Thanks Bill!!
I know many of the other lines, BN,ATSF,MKT,SP
that had very good management/labor relationships. When I hired on in train service back in '66, we had great management/labor relationships also, we were known as T&P..Things changed quite a bit when MP bought/merged the T&P. But the really big shock and deteriation of a working relationship came with the UPRR taking us over. The UP has always been known even from the very early days, as a very cutthroat RR that treated everyone, towns, citizens, states, and employees like a "burr under their saddle", if you will.
Time was as you say, not extremely important, but we did have some "dark territory" back then that was governed by timed train meets, where the RR watch had the last word/say About the late 60's to early 70's, this kind of "wait at Anna till/for---" type train orders were obsolete.
No doubt RR's were all different with different ideas & stratagies as this article seems to point out. Thanks for your information!!
regards,
bb

Hi Buster,
I knew a Signal Mtr. from the UP and he felt just like you, I used to see him a RR trading shows and I haven't been to one for a few years now. He had nothing good to say, like you about the UP. He couldn't wait to get retired.
Thanks for making me feel good about our old BN. I'm wasn't much of a fan after the BNSF merger.
We had dark territory but it was under TWC and its changed since I retired in 01. Its forever changing with the modern technology.
Enjoy

This is a great thread. I remember my grandfather talking about having his 992L serviced every year by the approved L&N time service, but I didn't really get much more info that that.

Thanks Buster!, Ted.

Buster,
Thanks for keeping it real. Since you mentioned Hoffa my father was a Teamster Local 70. Yes, I'm a blue blood too. Like Dana I'm also a shop steward at work. This thread's been great. I've always wondered where all those seconds hands went and you explained it.
RR

It may all depend on the railroad and time period one worked.

I hired out as a brakeman on the Chicago and North Western, on the wisconsin Division, in June of '69. We were told we would have to buy a certified railroad watch within 60 days in order to work. Back then one could still buy a fresh, new Hamilton 992B from the time inspector. By this time many men, as Buster states, had literaly discarded their pocket watches in favor of Accutrons and Balls. Here and there one would see a Hamilton Electric or an Elgin wrist watch.

Even that long ago we never had to bring our watches in for inspection. Only for repair. A trainmaster or Road Foreman of Engines would sometimes ask to see our watch, book of rules, and timetable, but that was it. Most of the standard clocks were electric wall clocks. The dispatcher could be relied on for giving the correct time. In Chicago I could call CAthedral 8 8000 and receive the exact time.

We had a conductor that had a huge heavy chain that he wore. At the end of it where the watch should be was nothing but a metal washer. When the trainmaster would come by to inspect watches they never bothered him. They would say, "Oh, no need to show your watch. I know you have one on a chain like that."

When I left railroading in 1999, from the South Shore Line, the standard clock had been replaced by a clock that had been purchased at Wal Mart. the rules had been changed to read, "Employees must carry a reliable watch." And that was that.