A Solid Right Cross

Back in the 1950s the CNR was starting, in a substantial way to dieselize it's locomotive fleet but still had many Steam Engines running. Where I worked, at Bathurst St. was a very busy hub on the afternoon shift when I worked. We had trains going to Capreal, North Bay, Vancouver, Stratford, and Montreal. The two trains to Montreal were 1st 444 and 2nd 444 commonly called the first and second bullet. Bathurst St is the low spot in the Toronto area and in fact was filled many years ago. Where the Yard Office then stood previously was the shore of Lake Ontario. To get away from Bathurst St in any direction a grade has to be climbed, and the steepest and longest is the Kingston Sub which the Montreal trains would have to make. The bullet would leave Mimico leaving enough room on it for the tonnage it would pick up at Bathurst St. When to train would arrive at Bathurst St the Locomotive would uncouple and a yard engine from Bathurst St would back our lift on the train. The mainline locomotive would re couple on to the train and pull out. In the office we were expected to have the bills and lift ready for the Conductor when the train went by, which it would at 40 to 50 MPH. We would have to hoop the bills and journal to the caboose on the fly. There we two types of hoops, the bamboo one which most people know of but if we didn't have a bamboo one we had to use one that was like a big Y. The top two ends of the Y had a slot in it so we would tie the bills so the rope fit in the slots and formed the Y which the tail end man would put his arms through when going by. I was hooping the bills on the Bullet one day standing beside the speeding train a little to close while the tail end man was leaning out to far, and he connected with my jaw. I turned around to see Mike Veale laughing his head off, I yelled if the brakeman lost the bills which I thought he might I was going to punch him, but the bills were caught in the crook of his arm and he didn't have to dump the air and come back for them. I was mad and said next time I would hoop up the Bills and anchor the rope to a switch, but calmer heads prevailed and I saw the humor in it. But at least I was not put off my feet.