Tales from the rail

[Buchaneer]

It's time for some more "Tales From the Rail" seeing its July 1st, which is Canada Day I am going to do a story from Canada. I have talking to some old retired Hogheads [locomotive engineers] at our pensioners meeting and was told the following;

Joe Cernak who retired from the Leaky Roof [Canadian National Railways] told me this story. As most railroaders did at that time he wore his pocket watch in his overalls. He did not use a chain instead he tied it with a shoelace, one end to the bow of the watch, the other to the bib on his overalls. He was at a station one day, and had to use the bathroom, when he had finished his business he pulled up his overalls and flushed the toilet. Unbeknownst to him his pocket watch had worked its way out of the watch pocket of his overalls. That was the last time he saw his Hamilton 992 B. as it swirled down the bowl, shoelace and all. It had become untied from his overalls.

Joe also told me about another incident on the C.N.R. this happened to an engineer and fireman he knew. They had worked a trip and were at the away from home terminal, and were sleeping in a bunkhouse when it caught fire. An alarm sounded and they were lucky to escape dressed only their underwear. They both lost their pocket watches. Gordon Poile a retired Canadian Pacific Railway engineer told me that he lost his watch the same way when the station at Fort MacLeod, Alberta burned to the ground back in the 1960s. That's all I have for today, the reason I haven't been posting lately is that my computer was down, but I have a good one for the Fourth of July so stay tuned.

Buchaneer

[Buchaneer]

It's time for some more "Tales From the Rail" seeing its July 1st, which is Canada Day I am going to do a story from Canada. I have talking to some old retired Hogheads [locomotive engineers] at our pensioners meeting and was told the following;

Joe Cernak who retired from the Leaky Roof [Canadian National Railways] told me this story. As most railroaders did at that time he wore his pocket watch in his overalls. He did not use a chain instead he tied it with a shoelace, one end to the bow of the watch, the other to the bib on his overalls. He was at a station one day, and had to use the bathroom, when he had finished his business he pulled up his overalls and flushed the toilet. Unbeknownst to him his pocket watch had worked its way out of the watch pocket of his overalls. That was the last time he saw his Hamilton 992 B. as it swirled down the bowl, shoelace and all. It had become untied from his overalls.

Joe also told me about another incident on the C.N.R. this happened to an engineer and fireman he knew. They had worked a trip and were at the away from home terminal, and were sleeping in a bunkhouse when it caught fire. An alarm sounded and they were lucky to escape dressed only their underwear. They both lost their pocket watches. Gordon Poile a retired Canadian Pacific Railway engineer told me that he lost his watch the same way when the station at Fort MacLeod, Alberta burned to the ground back in the 1960s. That's all I have for today, the reason I haven't been posting lately is that my computer was down, but I have a good one for the Fourth of July so stay tuned.

Buchaneer

[terry hall]

Welcome back Buchaneer!!

You reckon that is where the "stinky" watch oil come from?? :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:

Keep em comin!

Great story Buchaneer!! I wouldnt be suprised if the 992b ticked all the way to the sewage plant! Believe this or not, My wife washed my jeans with the watch I was carrying that day, a cheap waltham american traveller. It went throught the washer, she found it before she put the pants in the dryer and I took the back off, dried it with a hair dryer, left it for a few days and its ticking away as I type.. Hard to kill a Waltham
Look forward to your postings!!
Brent

[Buchaneer]

To my American friends on the Fourth of July. During June 1999 my friend Jim Bauman and I had the privilege and honour of accompanying the Union Pacific Steam Team on a trip they made from Cheyenne WY to Roseville CA. The train consisted of two steam locomotives UP 844 & UP3985 that were double heading, along with 15 passenger coaches that were deadheading to Roseville. They were going to be used by the Union Pacific to commemorate the opening of a new classification yard, and then to participate at Rail Fair in Sacramento. On the first day out we tied up at Rock Springs WY, and on the second day we went to Ogden UT. During our layover at Ogden I was riding on the UP 844 with Locomotive engineer Steve Lee and I asked him what kind of watch he used, he replied that he had a Timex. The thought of the man running the world's largest operating steam locomotive with a Timex was more than I could bear, so I sold him my Hamilton Ball 999 B. If you ever see the UP 844, or the UP 3985 in your travels you will know it is being timed by " The Railroad Timekeeper of America"

Buchaneer

[Steven Mercer]

Buchaneer - Thanks for the stories. I have enjoyed them thoroughly.

Doug -Thanks for repeating the poem. I for one have never had the chance to read it before.

Steve

Thank you gentlemen, I enjoyed that very much

------------------
Tommy
NAWCC #156317

ALRIGHT YA.... BALL HAMILTON.... GO Baby, take that BALL and Run with it...