Christmas of 1968 found me on the brakeman's extra board on Espee's San Joaquin Division, just prior to leaving railroad service in early 1969 for another career. My crew was in Fresno and we'd been told that the railroad would essentially shut down for Christmas. On Christmas Eve we were deadheaded to our home terminal of Tracy along with other crews on three cabooses at the rear of the SJSF led by passenger F-7 6190 and other F's. It was one of my most memorable trips in my railroading experience. It was very cold and clear, with as I recall, a full moon. We held the main the whole way and made track speed and a little more. Riding the rear crummy's back platform for some of the distance paralleling State Route 99, on the only train moving on the division south of Lathrop, was (no pun intended) really cool. I got home about midnight, had Christmas morning with my family, but then was called back to work that afternoon for an 8:30 PM departure out of Tracy. So "Christmas off" was OK but it didn't last long. While I enjoyed railroad work, my wife was not thrilled about my being on the road for the typical three days at a time, due the to San Joaquin being a "triangle" division with one home and two away terminals in those days.