Greetings all,
Some of you "older" members may remember me...the sometime Yardmaster and sometime Trainmaster. Well, economics finally caught up with me.
I fell back to Yardmaster full time, when the time came to move, and my wife said "umm...NO!" The conversation went rapidly downhill from there.
My yardmaster position (and 3 others) were later eliminated in the name of efficiency, and I'm back pounding ballast as a conductor. I did keep my yardmaster rights, and as a result, I still work as a yardmaster occasionally, when the regular yardmasters are used up.
Overall, though, for the time being, it's nice to just do what I'm told, instead of telling everyone what to do.
Nick
Take a Ride on the Reading with the: Reading Company Technical & Historical Society http://www.readingrailroad.org/
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Thanks Carl,
I don't want to face east though, not when the wind is blowing in from the refinery. I prefer facing west toward the gentlemen's club.
Nick you gotta do what you have to do.I talked with a guy last night that is in the 40's for a recall.
stay safe
joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
CShaveRRProbably a good move, Nick. Been there, done that. I, too, indicated an unwillingness to move, which blew my opportunities for any sort of promotion. But I'm happy as a clam where I am, both on and off the railroad. Now stand up, turn around, face east... Glad to see your back!
Glad to see your back!
Nick:
There is more truth than poetry in what Carl has said! Take it from someone who has been in a similar position in another world... A man's family, and their strength is worth more in the long run than any job.
I'll get off my soapbox, and Welcome Back!
Pounding rocks and pulling pins ain't all that bad considering the alternative....lots of guys off on furlough...
Looking forward to reading some more of your postings Nick...
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I'm not lamenting not being a Trainmaster. It was a good move to not accept the promotion...getting abused by everyone is not my idea of fun. And the situation has only gotten worse since I declined the "honor".
There are days I do miss being a yardie. Particularly when I KNOW how things are suppose to be done, and the guy in the tower doesn't and won't listen to reason. I'm sure Ed can sympathize with me there. But overall, I'm much happier just being responsible for me, instead of trying to run three yards and 20 miles of main track.
Nothing worse than watching a big mistake forming up and not being able to get the yardmaster to look at it, or even listen to you when you warn them....bout the only thing you can do is follow orders and let it jam up...then when asked, explain you were doing precisely what you were ordered to do.
I don't like it when that happens, and I know Nick dosen't like it either, but some times your hands are tied when it come down to it...the internal politics and power plays can really get in the way sometimes, and the best thing for the switchmen to do is simply follow orders now, think later on your own time!
Good judgement comes from experience!
Experience comes from bad judgement!
Been that way since the dawn of time.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
If it wasn't for all the honor and glory, why would a trainmaster put up with all the conflicts, no win situations and ordinary old daily stress? I don't know what they pay those jobs, but it isn't enough.
Your decision not to move reminded me of stories of operating department managers who had moved about every other year as they slowly climbed up the ranks. I don't care if the relocation package is solid gold, it is still a royal pain.
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics
I've had more than one try to convince me that it really doesn't hurt the family to move as they climb the ladder but I've never believed it. Some of the more honest ones told me when they were climbing up the ladder and stuck in some out-of-the-way terminal in areas with schools they weren't particularly proud of, that, yes, it did hurt.
Valley, yes that is a common issue. My wife and I had no desire to move to some backwater waiting for my chance to move up. I also moved every two years, when my old man was climbing the ladder, and didn't really like it.
That's one of the reasons why I say that railroading is either a young man's game, and/ or an old man's game, but not a game for a family man [or woman].
When you're single or just married, without children, renting, and with younger family members and parents who are still hale and hearty, it's easier to tolerate the oddball hours, schedules, and frequent moves, etc.
With young children who get sick, have appointments, are in [hopefully] good schools, need to be driven, owning a home in a [hopefully] good neighborhood that's a huge financial investment but maybe has an uncertain resale price, and parents who are getting up in years and need more care and attention, then not so much.
Later, after the kids are done with high school and either off to college or out working, the old house is then too big and needs to be downsized and so you need to move anyway, and the parents are either in a retirement home or have passed on, then it's easier again to work with the relocations, odd hours [many of us are up in the middle of the night anyway - may as well do something useful !], and erratic schedules. Although by then you might have enough seniority to hold down a decent schedule, you could sure use the extra money from the overtime and incentive payments, etc. to put towards your retirement. And so it goes . . .
- Paul North.
Nick -
Sounds like a good choice to me. There are always new opportunities to advance if you want to seek them. If not, there is certainly nothing wrong with making the right choice for your family. I've made those choices myself more than once and I have no regrets. My family is here and happy with me. 'nuff said.
Glad to see you here again. Where are you working now?
LC
Paul, I really think it's a young man's game. I can't image being 50 or 60 and still doing what I'm doing now. Although, the thought of doing trainmaster type stuff for 20 years was frightening. After the economy improves more, I think I'll start attempting to parlay my Class I experience into a supervisors position with one of the local Class II or IIIs.
