Flintlock76 Backshop There's a recently retired railroader who writes stories for a certain rail magazine who appears not to have missed too many meals in his lifetime. Even older pictures show him as being "hefty". If it's who I think you're referring to during his time on the Lehigh Valley his nickname was "The Bear." A fine writer! His stories of the Valley are very enjoyable.
Backshop There's a recently retired railroader who writes stories for a certain rail magazine who appears not to have missed too many meals in his lifetime. Even older pictures show him as being "hefty". If it's who I think you're referring to during his time on the Lehigh Valley his nickname was "The Bear." A fine writer! His stories of the Valley are very enjoyable.
There's a recently retired railroader who writes stories for a certain rail magazine who appears not to have missed too many meals in his lifetime. Even older pictures show him as being "hefty".
If it's who I think you're referring to during his time on the Lehigh Valley his nickname was "The Bear." A fine writer! His stories of the Valley are very enjoyable.
charlie hebdoBalt was in dispatching, not operating motive power so maybe the restrictions only applied to the latter.
Throughout my career I was in many other organizations other than Dispatching, being Asst. Trainmaster for nearly a decade. Some of the Engineers under my supervision were well over six feet and many were well over two hundred pounds, as were Conductors and Trainmen.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Balt was in dispatching, not operating motive power so maybe the restrictions only applied to the latter.
BaltACD Ulrich tree68 Anyone who has climbed into the cab of an RS3 knows they were not built with a 6'4" 250+ pound crew member in mind... Some railroads had maximum height restrictions for train crew personnel..B&O for example had a 5 ft 10 in limit. Not sure if any of the current carriers have such restrictions.. likely not.. Wasn't aware of any such limit when I hired out in 1965, and never heard of it during the years B&O was the issuing company for my paycheck. There were numerous fellow employees that were well over six feet.
Ulrich tree68 Anyone who has climbed into the cab of an RS3 knows they were not built with a 6'4" 250+ pound crew member in mind... Some railroads had maximum height restrictions for train crew personnel..B&O for example had a 5 ft 10 in limit. Not sure if any of the current carriers have such restrictions.. likely not..
tree68 Anyone who has climbed into the cab of an RS3 knows they were not built with a 6'4" 250+ pound crew member in mind...
Anyone who has climbed into the cab of an RS3 knows they were not built with a 6'4" 250+ pound crew member in mind...
Some railroads had maximum height restrictions for train crew personnel..B&O for example had a 5 ft 10 in limit. Not sure if any of the current carriers have such restrictions.. likely not..
Wasn't aware of any such limit when I hired out in 1965, and never heard of it during the years B&O was the issuing company for my paycheck. There were numerous fellow employees that were well over six feet.
I could be wrong...maybe it wasn't B&O...I recall reading about someone who was disqualified due to his height..
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
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Flintlock76 charlie hebdo Seems from photos that there is an abundance of avoirdupois on many railroad operating staff from previous generations. Cultures do change. In previous generations a sign of, let's call it "heft," on a person and his family was considered a sign of prosperity.
charlie hebdo Seems from photos that there is an abundance of avoirdupois on many railroad operating staff from previous generations.
Seems from photos that there is an abundance of avoirdupois on many railroad operating staff from previous generations.
Cultures do change. In previous generations a sign of, let's call it "heft," on a person and his family was considered a sign of prosperity.
I am not talking about the distant and semi-distant past. I'm referring to the 21st century. This was discussed previously on here with graphic examples of obese operating personnel among railcrews and LEOs.
Flintlock76In previous generations a sign of, let's call it "heft," on a person and his family was considered a sign of prosperity.
charlie hebdo: Seems from photos that there is an abundance of avoirdupois on many railroad operating staff from previous generations
I see a big difference in fitness when I visit either coast. People of all ages seem more health conscious there. Here in Ohio, and elsewhere in between, people generally are noticably bigger than when I was a boy.
I understand that at the end of its first sailing season, RMS Queen Mary 2 had to have many of its deck chairs and others replaced. It seems the overweight Americans had busted them with their weight and girth.
When walking around in Europe it's not too hard to spot our countrymen because of this.
That seems to be true in a variety of businesses. Smoking began to become less acceptable as just a bad habit in around the late 70's to early 80's.
charlie hebdoSeems from photos that there is an abundance of avoirdupois on many railroad operating staff from previous generations.
True of most professions, I'd say.
I was reading a discussion that some belive it's the fewer number of people that are smokers (smoking being an appetite suppressant). I'm no Dr., but I know when I hired on it was rare to have a RRer that didn't smoke. Quite the opposite now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
UlrichThe current generation appears to be less fit than previous generations.. but that includes older people too. Slim and well toned used to come naturally... now it has to be worked for in a gym because modern everyday living nolonger provides it.
Just as an aside, the US Army is now sending many of its recruits too something like "Pre-Basic Training." They were rejecting many recruits because those recruits were less fit than desired. But they couldn't get enough people who met the standards of physical fitness. So they've now set up a system to get young people in shape for basic traiining.
