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Re: (erielack) The Hayshaker



Wakt,
I believe that many who dispatch model RR Op sessions could probably do a better job. We like it and consider fun, not a job.








Fred Stratton

MP. 7.2 NS Asheville line

Salisbury, NC


From: "Walter Smith" <wsmith5957_@_hotmail.com>
Reply-To: "Walter Smith" <wsmith5957_@_hotmail.com>
To: tgcostello2_@_cox.net, eldispatcher72@yahoo.com, erielack@lists.elhts.org, PapaG1954@gmail.com, pemchugh@aol.com
CC: alfred_runte_@_msn.com, overcrailway@aol.com, evosatka@bellsouth.net, dewilkin@earthlink.net
Subject: Re: (erielack) The Hayshaker
Date: Sun, 08 Oct 2006 13:34:39 -0400
>GEE, Tim & others.........
>
> Dispatching sure has changed (at least on the CSX). When I 
>went to TRI_RAIL in 1988, the CSX did the dispatching on what had 
>been the old Seaboard Airline from West Palm Beach to Miami.
>After getting qualified, I was running a morning train north with 
>one of the CSX officials riding the cabcar with me. I knew they had 
>the big dispatching center in 
Jacksonville. I also knew they had 
>major troubles with trying to dispatch the WHOLE road from there 
>(Working for AMTRAK,I distinctly remember being stuck South of 
>Richmond, Va. when the whole thing broke down.....no signals, no 
>radio,had to send the conductor to a farmhouse to use the phone) and 
>began talking to him on how they got folks qualified to be a 
>dispatcher since many of them were 'newhires' and very young. He 
>told me "We have them look at videotapes of the railroad to learn 
>the road". I didn't say anymore.........I mean what was the point? I 
>just became VERY careful dealing with them. There were a few 
>dispatchers who KNEW the road & knew what they were doing, but as 
>they left (retired) it became rather funny out there. NOW, I hear 
>HERZOG (the subcontractor at TRI-RAIL) will do 
it's own dispatching. 
>That really ought to be a hoot!
> I remember working on the ERIE Mahoning Div'n as an 
>operator and asking a dispatcher (Ray Brody) how he managed to learn 
>the road. I was advised that he got a knapsack & left Kent & WALKED 
>all the way to Meadville (in 3 days). WHAT a difference!
>
>
>>From: Timothy Costello <tgcostello2_@_cox.net>
>>Reply-To: Timothy Costello <tgcostello2_@_cox.net>
>>To: Richard Pennisi <eldispatcher72_@_yahoo.com>, 
>>erielack_@_lists.elhts.org
>>Subject: Re: (erielack) The Hayshaker
>>Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2006 21:17:22 -0700
>>
>>At 08:19 PM 10/6/2006, you wrote:
>>>Fred and listers,
>>>
>>> The Hayshaker just ran as an extra train from Suffern back to 
>>>Croxton. 
An assumption on the name "hayshaker" is that it stopped 
>>>so many places it shook the hay getting cars out of each customer.
>>>
>>> I rode this job when I was learning the road to become a train 
>>>dispatcher in Hoboken. After we left Croxton, we stopped in 
>>>Hackensack, the crew tied down the train. Everyone headed back to 
>>>the caboose as the brakeman had cooked eggs, bacon, toast and 
>>>coffee on the caboose stove. It was great. About 1pm we were 
>>>around Hillsdale and the brakeman got off the train while we were 
>>>switching and went to a market near by to get groceries for 
>>>dinner. About 5pm after we were heading west on the Piermont 
>>>Branch we tied the train down again out in the middle of no where. 
>>> The engineer said 
"come on kid, dinner is ready." We walked 
>>>back to the caboose and the brakeman had cooked a pot roast dinner 
>>>for every one. We had potatoes, vegetables, meat and dinner rolls 
>>>and of course coffee. We had pie for dessert What a meal it was. 
>>>We then left and headed to Suffern. I got off there and took a 
>>>passenger train back to Hoboken then took another train back to 
>>>Dover where I lived.
>>> The Hayshaker ran around their train and proceeded back to 
>>>Croxton.
>>>
>>> It was a 17 hour day for me and I didn't get paid for it. On 
>>>the EL if you wanted to be a train dispatcher, you were issued a 
>>>head end pass and were told to go out and learn the road on your 
>>>own. When you were ready, you went into the 
dispatcher's office 
>>>to break in on a job.
>>>
>>> Rich Pennisi
>>
>>Rich, and all:
>>
>>I grew up in Hillsdale, and was a frequent visitor to the station 
>>and environs from 1970-1974.
>>
>>Do any of your EL railroaders recall the station agent, John 
>>Shepard? John lived on Long Island and commuted to Hillsdale in a 
>>big Caprice. He was very kind and helpful to me. Do you guys 
>>remember "Zeke" the signal maintainer for that section of the 
>>NJ&NY. He was a colorful character.
>>
>>As I recall, the Hayshaker would frequently tie up in Hillsdale for 
>>lunch. Living in Hillsdale was great, as we had one of the run 
>>around sidings north of Hackensack. Work trains, inspection trains 
>>and other 
equipment would tie up in Hillsdale overnight.
>>
>>Best regards,
>>Tim Costello
>>
>>
>>
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>
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