Home Page › Forums › Prototype and Historical › Buildings & Structures › Engineer – Fireman’s Lineup Board – Cotter, Arkansas
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July 12, 2015 at 9:24 pm #5363mopacKeymaster
Attached is a photo of the Engineer-Fireman’s Lineup board at Cotter, Arkansas. I was working the midnight to 8am shift at Cotter when I took this photo. Date is June 20, 1971. At that time the train crews were called for duty by the train order operator at Cotter. The conductors and brakeman were keep in a book, but the BLE union had an agreement at that time that their crew lineups would be keep on a board displayed on the wall. When I went to work at midnight updating this board was one of the first things I would do. This was just a board made out of plywood and we used chalk to write on it.
July 13, 2015 at 1:00 pm #6761mopacKeymasterThese items are always fascinating…thanks for posting this Steve.
Does the “Memphis” indicate Memphis-based crews that come in on #202 flipping back on #201? I believe 201 and 202 were carded to meet at Cotter around 6A-7A. I thought the Memphis-Cotter interdivisional crew agreement was not in place until 1973 or so, but perhaps it was earlier.
I believe “Jenkins” is Jack Jenkins? I was just looking at a 1984 train consist last night and saw his name at the top.
July 13, 2015 at 3:47 pm #6762mopacKeymasterI was working the midnight shift off the extra board the summers of 1969 and 1970 until I went to work full time in May 1971. I know in May 1971 the Memphis inter divisional agreement was in effect. A Cotter based crew would run from Cotter to Memphis on #201 and lay over at Memphis to get their rest and then come back on #202 to Cotter. On the flip side a Memphis based crew would run from Memphis to Cotter on #202, lay over at Cotter to get their rest and return to Memphis on #201. I do not remember 201 and 202 ever scheduled to meet at Cotter. There were two office jobs at Cotter at this time. Train order operator was midnight to 8am and #202 was scheduled into Cotter at 220am. Then there was an Agent/Train Order Operator scheduled to work noon to 8pm. #201 was scheduled to arrive Cotter at 515pm. These scheduled times are from timetable dated Sept. 27, 1964. Latest one I could find, but I am pretty sure these two trains were never scheduled to meet at Cotter. I do not remember a Jack Jenkins. I do remember a Jeff Jenkins but if my memory serves me right Jeff worked out of Carthage, not Cotter.
July 14, 2015 at 2:32 am #6767mopacKeymasterThanks for the additional info Steve. Was wondering why the person calling crews just wrote “Memphis” instead of actual names. Perhaps the BLE requirement for posting names on the board did not extend to the Memphis-based crews.
July 14, 2015 at 1:26 pm #6647mopacKeymasterI was the person that update the board as it shows. We were not required to put the Memphis crews names on this board. It was only for Cotter based crews.
July 28, 2015 at 5:10 am #6905benjamintickell53ParticipantI have a sidebar question about 201-202. I worked the Newport TSE for a number of weeks in 1970 on the school boy brakeman’s extra board. A big part of the 2nd trick job was to drop everything and switch 201 when it arrived in Newport. We would use the road power to switch this train, blocking it for easier delivery to Memphis connections. I wasn’t aware that the crews worked Memphis-Cotter at that time, but I don’t recall anyone else in the cab or on the train when we did this work. Did the through crew go for beans while we did this work, or ??? What would have been the purpose of having our TSE crew handle this blocking work versus having the road crew perform that work — did MP avoid penalty pay for the road crew by this maneuver?
We were generally left alone to do our work, but switching 201 often brought out the trainmaster from his office in the depot to observe or check such things as whether “green” brakemen had a standard watch. All work in the yard was done by hand signals (or lantern signals after dark), but for 201 the TSE conductor would go to the depot to check out a radio pack set which was used to expedite switching. After 201 had departed, we turned the set back in — the thinking among crew members being that if we used it all the time, the company might try to cut a brakeman position from the crew.
This was well before the UP merger, but 201-202 frequently had UP power, often GP-9 B units. At the time, seeing the UP power was quite exotic. Little did we know that we would all too come to detest Armour yellow.
Bill Pollard
July 29, 2015 at 1:37 am #6877mopacKeymasterBill, If you remember the Arkansas Division ended at Cotter and the Northern Division started at Cotter. North of Cotter was dispatched and handeled by Kansas City Dispatcher’s office and South of Cotter was dispatched and handled by Little Rock Dispatcher’s office. All I know is when I was working at Cotter on this date, June 20, 1971 the Cotter and Memphis crews were running on interdivisional runs between Cotter and Memphis. When I worked at Cotter I was the go between for the Little Rock and Kansas City Dispatcher’s offices. Hardly ever would they talk with each other direct. Everything was relayed through the Cotter office. One thing I do seen to remember is at times during contract negoations the Arkanas Division would cancel the interdivisional agreement and the crews would go back to changing at Newport. I seem to remember there were times when I was working at Cotter that the Cotter crews were only going to Newport. You might have just hit a time working in Newport when the interdivisional agreement was not in effective and the crews were changing at Newport, so it would have made sense to have the T.S.E. switch number 201. When the crews were not changing at Newport I would have been surprised that they would pay the road crew to sit while the Newport T.S.E. switched their train. Not sure if there is anyone left around Little Rock that would be able to confirm what I am talking about here or not. Not to many old heads left. Hope this helps.
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