Railroader

A little over a month out of high school, July 1953, Bob was hired on at the Railroad. He had a nice set of wheels, a good paying job and no responsibilities for six years. Bob enjoyed drinking beer and dating girls. He did have one serious girlfriend for awhile, but Bob wasn't getting married, quote, "until the day after the Pope" Thankfully this is one of his predictions that did not come true. His railroad history was a long one. His first job was at the Lincoln Depot cleaning Way Cars (Caboose). The familiar old Caboose at the end of trains was eventually phased out and replaced by the Rear End Device using the modern equipment of radar to do the job the brakeman sitting in the caboose used to do. Another trying time of uncertainty for railroaders and their jobs. They had a special term for the device which I can't repeat.

Carman's Helper

Working at the depot he experienced a layoff but was hired back on in the Lincoln Railroad Yards as a Carman's Helper. He never had any desire to be an engineer or a brakeman but liked the steady hours with no travel for the Non-Operating Department. As a Helper he had a multitude of different jobs from Cab Carpenter to Car Inspector.

Carman

During one of the upheavals on the railroad ownership, he was requested to take a "setup". Bob really did not want to move up because the hours would be so varied from days 7 to 3; or 3 to 11; or nights from 11 to 7, with different days off during the week. With very little choice in order to have a job, he took the "setup" and became a Carman. Gone were the days of working Monday through Friday days and home on the weekends. Vacations were doled out on a seniority basis. When Bob moved to Carman, his seniority began again. There was never any paid sick leave on the railroad and paid holidays were few. As a carman, you were not guaranteed a holiday off unless it happened to fall on your day's off. Time and a half was paid if you had to work the holiday which helped the family budget many times but spoiled a lot of Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or New Years Eve plans down through the years.

Changes

During his years on the railroad, the Chicago Burlington and Quincy changed. First it was sold or acquired and became the Burlington Northern. Much later there was again a change and Bob actually retired from the Burlington Northern San Francisco Railroad. Those times were very trying as rumors always abounded whether or not the Lincoln Railroad yards would remain in Lincoln. Would he have to move somewhere else in order to keep his job: would he still have a job?

The majority of Bob's 44 years were spent working in the Yards as a Car Inspector. Walking up and down the tracks inspecting trains which were lined up so close together was dangerous. A man in a tower (Carling Tower) controlled and manipulated trains coming into the yards and would send them down the appropriate track. Any mistake would be disastrous. Safety was always on Bob's mind and he did receive recognition for his safety record. And he survived and his family was well provided for.

Retirement

Finally after 44 years, Bob took retirement. Over his strong protestations, there was a small celebration at Keller's II in Pleasant Dale.