A question about waybills, switch lists and other paperwork.

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

To try to explain, even in brief form, the procedural responsibilities of railroad revenue accounting would be a massive undertaking.  Mr. Brewer, your assertions that conductors did more than ride in the caboose and agents did more than sell tickets is true and a large understatement.  Two years ago, this was a thread in Trains Magazine internet forum and the discussion never ended.  Trying to write brief and sufficiently informative posts grew more difficult with each agency operation topic.  During my career at NS (nee N&W) I was a Traveling Auditor for 9 1/2 years during the '70's.  Many of the stations were still autonomous.   Believe me, the topic of station accounting is Saharan, to say the least.  If such a discussion did nothing else, it would cure insomnia.    
                                        Don Corbin            
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org 
  To: N&W Mailing List 
  Sent: Friday, January 14, 2005 8:12 AM
  Subject: Re: A question about waybills, switch lists and other paperwork.


  I was always interested in the "paperwork" aspect of railroading, as well as the role of the station agent.  It seems to me that a lot of us know very little about how this was done for real, as most of us have never worked on the prototype railroad and our experience is limited, and perhaps skewed, from what we have learned as modelers.

  Just what did the conductor do on a freight train?  Certainly, he did more than ride in the caboose!  And just what were the responsibilities of the station agent?  He didn't just selll tickets to passenger trains.

  I think this would make for a very interesting series of articles for the Arrow from those who are in the know on these matters.  In today's world of fax machines, e-mail and cellphones, the folks who did formerly did these jobs "the old fashion way" have a wealth of information that will be lost unless it is preserved.

  Just my thoughts.

  Jim Brewer
  Glenwood MD
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org 
    To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org 
    Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2005 10:11 PM
    Subject: Re: A question about waybills, switch lists and other paperwork.


    Mr. Corbin,

    Thank you for your information on waybills.  I would like to know more and will contact you off the mailing list. 

    Chuck Stewart.


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