"Tricks"

[Anonymous]

I've read in classic trains of peoples working shifts discribed as "tricks" How many hours is it & how's it broken down in a 24 hr peoriod. Is the term still used today?????? I'm a 8-5:30 guy, so I don't know anything about that stuff. Thanks Easter.

[jimrice4449]

Think of it as a synonym for "shift" On most RRs 1st trick was 8-4, 2nd 4-12 and third 12-8. On the Milwaukee (at least where I worked, in St Maries Id) they were each an hour earlier.

[Anonymous]

Jim,thanks for the scoop. Easter

[Anonymous]

The road I worked on also started the shifts at 7am, 3pm, and 11pm. For awhile I worked what they called a 'swing shift' back when we had a 6 day week. Interlocker towers were manned 24/7 so if two towers were close to each other, a 7th man would relieve the day man at tower 1, swing down to tower 2 the next day to relieve the day man there. The next two days, the swing man would relieve the second shift (trick) operators, and then, on his last two days of a six-day work week, relieve the 3rd shift men.

(During WWII, factories called the second shift the swing shift, so when I started on the RR, I was confused at first about their 'swing shift'.)

Note that this swing man had 24 hours off between first shifts and second shifts, another 24 hours between the 2nd and 3rd, and the 24 hours off between 3rd and 1st was his 'day' off. But it was sorta nice; you had days to do day things, like shopping; you had evenings to squire your girl friend around, and the nights were never too busy so hopefully you could sneak in a few hours of needed sleep. Always hold something in your hand while snoozing; hopefully the noise of the wrench or whatever hitting the floor will wake you up before the dispatcher needs you!!!!

Art