Re: Re: (erielack) Train starter?

[Gordon Davids <g.davids_@_verizon.net>]

Bob -

I'm sure that your description of the procedure for staring trains at Hoboken is correct for our era.  Thanks for the clarification.

I saw the same cartoon from a different source, and the date was 1895.  In those years there was probably more than just a grain of truth in the characterizations, and Hoboken Terminal might not have been as well organized.  I can imagine a situation back then where the "train starters" actually worked the platform and loaded the trains.  

Even then, they would have been station employees, not train service.

Gordon

>From: Dlw1el2_@_aol.com
>Date: Mon Oct 24 00:02:14 CDT 2005
>To: g.davids_@_verizon.net, erielack@lists.elhts.org
>Subject: Re: (erielack) Train starter?

>In a message dated 10/22/2005 2:16:41 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, g.davids_@_verizon.net writes:The   train starter was the gateman at Hoboken Terminal, not the conductor.    When a train was due to leave, unless it was to be held for passengers from a   late ferry or H&M train (not uncommon) the gateman would close the gate to   the platform and signal to the conductor that it was OK to leave.  As   best as I can remember, the signal was simply closing the gate.  The   conductor was to see that no one was running or trying to climb on a departing   train.
>
>The conductor was in charge of the train, and I don't know were   the cartoonist got the idea that the "train starter" opened the car   doors.  That was normally the function of the train crew (conductor and   trainmen). 
> The equipment in that cartoon, conveys everything.  Its almost pre turn of the century, and anyone with any knowledge of the Lackawanna's commuter lines knows the tremendous amount of rebuilding that took place after that cartoon era.   Maybe those cartoons were a little inspiration to the RR to do the massive rebuilding that they did do? As far as departing Hoboken: When the GATEMAN closed the gate the FLAGMAN at the rear of the train then looked forward to see that the last person walking forward along the train had gotten on. Then he and the CONDUCTOR who would be at the head end of the train exchanged a highball,  the FLAGMAN would then give two on the whistle cord. The FLAGMAN  was always the guy that pulled two on the whistle cord at every station after getting a highball from the conductor at the other end of the train. Conductors always worked the head end of a passenger train. Bob Bahrs


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