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In reply to the discussion: Weird things you have accomplished [View all]trof
(54,256 posts)My great-aunt Lucia was an office worker for the AGS, the Alabama Great Southern Railroad.
Founded in 1877.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama_Great_Southern_Railroad
Part of her job was to issue passes for employees, so she knew all the engineers, conductors, crews, etc.
When I was a kid, she and her sister, both spinsters (sorta, that's a long story) would take me on a day trip on the train. Aunt Lucia would get us the passes.
I remember one trip we made from Birmingham, Alabama to Rising Faun, Georgia.
After a short wait in Georgia we'd catch the southbound back to Birmingham.
Breakfast in the diner on the way out and lunch on the way back.
White linen tablecloths and napkins.
First class service and scrumptious food.
The waiters were black men in spotless white tunics and black trousers.
The whole kitchen crew was also black.
The 'operating' crew, conductor, engineer, brakeman, whatever, were all white men.
That's how it was circa 1948 or so.
Aunt Lucia introduced me to the conductor. She explained that he was the 'boss' of the train.
I had thought the engineer was.
Nope.
The conductor took me on a tour of the whole train. Kitchen, baggage car, everything 'regular' passengers didn't see.
We wound up in the locomotive. The engineer lifted me up into his lap and let me 'steer' the train.
And I got to blow the LOUD horn.
WooHoo!