Mike Osborne Brakeman On The Southern Pacific LABRF

Рет қаралды 8,779

Жыл бұрын

#trains #train #railroad #railroads #talesoftherails
#LABRF
Mike Osborne has been working for Southern Pacific, and now Union Pacific, for well over 40 years. As a young Southern Pacific hire, Mike worked the brakeman job on a train called the LABRF, which traversed Tehachapi Pass on its way from Los Angeles to Bakersfield at night.
This video documents Mike's recollections of that job. His storytelling along with the photographs he was able to combine with it paint a great picture of what it was like working on the railroad "back in the day."
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Пікірлер: 71

@Herlongian Күн бұрын

I remember the conductor usually riding in the front seat next to the carryall driver. However, I do not recall any other particular place the rest of us sat. I always sat in the back whatever brakeman I was.

@Herlongian Күн бұрын

I only worked the Bakersfield run once. We laid over at the Royal Palms on Union Ave.

@Herlongian 2 күн бұрын

I hired out March 17, 1979. Went to brakeman’s class at the West Colton yard. After that, was put on the LA Brakeman’s extra board. First assignment was the Riverside Local. So many of the jobs were taking a train from Taylor Yard to Colton. Sit around and take a train back to LA. Boring and low pay. Enjoyed the San Luis Obispo run and also would occasionally be augmented to the Colton board for Yuma trips. 197 miles and can be done in under 5 hours on a hot train.

@Herlongian Күн бұрын

I switched from LA to the Bakersfield board and trains to Colton or Fresno. When doing Colton, around Monolith we would put in our Carl’s Jr. order to pick up in Mojave. Yes it was free! Always got the Super Star

@Herlongian Күн бұрын

Another reason to be the head brakeman is that you don’t have to walk the train at meets. Though there were a lot of younger engineers, I did have some old grumpy ones too.

@Herlongian Күн бұрын

Occasionally you’d get a GMC carryall. A lot times when working a satellite yard, there would be no carryall available to return you to Taylor. So you would call a cab, and a clerk at Taylor would pay the driver.

@edmijares1011 Жыл бұрын

I grew up down the street from Taylor yard…… I think that’s what sparked my affinity for trains.

@rodonis88 Жыл бұрын

Love to hear more! This gentleman was great at story telling

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 5 ай бұрын

Look for more

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 5 ай бұрын

More coming…..

@stevenphares760 Жыл бұрын

HOLEY MOLEY! This is Awesome!

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 5 ай бұрын

Thanks plug!

@TheClosetBranch 10 ай бұрын

Absolutely the best SP video ever!! Please do more of this series.

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 5 ай бұрын

Thanks much

@Herlongian Күн бұрын

A little jiggle with the lantern is the “stretch em” or-and expanding outward motion with hands. Could mention that when cutting in the air you have to tap on the angle cock moving it slowly in little increments until fully open because if you open too fast you big hole the train.

@jestocost8210 Жыл бұрын

Best trip I ever had from the Shops to Bakersfield, I was on the second unit since we had a fireman and fell asleep before Burbank Jct. and woke up at Caliente. I don't know if we stopped, nor did I care.

@Herlongian Күн бұрын

We don’t always have a fireman but when we do, we prefer a trailing unit! I always liked sitting in the hoghead’s chair and look at the guages

@hectorguzman8435 5 ай бұрын

Good to hear the old ways and put them into perspective with the current practices we have nowadays coming from LA to Bakersfield.

@UPES2018 Жыл бұрын

Mike is a great guy, used to work with him at UP… Awesome video, thanks for sharing!

@jamesg2609 Жыл бұрын

Great video Ozzie.had laugh I once sat in the front seat in the carryall and pissed off John Peterman on a deadhead to Mojave. .Great story about DD Burke using a Berry pistol to call in the rear brakeman .Great narration of the years we spent together on the. Mountain

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 5 ай бұрын

Awesome story Dagwood

@user-sh9du2nv5y 8 ай бұрын

Great story of your time as a brakeman, my dad was a brakeman for the sp at gemco in the valley and worked on the Northridge switcher, he would tell me simlar stories he also worked the same routes as you in the past, I remember him taking me and my mom up to Taylor yard to the yard office at night to pick up paper work and stuff. I always remember the old candy machine there next to the bulletin boards and the old converted baggage car painted dark gray sitting on a spur track that was used for storing old files of paper for the office storage . You can hear the frogs chirping away in the Los Angeles river, and the huge orange spiders sitting in the center of there webs right out side of the yard office.

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 5 ай бұрын

Who was your father? I probably know him. Thanks for the memories of Taylor yard.

@Herlongian Күн бұрын

I’ve worked the Gemco job a couple of times off the extra board. GM parts coming in from back east and cars going out.

@edwardgh57 Жыл бұрын

Taken this same trip with the Pacific Rail Society in 1970 . I was a 12 year old rail fan, and my parents and a buddy also enjoyed all scenery. Classic streamlined, dome and vending machine cars , was really a cool trip. Sounds of a train ride before continuously welded rail was a fast metronome experience! Thanks for a awesome story.

