Page:Brunswick 100 Years of Memories.pdf/56

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Air hose and air brakes were tested. Plugs were

removed from the engine and cleaned. Hand railings were tested. The interior of the boiler was washed dqring this visit to the shop. Safety appliances were inspected. The locomotive would be in for four days to two weeks, depending on the severity of the train's damage. After the repair, one man who was in charge had to sign that every item was tended to. After this inspection, the engine went out for 30 more days, receiving, of course, after each run, the careful attention described in the foregoing. These inspections applied to both steam and diesel engines. S - Bill Young

- Dutch Burns W-MMM

ENGINEE R'S PERSONA L ENGINES During the early 1920's local B&O engineers had "their own" locomotives. That is, they were assigned to one specific engine for the short runs between Frederick and Brunswick, Hagerstown and Brunswick, Strasburg and Brunswick, and other short runs that carried mail, baggage, and milk, as well as passengers on the system; most of these made two or more trips a day. One particularly memorable engine was that assigned to "Punch" Shewbridge. As with others, it was decorated with brass trimmings (made in the local shops); each engineer tried to outdo the others. Some men even bought brass eagles to display. "Punch" paid someone $1.00 a day to wipe off his engine and keep the brass and the boiler jacket shining. "The engines were beautiful," recalls Dutch Burns. Some were so bright one could eat off them. The company removed the brass, used some for bearings and sold the rest when it stopped the practice of assigning locomotives to a single engineer; this change came about when more engines were needed for the increased business that railroading enjoyed during the latter 1920's.

telegrapher s who worked at WB Tower, which was south of the old YMCA and still stands. Their work was of special consequence. They threw the switches to redirect all trains entering and leaving Brunswick yard. They separated the passenger from the freight trains by routing each to its proper track. They "threw" switches from the tower redirecting work trains, wreck trains, and protection engines corning into and departing the yard, and to make sure all trains were cleared for their run. They "protected" the engines and the trains on the road. If an engine, for example, encountered problems at Gaithersbur g, or Harpers Ferry, a message would be telegraphed to WB Tower in Brunswick to have a protective engine ready to replace the one in trouble. A protective engine was always kept ready at the shop in the "hallway" with a head of steam and ready for any emergency run. Passenger trains especially were "protected" in this manner at all times, since passengers and mail were hauled on the same train and both had priority over freight. The "WB" stands for "West Brunswick." There was also an East Brunswick Tower but that has long passed from the scene. S

- Dutch Burns

W-MMM

TRANSFE R SHED The Transfer Shed was a giant of a building contrasted with others in the yard. It was located in the east side of the yard beginning opposite City Park and the old football field. From here freight cars went either east or west. There were five tracks on each side of the Transfer Shed, which was long enough to accommoda te an estimated 40 cars on each track. A two-story office building formed the middle of the immense structure. The box cars were always arranged so that workers could go through the doorways of as many cars as necessary to load the correct car. LCLs (less than carload lots) were moved to different cars according to their destination. The workers used two-wheel hand cars to move smaller loads, while a crane was available for heavier items.

S - Dutch Burns W-MMM

BRUNSW ICK'S "WB" TOWER

S - Dutch Burns W-MMM

Clarence Shewbridge , Eugene Harrison, a Mr. Mortimer, and Blair Harrington were some of the

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