work in the 'teens, 20's and 30's.It's all gone now and I wish that I had had the forsight to ask the old heads questions and take notes and to take photographs.

Congratulations on the 60 year mark . Not esay to do.  Ben

Yup, you certainly experienced lots of changes over the past 60 years! Thanks for the memories of how things used to be. I'm just thankful for the opportunity I had to make MY students trips with you! It was always a pleasure working with you.
Here's another memory from the Corvallis Local at Dawson.  --July 13, 1993

---

WestinAshahr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yup, you certainly experienced lots of changes
> over the past 60 years! Thanks for the memories of
> how things used to be. I'm just thankful for the
> opportunity I had to make MY students trips with
> you! It was always a pleasure working with you.
> Here's another memory from the Corvallis Local at
> Dawson.  --July 13, 1993

Thanks, Dan.

Scott, congratulations and thank you for kick starting my career in railroading!  I remember the day we met at Dawosn.  I was chasing and taking photos.  You had walked to Hull-Oakes office/worker's shanty to 'wash your hands.'  On your was back to 1801, you stepped over to introduce yourself, handing me your card and asking for copies of the photos.  And the rest is history.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/26/22 22:11 by roustabout.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane....my RR career started in 1973 as a switchman on the ATSF in Wichita, Ks.   I could not believe the things I saw go on, I had been in college for four years and the culture on the RR was a totally foreign experience.  Still, I look back and am glad I got in on how it was all managed like it had been for almost a hundred years, it was colorful for sure.   Like a lot of guys I talk to that were in the army, it was an experience they were glad to have had but would not want to do it again.

atsfer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for the trip down memory lane....my RR
> career started in 1973 as a switchman on the ATSF
> in Wichita, Ks.   I could not believe the things
> I saw go on, I had been in college for four years
> and the culture on the RR was a totally foreign                                       You are welcome.
> experience.  Still, I look back and am glad I got
> in on how it was all managed like it had been for
> almost a hundred years, it was colorful for
> sure.   Like a lot of guys I talk to that were
> in the army, it was an experience they were glad
> to have had but would not want to do it again.

Used to spot lumber all the time at various lumber yards on an industrial job out of Wichita which always worked at night...used to think fresh cut lumber smelled like bubblegum.