> While the radio does have it's uses, I must
> agree with some of the others that many of
> today's railroaders (both
> "recreational" and professional)
> have become too dependant on technology and
> lost a degree of skill. The fear that many
> of the old timers expressed about the new
> guys becoming too dependant on the radio
> has, to an extent, come true. Part of the
> problem is that much of the radio chatter
> that I see going on is unnecessary. The
> radio should be reserved for use where voice
> communication is essential such as
> performing certain inspections, establishing
> Blue Flag protection, etc. Do you really
> need to call the engineer on the radio with
> a message when you could simply walk a
> carlength and talk to him?

Or call the motorman when you have a communicating signal buzzer to signal to stop or go.

> One of the greatest problems is that many
> railroads and their museum counterparts
> place so many operations (in addition to
> train operations) on one or two frequency
> bands that they are easily clogged with
> radio traffic. I have had times that
> non-train operations traffic so clogged the
> frequency that none of my crewmen or I could
> get a word in edgewise to get them to clear
> the channel. In those cases, I would simply
> give the word to use hand signals. Also, I
> agree that whille they may be a necessary
> safety aid in the modern age, they look
> tacky when used by uniformed trainmen or
> enginemen, especially the new models with
> the shoulder mic. Myself, I wear a company
> radio without the shoulder mic. When working
> as a passenger conductor, I will wear the
> radio so that it is inconspicuios. If I wear
> my uniform coat, the radio is worn so that
> the coat conceals it but I can use it when
> necessary.

I have seen some tourist conductors that look more like a police want-a-be than a tran conductor. With a solder mike clipped to a shoulder tab and the radio hung on a policeman's equipment belt these guys don't look like they belong on a railroad.

Brian Norden

bnorden49@earthlink.net

> Or call the motorman when you have a
> communicating signal buzzer to signal to
> stop or go.

I was told by a conductor on the Lake Shore Electric Railway that they could get by just fine with the bell cord, the only exception was when you saw the motorman running towards you, bail out!

> I have seen some tourist conductors that
> look more like a police want-a-be than a
> tran conductor. With a solder mike clipped
> to a shoulder tab and the radio hung on a
> policeman's equipment belt these guys don't
> look like they belong on a railroad.

> Brian Norden

Aww Shucks, Brian you make me feel bad, just got off two days duty as you describe. Somehow I could not project the Macho image of the sheriffs deputies that were on duty those days, in fact it was more of a wilted daisy appearance in the 90deg heat. Oh Well, gotta try harder!

lamontdc@adelphia.net

> I have seen some tourist conductors that
> look more like a police want-a-be than a
> tran conductor. With a solder mike clipped
> to a shoulder tab and the radio hung on a
> policeman's equipment belt these guys don't
> look like they belong on a railroad.

The unofficial uniform for IRM conductors, at least during the summer, is black jeans, a white IRM polo shirt, a black "IRM Volunteer" baseball cap, black sneakers, and a large "brick" radio with lapel mike. This look, sans lapel mike, is modeled by the man in the below photo.

Frank Hicks

Preserved North American Electric Railway Cars

F-Hicks@wiu.edu

That's a bit more informal than the summer uniforms that we use at TVRM. Typical summer uniforms consist of black dress pants, white dress shirt with short sleeves, optional black vest or suspenders (more guys wear suspenders), black tie, dark color socks and work boots and pill box summer cap with cap badge. For winter operations, a black sack coat and vest are suggested but not required as of now. However, most of the guys do have them and use them during cooler months and occasions where the full uniform is more appropriate (inaugural runs, specials, etc.).

awalker2002@comcast.net

> That's a bit more informal than the summer
> uniforms that we use at TVRM. Typical summer
> uniforms consist of black dress pants, white
> dress shirt with short sleeves, optional
> black vest or suspenders (more guys wear
> suspenders), black tie, dark color socks and
> work boots and pill box summer cap with cap
> badge. For winter operations, a black sack
> coat and vest are suggested but not required
> as of now. However, most of the guys do have
> them and use them during cooler months and
> occasions where the full uniform is more
> appropriate (inaugural runs, specials,
> etc.).

Uniforms are one of the reasons I'm glad SCRM presents an informal country shortline atmosphere. I HATE neckties!

