One of the interesting long-running questions I've always had dealt with railroad apparrel, particularly bib overalls.

Blue denim or hickory stripe? What style was prevalant among railroad employees during the steam area? I own both, but tend to save the hickory stripes for special events.

I've noticed that the hickory striped ones are more prone to showing dirt, oil and grease. When I volunteered at KRM, most people, including myself wore the blue denim ones, yes the hickory striped ones are the stereotype.

Ideas? Comments, suggestions?

Although I can't tell you for sure about the overalls, I can relate a similar story about caps.

A former Southern Pacific hogger once told me that on the SP, solid caps were for freight engineers and hickory striped were for passenger. Perhaps a similar distinction was used on some roads for overalls...

I remember from my first visit to the Chicago Transit system (1971) noting that many of the motormen on "L" trains work hickory stripe overalls. When I worked for the Santa Fe a few years earlier, few, if any of the diesel locomotive engineers wore overalls of any sort.

In looking at photos of engine crews in the late steam era, at least here in the east, bib overalls did not seem to be part of the picture. More often, the enginemen are seen in coveralls (boiler suits). Shopmen, on the other hand, often appeared in bibs. Personally, I like the relative feedom of movement in bibs as compared to a boiler suit.

Another thing I find interesting is fairly recent photos of train crews in the Rocky Mountain region still wearing bib overalls, 50 years into the diesel era.

As for caps, many enginemen around here seemed to favor plain black Kromers over hickory-stripes, while a few wore newsboy/golf caps.

Remember that this is a big country and both are likely right. I recall the hickory stripe as most common, but this would be for the "eastern" or "northern" railroads (NYC & PRR). Family members working for these railroads wore hickory stripes. Talking with people over the years, also with railroad family members, several recall the denim and thought the hickory stripe strange when they see it on a tourist railroad or museum. The key is that the ones who see denim as "right" had relatives working for the L&N and the Southern. Not sure how this translates on the other side of the Mississippi, but I strongly suspect that there is a regional component to this question.

James

The Pacific Electric allowed its passenger car motormen to wear hickory stripe bib overalls when operating certain equipment. The car had to be equipped with vestibules or motorman cabs to enable the motorman the option of wearing the bib overalls. The motorman still had to wear the required white shirt and dark tie as well as the uniform cap.

If the car did not have a separation between the passengers and the motorman the motorman had to wear the same trainman uniform as the conductor.

Michigan area during the 40's and 50's leaned toward bib overalls and stormy Kromers, at least with steam crews. Coveralls were often worn by the shop forces. As I recollect, the early diesel crews in freight service wore light tan or khaki outfits so they could lord their cleanliness over their steam brethren. The steam crews called them "gas station attendants".

I think, like others have said, that this is really a regional thing. Picture below shows switching crew liked the Kromers. The ever-popular management fedora was also around then.

http://webpages.charter.net/fredstev/retirement.jpg

Fred
Steam Railroad Institute
Owosso, MI
www.mstrp.com