Use of the Packing Hook to Check Axles for Scoring

[NW Mailing List]

Abe,
Any chance Mr. Payne's nickname originated with the TV show "Car 54 Where
are You"'s Francis Muldoon (Fred Gwynne
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Gwynne>), badge #723?   Gwynne (also
Herman Munster) was a pretty tall fellow.
Just love trivia.
Jim Cochran

On Sat, Apr 26, 2025 at 8:08 AM NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
wrote:

> Mr. Matteo von Gootmann, Protosynchellus of the Prefecture of
> Columbus, doth like the story of packing hooks and journal boxes.
>
> Once Upon a Time there was a good story about an old Conductor on the
> Southern Railroad's Illinois Division whose caboose was for years
> known as a rolling Speak Easy.  At last the Southern Railroad
> Officials planned to raid the old fellow's caboose and deprive him of
> both his refreshment and his employment.
>
> And so it happened... but the old Conductor had been tipped off in
> advance.  The Raiding Party tore his caboose apart, looking for the
> goods.  Checked under the bunks, all the bunk and cupola cushions, the
> lockers, the toilet, the stove, in the journal dope bucket, and even
> dug into the coal bin.. they checked everywhere.  But they came up
> with nothing.
>
> After the Officials had left in frustration, the old Conductor got off
> his caboose and said to his Flagman, "They ain't gonna catch me ! "
> and promptly retrieved his gin bottle from the journal box !
>
> And now for an N&W story.  This one happened on the Shenandoah
> Division.  There was a Conductor, probably about age 50 when I was in
> my early 20s.  His name was E.E. Payne.  I never knew his given name,
> but his moniker was  "Muldoon."  Everybody called him "Muldoon Payne."
>  He was a big man and  probably stood about 6' 2".  I broke for him
> several times on the Roanoke-Shenandoah Local and maybe a time or two
> on the Cloverdale Branch, and he was a good man to work for.
>
> Now, Muldoon was a very reserved and quiet man, said but little and
> never raised his voice.  The saying was that when Muldoon was on the
> train, a beer can went out the cupola window at every Mile Post.  And
> when this came to the attention of Management, the story was not well
> received.
>
> So little Joe Richardson, the Asst Train Master and a man as good as
> Gold, was sent out to confront Muldoon about the situation.
>
> That morning the Local had stopped at either Troutville or Cloverdale
> (I can't remember which,") and little Joe rolls up on the caboose and
> looked us, face-to-face, at big Muldoon, towering over him.
> "Muldoon," said Joe, shaking his finger up into Muldoon's face, "There
> are entirely too many Budweiser cans up and down this Right-of-Way ! "
>
> "Ain't mine, Boss,"  said Muldoon.  "I drink Blue Ribbon ! "
>
> And thus ended the conversation.
>
> So, Mr. Goodman... if you get thirsty, just check the journal boxes on
> your caboose !
>
> -- abram burnett,
> ...............derailed old brakeman
> Can You Solve the Turnip Equation?
> .
>
> <<  PS - The large box hung under N&W cabooses was called the Possum
> Belly.  It had sliding wooden doors, and contained the spare knuckles,
> a chain, a few wooden blocks... and about three inches worth of coal
> dust.   You never went in the Possum Belly unless you needed a knuckle
> or chain.  As I recall, the COT&S and the IDT dates were often
> stencilled on the sliding wooden doors.  COT&S means Cleaned Oiled
> Tested Stencilled.  IDT means In Date Test.  Both of those items
> pertain to the Triple Valve... or as Management has for years been
> trying to get us Trainmen to call it, the Air Brake Control Valve.
> Bah-Humbug.  Apply to Mr. Gordon Hamilton if you want an Air Brake
> class. >>
> .
> ________________________________________
> NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org
> To change your subscription go to
> https://pairlist6.pair.net/mailman/options/nw-mailing-list
> Browse the NW-Mailing-List archives at
> https://pairlist6.pair.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist6.pair.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/attachments/20250426/3991f9ce/attachment.htm>