Re: (erielack) The Hamtin dwarf signal

[walter smith <wsmith5957_@_yahoo.com>]

Nooo, Paul, 

          BUT we did switchout (Road engines to the shop, Auto-Carriers to the unloading ramp, then psgr cars to the washrack, & by this time the crknockers had inspected the carriers so when we put the psgr cars back, we'd rush to the ramp & begine selecting the carriers for the wheelpit. By this time, the carmen had inspected the psgr stuff and after leaving the carriers at the wheelpit, we'd begin tearing the train apart totake THESE cars to the pit). All this with a short switchcrew - engr, cond'r, & 1 switchman. The conductor (to whom I shall dedicate any book I ever write about this) was a former Illinos Central man who had to be one of the BEST yard conductors I ever worked with. He'd keep all the moves in his head altho one bad day the general foreman came leaping up screaming, "Alfred, we got to get building this train, it's 3 o clock & the train leaves at 4 30". The conductor replied "Tommy, this train is like a herd of goats - it's
 all over this yard."
       FYI, Paul, the train was originally concieved as being a 28 or 30 car train. The CSX had put out a 2 or 3 page memo to this effect & I had a copy. BUT as business grew, the train became 35, 40, 45, and finally 52 or 54 cars. At this point, the SCL stepped in and set a limit of 40 or 45 cars. That's why she needed 3 road engines, too. When they started running the Louisville train & crammed 2 trains into the little yard to be switched, we had 2 switch crews getting in each others way. Once again there was no planning.......one of the general foremen would tell you "Hey, the Louisville train is by DeLand" and you'd have to scurry to get track 3 (the platform track) cleared up to let him in AND keep in mind the Lorton train would have to leave at 4:30PM. A couple times the switch crews put auto-carriers for Washington into the Louisville train resulting in the passengers gettiing to Lorton, but their cars being in Kentucky. 
     Combine this with the AT habit of giving your crew an electrician to'help with the switching' and you could see the fun we had where, like many things on the railroad, 'it looks easy,but you'll damn soom findout it ain't'. I thank God for my alma mater the ERIE & EL.

Regards to all,

Walter E. Smith




________________________________
From: Paul Brezicki <doctorpb_@_bellsouth.net>
To: EL Mailing List <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>; Walt Smith <wsmith5957@yahoo.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 26, 2009 8:18:29 AM
Subject: Re: (erielack) The Hamtin dwarf signal

Another great story, Walt, but I think AT was an aberration and the opposite has happened: the industry has become more safety-conscious, and current operating rules often slow things down to the point where scheduled deliveries cannot be made within the hours of service law. For example, personnel are no longer permitted to get on or off moving equipment. Perhaps Bob Bahrs and others can weigh in on this.

Here's an excerpt from Fred Frailey's excellent book "Blue Streak Merchandise", describing some of the antics that occurred in the 1960's at Cotton Belt's midpoint Gravity Yard in Pine Bluff AR, in the interest of keeping the BSM on its almost impossible 50.5 hr E St Louis-LA schedule. The BSM was allowed just 20 minutes to add Memphis cars to each of its six classifications, as well as inspection and engine change. Quoting the Trainmaster: "God, the safety rules we broke. Switchmen would be joining air hoses while we were still recoupling the BSM. Some nights we'd have to reclassify the BSM on the fly-literally." The switcher at one set of crossovers would kick a cut of cars down No 1 track toward another switcher, which would grab those cars and send a cut flying in the opposite direction. "One switch crew ...liked to catch cars coming toward it at 30 mph." There were lots of minor derailments usually caused by pushing cars through a crossover that
 wasn't lined and then pulling back and getting wheels off at the switch points. "We got to where we could rerail 'em about as fast as they went off." The record for inspection, engine change and adding the Memphis cars: 12 minutes.

Betcha never did all that at Sanford!

Paul B


From: walter smith <wsmith5957_@_yahoo.com>
Subject: (erielack) The Hamtin dwarf signal

  At the last meeting of the FEC Chapter of the NRHS, I related a couple stories about the OLD Auto-Train. As I was leaving, the members asked for an encore but since I was short on time, I promised to WRITE a story for inclusion in the monthly newsletter.
    It is my contention that the operating departments in the railroad business have (like our banking industry) gotten more and more careless. I first learned this at the OLD Auto-Train in Sanford where I worked as an engineer in the yard there. The Vice-President/Operations was Mr. Arne Q. Olson who had previously been in charge of the private cars of the wealthy 'snowbirds' who came south for the winter. This required a great knowledge of all the systems of passenger  cars - electrical, water, air, steam, air conditioning............you get the picture. It did NOT require a knowledge of the OPERATING department and therein lay our problem. All us folks on the switchcrews had to do was get the cars to the wheelpit, riptrack,...wherever. Just DO IT.




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