Saturday, July 28, 2007
Spent Eight Hours At The Lake Today
We were invited to a Send Off To College party today at a lake house owned by the parents of one of my son's friends. It was at Lake Palo Pinto west of Mineral Wells, TX. I had driven by the turnoff to this lake a hundred times on the way to and from my uncle's ranch but I never took the time to go look at the lake. It is a small lake, about 2,500 acres in size but it sure was beautiful. The lake is surrounded by the Palo Pinto Mountains. This was Comanche Indian country 150 years ago. My wife and daughter and one of her friends and my son and myself went. 10 to 15 of my son's school mates were there and quite a few of their parents. There was plenty of good food and cold drinks. The teenagers all took turns tubing behind the boat three at a time and some of the kids took rides on the jet skis. A great time was had by all. It was funny watching all the young bucks strut around showing off for all the young girls. I am sure all of the parents were watching this remembering their youth an wondering just where and when it all vanished. Being the only cripple in attendance, I got special treatment being a ride down to the lake side down a steep hill and I even got to go out in the boat with the help of my son an a couple of his football playing teammates. I am exhausted, but I am glad I went.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Dudley Has Been A Railfan Since He Was A Kid ...
I worked as a telegrapher for the M-K-T one day at Dallas and two days and two midnights at Ney Yard Fort Worth. Given that I didn't have a car at the time, I made the effort to become good friends with and familiar to the crews of ATSF 11 and 12 as well as already having established friendships with the crews of FW&D 1 and 2.
The point of relevance here is that on Thursday and Friday nights, when I worked third trick at Fort Worth, I'd ride the engs of No. 11 from Dallas to Fort Worth and about the time we were passing BOP on the T&P at Arlington, the engr would ask the ATSF yardmaster at Fort Worth if he had any transfer moves going to Ney Yard and he usually responded in the affirmative, telling us about 1015PM.
Well, that worked out just slick for me because No. 11 would usually wallow into the ATSF depot at 930PM to 940PM and it was a simple matter for me to unload there, walk to the yard office and ask the yardmaster where the Ney Transfer job was working and most commonly, he'd tell me to wait at the yard office and have the job come by there to pick me up and go to Ney Yard.
And with that arrangement, I'd arrive at Ney Yard about 1045PM, just in time to take a turn-over from the yardmaster and telegrapher/crew caller. On third trick there was only one yard eng working (and no yardmaster as well as no yard clerk) and they usually spent most of their time over at Bunge and other grain elevators, adjoining the site of John Peter Smith Hospital.
During the next eight hours, I'd deal with No's 3 and 4 and maybe an odd extra job from Ray to Ney. Keep in mind that the trackage between Tower 55 and Whitesboro was T&P main track and northward M-K-T trains would get their orders at Tower 55.
Come 6AM, the daylight yardmaster would show up along with the daylight telegrapher/crew caller and yard clerk and I'd give turnovers to them and blast outta there in time to catch the 615AM Allen Avenue city bus that conveniently dropped me off on some street I can no longer remember but within close walking distance of the east end of the T&P depot.
About 650AM, FW&D No. 2 (or maybe it was No. 1; I can't remember that far back anymore) and watch as it rounded the curve onto T&P eastward main track and then shove back in to the T&P depot. Typically, the engr was Artey Spivey every other day and the other engr's name for the other day is also forgotten but if he wasn't friendly, I knew the condr would let me deadhead with him.
Regardless, Mr. Spivey would let me ride with him on the head end with the ancient E-5's. After about four weeks of this, Mr. Spivey asked me if I'd like to run with him giving instructions and I said "of course". Riding the Zephyr back to Dallas would put me into DUT about 810AM, in time to walk three blocks up to Main Street and catch the Belmont bus which would take me home.
So, my deadhead to Fort Worth and ride with the yard crew to Ney Yard was technically on Hours of Service time but no one was paying any attention to that formality. And when I worked daylights, on Saturday and Sunday, my father would let me drive his car to Ney Yard and back home. I did all of that for four months and, in Feb., 1966, my friendly draft board found me and so I spent the next three years in the Army doing all sorts of spiffy, fun-filled things. At least I had a decent introduction to what my railroad career was gonna be like.
Now that is dedication!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Here Are Some Photos Of Frank's Kayaking Trip ...
on the Brazos river yesterday. That is his friend Chace holding the bass and loading his kayak. The photo of the small bass with the dam in the background was Franks first fish of the day. He said he caught it on his third cast and caught a second small bass a short time later. Chace caught his bass early in the trip. They caught three bass so quick, they thought they were going to tear up the bass. Then for whatever reason the bite shut down and they did not catch another fish the whole trip. They had a great time being on the river and that is what matters. They launched at the dam and paddled down a little over eight miles on this trip. Frank and Dudley floated this section in a canoe about five years ago. It was Dudley's last river trip. Dudley was so tired after the trip, he was unable to get to his feet. The man that runs the canoe shuttle service drove his Jeep down to the waters edge and Dudley was able to pull himself up to his feet by grabbing on to the front bumper. Dudley then got a ride up to the top of the hill where he could make it to the truck. Dudley's muscular dystrophy is a lot worse now than it was five years ago. When Dudley was a teenager, he spent many enjoyable hours fishing and canoeing up on the Illinois River in Northeastern Oklahoma. His stepfathers family had a cabin up there on the river. Those were some great times but distant memories for Dudley. I am glad Frank is able to follow in his father's footsteps. And Dudley can offer the benefit of his years of experience on the river to his son. Before he left, I told him if he heard banjos near the river to paddle like hell!
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
