Yes, I was 18 years old and this was my first real job, and what an exciting job it was! Machinist Apprentice.
I had first started work there in the diesel shop, and like all the apprentices before me we were placed in various stations
or with journey-men to learn as we go. After working there awhile,
and feeling adventurous, I went up the ladder
of the diesel locomotive in the shop..... and this time, there was a vacancy.......... The ENGINEERS seat !
I
sat in the Engineers seat! Wow, kind of a boyhood dream. Looking down at all the controls and gauges, I
noticed a very impressive lever right next to me, I almost touched it! And immediately got a flashback to a time my
Dad took me to work with him, I was about six. Dad introduced me to all the people in the SP office and got a chair
for me , then he told me not to touch anything, specially this red button in an electrical box on the wall. After awhile
it was boring and I kept watching that red button and wondering what it did. If any body went near it I watched, but
nobody touched it. With papers in hand Dad said I’ll be back in a minute. And my little innocent mind said “
Just touch it a little”...... Everybody was busy at their desks no-one looked up as I moved closer to that mysterious
button. So I gave it a quick jab and slipped away. An explosive blast of AIR HORNS trumpeted through the Southern Pacific
yards. All the office people froze in their work and looked at me !! Dad came running through the door asking
what happened, who blew the quitting whistle? The Master Mechanic came down stairs asking my Dad what happened, workers
were leaning in the time-keepers window laughing and asking can we go home now? I got in trouble, but every one had
a smile for me, even the Master Mechanic. So now, ( back in the cab ) I was sitting next to this impressive looking brass
lever with a ball shaped top, polished with use, but for what? The mystery continued, and each time I visited the cab,
I watched to see if some one would use it, and finally they did. An Engineer came into the cab and all the workers were
leaving but I stayed until the last minute and it paid off. The Engineer sat in the seat and put his lunch pail on the floor
and then his hand went right to that lever. My eyes opened wide, I held my breath. In a swift motion he pushed
the lever down................ and his window went down!! A window crank, that’s all it was!.. Well it looked
important to me! I came to love the roundhouse, it was my favorite, the turntable, the machine shop, machines
running, spitting out chips of blue-hot metal. there were real blacksmiths and boilermakers, forges and steam driven trip-hammers.
I was there in the last dying breaths of steam. Its days were numbered, but lingering.
The old-timers
there seemed to all have nicknames, “salami john”, “rabbit”, “soapy smith”, “spider”,
“lard-ass Tony”, and soon enough they gave me one,....... “baby-face”. I hated it.
The
old-timers tried to teach the young apprentices to memorize the names of all the moving parts of the engines, they had been
teaching and working on them for many years, but we all knew it was a matter of time for steam, and soon they grew silent.
They seemed to lose interest, but if you asked them a question their face would light up and cheerfully explain anything...........
And here I was on this huge steam engine..... THE MALLEY.
My gloved hand slid along the warm steel
hand-rail, and soon I was even with the smoke-stack, now I have to climb up on top of the boiler and find the air operated
bell-ringer that I was sent to adjust. It was right next to the stack! everything was so hot, smoke was roaring out of the
stack like a jet plane! Crouched on my knee’s holding on with my left hand, using a wrench in my right hand when....
Ok, I need to take a break here and fill you in on the plot that my mechanic
was pulling on me.........he had instructed the fire lighter to bring the boiler pressure up past it’s 500 lb. max and
set off the safety pop!!
Now the safety pop was the last resort before the
boiler blew up! He wanted me out there near it when it went off because he thought that was funny. He was a prankster
and I was with him on many of them, now it was my turn I guess.
Al was signaling me from the engineers cab window,
adjust the pressure! raise the pressure! My knees were becoming very warm now, but I did what he said. I saw
him checking the timing with his watch, then he signaled me to drop the pressure !! I realized later that he was
stalling for time. But I was getting annoyed and my hands and feet were burning hot.
Finally I set the timing with my
own watch, replaced the cap and started back, I thought to myself, he can do it if he doesn’t like it.
I
was working my way back and almost halfway there it happened. It sounded like a sonic boom!! I closed my eyes and hugged
the side of the boiler! there was a loud continuous deafening sound. My face and hair felt hot and wet, as if I was
in a sauna When I realized I was still alive, I dared to open my eyes for a quick look. (I didn’t know
what was happening).
Everything around me was hot, white, and boiling. Since I seemed to be relatively safe, I
just stayed put. After what seemed like an eternity, the noise and steam shut off. What a power that silence had.
Or could it be I was now deaf ? The white steam dissipated quickly. At least I can see!! Maybe I’m deaf, but I
can see!! Everything seemed to be normal, except the roof of the roundhouse was dripping water so much it looked like
it was raining! I was soaking wet, my hair flat on my head and dripping,
I just wanted to get out of there. I
climbed down to the ground and looked up to the cab, and there was Al and the fire-lighter howling with laughter.
It
was only then that I figured out what happened. I decided that I needed to play a trick on Al some day, but I forgot......
and never did.
When I write these memories it takes me back in time literally, and strangely now,
I feel like taking a nice shower.
True Adventures by Ron Francis...............(c)....2009