LC, I'm working the same place as before.
I slung boxcars around in the yard for a couple months. Now, I'm working the job that services the piers and food center. Lots of
I always think of the industry jobs as "real" railroading. My first summer job out of high school was loading box cars at a window and door plant in Merrill, WI. The plant was switched mid-day and I got my first up close look at that work. A few years later, I worked a few "patrol" assignments on the Milwaukee Road. Long days and hard labor, but interesting work. I bailed because it was obvious that I couldn't hope to continue anything like school with their silly requirement to attend classes on their schedule. Beside that, winter was not far away and the thought of an outside job during a typical Midwest winter...
Well, its good to know your on a fun job...none of that boring "just get on and ride" stuff huh....
edblysard Well, its good to know your on a fun job...none of that boring "just get on and ride" stuff huh....
Don't forget the effort of having to push the start button. Or the button on the electric parking brake.
I get bored on the road, plus it's nice having a set schedule. I can't hold any of our assigned service road work, so it would be the pool for me. My wife wasn't terribly excited about the prospect of the phone ringing at 3 AM. She had enough of that when I was a Trainmaster.
nbrodar Don't forget the effort of having to push the start button. Or the button on the electric parking brake. I get bored on the road, plus it's nice having a set schedule. I can't hold any of our assigned service road work, so it would be the pool for me. My wife wasn't terribly excited about the prospect of the phone ringing at 3 AM. She had enough of that when I was a Trainmaster. Nick
Yeah, pool jobs are tough on family. I remember those days well. You may make a bit less on locals, but the stability is nice
nbrodar Paul, I really think it's a young man's game. I can't image being 50 or 60 and still doing what I'm doing now. Although, the thought of doing trainmaster type stuff for 20 years was frightening. After the economy improves more, I think I'll start attempting to parlay my Class I experience into a supervisors position with one of the local Class II or IIIs. [snips] Now, I'm working the job that services the piers and food center. Lots of flange squealing curves in street switches (I'm always a little scared when I lift the plate on the ground throw ) close clearances weed choked sidings flagging streets dodging trucks watching girls coming out of the clubs after last call Nick
[snips]
Now, I'm working the job that services the piers and food center. Lots of
Well, I can understand and respect that. Many of us have to make choices like that - hope it all works out OK for you. Good to have you back here more often - a couple weeks ago I was wondering to myself what had happened to you.
Food Center, eh ? I was responsible for maintaining the PIDC's industrial trackage there for a couple years in the mid-1980s - roughly from the last long switch timber of the lead on the south side of the I-95 viaduct, through the sharp curves under same - and the homeless people and derelict cars there, and the various turnouts and sidings that extend to the north - many of them crossed the next major street north, which I recall was Pattison Avenue, towards Packer Avenue. It's one of the few 'nests' of 115 RE rail in the City - we replaced a lot of the 'high' / outer rails on the curves with heat-treated 119 RE to try to minimize the cure wear so it would last longer. A lot of the switches needed point protectors, too, to minimize the abuse and wear on them. I laughed at your job description - it's 'right on', too - the traffic rules seem to be suspended down there. You left out dealing with the drunken and rude fans of various sports - mostly from the other side of the Delaware River - and who often park their cars on the tracks. Wait until the fall if the Phillies make it into the World Series again, or better yet, the Sundays of the Eagles home games. It was kind of like the Steven Boccho TV cop show of the time - "Hill Street Blues", railroad version. Do the Philly garbage trucks still run out of the old incinerator plant ? Can you still buy food items really cheap and in large quantities 'off the truck' or 'at the dock' in the marketplace area, which is really an extension of Galloway Avenue ? If you're still on that job at Thanksgiving and Christmas, you can get some really good deals on foodstuffs from all those reefer cars - but you probably knew that already.
Best of luck to you there - take care.
Nick:Best of luck in your position. With you and others on the forum, we have quite a group of railroaders, that not only have enormous experience, but also the ability to communicate very well and educate us non railroaders.
Keep us informed.
ed
Paul,
Unfortunately, the only distributors that get cars are a regular basis are Procacci Brothers, M Levin, and Brooks Provisions. Most of the rest were bulldozed to build Lincoln Financial Field. But I do remember shoving down serpentine spurs, and across Pattison to get to several customers. I forget the name of the place that used to get boxcars of Corona. Ahh the good old days.
We used to have one job for the food center, one job for the pier work, and one job for Packer Terminal/Holt. Now just one job for all three. Luckily, we go up the street at night, so not too many rowdy sports fans, just the drunks from the clubs.
Whatever else John Street did, he managed to clean up all the derelict cars, and clear out the homeless. When I first hired, you could navigate by the abandoned cars. There are a few homeless under 95, but it's nothing like it once was. The cops do a pretty good job of keeping the area swept...gotta protect all that money following into the Sports Complex.
Everyone, thanks for the warm welcome back and the best wishes. It means a lot.
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