Railroaders' Nostalgia > Switch engine at Dodge

By July of 1978 I had been employed in Middle Division train/yard service for the Santa Fe for about 6 weeks. I had established my seniority on June the 6th. For the first 11 days I worked the switchman’s extra board at Wichita before being allowed to mark up on and work the brakeman’s extra board out of Emporia where I was living. That lasted about a month before the summer wheat rush slowed down enough to get me furloughed. But they immediately offered me a spot on the switchman’s extra board out at Dodge City -different seniority district- where the wheat rush was still going strong.

My very first assignment at Dodge was the 3rd trick switcher on July 25. I reported a little bit early and was able to grab a tripod, time exposure shot of the engine we would be using. It was GP38 3508. It was also the start of an education on how good the 38s were for general switching. Being normally aspirated they could load right up and kick the snot out of a string of cars. And with brake shoes on all four axles, they had great stopping power. For one of my very next shifts my crew had a GP39-2. The switch foreman took me aside and explained that not only did the turbocharged 39-2s take longer to load, they also had brake shoes on only 2 axles. So, when I had to give the engineer hand signals coming up to a joint, I would have to give those signals a bit sooner than I would have with a GP38. I would last at Dodge for 2 months before that wheat rush fizzled and I was furloughed again.

But not to worry! Santa Fe informed me they needed switchmen at Argentine. So, I was headed for my third seniority district, now on the Kansas City Division. I still held my Middle Division 1st district seniority at Emporia, and I was holding 2nd district seniority at Dodge while working with new seniority in Argentine Yard. I don’t mind telling you that I was in railfan heaven! Being paid to work in Argentine, one of the great Santa Fe meccas was quite a thrill. Not to mention being able to roam -equipped with Kodachrome- all over the metro KC area. But my stint there lasted 2 weeks before I was recalled at Emporia. I reluctantly resigned my seniority at Argentine. I would work 6 more weeks in Emporia before getting the usual winter furlough. In April of 1979 I would be recalled at Emporia and would eventually have to resign my other seniority at Dodge. Needless to say, with me bouncing around all over the Santa Fe map for Kansas I was off and running on a great career adventure...

1. AT&SF 3508 awaits the 3rd trick switch crew at Dodge City, KS on July 25, 1978.

Thanks for listening!
Lance Garrels
santafe199

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Familiar stories with etablishing seniority thither and yon....so I did but when I entered engine service had to give up trainman's seniority that had kept me working during a furlough....it worked for the best...that other seniority would not be doing me much good now....eastern Kentucky coal is a shadow of itself.