Railroaders' Nostalgia > One-hitter at 75

Fifty years ago today I was working 2nd trick at B&OCT 75th Street Tower in Chicago.  I was hoping for a shift a little calmer than most Wednesdays there.  Upon arrival 1st trick Leverman-Operator Pat told me he had a decent shift.  There was not much on the trainsheet.  Back then we were only required to record movements on the B&O, and C&Os and Pere Marquettes on the BRC.  Things were quiet at 4pm shift change, which in itself was rare.

Unbelievably 75th was quiet for almost all of 2nd trick.  I had a one-hitter.  The only move was the BRC South Chicago job returning to Clearing, on short time as always.  In the years I worked 75th, that job was never NOT on short time.  So, I had a memorable day at the tower, was able to use the primitive metal chair we had, and enjoyed the fireworks going off in the neighborhoods.

p.s. I forgot to mention that in '73 I usually had about 80 moves at 75th on 2nd trick.  In the TO archives you can find many excellent posts by TAW including his notes of every train through the plant on selected shifts he worked.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/23 14:02 by Seventyfive.

Here's July 4 1968.

TAW

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What a difference five years made!  Nice to see Wabash CD-14 listed.  I wonder if their MC-15 was not called that day.
Thanks for the great list of the action.

Seventyfive Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What a difference five years made!  Nice to see
> Wabash CD-14 listed.  I wonder if their MC-15 was
> not called that day.
> Thanks for the great list of the action.

MC-15 was occasionally late enough that I  woujld go home before it showed.

TAW

Was the train listed as "trailers" on TAW's 7/4/68 list the eastbound New York Trailer Jet or second New Yorker.  Also I didn't see the Baltimore Jet or Baltimorean on the list.  Was this train run after midnight?
Thanks,
Dick eisfeller - who didn't get along the B&Os Chicago Line until 1974.

Dick Wrote:
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> Was the train listed as "trailers" on TAW's 7/4/68
> list the eastbound New York Trailer Jet or second
> New Yorker.  Also I didn't see the Baltimore Jet
> or Baltimorean on the list.  Was this train run
> after midnight?

That's the New York Trailer Jet. Just four cars from Robey and into the yard at Forest Hill.

The Baltimore Jet should have been between the New Yorker and the Jet, so it was probably consolidated, Baltimore pigs on the Jet and Baltimore freight on the New Yorker.

There wasn't a second New Yorker any more - replaced by the Jet.

A few years later, when I was 2d trick Chief, if necessary to consolidate, I would usually run the Jet separate, and consolidate the Baltimore and New Yorker: Baltimore power, New Yorker Power, New Yorker train, caboose, Baltimore train, caboose, each train in proper block. On arrival in Baltimore, the arriving crew would take the Baltimore power to the house, the outbound crew would get on the New York power, the outbound crew would get on the middle caboose and pull the pin, and away they'd go. Light traffic holidays would add conversation with the Cumberland and Baltimore Chiefs to my routine.

TAW
 

I can figure out perhaps how to "read" this, but just in case, can ya provide any insight as to each line and what followed? Thanks if ya can. Ben

ns2557 Wrote:
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> I can figure out perhaps how to "read" this, but
> just in case, can ya provide any insight as to
> each line and what followed? Thanks if ya can. Ben

Each line is one train. I started the line for each at the first I knew of it. For some trains, it was when I was told it was ready to go (out of Panhandle 59th, Wabash Landers, southbound Belt leaving Hayford, and yard moves out of Forest Hill). Others I first heard about leaving Western Ave, Ash Street, 80th Street, Washington Heights, or Blue Island Jct, but I heard about the B&O Road Elmers after they got by Pine Jct.and listened for them to call the dispatcher from Roll Ave at thest end of Barr Yard when ready to leave. The B&OCT dispatcher phone was on the loudspeaker at all times unless I plugged in to the block phone to talk to 79 or 49.

You can listen to a bit of it here: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,4000101,4000101#4000101

OS -  I was notified the train was coming (by 80 or C&WI 74th, Blue Island Jct, 49th, Beverly Jct.) or ready (Landers, C&O Rockwell, Hayford)
REL - I told the reporting tower (Hayford, Beverly Jct, Belt Jct to let the train go (otherwise held short of crossings or another interlocking to avoid blocking
AR - Arrived
SG - give the signal to go
DEP - left

Notes about the train are on the far right, such as work, location.

TAW

Seventyfive Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>  The only move was
> the BRC South Chicago job returning to Clearing,
> on short time as always.  In the years I worked
> 75th, that job was never NOT on short time.

That's one of the many jobs that took 15:59 in 16 hour days, 13:59 in 14 hour days, and 12:00 in 12 hour days... but the work didnt change.

TAW

TAW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Seventyfive Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >  The only move was
> > the BRC South Chicago job returning to
> Clearing,
> > on short time as always.  In the years I
> worked
> > 75th, that job was never NOT on short time.
>
> That's one of the many jobs that took 15:59 in 16
> hour days, 13:59 in 14 hour days, and 12:00 in 12
> hour days... but the work didnt change.
>
> TAW

It stayed 12 hours even after the work did change.
A lot less work. Both at Commercial Ave. and in the District.
However any extra move given them would be met with 
the threat of not being able to make it back to Clearing.

The whole charade was easily visible to management on
many occasions when a certain extra board engineer
caught the job when the regular guy laid off.  The extra
man did not think he was obligated to spend his entire life
at work.  He would easily be back and tied up in less than 
8 hours.

I think at one point mgmt had enough and put another job
on with the thought of having two eight hour jobs.  You guessed
it, soon both jobs were making OT.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/23 05:32 by Englewood.

Englewood Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TAW Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Seventyfive Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > >  The only move was
> > > the BRC South Chicago job returning to
> > Clearing,
> > > on short time as always.  In the years I
> > worked
> > > 75th, that job was never NOT on short time.
> >
> > That's one of the many jobs that took 15:59 in
> 16
> > hour days, 13:59 in 14 hour days, and 12:00 in
> 12
> > hour days... but the work didnt change.
> >
> > TAW
>
> It stayed 12 hours even after the work did
> change.
> A lot less work. Both at Commercial Ave. and in
> the District.
> However any extra move given them would be met
> with 
> the threat of not being able to make it back to
> Clearing.
>
> The whole charade was easily visible to management
> on
> many occasions when a certain extra board
> engineer
> caught the job when the regular guy laid off. 
> The extra
> man did not think he was obligated to spend his
> entire life
> at work.  He would easily be back and tied up in
> less than 
> 8 hours.
>
> I think at one point mgmt had enough and put
> another job
> on with the thought of having two eight hour
> jobs.  You guessed
> it, soon both jobs were making OT.
>
>  
Over the years I knew of crews who prefered quit jobs, but those BRC crews sure didn't.
That South Chicago job could borrow a name from one of the Rock's commuter trains:  The Bankers' Special.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/23 10:30 by Seventyfive.

Great seeing the 1) IC entries with the high nose geeps IC 9168 and IC 9206, and the 2) WAB and NKP entries in your log in 1968. Busy even on a holiday. Thanks.