Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-08-17
THE BREAKDOWN GANG
Quick and Hard Work When a
Railroad Smashup Comes.
THE ROUGH AND READY CREW.
They Board the Wreck Special and
Are Speeded to the Scene Of the Ac-$
4 cident-The Rush, the Peril and the
Difficulty Of the Work They DO.

Are Speeded to the Scene Of the Ac-S
cfdent-The Rush, the Peril and the
Difficulty Of the Work They DO.
Did you ever hear Of the minute
men Of the breakdown gang the fell
lows who are the rough and readies OF
the line In the roundhouse or repair.
shop you see them hammering, riyet-
Ing, perhaps running the drill press or
plate cutter. Then In rnshes the call
boy. Not stopping to get out Of Jump
er and overalls, but grabbing their.
caps, off they run to the wrecker.
A bowlder fell on the track. The
switch handle was turned the wrong
way. A loose spike may have mis-.
placed the rail. But 1t is not for them
to stop and learn how it happened.
The shapeless mass Of torn and twist
ed framework, which a few hours be-
fore people called a train, must be at
tackled with chain and rope, bar and
ak burned, il need be to open the
way, for until they have performed
their duty the line Is blocked, and the
wheels of perhaps a thousand ears
cease to turn. So away goes the break
down gang at breakneck speed. Or
ders have gone ahead for clear track,
and even the limited and fast mail
must take the siding until the minute
men have passed on the way to the
rescue, . 33$ Il
You don't hear much about them un-
less you are railroader, but the SUI
perintendent, the manager, perhaps
some Of the directors, know them. Sc
lected from the veterans in the shops,
they are all round mechanics, but
brains as well as fingers are needed,
| and a man has to be quick witted to
| get into is gang.
In the fifteen or twenty which make
up the average crew you can general
| ly find two or three little men; for
there are tight places In a wreck where
they can do considerable work in prop
ping up or loosening a part, crawling
into holes which no one else could
reach. The boss wrecker tries to gel
two or three left handlers also, as their
services are valuable in hammerine
away in corners where q right handed
man would be useless. Some of the
best wrecking crews In the country
/ include a number Of sailors. The hall
bitches and other knots that only the
Iseamen can make are Of great service
In securely fastening lines to portions
Of the wreck and to the crane or 10
connective used in pulling it away. The
old salts are familiar with the assist
ance that a combinat ion of pulleys vii
give, for they have been taught 1t OF
shipboard, while usually they are very
strong and Wiry. Consequently a mar
Of this kind who is out Of a job al
j any time can frequently go with tht
wrecking crew.
Their limited is not much for looks
Like the men, it is also rough and
ready. Down by the division round
house or repair shop it stands on 3
siding where it can take the line at 3
1 minutes notice. There is nothing un
4 usual in its appearance except the
Il crane car, which carries the heavy ar
ti1Iery of this little army of rescue
n Two or three fat cars, a box car o.
so and at the end passenger coach 0.
B caboose make up the train, but ever.
q article it carries, from the extra trucl
Il wheels to the coupling pins, has beer
a loaded with such care that every maj
knows where to put his hands on wha
a he wants. Usually the running gea
II gets the worst Of 1T In a wreck, 80 on
4 Of the fiat cars contains extra truck
i and wheels to- be substituted for th,
4. broken ones. Next to this car Is place.
the big steel crane, which yanks masse
4 Of wood and metal about as though
they weighed pounds Instead of tons
| and is capable Of lifting a fifty ton en-
q CINE.
Enter the box car and you see .
q miniature lumber yard square pieces
. OF timber all the way from an inch t,
a foot through. They are wanted 70
propping up the wreckage, which ma.
I, be holding down the living as. well al
/ the dead. These props may aid In saw
I ing life, but they also are handy to holt
3 up coaches when the crew are putin.
wheels Or other parts In place In on,
corner are coils of rope an inch O
s more thick Boxes OF bolts and nut
i and screws lie side BY side on til,
d floor. On the walls hang hooks, pnl
u leys, saws and axes. Heavy stee
IcroWbars are piled In another corner
i In short, this is a repair shop ant
lstorehouse on wheels,
i Any old coach will do for the crew
3 provided Its wheels and axles ar,