any other railroaders, besides me, on the forum?

Don R Brown · Post by **Don R Brown** » 24 Nov 2013 8:43 am

Where's Medford, Edward? I spent some time in Oklahoma myself, working for Farmrail out of Clinton. Worked south to Snyder and Frederick, west to Sayre, east to Weatherford. The company also runs north to Enid and south to Altus but I just never got qualified on those two branches.

Beautiful country out there, I love the wheat belt. Wonderful people. And some good music, too, made the drive to OKC a few times on my day off to catch groups at Wormy Dog Saloon.

I think of all the places I worked I miss Oklahoma the most.

Don R Brown · Post by **Don R Brown** » 24 Nov 2013 8:48 am

By the way Edward, I started a similar thread about a year back, which went about 4 pages. You might enjoy checking out that one too. There's more steel playing railroaders - or railroad loving steel players - on here than one might guess.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... t=railroad

Edward Rhea · Post by **Edward Rhea** » 24 Nov 2013 9:08 am

About 30 miles NE of Enid. Thanks for the link I'll be sure to check it out!

oh, and Don, you're always welcome back here.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 24 Nov 2013 9:46 am

I'm not a railroader, but during my Korean service as a Military Policeman I guarded and rode trains from Inchon to the DMZ. Quite often I had to leave a guard with a car loaded with supplies that had been removed from the train because of a "hot box".

I had never before rode a train except when I was 10 years old and my dad bought me a ticket from Willow, Oklahoma, to Mangum, Oklahoma.

It was not the same!

Edward Rhea · Post by **Edward Rhea** » 24 Nov 2013 10:37 am

Heres a picture of my bridgegang driving H-Pile at Bridge 211.9 Strong City Sub. just railroad east of Concordia,KS.

This AT&SF crane is an OHIO, the operators name was A.J. Turner

Don R Brown · Post by **Don R Brown** » 24 Nov 2013 11:43 am

I'd love to watch that in operation. Do you set your steel up nearby and use the driver as a metronome for practicing?

Edward Rhea · Post by **Edward Rhea** » 24 Nov 2013 12:29 pm

No Don,
Heard it enough times, the beat is permanently burned into my cerebral cortex(pretty big words for an Okie, huh?)

Edward Rhea · Post by **Edward Rhea** » 24 Nov 2013 12:48 pm

Gene,
Thanks for chiming in, as a matter of fact, I'd like to thank all you Veterans for your service and sacrifices in effort to keep our country free! That's very unique and rare to hear, military train association, in this day and age.

Jerry Van Hoose · Post by **Jerry Van Hoose** » 24 Nov 2013 2:04 pm

Larry Hamilton · Post by **Larry Hamilton** » 24 Nov 2013 7:31 pm

Hired out on the ATSF April of 1977, promoted to engineer August of 1981. Been a volunter for over a year now and hope to call it quits next year. I have always enjoyed my job and still enjoy running trains but I am getting tired. time to retire really......Been playing steel since 1972. The RR really hurt playing a steady job due to lack of a schedule for the most part.

Edward Rhea · Post by **Edward Rhea** » 24 Nov 2013 8:28 pm

Larry,
I started out Wellington, KS west to Amarillo, tx. Worked for a B&B forman named Kimbro, until he retired. My bro, Kenneth Rhea still welding out there w/Shaumbacher.

Hang in there buddy, you're bout outta here!

Larry Hamilton · Post by **Larry Hamilton** » 24 Nov 2013 9:22 pm

Yeah I run Amarillo to Wellington. I know the names. Should of retired last year. It's my job now, fireproof as they say. They call us volunteres, I call me a hobbiest. At least I am there, not like so many of the younger generations. Oh Well.

Don R Brown · Post by **Don R Brown** » 25 Nov 2013 6:54 am

Larry, I worked 2 1/2 years after I could have retired and it's a whole different feeling. You know if the BS gets too deep you can make that one call to the Retirement Board and be done. I understand what you mean about being near done. Everybody says you will know when it's time to go. I used to tell them it wasn't time yet, but I was looking at my watch more and more often.

I am surprised at how little I miss it. Yes, once in a while I do, and if they would allow me to work on a railroad part time I would, but that kills your whole month's retirement benefit. So instead, I got into pedal steel and that (plus the Corvette and the wife's list of projects for me) keeps me out of trouble. I can't imagine having the time and energy to learn the steel while still railroading.

Stay safe and count down the days. There IS life after the railroad!

Edward Rhea · Post by **Edward Rhea** » 25 Nov 2013 7:44 am

They call you a volunteer Larry? Seems to me you got'em where you want'em...you could quit anytime!

Several guys cannot wait to retire...you're no exception realy, you just ain't come to terms with it yet, perhaps. Whatever the reason, you've obviously made an admirable career outta it.

