Where did engineers sleep?

[Anonymous]

I was wondering where these guys slept; the rest of the crew, brakemen and the conductor else had the caboose. But where did the engineer and fireman sleep?

[PBenham]

Well, given an opportunity,engineers slept at home,in their own beds. That's why yard and local jobs had(and to this day, have) regular crews,with high seniority. After finding out EARLY that train crews would need to layover at a distant point,railroads began to make arrangements with rooming houses near their yards. Some were OK, most weren't. After the founding of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers*,the Brotherhood pressured the railroads on this thorny issue. Many railroads found a savior in the YMCA. That group was acceptable to both labor and management, and with a few exceptions,most carriers had dorms run by the YMCA. They fed yard and road crews meals 24/7, and offered them a clean, inexpensive place to try to get their rest, without the temptation of drink or ladies of the evening that might frequent the seedier roominghouses (hotels). Now, the dorms are still around,but with political correctness the way of the day, most YMCAs connected to railroads are gone. CSX, has its own hotel chain, Oak Tree Inns,while others contract with commercial facilities that also serve other transportation professionals. Whew,hope that gives you some insight into the subject. Is there a history of the YMCA in print? I know of older titles, which were intended to educate young men towards living virtuous lives, and not a scholarly history of the Y./ P.Benham *as well as other operating unions/brotherhoods

[Anonymous]

Don't know about in the states, but in Cuba they sleep in the caboose or in houses or appartments strategically located at various parts along the railroad where they are ready to be called upon and to do shift work.

[Anonymous]

Is that why you see or use to see cabooses parked on sidings, for no aparent reason?

[Anonymous]

Hi Lotus098,

Yes, you are absolutely right. Most railway engineers know that it' alot of shift work at all times of the day and you always had to be ready for when the next train literally pulled in and it would be off to work. Sometimes they even slept and ate meals in the caboose while the train was in operation too.

In Cuba an engineer makes a good living and the rail service is a very prestegious position which any person with the drive and desire can become an engineer.

Their was an old black Cuban engineer who worked on the Santa Clara Province lines and Sancti Espiritus City. He was a steam man and drove 2-8-0's and 4-6-0's all his life and when he retired the government asked where he wanted his house to be built and he choose an area of land he liked close to one at the turntables at one of the depots and thta's where they built his home.

The government let him enter any of the machine shops and any part of the railway that he wished. He was given permission to enter any of the trains and ride in the cab of any locomotive and sometimes drive the locomotives any time he wished. He passed away back in the 80's but he enjoyed all his retired days and lived a rich, full life with his wife and his children and grandchildren.

[egmurphy]

QUOTE: PB: After the founding of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers*,the Brotherhood pressured the railroads on this thorny issue. Many railroads found a savior in the YMCA. That group was acceptable to both labor and management, and with a few exceptions,most carriers had dorms run by the YMCA.

So that's it?!? Cleared up a small question that's been in the deep recesses of my mind since I was a kid, a long time ago. I grew up just outside of New Haven, Conn. I can remember my folks driving down State St on the way to New Haven and seeing a huge old brick building that had the name "Railroad YMCA". I was familiar with the regular YMCA in downtown New Haven as we took swimming classes there. But I wondered why this one would be a "railroad" YMCA. Of course, I never asked anyone about it.

Now it becomes clear. State St in that area runs parallel to the New Haven's huge Cedar Hill Yard. So it was a natural location for crew layovers.

Thanks

Ed

[Anonymous]

Your welcome Ed and Lotus,

Sounds like this practice is true for the States and in Cuba too.