Transition era crew size.

[Anonymous]

I read in a history of the Southern RR that there was a spirited argument over whether a fireman was neccessary on diesel locomotives. In the late 40's, the president of the Southern put firemen into diesels- he went out and hired old African Americans and told them their job was just to sit there and look out the window.

In the deep South of that time, this was the equivalent of sticking your finger in the eyes of the BLE and make it look like the BLE was racist as well. That's Dixie union busting at it's best.

I have also read that Pullman porters were almost exclusively African-Americans. Again, I have seen photos of white Pullman supervisors checking attendants for clean fingernails. I've even read a joke that was current at the time where "black" colleges were filled up with the sons of porters.

During World War II, there were plenty of women in the work force as well. I have seen photos of women cleaning locomotives and running stations, but none of them actually operating a train. After the war, most of them left the jobs they held and went home to become the June Cleavers of the fifties.

Erik

[ValleyX]

Ethnic makeup, it's hard to say, depends on what part of the country you lived in, I'm familiar with a terminal surrounded by farmland, in the harvest and planting seasons, the extra boards turned, I'll say that.

Some states and some agreements required three brakemen, depending on car count or work to be done.

Conductor was the boss, might've been referred to as the "Big O", phrase that came from the Order of Railroad Conductors, the ORC that eventually got swallowed up into the UTU.

I've heard stories of conductors and engineers coming to blows over who was going to run the show but never witnessed it. Old heads that I knew told me stories they'd heard from the old heads that they knew.

[boomer44]

I had considered the conductor the ultimate authority for the train followed by the engineer. Then it becomes confusing....

Head end brakeman, rear end brakeman, and fireman. this is for freight trains.

I consider the passenger train crew to be somewhat of the same makeup with the conductor as the absolute authority for the train followed by the engineer...as they both get train orders. After that things get fuzzy as before. But the order you present seems likely.

Any members of the Brotherhoods like to comment? I know things are different today.

[arbfbe]

Freight crews were commonly a conductor and two or three brakemen. The engine crew was the engineer and a fireman.

Passenger crews were commonly a conductor, brakeman and flagman. The engine crew was an engineer and a fireman.

The conductor was in charge of the train, the engineer was in charge of the locomotive. Both were responsible for the movement and safety of the train.

Other arrrangements could be found at other locations and situations.

[boomer44]

I'm interested in the crew size of freight and passenger trains during the transition era...1945-1955... from steam to diesel. I believe train crews were four to five crew members. For the passenger crews I'm only interested in who actually operated the train.

Also what was the order of authority? Conductor being top dog... and...?

Out of curiosity what was the ethnic and gender makeup of a crew. Did geographical location play into this as well?

boomer44