Okay, folks, tell me if one of my pet peeves is accurate or not.

As I understood it, from a host of vintage recordings and movies, "All aboard!" was NOT the call of the conductor for passengers to start boarding the train, but rather the call by the conductor to the head end that all passengers had boarded and the train was to proceed.

Not only has "All aboard!" become probably THE most overused cliche of news media reporters, if I'm correct about what I was taught in days of old, a LOT of operations and museums are depicting this in a manner that people have come to expect, a call to board a train--and as long as they're doing that, why not go all the way and do the Wild West robbery and Indian attack?

What is the opinion of the intelligensa/illuminata here?

Well I think that all tourist operations have to remember that they are in the entertainment business (whether they like it or not). So if that's what the customer/passenger expects, then that's what they should get.... it's all part of the show! :)

Honestly, I've never heard of that one before, but it would be interesting to find out.

Hmmmm. 18 car passenger train and the Conductor back near the hind end. The engineer must have some good ears or the Conductor must have leather lungs to be heard on the head end.

I always thought it was for the passenger's benefit or those on the platform who hadn't gotten on yet.

Hmmm...Interesting.

However, I have to wonder then why everytime I took a train from a large trerminal such Chicago's Deaborne or Union Station, etc. the loud speaker would announce the train, "Train name, Now boarding for (station list) and then end it with "all Aboard!"

Bill

even'n folks, i work for a tourist railroad, and although "All Aboard" may be a modern cliche the way it's used today, tourist do think it is the norm, just the same as they think all personel on the train crew are conductors, some ask if the steam engine is the real deal.....when i deal with railfans i have a different approach than with tourists and we try to create a memorable expirience for all who spend an afternoon with us. if the tourist railroads are going to survive into the future, and tourists are the main source of income, then i am very willing to do what they have come expect and if i'm entertaining railfans i'll try to portray railroading from a more authentic approach. i do uderstand your pet peeve as i have many in another area of interest in my life, but do try to imagine yourself dealing with half a dozen young lads, awestruck by seeing a living breather monster of a steam engine and making a persoal contact with them by saying all aboard, and if they want to call me conductor while i am a trainman so be it......just a point of view to consider.....a reasonble compromises in the current era of steam railroading[/img]

even'n folks, i work for a tourist railroad, and although "All Aboard" may be a modern cliche the way it's used today, tourist do think it is the norm, just the same as they think all personnel on the train crew are conductors, some ask if the steam engine is the real deal.....when i deal with railfans i have a different approach than with tourists and we try to create a memorable expirience for all who spend an afternoon with us. if the tourist railroads are going to survive into the future, and tourists are the main source of income, then i am very willing to do what they have come expect and if i'm entertaining railfans i'll try to portray railroading from a more authentic approach. i do uderstand your pet peeve as i have many in another area of interest in my life, but do try to imagine yourself dealing with half a dozen young lads, awestruck by seeing a living breather monster of a steam engine and making a personal contact with them by saying all aboard, and if they want to call me conductor while i am a trainman so be it......just a point of view to consider.....a reasonble compromises in the current era of steam railroading

I agree, this is one of my pet peeves. I think there is a blur in distinction, where people see it either as
A: All, get aboard
B: All are aboard

Where I work, the train doesn't move until I hear the correct engine's highball from the conductor on my radio. I tell new conductors that an all aboard is not a highball.

The way I see it, when I'm on the Empire Builder and over 100 people are milling about on the platform during a service stop, say Havre, and it's time to go, the call of "All Aboard" promts everybody in their respective car. Calling All Aboard is a prompt for the passengers to get on the train as it will be leaving shortly. The average rider doesn't necessarily know the exact time of departure. Maybe they're across the street gambling or inside the station getting ice cream.
I even heard of the "warning whistle" where an ahead whistle is blown shortly before departure, both on Amtrak and at Strasburg.

The operation of a train is a serious business, so a procedure as simple as leaving the station should be understood by the entire crew.

I also have experienced the confusion from novices you have-however, I ply my trade at a museum, where there is an educational mandate. There's usually a polite, friendly way to EDUCATE people in a way that doesn't embarrass or insult them.

For example, regarding the idea that everybody in a black suit is a conductor, if I'm working as a trainman, I'll simply say "thanks for the promotion, but today I'm working for the boss". Few visitors (and some engineers) seem to understand the conductor is in charge of the train and the occupation isn't something analogous to "Julie McCoy" on the "love boat". People can be "edutained". There's even a part of the population that likes learnin the secret code.

