Railroaders' Nostalgia > first check . . .

.   .   .    how's this for railroad nostalgia, my first check from my new employer Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Back when they handed you a check.
JB

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Just curious about something -  NO "Amount Withheld" for CA Income Tax.
I know California had an income tax back then, so why nothing withheld?
Also, notice how much lower Railroad Retirement Tax was in 1978. 6%?

When I worked in Carrizozo, NM our checks would come by train from El Paso.  Kind of a cool thing in 1983.

I still get paid by check.

Regards

Posted from iPhone

What was your position?

Hired on as yardman/brakeman. Started with two seniority numbers on Santa Fe. Ended in engine service with dual seniority as well as five seniority numbers.
JB



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/25 11:32 by 3rdswitch.

Very cool! I also took a picture of my first Southern Pacific paycheck. Funny now, not so funny in the day. In Roseville on payday the clerks would send the Switchmen their paychecks in the old "air tube" system to the various shanties from the yard office. One day they sent the checks out to the Antelope Shanty but it never arrived. It took almost two days to locate that wayward tube. From then on the switchmen had to go to the yard office to get their check.

We had to go to Taylor Yard and stand in line with all the crafts... Train men engineers clerks etc. It was like old home week you would run into employees that you hadn't seen in a long time. A clerk would scrutinize each check. Since business was quite brisk we all had hefty checks working every 8 to 10 hours for weeks at a time. Some of the clerks would become quite flirtatious. Thanks for the look back Joe. I remember the wages in 1970 our rate was $29 for a hundred miles.

Posted from Android

Santa Fe was unique in Southern California as San Bernardino, San Diego and Los Angeles were SHOW boards for all yard jobs. This meant all EXTRA BOARD yardpersons had to show up in person for each shift to see if you were going to get out (work). IF you didn't get out (work) you simply went home with nothing in your pockets. I worked out of Santa Fe's Hobart yard in Los Angeles where the crew office personel handed you your check twice a month (each half). Each show counted as a show which meant IF you didn't work, you didn't HAVE to show again on that calendar day. IF you wanted or needed to work you could show for each shift until you did or didn't get out. In 1979, I was the bottom man in Los Angeles and usually showed each morning during the week and if I didn't get out I did not drive the 18 miles one way to Hobart Yard for any other shift. Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday were usually days I would get out but IF I didn't on one of these days I would normally come back for afternoon shift. I NEVER liked graveyard and NEVER showed for that shift. Fortunately I went into engine service just a couple of months into this routine and never had to show again. It was a different world. Today, all extra boards are called at home and have a guarantee.
JB

I never thought to keep any of my check stubs from the Santa Fe… 🥲

Posted from iPhone

Check stubs are priceless when you get that audit notice...

First check I got with Atlantic Coast Line early June '67 was $15.73 for a day's pay. 
Clerks, T&E, MOW were paid at the crew clerk's office.  We would get a stack of checks about 8 inches high.                                                                                                     Everyone had to sign for their check.
There was quite a few that could only sign with an X.  There was two MOW employees whose ID 
number was 4 digits.  Wish I could remember when their hired out date was.  


Max

I knew some old ACL men who had 5 digit id numbers..


Sam

Back in the old days, a pay car would show up at a division point and they paid in hard currency. (I'm told if you go back far enough in history, that included 20 dollar gold pieces.That might be a month of pay.) 

Victor Baird

SP4360 Wrote:
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> When I worked in Carrizozo, NM our checks would
> come by train from El Paso.  Kind of a cool thing
> in 1983.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/25 18:21 by wabash2800.

I started working for a big outfit in 1980. Didn't keep my first payroll check, but I should have. Four years into the job I was on a temporary assignment in the former Yugoslavia. Guy walks up to me on the street and says he is a NY-based executive with our company. Introduces himself and I say "...hey I know you, you're the guy whose signature is on the paychecks..." He was floored and said "nobody has ever recognized me for that!" 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/07/25 10:37 by Alco251.

CPMorris Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just curious about something -  NO "Amount
> Withheld" for CA Income Tax.
> I know California had an income tax back then, so
> why nothing withheld?
> Also, notice how much lower Railroad Retirement
> Tax was in 1978. 6%?

Back then CA tax was very low, so probably below the threshold.  A bit different from today where top bracket is 14%



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/25 04:42 by masterphots.

All very interesting. Guess I should have photographed my first check from EMD on July 31,1962 but I never thought about it. As a new hire in the Field Service Dept., at $510 per month, plus a full weekly expense account when "out in the field", I was doing VERY well right out of college.

Speaking of tube systems, one day a clerk in SP's Taylor yard sent a cat though the tube.  It was not happy at the other end.

One time in San Bernardino I was about a week late in picking up my check. Usually there  was a line of trainmen on payday to receive their checks. The head crew clerk who was usually somewhat of a smarta** asked why I was so late. I told him being a railfan I only work here to foam don't really need  the money. .Dead silence and no comeback. Bill Webb

Good one.