@rimodeler7963 Жыл бұрын

Very thorough and interesting description of taking the LABRF over the main line back in the late 1970's. Thank you Mike Osborne for the enjoyable video! Great job!! Mike Armstrong

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 5 ай бұрын

Thanks Mike

@agraham9356 8 ай бұрын

This was such a nice video..I spent 87 through 90 in Tehachapi and Bakersfield. Very familier with the area.. commuted to LA a lot from Tehachapi..I was working EMS during that time and I did not have that much time to railfan..I am a PTI driver now out of Portola CA. It was neat of you describing what a brakeman does with orders etc. and dark areas.

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 5 ай бұрын

Thanks much

@jestocost8210 Жыл бұрын

Great story. Brought a lot of memories.

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 5 ай бұрын

Thanks

@tomharris8263 8 ай бұрын

This is a very enjoyable video. Thanks for the post. I worked for ATSF mid to late 70s. Ran between Richmond to Calwa or Calwa to Bakersfield.

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 5 ай бұрын

Thanks, you understand what it was like!

@Herlongian Күн бұрын

Speaking of smoking, I’m on the caboose, have smokes, no matches. So I used fusees. 😮

@bruceflaws3213 2 ай бұрын

Were you describing a running air test? WB trains did this at East Truckee prior to ascending Donner Pass. There was also a dragging equipment detector. Conductors would call the head end and first announce a “dark dragger”, and then the set and release for the running air test.

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 2 күн бұрын

Yes running air brake test

@Herlongian Күн бұрын

Speaking of Taylor Yard anyone here ever work the top end of A yard herder job? Or engineers locker room herder? As a brakeman, I also did switchman jobs when needed. That’s 8 hour shifts

@neanderthal88 7 ай бұрын

Nice narrative Mike........Greg j

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 5 ай бұрын

Thanks a lot!

@chineechik 8 ай бұрын

I used to work with old heads who signed on in 1950’s and watched in awe as they didn’t use radios at all. All hand signals. Someone should do a video on hand signals before that art gets forgotten

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 2 ай бұрын

I plan on doing one real soon

@Herlongian 2 күн бұрын

When. I first hired out in 1979, no hand held radios. We use road flares to signal and lanterns at night. In 1981, they finally issued Motorola radios to all brakeman, conductors, engineers, firemen

@spcabforward Жыл бұрын

Great story on the LABRF (Los Angeles - Brooklyn "Portland" Forwarder.)

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 5 ай бұрын

Glad you like it. Hopefully more to come on TSG

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 5 ай бұрын

Thanks a lot.

@GP30RDMT 8 ай бұрын

Really wonderful, thanks for sharing this.

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 5 ай бұрын

Glad you liked it more to come

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 5 ай бұрын

Glad you like it. Keep following TSG

@bodfish Жыл бұрын

That was great. Funny how a lot has changed but a lot of the odd-ball things haven't changed.

@kathymaznik3218 Жыл бұрын

Hi Mike, I am Strube's sister and he wanted me to see your video.

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 5 ай бұрын

Thanks

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 5 ай бұрын

Thank you, you have a great brother, a legend the Tinman!

@mels1811 Жыл бұрын

Wonderful video

@riogrande5761 Жыл бұрын

I grew up with the SP in the Davis Sacramento area in the 1970's and early 1980's. I probably graduated from high school about 2 years before Mike. I really wished I would have gone to work for the SP at that time but I didn't. I later traveled to and through the Rockies and got Rio Grande fever but today I am interested in both the SP and Rio Grande. There are some really nice models out on the market now for both railroads for 70's and 80's era modeling. Was that a Dell Taco soda? I haven't seen a Dell Taco since I was last in California years ago. Live in Virginia how, thankfully.

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 5 ай бұрын

Yes it was from the Dell

@chuckythedoll4815 Жыл бұрын

Models the same thing I do. Very good.😂

@robertsiebenrock3997 2 ай бұрын

Very interesting trip. I worked for the NYC, the PC And B&O. My question is what was the major difference in the SP and UP?

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 2 ай бұрын

SP was very lax on the rules. The track is in way better shape on the UP Especially the branch lines.

@anthonygermano9363 7 ай бұрын

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

@oldclip70 3 ай бұрын

I’m surprised you didn’t work on the PCX train.

@user-pm2tv2bv7f 2 ай бұрын

Yes I did work on the PCX train many times This is pre PCX

@oldclip70 2 ай бұрын

@@user-pm2tv2bv7f I remember the LABRF. It was hot. But when the PTPCX/LAPCX came out in May 1991 with those brand new GP60’s (I was born and raised in Stockton, CA) I was impressed!!! Thank you for your story. I was an Amtrak conductor.

@Herlongian Күн бұрын

HAHT time! Held away from home terminal. Sometimes they didn’t want to pay HAHT time if you were going to be there too long and they would deadhead you home by bus or even carryall