Railroaders' Nostalgia > LA Div. Freddy Gardenhire

Los Angeles Division Conductor Freddy Gardenhire "The Rouster" had a stroke on Monday and passed away yesterday. I believe he was 78 years old. He stole many trains from people at West Colton and Yuma.

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Paul another one of our SP era good guys has been patched.. RIP Freddy

Posted from Android

SanJoaquinEngr Wrote:
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> Paul another one of our SP era good guys has been
> patched.. RIP Freddy
>
> Posted from Android

in my time on the RR and since, I've never heard the term patched as applied in your tribute to Mr. Gardenhire; succinct and elegant sir.  Sorry for your loss.  High green Mr. Gardenhire.

TheButcherofBena Wrote:
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> SanJoaquinEngr Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Paul another one of our SP era good guys has
> been
> > patched.. RIP Freddy
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> in my time on the RR and since, I've never heard
> the term patched as applied in your tribute to Mr.
> Gardenhire; succinct and elegant sir.  Sorry for
> your loss.  High green Mr. Gardenhire.

Making a patch was a common term on the old Southern Pacific. UP took over and called it a Dog Patch. My son works for the NS in North  Carolina, and they just call it an hours of service "relief."

I am sorry to hear of your loss.RIP.Bill Webb

I didn't know Mr. Gardenhire, but that's the kind of candid photo we should have taken more of.  RIP Freddy.   BSB

I agree on the BSB said  that we should have taken more pictures of our coworkers. I took a lot of pictures at work and wish I had taken a lot more. But, like the grandkids they were not always cooperative.Bill Webb

TheButcherofBena Wrote:
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> SanJoaquinEngr Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Paul another one of our SP era good guys has
> been
> > patched.. RIP Freddy
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> in my time on the RR and since, I've never heard
> the term patched as applied in your tribute to Mr.
> Gardenhire; succinct and elegant sir.  Sorry for
> your loss.  High green Mr. Gardenhire.

When I hired out in 1970.. Worked with a conductor by the name of AA Swanson. He was a colorful character that had a name for everyone. He called the DS a button snapper. Brakemen were buns. A derail was an aligator . Trainmasters were Jim Clintons. Named after a clothing seller that sold cheap suits. I was talking to him one day after he retired at Gemco He told me Saint Peter is going to patch me right here. Therefore I was using a little railroad humor in honor of AA.

The photo...we were call for 2am at West Colton to make an off assignment trip up the Palmdale Cutoff to Bakersfield. I remember it well, I took the photo with a flash, we were going through Canyon Siding at about 14 mph. It was still dark.

Deepest sympathy to those he leaves behind.

And I will confess, the part about him stealing trains got a hearty chuckle out of me.  :-)

RetiredHogger Wrote:
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> Deepest sympathy to those he leaves behind.
>
> And I will confess, the part about him stealing
> trains got a hearty chuckle out of me.  :-)

Freddy was an expert at stealing trains along with many other famous conductors. Skip McFadden known as chicken bucket. Ralph Lee known as Monty Hall from lets make a deal.

Posted from Android

For those of us not in the business, what does it mean to steal a train? Tia.

symph1 Wrote:
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> For those of us not in the business, what does it
> mean to steal a train? Tia.

If a certain crew was lined up for a train and another crew member knew the people in charge such as a yardmaster or trainmaster..the crew member would on the sly pay off the other person with such as the bottle of the month club or tickets to an event. Or other devious moves.

Posted from Android

SanJoaquinEngr Wrote:
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> symph1 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > For those of us not in the business, what does
> it
> > mean to steal a train? Tia.
>
> If a certain crew was lined up for a train and
> another crew member knew the people in charge such
> as a yardmaster or trainmaster..the crew member
> would on the sly pay off the other person with
> such as the bottle of the month club or tickets to
> an event. Or other devious moves.
>
> Posted from Android

We just call it scheming....

Or scammers… LOL.

Posted from iPhone

Almost every terminal and pool has people like this; I've known it to lead to pretty heated confrontations at times as well as not all people like getting screwed out of good trains.

It was known as skeet shooting on the Greyhound division I worked on years ago.

Slightly different from sharpshooting (a term I've also heard railroaders use too), which was subtly manipulating your position on the extra board in advance to better your odds of getting a good run...or a day off. "Shooting skeet" on the other hand was blatantly manipulating a call at or very near call time to jump ahead or lay back to get a favored run.

There were guys in our division who were renowned at both sharpshooting and skeet. And in another division in the region a dispatcher was widely rumored to have been fired for involvement. He supposedly had a well stocked liquor cabinet.

One driver who was known to do both on occasion was actually a superb marksman, with a horde of medals and trophies for his marksmanship. We all often wondered if both of his "shooting abilities" were not somehow connected.

MC

Posted from Android

I’ve known plenty of sharp shooters who would deny the idea of them doing it to their grave.

Sometimes a guy would ask around if he could do some sharp practice so he could make a doctor appointment or kids activity and not mark off. Most guys usually understand and don’t mind if you ask in advance and have a good reason.

Some would try to sharp shoot every holiday or weekend that there is something going on. Those who practice that are usually shown no quarter.

Regards

Posted from iPhone