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I worked one wonderful second trick operator job at Durand…that was plenty for me. I got a late call, 1 hr, (at Wichita)…driving to Durand my muffler and exhaust pipe started dragging (had to stop and wire them up), got to Durand for a turnover…and discovered the first trick guy had a bad day and broke several windows out of the depot. It was about 10 degrees that night. I spent most of the night standing by the stove in the waiting room listening for the dispatcher to call…and kept trying to get the very cold card reader (by a window) to run a deck of cards for a pick-up. (no luck)
I told myself that was IT for me…I wasn’t going back to Durand! I didn’t get a call for 10 days. The next call from the railroad was to report to St. Louis for six weeks of Clerical School on the computers. This after working for eight months. But I did get paid the Second Trick Operator rate…the second highest rate on our seniority district, for the entire six weeks of school!
Also, I got promoted my last day of class and was no longer a clerk/operator.
But I did have to work Durand again…like Charlie, but a few years later, I was there to provide more training on a new computer system. But at least it wasn’t in the winter…and the card reader had been replaced with a cardless system.
I had a much better time!
Gary H.
