Jordan spreader in missouri in 1970's ?

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Ken:
I'd waited until today to respond because I expected Fred Dunn to be at  the
Transportation Department retirees luncheon.  Fred was the No. 2 man  in
N&W car records.  Maybe I'll see him again in about 2 weeks.
 
I think what you're looking for is a called a consist.  This was a  
typewritten
(later computer-generated) document issued at the initial terminal  which
shows the order in which the cars are arranged in the train.  In  railroad, 
it's
the way the train "stands".  In addition to car initial and number, it  shows
net weight, contents, and destination.  There's usually a summary  showing
loads, mtys, and gross tons.  This is how the train would appear until  it
made its first set off and/or pick up.
 
Nobody in Transportation could remember when the wheel report was no
longer required.  This had been sort of a running bio of the  train.  It was
started at the origin point of the train and listed cars that had been set  
off
or picked up en route.   At the destination, this report was  mailed to Car
Records.  At Car Records, it was "cut and paste".  Men seated on  tall
stools wearing green visors and gloves with gaunlets dismembered the
wheel report and somehow this was used to determine per diem, trace  cars,
whatever.  Filled out en route by the rear end crew rocking and  rolling in
the caboose, too often the hand-written document looked like Egyptian
hieroglyphics.  That, of course, was in the 1960 BC era.  BC  means before
computers.
 
There are specified periods that documents are required to be kept by
the railroad.  At the expriation of this time, the railroad has been  firm
about their destruction for fear they might be used as evidence in  legal
cases.  Next time I see Fred Dunn, I'll ask him if he knows ANYWAY  to
capture a consist from the 1970s.
 
As far as interchange, I vaguely seem to remember a TRRA EMD SW-
whatever coming by Carrie Avenue to deliver.  I do recall that  interchange
with SLSF and MP was accomplished by a Berkeley Yard job that  operated
down the "UD" line to Vandeventer.
                                             Harry Bundy
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