St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-07-09
A BRAKEMAN'S PERUS.
aus Life u One OF Danger and
Discomfort

ses He IL . Happy. Care-Fres Indivadual
who Docs Not seem 90 Heed Perils
and Ilardships-His Caenvia-
BILE Lot.
Perhaps hundreds Of people have no
ticed the swinging ropes dependent
rom the supports crossing the tracks.
which are used 10 warn the brakcmcn
on top of the scayssthat q bridge is lit
tie further on, and give them q chance
70 duck theiT heads ont OF danger.
VI all those who have seen these and
considered the idea a good one how
many have given a thought to the dam
ger. the pleasure and the changing in
cldents of typical railroad mans life?
ity the typical man. is not meant the
one whose urbane presence adorns tho
business Offices Of the company. or the
one with WHOM You come in contact
when in city station, or in looking
after the shipping of your baggage. but
the man who .sruns on the road" is the
type that is In every sense /. railroad
man. . -
On most railroads the freight train
men-engincers, conductors. brakemcn
and fircmen-ace. the most numerous
and prominent class. as the number of
freight trains is much larger than that
OF passenger trains.
Among this great throng the brake
men form the majority, as there are
two or more on every train. while there
nf h<,< <>eH ~ Hlr
ranks Of the passenger train service
are usually recruited from the freight
train men. it follows that the freight
brakeman sfAmps his individuality on
all the circles through which he moves.
As promotion carries him forward
A brakem&h has his wits sharpencd
by peculiar experiences. and though he
may not possess any Intellectual train
ing worthy of the name. still his contact
with the world in. the calling he has
chosen tends to develop qualities that
are elevating to the individual. If he
chooses to make them 50.
With no Intercourse with the public.
they still learn very quickly what is
the right thing in the right place, and
a promoted brakeman does not need
much training to enable him to bear
himself with grace in his dealings with
lady passengers and irascible old gen.
tlcmcn.
The brakeman proper is q slangy in
dividual. but his slang is SO expressive
that the correct mode OF expression is
entirely forgotten in the new and ap-
propriate lore. For instance. to him .
gravel train. .is-n dust express, and the
pump for COMPRISING air for the power
brake becoDes . 'swind jammer" in his
vcrnacular.
The disagrseable features of \ freight
brakeman's life arc principally those
dependent upon the weather. A man
would have but little cause for COM
plant il in winter he could perform
his duties insonthcrn California and in
summer ride through the picturesque
northern sections of this side of the con-
tinent.
He would, however. even If permit
ted his choice in this direction, have
TO encounter. that noble army of tramps
that abound north. south. cast aud
west, and Which in many cases proves
q positive danger. In the miltier cli-
mates these gentlemen of leisure will
persist in riding in or on the cars. and it
is the trainman's duty to act according
to instructions and keep them OF.
This is no easy matter when . gang
armed with pistols takes possession OF
the train and dictates where they shall
be 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
saading them that their room. Is pre-
ferrcd to thciy company.
The hardships of cold and stormy
weather arc most serious. both because
of the test of endurance involved and
the extra difficulty in handling the
train.
The Westinghouse automatic mir
brake, though 10 use on all passenger
trains, is only used on certain lines for
freight trains. rs il was necessary to
adapt and cheaper il in order to make
e available on long trains of freight
cars heb
Braking BY hand is still the rule, and
unless ascending grade or going very
slowly the brakeman must bc in his
place on top of the car, for as . rule
there are not more than four men on
one train, and,cach must be at his post
as they daah down grade. or with high
specd tear scrpss some level stretch.
rcady at q moment to apply the brakes
on the great miss of from Eve hundred
to one thousand tons that must be made
20 COMB under their control
In descemiiag steep grades only the
most constaut and skillful caro- prevents
the train fn1n crushing 1t breakneck
speed to tho foot Of the incline or TO y
curve where II you'd be precipitated
over m cmhankment and crushed to
pieces. II ttequires wonderful nicely
Of ;udcmcut.: ehis braking BY hand. for
hefore all tho cars have crossed the
summit the Auward part Of the train
has gained In velocity and will thus by
Il. weight exert terrific pull on those
ears still crawling up the hill
n one of tie couplings chances to b
weak 4 breaks andin many cases away
rushes tho engine and the forward
,,ortion. while the center. left withouts .
hrakeman. comes tearing down the
or.de. drasRing the rear cara with It
m. ero;nesrsAen has the choice Of
slackeninguPa6d allowing the unm.o-
.oeable care 70 collide violently with
,,ort;on. ar to increase speed and
ran the risk pf overta'ins . train ahead
% ~ r avoid. hi. breaking in two the,
&--n,.u.n musf BE wide-awake and see
.h.t the b}sEeSsars tightened before
the speed even begins to eiude control.
ru.r;ne when this has Ill been done