Re: Rio Grande Engineer Jim Pearce Time Book January, 1958 - July, 1958

The inside/outside hostler position is very interesting. Working in Denver on the BNSF they had an inside and outside hostler position, inside hostler moved power around for the roundhouse crew (from the fuel pit to the departure tracks, and helping to rearrange power for outbound trains), and the outside hostler took power from the "roundhouse" to the train in the yard. Both positions could be very busy or really slow. I find it interesting that Durango would have both positions. Was it purely about contracts or was Durango that busy?

I have to say I never gave the daily workings of those employed much thought until I began to work for the railroad. Thank you for sharing the day to day happenings of an engineer for the D&RGW.