Don R Brown · Post by **Don R Brown** » 25 Nov 2013 2:57 pm

Larry, we visited Amarillo last year and saw a (non-railroader) steel player from those parts, Carmen Acciaioli. A nice guy and a fine steel player, drives a Super Pro for a couple different bands.

When you make that last run it's a very strange feeling. One part of me was happy but I had tears in my eyes to be hanging it up after so long a time. If I ever hit the Powerball and became silly rich I'd probably go back a few days a month and the heck with the money. But they say you have to buy a ticket to win that and I have bought about 2 lottery tickets in my life so not much chance of that!

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 25 Nov 2013 5:53 pm

I did a short stint many years ago on the SP,pounding spikes between Wilmot Station (right outside Tucson) and Benson.I'm really a much better musician than a gandy-dancer,but I'm grateful to have had the opportunity,and to have learned the little I do know about railroading.I still subscribe to Trains.

Larry Hamilton · Post by **Larry Hamilton** » 25 Nov 2013 9:28 pm

Don and Edward, Man I think about it every day. Just marked up from 2 wks vacation, Man I kept looking at the RRB number on my desk. Just not time yet, hoping nest fall. I do have fun with the young guys wanting me to quit. I feed them so much BS with a straight face and they believe me so another RR rumor gets started.
Miss the job? sort of, not the weird hours, the guys? hell yes. a bunch of us meet monthly for BBQ and yak. Most of them are retired so I'm getting lots of advice not to mention pressure. One more recertification test, if I knew for sure my quit date I would set it back but then making MAKE WHOLE ain't that bad.

they won't let you flunk,LOL.

Don R Brown · Post by **Don R Brown** » 26 Nov 2013 5:58 am

Larry, I hear you, it's fun keeping the rumor mill going as you get closer. One piece of advice - if you have not done so already, take the time to sit down with the RRB and discuss exactly what your options are and how much you'll get. The last straw for me was finding out I would get MORE money from retirement than I was making by going to work. I may not be smart enough to be a good steel player but I was able to figure THAT decision out pretty quick!

I'm sure the railroad life must play heck with trying to be in a band - hard to plan a gig if you might be pulling a throttle 100 miles away when the time comes.

Don R Brown · Post by **Don R Brown** » 26 Nov 2013 7:29 am

Any of you railroad guys have a way to keep steeling while on the road? I recall an article in one of the old Steel Guitarist magazines saying how Paul Franklin used to have a cut down neck off an old steel strung, and while traveling on the bus he could "play" the thing to give his fingers and hands a workout.

Being stuck in an "away" terminal in train service is bad enough. Working for months on a bridge crew or steel gang would wreak havoc on staying in top of your game.

Edward Rhea · Post by **Edward Rhea** » 26 Nov 2013 8:34 am

Don,
I bring mine w/me often. Set it up just like I would at home in the motel. Working in Augusta KS now, there is a steeler I met here at a seniors jam, local pickers and dancers. They've been super nice and welcoming. Haven't taken my guitar yet, but I can fiddle a bit. Most of these folks have grandkids my age, but I really love the traditional country music they play. Plus I enjoy folks that dance, rarely see it with people my age.

Benton Allen · Post by **Benton Allen** » 26 Nov 2013 6:32 pm

Well Edward, when Willie sings ride'n on The City Of New Orleans, he is singing about me.
I am one of the Engineers on the City Of New Orleans passenger train.
Cheers!
Benton

Edward Rhea · Post by **Edward Rhea** » 26 Nov 2013 7:06 pm

Benton, that's a pretty cool gig, to be associated with train immortalized by a song. Thanks for joining in

Jack Harper · Post by **Jack Harper** » 27 Nov 2013 7:30 am

I've done a lot of things, but, never worked on the railroad. I did hop a train once.
but, I do front a band called "the swingin' brakemen". we came together at the jimmie Rodgers festival in meridian and have been swingin' ever since.

country jack....

Jerry Van Hoose · Post by **Jerry Van Hoose** » 27 Nov 2013 9:13 am

They're still hobos that "hop" trains. I've encountered my share of them while working on the railroad. I never did turn one in to the RR police nor make one get off my train. I would always give him whatever food I had with me, most other crew members would do the same.

Joe Rouse · Post by **Joe Rouse** » 27 Nov 2013 9:43 am

Along the Southwest Texas Mexico border we didn't see too many hobo's but we saw many many aliens that were trying to get to the North to make a living for their families. Mostly good hard working type people not harming anyone or anything of the SPRR. I left them alone and like Jerry gave them what food I had and sometimes a pack of smokes(long time ago I was addicted) and wished them well...most of the men and few women I worked with were very compassionate about the illegals and some I thought would never share had the biggest hearts...jr

The Steel Guitar Forum

any other railroaders, besides me, on the forum?

where's Medford?

Pile Driver/Locomotive Crane

metronome

Korea

Extra 3778 Westbound circa 1970's Jerry, Engineer

volunteer

steelin on the road

"City of New Orleans"

Hobos

Hobo's