Railroaders' Nostalgia > Retirement Chronicles - Those Damn Felt Boots

During late 1981 and early 1982 I had worked a few short stints as a brakeman and a trackman, but at this time it seemed prudent to go back to college and finish out my bachelor's degree. This was accomplished at the State University of New York, College of Technology at Utica. The redeeming factor it had at the time is that many of the classrooms and facilities were located close to the former Erie Lackawanna Utica - Binghamton branch I had grown up next to, or the ex NYC Conrail main with plenty of action and many Amtrak moves. Utica Union Station housing Conrail's Mohawk-Hudson Division offices were about a mile away. What could be better ? 

Rarely did I skip Railroading 101, and one afternoon I was hanging out with the crew of Train UTWV-52, the local that operated over the ex EL. We were setting off interchange at Richfield Junction, the junction of the 22 mile branch to Richfield Springs, now operated by the Central New York Railroad. It was winter, and it was cold and there was snow up to the keester, literally. I was wearing a pair of those leather / rubber boots with the felt liners with a pair of boot socks. Snow had gotten in over the top of them and packed into the felt, which began to melt with my body heat and soak my socks and the felt liners. The snow also had been up over my knees, and my jeans were also soaked. After getting on the caboose for the ride up over the summit of Paris Hill and down to Sangerfield to switch out the feed mills I took my boots and wet socks off and proceeded to dry the socks over the fuel oil stove. As I sat barefoot up in the cupola, my lower legs ached with pain and cold so I found some old newspapers and stuffed them up my pant legs. As we went over the top of the hill, the snow was so deep in places it was up to the top of the cupola. After a while things warmed up and dried out and I joined the Conductor for a spaghetti dinner heated over the stove. I never liked those stoves, the smell of fuel oil stunk to high heavens.

1. During the blizzard of March 1940, Shimmel's Cut over at South Columbia near Richfield Springs was as always an operating nightmare packed with snow. almost to the top of the caboose cupola like it was on my ride up Paris Hill 42 years later. I grew up in Central NY and was used to big snow. This line was former DL&W. EL sold the Richfield Branch to the CNY in December 1973.

2. Various forms of winter clothing and footware are noted in this scene about the time of my cold ride. This is Richfield Junction and a small derailment cleanup.

3. Trackman Jason Roberts with boots on sweeps out a switch at Richfield Junction.

Many guys wore those felt lined boots, and I had heard of the Lehigh Valley guys out of Hazelton, PA nicknamed "Feltbooters" as they wore this style of winter footware. Remember, this was a time before steel-toed safety shoes were on the radar and choice of footware was much more casual and personal.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/26 12:52 by train1275.

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After getting home I told my grandfather of my ordeal and he simply said, you have the wrong boots. What ??  He took me down to the local Agway (sort of a farm supply store at the time in our area) and bought me a pair of green rubber farm boots. When he picked them out I looked at them and they had no insulation ,,, I questioned him and he said they would do. He did buy me a pair of new wool boot socks, in case I thought I needed them. I thought he was crazy, but I tried them. They worked ,,,, they worked well. Over the almost 45 years since railroading and just winter, my feet have never again been as cold as they were in that caboose. And I lived and railroaded in the Adirondacks of New York, Alaska (although I had to wear my nice Redwings while on duty there),  back east to NW Pennsylvania and to Central New York where I closed my career on the NYS&W on the very line I made that cold trip so many years before.

4. More snow clean out at Richfield Junction on February 12, 1982 with brakeman Tommy Jacksina and Trackman Roger Nichols. Tommy has on a pair of those felt boots and boot socks just like I was wearing several weeks before.

5. Ronnie Hart works the Canal Branch yard at Utica on a cold January day in 1982.

6. My favorite boots. The green farm boots my grandfather bought me in 1982 have long since gone to the great beyond, but these replacement types have served me well. This pair I bought in Alaska in 2008 or 2009 for cold hiking and fishing, and still have them in 2026. They need a little TLC, but I'll tell ya ,,, they sure beat THOSE DAMN FELT BOOTS !!

Your experience, comfort and mileage may vary, please use responsibly



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/26 12:54 by train1275.

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To quote Lee Corso "Not so fast my friend"...
Having suffered thru more than my share of Maine and New Hampshire winters, I found my "Herman Survivors" style boots toasty warm for hours and hours. Rubber boots hurt my hammer toes!
But whatever works is my theory...
Nice series by the way, thanks for posting!

Bob Phelps
Micanopy, FL

I'm sure glad that our Idaho winters aren't like that anymore. This winter has been almost snowless except for one or two small storms but back then was a different matter. Shoveling switches to go one way and then having to clean them again to throw to go the other way not to mention chipping ice. Thank heaven for fusees.

Heres what I use in winter and I believe alot of railroads now issue these or similar models of rubber overshoes.  They have metal spikes on the outside sole to help with traction on ice.  They just slip right on over your normal everyday workboot.  This perticular model does a great job keeping moisture and cold off your feet. And the zipper makes them super easy to slide on and off.
JC

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JasonCNW Wrote:
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> Heres what I use in winter and I believe alot of
> railroads now issue these or similar models of
> rubber overshoes.  They have metal spikes on the
> outside sole to help with traction on ice.  They
> just slip right on over your normal everyday
> workboot.  This perticular model does a great job
> keeping moisture and cold off your feet. And the
> zipper makes them super easy to slide on and off.
> JC

Look interesting, I'd like to try a pair.

Up in Alaska they had what they called "moon boots" but I did not have a pair, nor did I ever get too close to any to better check them out and see what they were all about.
Maybe someone here on TO knows.
 

I had to work in Brusnwick, ME for two winter months about 25 years ago, inspecting Navy P-3C Orions. I got to railfan the MEC and GTW in my off time. NAS Brunswick closed and redeveloed, P-3s retired, the world moves on.

I got a pair of "Maine Hunting Boots" from L.L. Bean in Freeport ME. Those boots look a lot like the boots I bought.

Arved Grass
Long Beach, WA