Many youths today sport a physique that would have been, in my day, and to use a current term, "fat shamed." It seems to be the new normal...
NKP: retired (20 yr) HS instructor also. It's much worse in school nowadaze. BUT I always wondered, what view MY teachers had when I was in school.
As a crew carrier, many T&E commented these managers can't run a model train, much less a real RR.
I tried to instill (Physics) students, when you get your PE license and are the BOSS on a job, MAKE sure you pay attention to the ole man who is supervising workers. He knows/seen things you have never heard of. Same for military. Boot louie needs to listen to 1st Sgt. endmrw0411241141
NKP guy Psychot lol, and the "Greatest Generation" said the Boomers were lazy and lacked their work ethic. 'Twas ever thus, probably since the beginning of time. For sure. My dad (b.1919, "Greatest Generation") held his father's generation in awe, as I did and do. One of dad's buddies told me (c.1986) he once heard my great-grandfather (b.1864) tell my grandfather (b.1887) "You know what's wrong with your generation? You're weak. You're weak here (pointing to his bicep), and you're weak here (pointing to his temple)." I burst out laughing in disbelief when he told me that. I tried to keep that anecdote in mind as I taught high school and was tempted to think the same thing at times; I guess it's human nature.
Psychot lol, and the "Greatest Generation" said the Boomers were lazy and lacked their work ethic. 'Twas ever thus, probably since the beginning of time.
For sure.
My dad (b.1919, "Greatest Generation") held his father's generation in awe, as I did and do. One of dad's buddies told me (c.1986) he once heard my great-grandfather (b.1864) tell my grandfather (b.1887) "You know what's wrong with your generation? You're weak. You're weak here (pointing to his bicep), and you're weak here (pointing to his temple)." I burst out laughing in disbelief when he told me that.
I tried to keep that anecdote in mind as I taught high school and was tempted to think the same thing at times; I guess it's human nature.
The current generation appears to be less fit than previous generations.. but that includes older people too. Slim and well toned used to come naturally... now it has to be worked for in a gym because modern everyday living nolonger provides it.
Every generation that is 'in power' views all the following generations as weak and inadequate - despite the fact that the 'in power' generation was the teacher of the generations they feature as weak and inadequate.
Psychotlol, and the "Greatest Generation" said the Boomers were lazy and lacked their work ethic. 'Twas ever thus, probably since the beginning of time.
charlie hebdo Ditto. It's pretty lame to hear my generation (Boomers) whining about what slackers the younger generation is. How soon we forget!
Ditto. It's pretty lame to hear my generation (Boomers) whining about what slackers the younger generation is. How soon we forget!
lol, and the "Greatest Generation" said the Boomers were lazy and lacked their work ethic. 'Twas ever thus, probably since the beginning of time.
I heard we had a couple of new guys quit within the last couple of days. They had one year in. They received their last sign-on bonus payment and pulled the pin.
Jeff
zugmannMany of these younger guys are some of the best RRers we have
That's good news and an encouraging thing to read.
zugmann NKP guy We already know millenials have a reputation, deserved or not, for not having anything like the work ethic of boomers and previous generations. Combine these two qualities (?) and it's obvious railroads are going to have Hell's own time finding suitably responsible employees in the necessary numbers. We're past millenials and are now into hiring Generation Z. And honestly? Many of these younger guys are some of the best RRers we have, esp. given how little actual training the RR wants to give them. I don't know whether they will stick around. The pay isn't as great as it used to be (and I don't think pay will ultimately be the deciding factor). If PSR comes back into play again and cuts jobs, I don't think they'll be too keen on waiting out a furlough, chasing work, or having to work jobs they don't like (road v. yard v. local).
NKP guy We already know millenials have a reputation, deserved or not, for not having anything like the work ethic of boomers and previous generations. Combine these two qualities (?) and it's obvious railroads are going to have Hell's own time finding suitably responsible employees in the necessary numbers.
We're past millenials and are now into hiring Generation Z. And honestly? Many of these younger guys are some of the best RRers we have, esp. given how little actual training the RR wants to give them.
I don't know whether they will stick around. The pay isn't as great as it used to be (and I don't think pay will ultimately be the deciding factor). If PSR comes back into play again and cuts jobs, I don't think they'll be too keen on waiting out a furlough, chasing work, or having to work jobs they don't like (road v. yard v. local).
A lot depends on the institutional memory of PSR - do those pushing PSR remember the chaos and lost revenue opportunities that happened the previous time that they pared the organization's work force to the bone and thus created the corporate inability to satisfy their customers demands for service.
I fear those infected with PSR and its mantra, have a shorter memory span than 1/2 the business cycle and will continue to make the same bad choices until there are no railroads left.
OWTX A change of district or railroad is likely in a career arc.
Ah, the boomer railroader.
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