Dumb Question #347: What do engineers wear?

[SpaceMouse]

I got my replcaement boards for my Proto 2000 F2a/b units. They have the train drivers sitting in the cab painted Brunswiick Green. I figured since it was open I'd paint them.

So what would a PRR F2A train driver wear? A picture would be really nice.

[dehusman]

Pretty much anything he wants, there was no uniform.

Denim was popular. I would go with a shade of blue or khaki.

Dave H.

[Anonymous]

Clothes, I would hope they would wear some.
Ohhhh, bad visual. [:O]
Sorry, couldn't resist that one. [(-D]


Chris

[Jetrock]

Unless he was a member of the Brotherhood of Nudist Railroad Engineers!

Not recommended for steam locomotive operators!

The traditional "engineer" garments were bib overalls or jeans, a blue & white striped engineer's cap, a jaunty red kerchief around the neck, and a heavy work shirt. Steam-era engineers typically wore their hair long to avoid having cinders go down the collar of their shirt.

[Anonymous]

Hopefully some clothes (sick images), but seroiusly, probably demin pants or overalls.

[METRO]

I've got a uniform that the engineers on my commuter line wear, but this is uncomon and I really just did it so that I could use assembly line painting on them. All of the enginers on my freight lines wear what could be described as work/street clothes.

What they wear would really depend on your era and location. An example would be that switch crews in northern climates would wear heavier clothing because they are getting out of their engines a lot to throw switches and couple/uncouple cars. While an trainman on a long-haul passenger train might wear some lighter clothing as passenger engines usually were well maintained by roads and this would include creature comforts like cab heaters.

~METRO

[Javern]

Sears & Roebuck dungarees

[WSOR 3801]

Oshkosh B'Gosh hickory stripe bibbies, with the Hamilton pocket watch in the provided pocket. Nowadays, since Oshkosh moved production overseas, Key brand bibbies are the choice. Lee and Dickies are two other brands to look for.

I've got the Key bibs, just gotta find a pocket watch. :)

[AntonioFP45]

I have a video showing Pennsy Railroad trains running. Only a few of the engineers and firemen were wearing traditional bibs. One engineer on an Alco PA was wearing blue jeans and a dark blue "denim jean" button up shirt. He did wear the traditional striped cap.
His fireman looked cool. He was wearing the traditional striped bibs, but also had a black neck tie on.

[johncolley]

Boxers or Briefs? Depends on seniority, eh?

[trolleyboy]

Overall or jeans.Some passenger trains had ral unoforms ie the conductor with his jacket and tie.I know our museum uniform is either the traditional Oevrall or dark paints with button up shirt and a tie. I'd suggest maybe looking at some specific Pensey books at aee what the crews were generally wearing in the pictures.Likely as good a clue as any. Rob

[SpaceMouse]

Maybe I could just do a compromise between the clothes suggestions and the nekid ones. Kinda like the newscasters that wear a suit above the table and nothing below it.

[AntonioFP45]

SpaceMouse,

If you have acess to a hobby shop that stocks the "Don Ball" color photo railroad books, take a look at them, They're excellent. There are Pennsy Railroad photos in several of his books that show pictures of locomotive crews.

[cwclark]

there's a story behind the neckerchiefs the railroad engineers used to wear..for one (Before the cab forward locomotives) they used them to cover their noses to cut down on the amount of smoke they were taking in the train tunnels and for the dust storms that used to blow across the open prairies into the open cabs of the locomotives, thirdly..they could take them from around their necks and use them for signal flags....chuck

[Javern]

do Amtrak employees have uniforms?