The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-06-24
A BRAKEMAN'S PERHS.
His Life Is One Of Danger and
Discomfort
Yet He Is n Happy. Care-Free individual,
Who Does Sot seem 20 Heed PeriIs
aud Har,iships-His Unenvis-
bic Lot.

Perhaps hundreds OF people have no
ticed the swinging ropes dependent
from the supports crossin" the tracks,
which are used to warn the brallencn
on top of the cars that bridge i a lit
tie further on, and give them a chance
to duck their heads out of danger.
OF ali those who have seen these and
considered tine idea n good one how
many have given a thought To the dan
ger, the pleasure and the changing in
cidcut- of Il typical railroad mans life?
BY the typical man is not meant the
one whose urbane presence adorns the
business offices Of the company. or the
one with whom YOU come in contact
when in a city station, or in looking
after the shipping of your baggage, but
the man who runs on the road" i the
type that il in every sense 4 railroad
man.
On most railroads the freight train
mcn-gU"inccrS, conductors, brulscwcg
and iircmcu-arc the most numerous
and prominent class, as the number Of
freight trains il much larger than that
of passenger trains.
Among this great thronE the brake
men form the majority, aS there are
two or more ON every train. while there
iS hU: one OF the other cIaSscs. AS the
ranks of the passenger train S.rv. -.
are usually recruited from the frci~llt
train men. II follows that the FREIGHT
brakeman ~taEnp. his individuality On
all the circles through which ne movcs.
a. promotion carries him forward
y brakeman has his wits sharpcucd
I 10y peculiar experiences, and though he
may not possess any intellectual train
with the world iu the calling he has
chosen tends TO develop qualities that
are clcvatinE 70 the individual, if hc
chooses t. make ths.n so.
With no intercourse with the public.
they still learn very quickly what i
the right thing in the right place. and
q promoted brakeman does not need
much training to calbIc him L bear
himself with grace in his dealings with
lady passenger, and irascib!e old gen
tlcmcn.
The brakeman proper i a SlanEv in
divituai. but his slang iS 50 expressive
that the correct mode OF cEprc>~iua -
entirely forgotten IL the new and APP
propriatc lore. For instance. to him a
gravel train i - dust express" and the
pump for couprcs~ips air for the power
brake becomes a wind iaInmcr- IL his
vernacuiGr.
The disaGrecabIc features Of q freight
brallcman's life ar principally those
dependent upon the weather. \ man
would have but little cause for com
plaint il in winter he could perform
his duties in southern California and IN
summer ride through the picturesque
northern sections OF this side Of the con
tiuent.
lie would. however, even if permit
ted his choice in this direction. have
to encounter that noble army of tramps
that abound north. south, east and
west, and which in many cases proves
a positive danger. In the milder eli
mates these gentlemen of leisure Will
persist in riding in or on the ears. and it
i the trainman's duty to act according
to Instructions and keep them of.
This i no easy matter when 4 gang
armed with pistols takes possession OF
the train and dictates where they shall
he carried. One or two specimens
armed with heavy sticks are quite
enough to tackle, and it is matter of
no little moment when it comes to per
suading them that their room IS pre-
ferred to their company.
The hardships OF cold and stormy
Of the test Of endurance involved and
the extra difficulty in hi.ndling the
train.
The Westinghouse automatic air
brake, though in use on all passenger
trains. i only used on certain lines for
freight trains, as ii was necessary to
adapt and cheaper it in order to make
it available onclong trains of freight
cars.
Bral5ing by hand is still the rule, and
unless ascending a grade or going very
slowly the brakeman must be in his
place on top of the car. for Is rule
there are not more than four men on
one train. and each must ~ ut his post
rs they dash down grade, or with high
speed tear across some level stretch,
ready at a moment to apply the brakes
on the great mass of from five hundred
to one thousand tons that must be made
to come under their control
In descending steep grades only the
most constant and sllillful care prevents
the train from rushing at breakneclz
speed to the foot of the incline or to
curve where it would be precipitated
over an embanllnent and crashed to
pieces. 1t requires a wonderful nicely
of judgment, this braking by hand, for
before aB the cars have crossed the
summit the forward part of the train
has gained in velocity and will thus by
its weight exert a terrific pun on those
cars still crawling up the hill.
If one of the couplings chances To be
weak IL breaks, and in many cases away
rushes the engine and the forward
portion, while the center, left without a
brakeman, comes tearing down the
grade, dragging the rear ears with it.
The engineer then has the choice of
slackening up and allowing the unman-
ageablc ears to collide violently with
his portion, or to increase speed and
run the risk of overtaking a train ahead
of him.
To avoid this breaking in two the
brakeman must be wide-awal<c and see
that the brakes are frightened before
the speed even begins to elude control.
Imagine when this has all been done
that il Il discovered that some of the
brakes have been set too tightly. The
friction heats the wheels and the brake
must be released. and some on other
ears applied instead.
81 docs not matter if the wind Is
blowing gale or the Thermometer has
| fallen many degrees below zero. These
details must be attended TO in such
weather as well as under more favora-
ble circumstances
Think of standing on top of one OF
those moving cars with rain and slect
falling on the face and hands, the brake
coated with ice and the roof as slippery
as glass. Add To this the danger OF step
ping from one ear to another over a
gap of twenty-seven to thirty inches on
dark night when the cars are con