One always gets the stories about the great money men like Hill and Harriman and the Big Four. Lets not forget what made and keeps our railroads the greatest transportation system in the world, the blood, sweat and Labor of those who actually built and maintain it.
I have oiled freights in the sleet and rain, whacked cars, worked the RIP, and jockeyed a lot of throttles, and have a lot of love and respect for those who came before and since. John Colley, Port Townsend, WA
I wish more people would remember that to be a great man, doesn’t mean you have be a money man. I am reminded of the saying “a rich man has as much chance of getting into heaven as a camel does through an eye of the needle.”
When I worked on the railroad as a brakeman we did our job in all types of weather,rain,snow,sleet,freezing temperatures,heat day and night with not much time off between calls.Weekends off? Huh? Whats a weekend? Same for Holidays except Christmas and some times Thanksgiving.Yet the old railroaders I was bless to having work with love their jobs.No complaints these men of the rail.They knew their jobs was moving freight and that was a full time job regardless of the hardships of being away from home.
Now,for the unsung heroes.We have all heard the stories of engineers brave and true.Of conductors,brakemen,dispatchers and all others.But,Gents let’s tip our hats to the wives,sons and daughters that stand behind the railroad men.
You see the wife has to run things at home because her husband is gone 90% of the time.To the sons and daughters that hardly get to see their father or have their Father around for that special moment be it a first home run ,the winning touch down or a daughter’s 16th birthday party.
Junctionfan,
I agree with you whole-heartedly on the first part. However, the correct quote is “…it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” ~ Matthew 19:24 (italics mine)
Tom
Insightful correction, Tom. In fact insightful thread. I think we as modellers naturally relate to the hands-on blue collar people in the world of railroading. When I’m switching my little HO industries I’m conciously playing the part of an unknown to the public laborer who rather quietly goes about his job, not Commodore Vanderbilt.
My job in the real world (not RR related) is the same way, and I’m OK with that too. Dan