Re: Persistence Pays II

What they did.....

I went through Eldon Morgan's time books for 1950. He was on the fireman's extra board for much of that year working both NG and SG as needed. In latter 1950 he got a regular Narrow Gauge Turn as fireman. He work with a variety of guys and I noted where all his fellow engine worked. Most of them had regular assgnments, a few floated around.

Back then you worked on the Narrow Gauge Board (Alamosa - Chama including SG turns to Antonito), Standard Gauge Board (La Veta - Alamosa and Creede Branch) or the extra board. Switch engines and passenger trains were bid jobs, vacancies filled by extra board. Durango crews in reality worked off the same narrow gauge board, but had thier own group of guys. There was some crossing over from Durango crews to Alamosa Crews, but not much, especially in 1950.

I also looked through Chama Train registers from Oct-Dec 1950 to get more info. All the Durango engineers, except for JR Connor and J Dieckman were off the bottom of this list. BTW the guy on the bottom of the list, Oberrich, was promoted in 1918!

Fourth Division Engineer seniority (Jan. 1 lists)


Name-- 1937seniority slot--- 1950 slot----Years seniority in 1950...Assignments in 2nd half of 1950
Owen House------7-------1-------52...............Durango Switcher
Oscar Caldwell--23------2-------47..........Alamosa – La Veta Passenger
V.V. Todd------ 25------3------ 47..........Alamosa Switcher – day shift
Walter Kearin---27----- 4------ 44..........Alamosa Switcher – 2nd shift
John Dieckman---32----- 5------ 44..........Durango – Chama Passenger
A.S. Johnson--- 37----- 6-------43..........Standard Gauge Turn
J.R. Connor-----38----- 7------ 43..........Durango- Chama Passenger
R.E. Hurley-----39----- 8------ 42..........Standard Gauge Turn
H.B. Nissen---- 41----- 9-------41..........Alamosa – Chama Passenger
F.E. Owenby-----43------10------40..........Alamosa – Chama Passenger
T.E. Dodds----- 45----- 11----- 40..........Extra board
R..M Turney---- 47----- 12----- 40..........Standard Gauge Turn
T.V. Cummins--- 48----- 13----- 40..........no records
T.J. Cummins--- 49----- 14----- 40..........Road Foreman of Engines
E.J. Donaldson- 50----- 15----- 40..........Narrow Gauge Turn
J.C. Hall------ 52----- 16----- 39..........Narrow Gauge Turn
J.R. Stephens- 53----- 17----- 38...........Narrow Gauge Turn
Bennie Hindelang54----- 18----- 38..........Narrow Gauge Turn
L.J. Oberrich 55----- 20----- 35............Extra board

No. 19 was F.R. Black, fireman only.........Alamosa Switcher – day shift