Why Railroaders Wear Bibs?

the missing link wrote:dont twist the grapes! carpenters are fine most days, but in a windy cold the air cuts right through them. i have a set of insulated bibs one size larger, the 'air gap' is the key to keeping the cold surface air away.
what i would like to get is one of those polka dot kromers caps, sure to annoy those who dont 'get it' lol
my other article of choice is my l.l.bean barncoat.

www.stormykromer.com

Click on products, and then caps.
These bad-boys have been around for at least 40+years.
Good luck with the polka-dot version.

Ever have to restart a unit that kicked the governor? If your like me, you gotta get inside (not just reach in) that grease pot to reset it. Add to it chores like fueling or M.U.ing units, nothing but grease and grime which you don't want on you jeans or shirt. Also with 1001 snag points on these units, they would rip apart any normal pair of jeans. Then there is the mud 8 months of the year. Cement dust, coal dust, bean meal, tallow, and other fine products that never seem to stay inside the car hauling them.

Is it any wonder folks who see me going to work wonder if I am a homeless type?

HoggerKen wrote:Ever have to restart a unit that kicked the governor?

Just about every day.

HoggerKen wrote:If your like me, you gotta get inside (not just reach in) that grease pot to reset it. Add to it chores like fueling or M.U.ing units, nothing but grease and grime which you don't want on you jeans or shirt. Also with 1001 snag points on these units, they would rip apart any normal pair of jeans. Then there is the mud 8 months of the year. Cement dust, coal dust, bean meal, tallow, and other fine products that never seem to stay inside the car hauling them.

Yup. When I started out, there were a few old-timers who still wore button-down white shirts...that tradition started when the railroads went diesel, and with maintained power and maintainers in every terminal, these guys seldom had to get dirty.

Those days are gone.

HoggerKen wrote:Is it any wonder folks who see me going to work wonder if I am a homeless type?

The folks who see us checking into the hotel, have to wonder if we're bums using the place as a homeless shelter.

conrail_engineer wrote:

The folks who see us checking into the hotel, have to wonder if we're bums using the place as a homeless shelter.

Classic...now that's funny...and true...LMAO!!!

Anyone know where to get some vintage type bibs and such. I saw an old head wearing a pair of pinstripe dickies but cant find them anywhere. They were white and blue pinstripes but were wider pinstipes than the styles offered now...

jg greenwood wrote:www.stormykromer.com

Click on products, and then caps.
These bad-boys have been around for at least 40+years.
Good luck with the polka-dot version.

The company you refer to makes the winter-style caps with ear flaps. The summer-style caps, available in polka dot colors, are still made by Kromer Cap Co.

Us Brits have to wear bright orange on or near the track!

Try here.
http://www.rmconnection.com/oshkoshb.htm

toots wrote:Us Brits have to wear bright orange on or near the track!

Unfortunately some of us in the US have to do the same!

Hi All,

Well, of course the bright colors are for safety and ease of visibility

The colors are usually referred to as Dayglo colors, a tradename of Dupont, but also the orange is called International Orange, since it is used world wide, just for that purpose, ease of visibility. I have also seen Dayglo Green. That is one to behold. Talk about a blinding bright color.

With UP anyone operating as an RCO has to wear the brightorange vest and of course New Hires have to wear that bright orange cap for a year, so there's no mistaking us for someone who knows what they are doing

powerpro69 wrote:With UP anyone operating as an RCO has to wear the brightorange vest and of course New Hires have to wear that bright orange cap for a year, so there's no mistaking us for someone who knows what they are doing

I have seen some bright caps over on BNSF's store....

http://www.bnsfstore.com/

Under caps, there are 2 styles, one is a safety green on top the other is safety orange.

powerpro69 wrote:With UP anyone operating as an RCO has to wear the brightorange vest and of course New Hires have to wear that bright orange cap for a year, so there's no mistaking us for someone who knows what they are doing

You what?!!!!,If that happened over here they'd never get new starters,an orange vest for everyone is one thing but an orange cap for the new guys,I'd never live it down!.

If that happened over here

Yeah, it does feel a little like a dunce cap but you have to remember, lots of people wear ballcaps over here, I'm actually from Coventry (via Mountain Home).

There's actually quite a few guys that keep their orange caps after their first year, so when they get called out for a job they know nothing about, they can pretend like there brand new.

powerpro69 wrote:

If that happened over here

Yeah, it does feel a little like a dunce cap but you have to remember, lots of people wear ballcaps over here, I'm actually from Coventry (via Mountain Home).

There's actually quite a few guys that keep their orange caps after their first year, so when they get called out for a job they know nothing about, they can pretend like there brand new.

LOL nice!