Our "recommended" uniform is jeans and a blue denim shirt. Several people have had the Museum's name embroidered on denim shirts. I've got two blue shirts with patches that say "SCRM MATT." A couple guys have full uniforms but they're in the minority. Interestingly, they also don't actually conduct much -- Howard sticks to the first class car while Fred only conducts when there aren't any other cons available for weekday charters.

Most of our conductors have a unique appearance. I have a "ventilated" flat top hat I got during my brief stint at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum. Another guy wears coveralls and what he calls his "southern railway" hat -- a decidedly politically incorrect Confederate soldier's cap. A third wears a floppy camoflauge Panama hat, which we've taken to calling his IRCA conductor's hat. He works for UPS, and every once in a while he comes to the Museum straight from work still in "Buster" brown.

I've noticed during my trips aboard Amtrak that you can spot the conductor a mile away. There's a certain "look" that nearly all professional trainmen -- freight or passenger -- seem to have, irrespective of whether they're in a passenger uniform or not and also irrespective of gender or race. This usually includes a radio either worn on the chest in an orange safety harness or worn on the belt with a shoulder clip mike. I try to emulate this look at least partially, but I don't think I succeed too well.

The South Carolina Railroad Museum
mconrad@compuzone.net

> I have seen some tourist conductors that
> look more like a police want-a-be than a
> tran conductor. With a solder mike clipped
> to a shoulder tab and the radio hung on a
> policeman's equipment belt
> Brian Norden
Personaly, I try to restrain my enthusiasm
for excessive wearable equipment when I'm
in passenger service, and save it for work
details.



104577.651@compuserve.com

>What we are trying to do at most operating museums is to recreate for visitors how it was in the past. Many crewmen wear old-fashioned unitorms and caps. The old days did not include radios blaring unnecessary messages from the belts of trainmen. They help destroy the image that we are trying so hard to create.

Another radio problem that has not been mentioned is that many crewmen in museum operations are older and hearing impaired. They may not understand correctly instructions or confirmations transmitted by radio.

The NTSB report on the National Capital Trolley Museum collision mentions that one of the operators was severely hearing impaired and may not have understood correctly instructions transmitted on the telephone.



fkrock@pacbell.net

Has anyone noticed what real conductors wear?
The S.E.P.T.A. conductor who took my fare Aug. 23
was wearing (besides the radio), ticket punch, 2
bunches of large keys, 2 pouches of cash fare
receipt stock, a small coin changer, and a
leather version of a carpenter's nail pouch for
collected tickets, pencil, rubber bands, and
loose change. Rubber bands were also stored
elsewhere on his gear.
To an Amtrak conductor at 30th St., add a cell
phone and radio mike, plus most of the same as
the S.E.P.T.A. conductor, except for the coin
changer.
Many conductors in Chicagoland carry ticket
cutting machines. And some European conductors
carry Ticket Issuing Machines, sonetimes 2 for
an interline through run where the conductor
works through, but the tickets don't.
Now that my memory is reminded, I remember PRR
conductors of the 1960s wearing much the same,
except for the radio. Were the "good old days"
really that simple?

TyburnRR@cs.com

Were the "good
> old days"
> really that simple?

Not really. If you look at the old interline tickets, some of them were more than a foot long with the conductor's stubs. Some of my East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railway tickets from the 1890s are longer than two feet.

awalker2002@comcast.net

I don't know if it's for sure that this was a radio related screw-up, but a trainman was killed on the Lancaster & Chestery Ry. on Tuesday. I was immediately reminded of this thread.

Here are a few links to the story, copied from a post on the CarolinaRails email list:

http://www.thelancasternews.com/THELANC ... PubID=9146

http://www.onlinechester.com/ONLINECHES ... PubID=9145

http://heraldonline.com/local/story/281 ... 2542c.html

I've printed the stories out and will be posting them at SCRM as a heads-up. The stuff we "play" with doesn't care if you're an amateur or pro, it'll bite you if you give it half a chance.

FWIW, I've seen the L&C boys at work. They are some of the most skilled railroaders I've ever had the honor of watching. These guys raise switching to a fine art.

The South Carolina Railroad Museum

mconrad@compuzone.net