superheater, your point is well taken, a major difference from a tourist steamtrain operation and a museum setting is the factor of time. imagine 15 minutes at the outside most to unboard and board as many as 500 people, this includes toddlers, elderly, wheelchair lifts and many special situations that you can't imagine till they happen, couple and uncouple the loco, do a brake test, do the safety rules via the PA before a wheel turns. close all gates, open gates for late comers, point out restroom locations, where to buy tickets, can you take a picture with my kids, the railfan who wants to have a half hour conversation, and on and on......there have been days where i have not been able to get a much needed drink or get to the restroom in a fashion that would suit me!...LOL, i am not complaining,....really!....my point is time does not always allow for edutaining.....once the train is rolling the commentator is busy for nearly the whole trip, tickets are collected, basic questioed answered....when ridership is light and we have time, edutaining as you describe is very rewarding and fun for all....not arguing your point at all, but first things first.........and then edutaining as time allows

Back in the late 1930's "All aboard" usually shortened to " 'board" meant for passengers to get on board. The train did not move until the conductor gave a hand highball signal after passenger boarding, express. and baggage loading were complete. Head-end business usually took much longer than boarding passengers.

This was long before tourist trains or radios. Any other procedures have been added since then.

My father was a railroad surgeon for the Missouri Pacific railroad in addition to having a private practice. On Sunday afternoon often he would take the family down to watch the daily passenger train arrive and leave. Many of the operating crew were his patients. They were more than happy to explain how things worked for his children. I got several cab rides in a MP switch engine as a result of this connection.

I've been privy to a couple audio recordings of station stops/announcements as well as at least one silent 16mm film where I could plainly lip-read the conductor or trainman hollering. In all these cases, as well as the famous Semaphore 7" 33.3 record of the Strasburg Rail Road in #31/4 days, the word was "Boh-AAARD!!!!!" Now, in looking at where these recordings came from, it's entirely possible that what I was dealing with was a Northeastern colloquialism.

In the recordings of major stations I have heard--Buffalo, NY's Pennsylvania, Philly's 30th Street, Chicago Union, Roanoke, and long recordings of Kings Cross and York (England), never once did I hear "All aboard."

Face it, the "All Aboard!" as always done for the TV cameras when they come to the ride/museum (I believe it's now written into the Broadcasting Code that it's illegal to film an event at an excursion line or Amtrak/commuter line without an "All Aboard!" shot) is hokey and cheesy, at least the way I've seen it. I actually joke that the one soul's sole job at one museum is to be filmed every year as a conductor hollering "AA!" for stock footage for all the local TV stations for news, feature, or commercial footage.

It is my understanding that "All Aboard" was to be used as a "final call" for boarding. I do use it, and for that purpose. When passengers board they'll often joke that its time to say "AA", and I inform them that, no, not until we're ready to depart.

Sometimes its useful motivation for stragglers on the platform. Sometimes thats hard to resist....

IMO it should never be used for the beginning of boarding.

As for entertainment, yes, there is that aspect, but so too is the role of the tourist railroad / museum to educate, and perhaps even more important (to me anyway) to preserve tradition as much as possible.

The excursion train I volunteer with (SAM Shortline) has a standard practice for the conductor to call "All aboard!" at one minute prior to departure from any station stop. My call is usually simply "Board!", but since we use radio communications for control of the train this is more to prompt stragglers to move it along and get on the train than for actual operation. The engineer will usually not hear the call, and even if he did, he could not move until I have released my 3-step protection and tell him (by radio) to proceed to the next station stop once we are up and the platform (and opposite) side of the train are clear. We also give a 5-minute-to-departure warning at station stops where we have discharged passengers for a lengthy layover. That warning consists of blowing the horn 4 times (ours is a diesel operation).

At the platform in Cordele, GA before boarding starts for the departure in the morning, I am inevitably asked to call "All aboard!", so right or wrong, the guests want to hear it and I am happy to call it for them at that point, when I lower the chain to let the passengers onto the platform. Its just become something I usually do for the entertainment of the passengers and has no true function with regard to operation of the train.

On days when I am the Trainman, I've found that most folks actually do seem to look at the hat badge, so even though the Conductor and Trainman are dressed alike, most do note the difference. And while they may not understand what "Trainman" means, they do grasp the meaning of "Assistant Conductor", so that's how I usually explain it. Short and simple. "Trainman" is the proper term as used on the Seaboard, which is why we use it instead of adopting Amtrak's "Assistant Conductor" term. It does give us an opportunity to educate those passengers who inquire about the difference, but we don't "beat everybody about the head and shoulders" with it if they don't care.

In the days of "full crews" on the New York Central, the "flagman" would initiate the signal to start the train with a hand signal from the rear car. This hand signal would be relayed - in turn - to the head end.

If passengers intending to board were in sight of any member of the train crew, they would call "BOOAARD...!" to hasten their boarding, and when they were safely aboard, and only then would the hand signal be given to the next crewman (or to the head end) to depart.

Commuters would occasionally be "missed" in this process, catching a step as the train had already started to move. Crews faithfully warned such individuals against this practice, whenever they were seen doing so.

The use of "Highball" came later, as radios supplanted the use of hand signals...

I always thought the call for the train to proceed was 'two' on the signal line.......