Steam Era Train Crews

[NW Mailing List]

5 man train crews were the standard for many years but technology has changed that. Today its usually 2 on through trains and sometimes 3 for locals or through trains that do work between crew change points (depends on the union-railroad agreements). 

In the 50's

Engineer
Fireman
Conductor
Flagman or (Rear end Brakeman/Rear-man.....)
Brakeman or (Head end Brakeman/Head-man......)

A through train would have run with one 5 man crew between Roanoke and Shenandoah and another 5 man crew between Shenandoah and Hagerstown (traditional crew districts of ~100 miles).  

I'm tainted from having been around railroaders from all over the US and Canada so aside from the engineer, fireman, and conductor the names of the other 2 crew members will vary from RR to RR.  My N&W official "stuff" is still packed so I don't have it to look through to validate the official terms used by the N&W in the 50's.  Flagman and brakeman are likely correct.


Ed Painter - Narrows, VA living in Dahlonega,GA  (for the last 4 weeks and still unpacking!)




On Mar 28, 2013, at 6:46 AM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:


> Other than the engineer and fireman, who else made up a typical freight train crew in the early '50s--on a run from Roanoke to Hagerstown, for example. ~~Bernie Hylton

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