The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-02-10
THE REAR-END BRAKEMAN.
Responsibilities and Torpedoes bur
den His Retrospective Hours.

New York Sun
After such a collision al that which 90
CURED on the Delaware, Lackawanna a
Western railroad on Jan. Is. one hears much
about the rear-end brakeman. Indeed. one
dent which cost thirteen men their lives
seems to lie between the rear-end brakeman
of the express and the engineer OF the local
that followed all too swiftly. Heretofore
popular admiration has been about equally
divided between the conductor with his
brass buttons and his ticket punch and
the grim. watchful gerius in the cab who
pulls the lever and makes the wheels 50
round. Ii would seem. however. that the
modest young man in blue; who e 81 ms seeiy
car. is also entitled TO his share or the
praise. He Is not lounging; he Is on duty.
the rear with the same hdelity that the en-
gineer bestows upon the forward prospect.
Every train is equipped with a conductor.
and a forward brakeman. Very long trains
sometimes have also a center brakeman.
The rear-end brakeman has graduated from
Ihe lower orders or brakeman. lie is the
flower OF his class. Henceforth there is no
higher honor for him TIL he steps out OF
comes a b-aggagemaster. The baggage
master is a conductor in embryo. and On
trains OF more than four cars he gathers
up the tickets IN the extra cars nearest the
baggage car. He is generally lord OF the
smoker.
The rear-end brakeman is a walking
arsenal. On. duty or of. his pockets are
filled with decorating torpedoes. with long
flexible lead strips attached 10 fasten them
securely TO the track. These torpedoes are
nearly as large as a silver dollar. and the
explosive is contained in half a dozen caps
hidden and protected under n mass OF
black wax. He has half a dozen red FLAGS
on hand and several col0red lanterns. All
around the lower part OF the lanterns. All
nunB torpedoes or a dherent sort from
torpedoes are said TO make less noise than
the others.
On those roads that do not have the block
system or signals the rear-end brakeman'a
then his duty, If the train stops between
stations. 10 get off with flag and torpedoea
and run back TO signal the train follows
ing. OF course, his own train goes on with.
out him, and he has TO Chamber aboard the
other train. His place is Immediately taken
by the forward brakeman, and, il there
should be another stop between stations re-
curing this brakeman TO drop off. the bag
EageEaSter has to condescend 10 the post
OF rear lookout. There lave been times
when the baggagemaster had 10 drop off TO
signal the following train. In that event the
lone conductor, ike the Ancient Mariner,
constitutes the whole crew in his own per-
son, and makes the remainder of the trip
with one eye peeled for a big engine loom
ing out OF the fog in the rear.
comparative safety. Approaching engineers
are on the lookout for distractions and have
their locomotives well in hand. When the
train stops at a regular station, therefore,
the rear-end brakeman hurries TO the fronl
OF the last car and assists the ladies to
alight from the two adjoining platforms
with every appearance OF disinterested gall
lantry. He wears a pink in his buttonnolA
and a smile upon his face, and not one girl
In a thousand who returns the smile mas
any suspicion of the load of responsibility
that is upon his mind or the weight OF tho
tOrpedOeS that are in his pockets.