Sunday, February 12, 2006

New web site

Shannon here....

I just helped Jim Peterson set up his own blog site.


He has a ton of photos from Baraboo and shows that played in the Wisconsin area.


Also at dad's request can anyone explain the term "Poles to Engine" ?

Posted by TheShaz at 2/12/2006 01:06:00 PM

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Polish riders asking for the engineer on the Amtrack?

12 February, 2006 13:44
Anonymous said...

No problem. As I understand it, the term goes back to the rail show days. The trainmaster needed to know in advance how to load the train for the next day's town. This would ensure that the wagons (specifically the wagon poles) would be correctly situated for the runs. It was the responsibility of the 24-hour (or somebody similar) to notify the trainmaster. This would be accomplished by sending a wire back to the show with the message "poles toward the engine." or "poles toward the caboose."

12 February, 2006 13:57
Anonymous said...

I would think the train would be loaded the same way everyday. That way there would be no confusion or mixups. Why would it be changed in the first place?

12 February, 2006 14:03
GaryHill said...

Makes sence because last thing loaded would be first unloaded. Once the engines spot the cars and unhitch, the first car after the engine could unload as could the last car before the cabboose if there was one? Unloading from both ends at once? Like the new site too,BUT Buckles has one, no one can compare with IMO.

12 February, 2006 14:31
Anonymous said...

I really think this is a computer question. This leaves most of us out of the loop.

12 February, 2006 15:02
Anonymous said...

Knowing Jim Peterson, I would agree w/Rebecca's first answer. :)

12 February, 2006 20:58
B.E.Trumble said...

I'm going to guess the load order on each section was determined at least in part on the location of the crossing where the show was to unload. In one case you might pull up to the crossing, detach the locomotive and unload beginning with the first car, in another you would pull past the crossing and unload beginning with the last car

12 February, 2006 22:01
Buckles said...

As a department head I always received a synopsis, my only concern was when and where we would have a water stop for the elephants but also included was information about "poles to the engine" and "poles to the caboose" which simply meant that the wagons had to placed in the proper direction or face the embarrassing situation of having to back the wagons off the flat cars when you arrived in the next town. The train was loaded in the usual oprder but it was up to the Train Master to have the Railroad people switch things around.
I remember we had loaded out in St. Louis in 1979 and were on our way and I went to bed, hours later I looked out the window and was surprised to see we were still in
St. Louis since I could see the big arch, finally we were underway again but after a while the train stopped again but now the arch was on the other side. So they had spent the whole night in the yards turning things around.
We never got out of town until daylight and arrived in Carbondale in the afternoon a distance of 80 miles.

13 February, 2006 07:18
Anonymous said...

I have tried several times to register on the new web site and keep getting unavailable. I was trying to find the name of the young lady behind Barbara holding the baby.

13 February, 2006 09:01
Anonymous said...

Buckles you have to remember the train yard was in St Louis. Problems. problems. I look out my front door and see the Arch every morning. In the Winter before the trees get their leafs. Have never visited the site and I have lived here almost 35 years.

13 February, 2006 09:05
Buckles said...

Thats Darlene, Ben's wife and the baby would be Ben's oldest daughter Stormy, now in the Navy and stationed in Jacksonville.

13 February, 2006 09:13
Anonymous said...

How does one get signed up on the blog?

14 February, 2006 11:13
Anonymous said...

Shannon, I love it!

A question: When ever I log on through AOL on my home computer I get the page dated "Thursday 30 June 2005" and when I click on the logo at the top I am taken to the current day's post.

When I am out of town and long on to AOL via Firefox through my corporate server I go directly to the current day.

Why is that and how can I change my hjome computer to go directly top the current day?

14 February, 2006 18:34

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