When I first went to work on the PRR in July,1966 I started my training as a brakeman in the Cleveland Avenue yards in Columbus.One of the brakeman that help train me was a guy called "Red"(sadly "Red" would loose his life later in the line of duty..But that's another story).
We had been working the east ladder of the westbound yard when we had to take a cut of cars over to the east bound yard.Now in order to do this we had to use the "runner" track that went by the yard office.Red said to me with a all knowing smile "Larry pay attention to the engine when we go by the yard office"..I thought ok,whats so special about that but all I said was "Ok".
The engine we was using was a old and worn FM10-44(9090?) that seen better days and was on borrowed time..Now the windows of the yard office was open as it was a real hot July day and just as the engine got even with the office the engineer open the throttle and blue smoke bellow out of the stacks and went into the yard office gagging everybody in the office no doubt.I got this puzzled look on my face and all Red said was wait till we return..After setting the cars off we was returning to the east ladder of the WB yard we get even with the yard office and the same thing happen for the second time the engineer open the throttle putting out more blue smoke.
We made 3 more trips by that yard office that day and the engineer would smoke up the yard office on each pass and all I could think of was getting reported and having to answer up to the Division Superintendent something I did not want to do as a new hire even though there was nothing I could do about what took place.That should have been the conductors job but he failed to say anything to the engineer.So now I was wondering why the engineer would do such a thing and I ask Red..Red told me years ago the engineer had a very pretty girlfriend and he had plans on marrying her and the yard master(at that time a yard conductor) also had eyes for this maiden fair .Of course he stole her heart and she dumped the engineer and married the conductor.This was a well known fact and the chief crew caller would try his best to keep these two apart as he knew the engineer had a grudge against the day yard master but at times he had no choice but to let those 2 work together with the same results as above.As far as I know this was never reported to the Division Super or if it had been reported very little action may have taken place..
We had been working the east ladder of the westbound yard when we had to take a cut of cars over to the east bound yard.Now in order to do this we had to use the "runner" track that went by the yard office.Red said to me with a all knowing smile "Larry pay attention to the engine when we go by the yard office"..I thought ok,whats so special about that but all I said was "Ok".
The engine we was using was a old and worn FM10-44(9090?) that seen better days and was on borrowed time..Now the windows of the yard office was open as it was a real hot July day and just as the engine got even with the office the engineer open the throttle and blue smoke bellow out of the stacks and went into the yard office gagging everybody in the office no doubt.I got this puzzled look on my face and all Red said was wait till we return..After setting the cars off we was returning to the east ladder of the WB yard we get even with the yard office and the same thing happen for the second time the engineer open the throttle putting out more blue smoke.
We made 3 more trips by that yard office that day and the engineer would smoke up the yard office on each pass and all I could think of was getting reported and having to answer up to the Division Superintendent something I did not want to do as a new hire even though there was nothing I could do about what took place.That should have been the conductors job but he failed to say anything to the engineer.So now I was wondering why the engineer would do such a thing and I ask Red..Red told me years ago the engineer had a very pretty girlfriend and he had plans on marrying her and the yard master(at that time a yard conductor) also had eyes for this maiden fair .Of course he stole her heart and she dumped the engineer and married the conductor.This was a well known fact and the chief crew caller would try his best to keep these two apart as he knew the engineer had a grudge against the day yard master but at times he had no choice but to let those 2 work together with the same results as above.As far as I know this was never reported to the Division Super or if it had been reported very little action may have taken place..
