When I finished high school, I got a job on the railroad for ten weeks before I started Teacher's College. The pay was a dollar an hour. So I received $40.00 a week and worked for 10 weeks so that was exactly $400.00. My whole year of Teacher's College cost $700.00.
I was on the section gang which was a crew of 2 -4 who looked after about 7 to 8 miles of track. We inspected the whole section every morning. We did all kinds of maintenance . I liked the work as it was outdoors and physical.
It was in the days before diesel locomotives were used. Steam engines pulled the trains. There were two passenger trains a day and 3 or 4 freights a day.
There was a routine when trains went by. We usually new what time the trains were due and would be off the tracks waiting. We had to look at all wheels as the train rolled by.
One day after lunch we were doing what was called trimming. The west passenger train went by shortly after lunch. All of a sudden I heard the boss yelling at me and waving for me to look the other way. The passenger train was coming. It was very close! Maybe 300 meters. I stepped off the tracks and it wasn't very many seconds that the train went by. By this time it was whistling to attract my attention.
That was a close one and has stayed with me all my life. It was just too close.
Steam engines coming toward you were fairly quiet. Particularly the large locomotives that pulled passenger trains. Passenger trains travelled at a high speed.
The three other crew members had to stop and collect their thoughts for a few minutes after this close one. The boss wasn't happy with me and he let me know it. I still think of how I disappointed the crew as far as safety was concerned.
