Rio Grande hiring spree

The 1920 engine service list shows that the Rio Grande added nine firemen in 1916 and 28 more in 1917. In addition three engineers were added in 1917 without any fireman seniority shown. They were Roy Cretcher, L.A. Cox and C.B. McGue. There may have been others who were gone by 1920.
This trend did not carry over into train service. George Andriko was the only brakeman hired in 1916 who made the 1930 trainmen's list. The railroad hired eight brakemen in 1917 who were still around in 1930.
The trend also did not carry over in Salida and Gunnison. Bert Rogers and Aaron Sidenstricker were hired in 1916 as firemen and were still around in 1924. Nine firemen were hired in 1917. This compares with nine brakemen hired in 1916 and 1917 for Salida and Gunnison.
In Gunnison Tom Doyle and Frank Wright were hired in 1916 as firemen with nine more added in 1917.
That there were more engine service employees hired than train service was not surprising. The largest engines used at the time were the Class 125 (later K27) Mudhens. It was not uncommon for there to be six, or even eight, engine service employees for three train service workers.
This also was standard operating proceedure later but more freight was moved with a three-engine train with bigger locomotives than with the smaller C class hogs. Fewer trains could be operated.