Getting ahead of one's Self or " The run around"

From Danny L.


Allan B. was working the 11PM JA, Jefferson Ave. assignment out of Bathurst St and the Hogger was Bud McDougal.

Every night they would leave for Danforth Yard, in the east end of Toronto,
to lift some hot cars for an express train out of Bathurst St.

Once they got their little train set up they would would have to wait until the passenger train for Montreal left Danforth, and they would follow his block down, so every night the crew would go to the near by Deli for something to eat, return and wake up the Hogger and tell him to go.

This was usually done by banging on the side of the engine, then the hogger would pull out slowly giving the crew enough time to re-align the switch properly, jump on the caboose, and take off, following the blocks all the way down to Bathurst St.

One day they came back from the Deli after a good meal, and there was no train, and when they asked where the train was he said that he didn't know, that he was walking by the engine and noticed that the Hogger seemed to be sleeping so he banged on the side to wake him and the train just took off.

Al and the crew called a cab and said "Follow that train" hoping to catch it at the Don Yard, but no such luck they had to continue on to Bathurst St. pay a rather large Taxi fare and walk over to the Stop Board at Spadina Ave. waiting for the Hogger to come with the train.

When the Hogger pulled down to the Stop Board he could not believe his eyes that the tail end crew had arrived before him, and never did figure out what had happened, and Al never told him.

A little aside to this story is that my gradfathers name was Allan B. and he was from Port Hope Ont. as was the Allan B. of this story, and Port hope being a rather small town, and Allan being a Family name I always wondered if we were related some how. Perhaps my Grandfather had a brother who also used the name.