Classification Yards

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Todd and Harry.

That's the store.  We used to live a couple of blocks away over on High Street.  I remember many a hot summer night hearing the Leslie Airhorns blowing for the crossings at Waller, Lincoln, Hutchins and Gallia by the Williams shoe factory.  Sometimes you could vaguely make what sounded like a loudspeaker system.  I also remember hearing the cars being humped especially a hard couple.

Harry, I know you meant no disrespect, I may have been a little sensitive myself. Forgive me for being sensitive.  Most of my friends had a railroad dad.  As for meI crossed the N&W  tracks or went under them almost every day.  One of my favorite places to watch trains was the old wooden pedestrian bridge next to Williams Shoe Factory, near the throat of the yard.

My best friend's father worked at the N&W and he was foreman and worked during the strike  The inside of Portsmouth Yard was like a compound, but my friend's father told me he ate like a king, and they put them up in some sleeping cars.  

A.J. Gemperline



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> Message: 2

> Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2006 6:08:29 -0400

> From: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org

> Subject: Re: Re: Classification Yards

> To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

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>  "My father owned a small grocercy store that had a lot of N&W workers as 

> customers."   

> 

> A.J. Gemperline

> Native of Portsmouth Ohio

> 

> 

> Gemperlines on Grandview Ave.? I visited that store many times as a kid.

> 

> Regards,

> 

> Todd Arnett

> 

> 

>  

> 

> 

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> Message: 3

> Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:10:56 EDT

> From: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org

> Subject: Portsmouth

> To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org

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> No, A. J., I certainly didn't mean to denigrate Portsmouth.  By  the 70's,

> the "time freight" hump certainly wasn't modern, but it seemed to

> be an efficient way to classify trains.  It wasn't in service but  maybe 

> one or two tricks per day and classified ONLY westbound traffic.   The

> N&W decided to do away with it about 1975, then time freight  traffic

> was flat-switched.

>  

> This isn't about union vs. management because I've worked both

> sides and understand where both are coming from.  On July 10,  1978,

> I was going to Montpelier, Ohio, but was diverted to Brewster.    As the

> strike progressed, scuttlebutt reached Brewster that a great deal  of

> the devilish deeds were being done, not by the clerks, but by other

> unions.  Moreover, the locals weren't the only one's raising  havoc.

> Union members from Michigan came to assist.  Perhaps the straw  that

> broke the camel's back was when R.F.Dunlap asked the mayor for

> help and he refused.  Me ?  I got four new tires out of the  deal.  I'd

> parked my truck at the private hanger where N&W's jets ferried  people

> to places and someone knifed all four.  I'll have to tell you,  though, I

> got quite a put-down at Brewster.  Returning from lunch one day,  the

> clerk from Sugar Creek stopped the car and told me I'd be going home.

> My face lit up.  I hadn't had a pay check in four weeks, received  any

> mail nor paid any bills.  Then the clerk added, "They're going to  let

> you off to watch your parents get married." It took a few seconds for

> that one to sink in.

>                                                             Harry Bundy

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