Brings alot of memories for me...I hired on the Santa Fe Railroad In 1990 as a brakeman and became an Engineer in 1991. I worked out of San Bernardino California for 14 years and.transferred to Galesburg Illinois in 2004 where I am still working as a Locomotive Engineer with 31 years in. My dad,grandfather and great grandfather were all conductors for Santa Fe.
Holy crap, they actually documented the construction of Barstow Yard through *_a timelapse,_* FUCKING *_DECADES_* before it was ever a standard practice in promotional videos!!
When I was learning, they'd say "You do it they way they taught you. Don't do what I do." A couple of times I really begged one guy to not do it his way, e.g. squeeeezing between two couplers!
I work as a switchman in a refinery. We are very strictly forbidden from getting on and off moving equipment- as I understand many railroads are nowadays. It's interesting watching safety vids from back in the day and seeing how much has changed!
The Three Stooges watched this movie - because every single tomfoolery shenanigan and pratfall are replicas of every single bad-safety maneuver this movie shows NOT to do!🤣
I personally understand all too well about damage and loss merchandise issues. (56:30 - 57:51) I worked for FedEx for nearly 30 years-21 of those years working as an assistant tractor/trailer dispatcher out of Sky Harbor Airport. I saw a few instances of damaged merchandise arriving on 53 foot trailers because it was mishandled through improper loading procedures. I have to admit, I wondered to myself: "How do we keep customers if we delivery stuff like that?"
I've only been working as a package handler at FedEx for 3 years, and I see very messy trailers in the unload end of the warehouse. The van lines also get messy loads and damaged packages. Case and point, I'm surprised we still have customers.
1970 vintage!. It is certainly beautiful to see railway cars from a time before spray-paint cans became available, thus making it possible for hare-brain individuals to vandalize railway property. 2021/07/03.
We had spray paint in cans back then. Just back then kids didn't destroy property like they do today. In fact, the local Sherwin-Williams paint store would mix custom colors for you and then put it in spray cans. Now you have to produce an ID to prove you are over 18 to buy spray paint. Which is kind of stupid because it is people who range from teenagers to mid 30s who are the ones doing the damage. Back then we would have been arrested for the damage, and then gotten our bottoms warmed by our parents. If you want to see some of my spray can work from back then, ibls.org/files/Companies/KostersMiniatureRailroadSupplies/Kosters_Miniature_Railroad_Supplies_Catalog_6B.pdf . And yes, I'm pictured in it. Little did I know that under 10 years later I would be working on full size equipment and acting as operating crew.
Maybe so if you fall off the caboose you won’t fall in between caboose and last car. I keep imagining falling between a mechanical reefer and an atsf ce-11
The most interesting thing about the safety messages being presented at the beginning of this film is that the necessary and required information is given by simple, illustrative examples....... No prohibitive rules or exhortations of what can not be done..........no vast array of signs .......no resort to quoting regulations ......no paperwork ..... Just good old fashioned 'common sense'.....and the ability to look at a job.......weigh up what wants doing and how to do it....... The simple "...that's not safe....." being the only necessary observation...........compatible with the phrases, "...take care...." or........" ..be careful... " You have to be a certain age to recognise this............although the simplicity of the simple, illustrative example would go a long and refreshing way in today's.......... 'elf & safety' .........bureaucratic world. James Hennighan Yorkshire, England
Sadly, growing up in California, the BNSF is only a "ghost" of what the old ATSF used to be. After the 80's and 90's when all the old branch and secondary main lines were pulled up, forcing the Eastside central valley farmers to go intermodal (trucks) was a backwards step.
What year was this filmed? When did machines replace men. I understand that a single mammoth machine is used to do all the track replacement work today.
I also, I started on the Algoma Central Railway in Ontario Canada as a trackman...we had less technology at that time than this! I totally will always remember my life as it was awesome growing up and doing this work!
That's why you see a lot of lardasses in the RR now, not many chubby custards in this film. Real men, real work, you didn't last long if you were a whiner back then. Now laziness is normal and almost rewarded.
@@jimmartin7881 This type of manual labour may keep you fit, but it also takes a terrible toll on your body. The railroad won't care about your back and knee problems later in life. Personally, I'd rather just go to a gym to stay fit.
@@user-ij9sh1tf9d Not here in the US, they have one of the best medical plans in the nation. And if you read up on the subject they have one of the largest percentages of workers comp fraud of any industry. Imagine getting 3/4 of a paycheck and your doctor's bills paid for and still going out to work out of greed. They get paid pretty damn good too, 30 bucks an hr for starters depending on dept.
Yes, older style railroad cars meant to carry automobiles were largely exposed to the outside weather. However, over time too many cases of cars damaged by weather or debris, or victims of blatant theft as people would sneak in and steal parts are the reason why modern day autoracks are "covered" up from the outside.
I was an engineer for 58 years. We used to ridicule the workers. Called them track troglodytes or maintenance o way wussies. BTW, is it ok to use a hammer as a 🔧?
I worked two summers in the CB&Q car shops, repairing cars mashed up by cowboy engineers! Old cars were repaired to original specifications, to include wooden walls, lots of rivets. Not too many rivet buckers around these days.
kind of arrogant when you consider that by their hard work and expertise building and maintaining track that you can safely drive a train on, they keep you and all other rail riders, employed, safe and alive, It seems on that account that they do a vital job that requires a great amount of skill and engineering expertise to perform. We owe those “track troglodytes” more respect than to call them wussies i think, surely you must’ve meant that in jest.
