That was an interesting read, DTC! Thanks for posting.


DTC = Death To Clerks Wrote:
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> With computerization of car inventory control, it
> didn't take the railroads very long to figure out
> that they could basically shut down all of their
> open agency freight stations scattered around the
> system and consolidate everything into one central
> location. Then the shippers were instructed to
> use an 800 number to call in requests for spotting
> of loads and pulling of empties. Bills of lading
> could be handled via fax machines. MoPac had a
> huge office for this purpose that UP used for a
> few years before moving to Omaha. Santa Fe had an
> equivalent in Topeka. SP had one in San
> Francisco. If they needed to have a physical
> check of what freight cars were in a particular
> yard to compare against the computer records, they
> could temporarily turn a trainmaster into a "mud
> hop" yard clerk. Weighing of the cars could be
> sluffed off onto the shippers, and we all saw the
> result of THAT with the SP's Duffee Street wreck
> in San Bernardino.
>
> Uphill slow. Downhill fast. Job cutting first.
> Safety last.