In those pre-workmens comp days, a severe injury would put a man out of work with little recourse. At least railroads did often assign injured train crewmen to jobs like crossing guard tender. Once met a 'bo in Yuma who had been riding the rails for years. He used to be an underwater welder on oil rigs in the Gulf. He was working when his air supply failed and he suffered a collapsed lung. The guy could no longer work and never received a dime from the oil company.