There was a long period when the two rail lines were anything but good friends. Technology in its Infancy Stages Railroading was not a state of the art industry in the 1960's. Two way radios were just coming into use, copy machines were a luxury and data processing was just creating a whole new environment. If you received any training at all it was from someone who had been exposed to the new office machine or function recently, and, may or may not wish to teach a new kid. Some of the veteran railroaders did not take to kindly to 18 year old trainees, who they perceived as competition, or, even worse, looking for their job.
Today there are only two or three man crews riding the rails and also missing are the cabooses.
In 1965 I was promoted to supervision and left Newberry railroading forever. I missed the people I worked with then. Especially my Dad, Frank Bell, Forrest Klinger, Frank Fink, Earl Thompson, Ralph Getz and many others. My Grandfather, George Livingstone and Uncle Tim Hurst also worked out of the Newberry Yards. As World War II had depleted the male workforce, women became clerks and block operators.