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(erielack) Typing train orders



Walt and list:

On August 15 Walt commanded the electrons to form the following:

>I used to wonder about those old guys who used a typewriter to take train orders. I always wrote them longhand. I NEVER >understood how they did it. 

Me either Walt. I tried it a few times while working as a tower operator. Most of the towers on the EL West End had what was called a "billing" typewriter. The billing typewriter was set up to type in all CAPS. You couldn't type lower case even if you wanted to. Hmm, reminds me of a related issue on this list about CAPS but I digress. The station agents used these battered old Underwoods to type out waybills, and no station was complete without one or two of these old clunkers sitting around.

The problem with typing out train orders was some dispatchers would "send" too fast for this 2-3 fingered hamfisted "typist" to copy. One attempt resulted in me falling way behind the dispatcher. When I asked him to repeat the order so I could catch up, I was treated to a string of cuss words ( including a few I had never heard before at that tender young age) describing my railroading ability or to be more accurate my lack of it! This cussing out was heard by everyone on the dispatcher's line from Kenton, Ohio to Hammond, Indiana as we did not have block lines on the West End - you had to monitor the dispatcher's line to keep track (pun intended) of the trains. I felt about 2 inches tall by the time the cranky old timer finished ranting and raving at me. I know we have a few former EL dispatchers on this list, I did not work with them (not that I remember anyways) and am not referring to them. I have in mind one or two Marion dispatchers who have since been promoted to that great dispatching office in the sky.

By the way Walt I have enjoyed your stories of railroading around Scranton and points east. Thanks for sharing them with us.


Phil Albano

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