There is a little fiction in every truth in my opinion. I don't think we can help it sometimes. The story always gets a little bigger every time we tell about the biggest fish we catch. A friend of mine caught a 17 inch fish, not the 34 inches he keeps telling, but i still listen. I just shake my head and say "wow...! That was a big fish!"
Well, the story I have to tell may be a little exaggerated but not by me. I'll tell it just as I was told.
The 70's for some of the railroaders was a great time to work. most mangers didn't care what happened as long as the work was done safely. Amtrak would often times borrow UP employees to work for them.
There was conductor Jon and engineer chuck and an unknown brakemen working the morning zephyr.
Well, it seems to me that more people used the train more back then.
Anyway, I can only imagine conductor Jon being more helpful to the ladies than the other customers. He is talking to this chick who had arrived and was waiting on her ride home from the station. He was getting his "groove on' trying to get her number. Suddenly, he hears the all aboard warning horn. The zephyr is pulling away. This scene is not what you think where the train slowly starts pulling and he has time to catch it. These are diesel locomotives they are built for speed and speed away it did. Conductor Jon runs thinking there is no way I'm going to get left behind. He barely catches the last car. whew! just in time. Then he grasps the handle. The door is locked. I'm sure an expletive or two escape his mouth as he tries to get the attention of engineer chuck. Chuck does not see him riding the side of the passenger car while it speeds upwards to about 60-79 miles an hour. Now, he's thinking survival. With his radio in the car with his grip. He takes off his belt and straps himself to the ladder on the side of the car. Finally, the brakeman catches a glimpse of him out the window when he does his regular check of the doors. the brakeman radios the engineer to stop. He stops the train and they open the door to help him in. The brakeman radios "ahead, over " with a chuckle in his voice.
Engineer chuck responds " I hope you got her number" as they sped away.
I can't even imagine holding on at that speed. I hung on before at 25 mph and that made me nervous but 60 let alone 70 mph.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
This is all new to me.
I am not real sure how to begin. I enjoy writting in journals but telling these stories on the internet about myself and those I know is new to me. Honestly, I'm nervous about displaying these thoughts of mine on the WWW. I'm not your average writer or blogger. I never drempt about being a writer or anything like that.
I like telling stories and there are alot of them that float around the so called railroad water cooler. Some are funny, some gruesome and some i just shouldn't tell in case kids are reading. Although, like those that told me the stories to begin with had to tell someone. I just decided to tell everyone.
In 1997, I began working for Union Pacific Railroad. what a life altering event. I don't care what anyone told me about the job, i was not prepared for the inconvienence of being on call. Yes, I know many people are on call in the world and it's tuff but believe me it's not what you think. I am on call 24/7/365 days a year. i never know when I'm going to work.
My first call was for a midnight job working as a switchman in the rail yard. OK, I was trained three and half weeks for this. Now was the big test. This all being new kept me awake through the night.
The men i worked with were great they called me green and said i looked confused then laughed heartily. I couldn't help but laugh at myself along with them.
A few weeks later thinking i'm getting the hang of it all. It was the middle of winter. I bought thermals, sweaters, beanies, thermal bibs and a duckwalls coat plus the required boots. I was in debt just starting out but warm in 10 degree weather.
There i was trying to decifer the notes forman Bill jotted down for me on what looked like egyptian scrolls in hieroglyphics as he commanded on his radio "this (frieght) car goes here, that one there and do this, don't forget that, i'm kicking this car jump onto it, ride it down the track and tie a brake on it......" then i replied "ok say that again, over". He was not happy.
Well, the night was not over. I had one last move for the night. Forman Bill said he was going to kick some cars down a rail and asked "is a heel in the track?" (cars in that rail to stop the cars he is sending to me from rolling out). "Yes" I said. "There were cars way down there". He said "ok kick'em!" to the engineer. Remember, I had all the garb on including my radio which I had in my back pocket with the mic clipped to my new coat. I felt like the little kid whoes mom wrapped him up to go outside, Remeber "A Christmas Story".
