My worst nightmare-come-true as a railroader was waking up Christmas morning in a lonely hotel room, hundreds of miles away from home. Restaurants were usually shuttered and even the vending machines at the station were bare. I once held the northbound Palmetto at Florence, S.C., refusing to move the train until I could at least grab a cup of coffee and a sweet roll from the lounge car, on which to nibble once aboard my locomotive. My customary call home before reporting for duty was filled with the sounds of my family excitedly opening presents, only making things worse. “Wish you were here.” So did I.
Every signal I sped past was one less I needed to acknowledge before reaching Richmond, where my own family awaited me, with the remains of the day — a couple of unopened packages and a plate of re-heated leftovers — not the mountain of Christmas presents, and the sumptuous feast that everyone else had enjoyed.
Because senior employees are accorded their preference of vacations and time off, when you’ve accrued enough seniority to spend Christmas at home, your own children are grown, and you end up being the loving grandfather, witnessing once again what you missed. Thank goodness for photographs.
I’d pull into my driveway at sunset, if I was lucky, just in time to wearily wish my neighbors “Merry Christmas,” as they heaped discarded wrapping paper, cardboard boxes, and colorful ribbons on the curb for garbage collection in the morning. Their Christmas was over for another year before mine had even begun.
For me, and many other railroaders working on the holidays, the joy of Christmas was being a part of everyone else’s — helping them to get “over the river and through the woods.” There was a saving grace in witnessing the joyous smiles, the warm embraces, and the tender kisses at station stops, between loved ones.
Some of us went even further, helping travelers momentarily overlook the hustle and bustle of the standing-room-only trains, and cramped waiting rooms, like my friend, Timmy O’Neal, a Washington Terminal locomotive engineer, who kept his beard year-round and seasonally dressed as Santa. Imagine, if you will, seeing the jolly ol Elf himself, at the throttle of Amtrak Alco RS3m No. 104, trundling down the tracks at Union Station, shouting out, “Santa is watching you,” to the delight of small children as well as youngsters at heart. The thousands of candy canes Santa Timmy gave out, many times brought gleams to the eyes of excited boys and girls.
Other kids sat on Santa’s lap in department stores. My son, Ryan, had his audience with Saint Nick in the cab of a switch engine. I operated the Toys4Tots special, much to the delight of the local media outlets.
Timmy passed away earlier this year, and I’m retired, but rest assured, the spirit of the holiday season lives on with America’s railroaders. It’s especially dear to us, because too often, it’s the only Christmas we have.
Check out Doug Riddell’s previous column, “From the Cab: You can teach an old Doug new tricks.”
Thanks to all of you who have responded this month, and those of you who have followed my columns over the years. I want to wish you all an enjoyable holiday season, whatever you and your family are celebrating. I just realized that I’m answering your kind comments…on Christmas Eve. And I’m the one who’s always complained about it. I guess I’m just so used to it. Best wishes, to each and every one of you.
Doug
Thanks for your great article on railroaders having to work holidays. Especially family oriented ones like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Thank you all who help get everyone else home for their holidays. As mentioned in the other comments there are many other professions that also require employees to work holidays. Thank you to everyone who does!
My second career was with Amtrak as a ticket agent in Saint Paul, Minnesota. I loved the railroad and still do. I also loved my work. I lost count of how many Christmas days, Christmas eves, New Years, and Thanksgivings I missed at home plus family gatherings Thankfully by my second career, I had no children at home anymore. When I first started and was on the extra board, I would sometimes be on the road in North Dakota or Wisconsin. I understood, the lifestyle when I signed on and I had an understanding wife that supported my second career choice.
Yes, railroaders are just a part of that brotherhood of people who serve the needs of others, quite often having to cut shorter, miss entirely, parts of their personal life that happened only once.
Anthony, you hit the nail on the head: and every railroad family there are led two people in a marriage: the one who brings home the paycheck, and the other, who makes having a paycheck worth coming home too. You and I sound like we struck paydirt when we exchanged our vows.
When I worked at River Rouge (MI) Power plant as plant operator I only got one Christmas off from 1970 to 1978. Not enough seniority to get it off. When I went to Fermi PP a new list was made and lo and behold I was able to take Christmas off from 1978 to 1985. By than though the Childeren were older but was nice to be off. From 1985-20 2016 I only worked two Christmas eves and one Christmas in sub-station maintance.
So while everybody thinks about police and firemen don’t forget about railroaders and utility company employees who work to keep electricity flowing, natural gas flowing and water when you want it.
Kenneth,
You’re right: There are LOTS of people working on Christmas Day than most of us realize. I tried letting my staff off for Christmas one year when I was in broadcasting. We had an automated FM (Good Music) station, and an AM rocker, but I figured that since it was Christmas, there would be nothing on anyone’s mind except Christmas music, so I got management to agree to simulcast the AM and FM stations, and give everyone the day off. Good intentions, but the automation unit got off track (can’t believe I said that) and I had to rush downtown to the studios and reset everything. That was the last time we ever attempted that. Another industry you don’t normally think of in which someone has to work on the holidays.
People in lots of occupations don’t automatically get holidays off. I was one of John Winters’s ED (Emergency Department–it’s not just a room any more!) staffers for 21 years. Largely because we don’t have kids, if I wasn’t already assigned to work the holiday I usually volunteered to work it for someone who wanted the holiday off at home with their family. My wife and I developed a tradition of sharing the (free) holiday meal served to staff and visitors in the hospital cafeteria on Christmas and Thanksgiving. One Thanksgiving a rather glum-looking ED doc joined us for lunch, dreading that he had to go back upstairs and tell someone they had cancer. Bang goes that holiday for someone . . . .
Yes, I’m retired, and my son has enough seniority at Amtrak that he’s able to be on vacation for the holidays. But his wife is an OR NP, and, as you pointed out, when it’s a matter of life and death, no one is guaranteed the day off.
No doubt it’s tough working on holidays or family celebrations. As a retired police officer, I to missed many family events while handling unpleasant calls. The same for paramedics and ER staff. But this was the career I choose and I lived with it by making adjustments.
Doug, you ought to write a book….ummm……another book!
Merry Christmas Doug and many thanks for the years of safely taking people around while missing the fun at home. great story as usual! Regards, John
Thank you John. Hearing from readers like you makes my Christmas very nice. I hope you and your family have a great Christmas and a prosperous new year.