Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-12-09
LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS.
Instructive Statistics Gathered by 81
Paul Writer.


III Goodyear, OF the Chicago Great
Westerns mechanical department, st.
paul has compiled some statistics af-
facing locomotive engineers, which
will he read with great interest by all
railroad men and many others. They
are embodied in an article entitled
"The Locomotive Engineer" written
nv Mr.. Goodyear and published in
ate issue of the Railway Age. The ar
ticle follows:
In q recent article by the writer on
the subject OF the operating DEPART
ment of American railways re--.ence
was made to the condition under which
locomotive engineers work and the
nuestion raised regarding the adyisa-
bilitv of discharglng without good and
sufficient cause men with several years
service and a fairly good record, re-
placing them by men discharged from
other roads for similar or more serious
cause. While personally convinced OF
the truth of my statement, 1t occurred
to me that readers OF the article IN
question might reasonably think the
statement overdrawn, consequently
few facts regarding locomotive en-
gineers. as told by themselves wouiu
bear out by statement and at the same
time be of general interest.
With this object in view have taken
the personal records or applications OF
two hundred men seeking employment
as locomotive engineers and therefrom
collected the data necessary to present
the following information; OF the two
hundred "a per cent. gave their nation
ality as American, per cent. English,
per cent. Irish, per cent. Scotch
per cent. German, per cent. NOT
wegian.
The average age worked out thirty
six years five months, average height .
feet inches, average weight lf5
pounds. Eighty per cent. stated they
were married; average number OF chill
dren 3; average railway service IL
years months; average number OF
railways for which the 200 men had
worked 2; average length Of time en-
ployed by first railway years and 4
munths.
Forty-seven per cent. had worked FOR
one railway only. with an average ser
vice OF 10 years months.
Twenty-six per cent. worked for two
railways, with an average service OF 6
years 10 months for the first and 4
years 3 months for the second railway.
Fifteen per cent worked for three
railways. with an average service OF I
years 2 months for the first. 3 years 10
months for the second and 2 years b
months for the third railway.
Eight per cent. worked for four rail-
ways, with an average Of 4 years for
the first, 3 years for the second, 81
years for the third and 2 years the
fourth railway.
Four per cent. worked for five rail-
ways. with an average OF 4 years for
the first. 2 years months the second,
years 8 months the third, 2 years 9
months the fourth and years 3
months the fifth.
These figures demonstrate the fol-
lowing:
Firstly the percentage Of Ameri-
ans. that the men tramping the coun-
Try are not foreigners.
Second-The average age, that they
are not men who have outlived their
usefulness as locomotive engineers.
Third-The average height and
weight, that they are physically ft.
Fourth-Percentage Of those mar
ried. that they are not tramp engineers
from choice.
Fifth-The general average showing
length OF service with the first railway
also The great percentageof men having
worked for but one road with such a
good average service as ten years and
eight months, that there is something
radically wrong with the present sys-
EN- OF handling englnemen.