Conductor Service Bars and Stars

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

My Dad, now working for Strasburg RR, came across an ad for Conductor Service Bars and Stars in his uniform catalog. We’ve both been railroaders for a long time and haven’t run across these before. The ad shows a patch with 1 bar, 2 bars, 3 bars, and a star.

How were they used to indicate service?

Thanks,
Nick

2

Not being real sure but the Union Pacific and the Chicago Northwestern they were used to show senority and service lengh with the railroad I will look into this and let you know Larry

3

Nick -

My hazy recollection is that each bar denoted 5 years’ service, and the star was for 25 (or 20 ?) years. I believe there may be a fuller explanation in either A Treasury of Railroad Folklore, the American Heritage book on railroads from about 20 years ago, and / or AAR publications from back in the 1950’s and 1960’s when passenger trains and trainmen were of course a lot more more common.

Here’s what I found after some brief Internet research:

“One bar for every five years of service, sewn on to the left sleeve of the uniform is a tradition which, like many things on the railway, has its roots in the military.”

  • From “The Old Please Go Easy” article in the Spring 2000, Number 22 “Meeting Point - The Official Newsletter Of The United Transportation Union Locals 1778 and 1923” in British Columbia, Canada, as found at:

http://www.utubc.com/meeting/meeting22.htm

Since I believe you’re also in the industry, perhaps some of the “old heads” in the union would know, or know who to ask.

A further thought - since your Dad works at Strasburg, tell him to ask Lynn Moedinger. Lynn’s Dad, Bill Moedinger, was a Pullman conductor for many years, and wrote several articles for Trains in the 1960’s and 1970’s on those experiences.

Hope this is helpful. Thanks for all of your informative posts on various real-world topics in the past, too.

  • Paul North.
4

I finally got the time to look it up and the above post is on the money Each bar was 5 years of service with the stars every 20 years Believe it or not I found this out by seeing it in an old Union Pacific travel poster Hope this helps Larry

5

Thanks for the information guys. I did ask a couple of old heads at work and none of them remembered bars or stars.

Nick