Theresa A. Peters, Widow

Timken, Kansas

Russell A. Peters worked for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and was a BMWE member from December 1, 1973 until his untimely death from a heart attack.

10 Years Ago

The following letter, printed in the January 1989 BMWE Journal, is as applicable today as it was 10 years ago.

In the past few years, we have seen a great many union jobs lost in the rail industry. The loss of these union jobs has hurt many of our brother members, both financially and emotionally.

The reasons were because business was slow and changes had to be made--so we were told by the companies we work for. The real reasons were because of mistakes made by the companies themselves. Once again (as it seems to be a trend in this country for the last eight years), the working man had to pay for it.

This also is the case with the recent sale of Southern Pacific to Rio Grande Industries. As a result of this sale, some "High Ranking Officials" will split $12 million in bonuses.

Once again, the working man will "foot the bill." In paying for these bonuses, Rio Grande will cut 5,000 union jobs. I am sick and tired of being the currency for which they pay their bills. Too many good union jobs have been lost for this reason and reasons like this.

We see every day the maintenance that has to be done, so it is not the lack of maintenance. We also see the amount of freight being shipped by rail, so lack of business cannot be the reason.

Now, more than ever, we need to stand together and be united. Something needs to be done to protect our jobs against this type of tyranny.

It is important that our congressmen, senators, and our union legislators join together to fight for legislation for job protection against the rail companies using our jobs to pay their bills.

Our industry, and all industries, have forgotten that the craftsmen built their companies and built America. We, the craftsmen, make it possible for industry to make its huge profits with our sweat and our blood.

At some point in time, industry and our government have forgotten our country was founded for the pursuit of happiness for everyone. Also, the words "We the People" in the preamble to the Constitution mean all the people and not just a few chosen wealthy.

Jeffrey T. Finch

50 Years Ago

George Christ, section foreman at Sioux Falls, S. Dak., has patented an invention which is expected to take the guesswork out of laying a level track. George has seen a lot of track laid--he has been with the Road for 27 years and also had some experience on the Great Northern--and the idea had been in mind for a long time before he started the actual work. It took five years to perfect the machine.

Marketed Soon

The present model was built by the Fairmont Machine Company, Fairmont, Min., which became interested in the idea from a sketch and undertook to try it out. The machine will go on the market in the near future.

The leveler consists of an 18-foot steel beam with flanged wheels that ride along one rail and a crossarm that extends across to the other for balance. A gauge is mounted on one end of the beam, and it is this gauge with its novel hinged movement that marks the machine as a forward step in railroading. The gauge shows the percentage in degrees between the end and the front of the beam, which is the grade percentage. The indicator is set at the degree of inclination wanted and the leveler is rolled along the rails. If the bubble in the level changes, it indicates that the grade has changed. The other level shows whether the opposite rail is on a level with it. If not, it calls for an adjustment.

Claims Great Accuracy

George has a reputation as a good track man, but he claims that the machine can do the job more accurately than he. Tests made with it have proved the truth of his statement. -- Courtesy The Milwaukee Magazine.

Reprinted from the January 1949 BMWE Journal

100 Years Ago

A. B. Lowe, writer of the following which appeared in the January 1899 Trackmen's Advance Advocate (forerunner to the BMWE Journal), was the second President of the BMWE, from 1908--1914.

At the age of 17, Lowe started working on the track and immediately became interested in the welfare of his fellow workers. Some years later, Lowe was assigned to organizing services in Canada where he resided. Transportation was not available to organizers in those early days and the unfavorable sentiment of the railroads toward their employes wanting an organization made it more difficult. The ambition to organize the maintenance of way workers was foremost in the mind of Lowe and he was determined to carry the message personally. In his efforts, he interviewed every gang from the Atlantic to the Pacific while traveling on foot. One trip was not sufficient to convince the workers of their need for an organization; consequently, Brother Lowe retraced his steps over the territory. It was through his initiative that a strong organization was made possible on the Canadian Pacific Railroad.

"I am snowed in at Penetang on the Grand Trunk Railway with a dozen or more commercial travelers. We are waiting for a snowplow to open up the road and let our train through. It is unusual to have such a heavy snowfall so early in the season. On the 11th of December a snow storm set in, which would have done credit to February, our month of snow and wind in this country. Coming into Penetang yesterday I found all the trackmen at work widening the cuts of snow made by the snowplow in passing through the drifts. The snow was from six to eight feet deep, and the sides were solid enough to require steel shovels to dig them out. Last night the wind blew strongly and today the cuts are again full of snow, and the passenger train will be delayed until the snow is removed. As an old C.P. Ry. man I could not help noticing the difference in the methods of handling snow on the two systems. The snow plows used by the C.P. Ry. would have been run with two or three mogul engines behind them with aprons down and wings wide enough to open a space of about eighteen feet. In this way it is easy to keep the road open and to prevent the delay of trains. If the Grand Trunk Ry. managers could hear the uncomplimentary things said of them by travelers who are imprisoned, they would adopt the best methods known to prevent such delays.

Reading of such storms will have a cooling effect on our brothers south. Those who are engaged in replacing ties at this time of the year are lucky fellows. At this time we are busy in shimming track. In this locality Jack Frost goes under ground from three to six feet, and heaves and twists our track into such shapes that it is necessary to use shims made of wooden blocks. They are bored like tie plates and from one-half to four inches thick and are placed under the rails to make our track passable. The brothers south who have no winter to speak of may doubt the statement, when I say I have had my section at Christmas in such a smooth line and surface that a train could run over it from one end to the other without giving a noticeable jolt, and in a few nights, or by the middle of January it would be in such a shape that the bell on the engine would be ringing half the way over the section. This is a fact, and I was kept busy placing wooden blocks under the rail until the middle of March. That is what we call shimming. ..."