I took one more look down the rail and the cars that were supposed to stop the cars forman bill just kicked were being pulled out the other end of the yard. Oh! No! Here they come, I think they're moving too fast nothing is going to stop these cars from going out the other end. I'll have to jump on. Wait, my saftey glasses are fogging up. I looked around the fog. I see the cars. They're here but where is the brake wheel side of the car. I'm supposed to climb on. I should know this. Oh it's on the other end. Timing, here we go run your going to miss it! Crap! My radio just fell out. It's barely hanging by the mic clipped to my coat with the radio dangling between my legs. Its going to get in the way if I get on the car. Shoot this is the wrong end of the car. I run to catch the other end. I did it I'm on. Then the car begins to slow down on its own. It comes to a complete stop on its own. Forman Bill Says on his radio " Hey, are you alright?" with a chuckle in his voice. " You know it goes up hill there."
I think I learned an important lesson that day. No matter how cold it is outside you can still get hot and sweaty. I'm just not sure if it was from embarrassment or from running in all those clothes. Either way, I think I acclimated that day because I haven't worn all those clothes since.
I like telling stories and there are alot of them that float around the so called railroad water cooler. Some are funny, some gruesome and some i just shouldn't tell in case kids are reading. Although, like those that told me the stories to begin with had to tell someone. I just decided to tell everyone.
In 1997, I began working for Union Pacific Railroad. what a life altering event. I don't care what anyone told me about the job, i was not prepared for the inconvienence of being on call. Yes, I know many people are on call in the world and it's tuff but believe me it's not what you think. I am on call 24/7/365 days a year. i never know when I'm going to work.
My first call was for a midnight job working as a switchman in the rail yard. OK, I was trained three and half weeks for this. Now was the big test. This all being new kept me awake through the night.
The men i worked with were great they called me green and said i looked confused then laughed heartily. I couldn't help but laugh at myself along with them.
A few weeks later thinking i'm getting the hang of it all. It was the middle of winter. I bought thermals, sweaters, beanies, thermal bibs and a duckwalls coat plus the required boots. I was in debt just starting out but warm in 10 degree weather.
There i was trying to decifer the notes forman Bill jotted down for me on what looked like egyptian scrolls in hieroglyphics as he commanded on his radio "this (frieght) car goes here, that one there and do this, don't forget that, i'm kicking this car jump onto it, ride it down the track and tie a brake on it......" then i replied "ok say that again, over". He was not happy.
Well, the night was not over. I had one last move for the night. Forman Bill said he was going to kick some cars down a rail and asked "is a heel in the track?" (cars in that rail to stop the cars he is sending to me from rolling out). "Yes" I said. "There were cars way down there". He said "ok kick'em!" to the engineer. Remember, I had all the garb on including my radio which I had in my back pocket with the mic clipped to my new coat. I felt like the little kid whoes mom wrapped him up to go outside, Remeber "A Christmas Story".
I took one more look down the rail and the cars that were supposed to stop the cars forman bill just kicked were being pulled out the other end of the yard. Oh! No! Here they come, I think they're moving too fast nothing is going to stop these cars from going out the other end. I'll have to jump on. Wait, my saftey glasses are fogging up. I looked around the fog. I see the cars. They're here but where is the brake wheel side of the car. I'm supposed to climb on. I should know this. Oh it's on the other end. Timing, here we go run your going to miss it! Crap! My radio just fell out. It's barely hanging by the mic clipped to my coat with the radio dangling between my legs. Its going to get in the way if I get on the car. Shoot this is the wrong end of the car. I run to catch the other end. I did it I'm on. Then the car begins to slow down on its own. It comes to a complete stop on its own. Forman Bill Says on his radio " Hey, are you alright?" with a chuckle in his voice. " You know it goes up hill there."
I think I learned an important lesson that day. No matter how cold it is outside you can still get hot and sweaty. I'm just not sure if it was from embarrassment or from running in all those clothes. Either way, I think I acclimated that day because I haven't worn all those clothes since.
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