plato1 wrote:I am writing a book about a small town that revolves around a RR. The best example that I have found was LV. I want to have the town rise and fall with the railroad.
What time periods should I focus on?
Sounds interesting!
"Rise and Fall" covers a span of over 100 years..1850's to 1970's..
As far as the fall of the RR what year would be the apex? I read LV was into the 70's.
The "Golden Age" of the Nort-East Railroads would be 1890's to 1920's..those were the years when railroads were at their prime, very healthy and making lots of money. The first steep decline was during the Great Depression of the 1930's..
then a distinct increase in business during WWII..then a steady decline after WWII, through the 50's, 60's and finally the end (for the LV) in 1976.
Two main factors led to the gradual death of the LV (and other railroads in the region) after WWII
1. the decline in passenger service as every family got a car in the 50's, highways were built, and airlines developed.
2. a drastic decline in coal use, for industry, and for home heating.
If you characters want to experince the "rise and fall" of the railroad, you could start them during, or just after WWII..then end in the story during the 70's..
1950's, 60's and 70's is three decades of serious decline..
That last scene of the book, the son smothers his dying father with a pillow. I am very descriptive about a train going by the house at that time. The way I have it written is that the man driving the train is retiring. Instead, could it be The Black Diamond on it's last run? If so would it be hauling coal? What year would that be?
the Black Diamond Express was a Lehigh Valley Passenger train..hauling passenger cars.
a coal train is a "freight train"..hauls freight cars (coal cars, box cars, etc) no passengers.
the Black Diamond ended in 1959..the late 50's saw the end of passenger service for most railroads,
but the railroads themselves (such as the LV) didnt go out of business until 15 years later, in the mid 70's..
I want to know what kind of jobs are at the RR?
Running the trains: engineer, conductor, brakeman. the amount of men in a train crew depends on the era.
not actually running the trains, but still working for the railroad: shop workers, track crews (fixing the track) managers, office workers, roundhouse workers, accountants, etc. (same kind of office workers you would find at any other business)
Would the RR men hang with the coal miners, say at a local bar?
Probably..but only in the coal mining areas..the coal mining areas are a much smaller district than that covered by the whole railroad itself.
for the Lehigh Valley, if you want coal miners in your story, you are going to be looking at North-East Pennsylvania, Wilkes Barre, Hazelton, Bethlehem areas..
Would the RR men hang at a local bar on say, Friday nights?
absolutely!
What is the atmosphere like at a RR? What noises?Smells?
Depends on what part of the railroad, and the era..railroad shops and yard would be very loud and busy..
during the steam era (up until about 1950) you would have steam whistles, coal smoke, cinders, clanking couplers..very dirty and noisy.
out on the line, it would be much quiter except when a train is passing or stopping at a station.
What kind of whistle would the Black Diamond have?
Depends on the Era..the Black Diamond was hauled by Steam Locomotives from 1896 to 1948.. steam locomotive whistle.
It was hauled by Diesel locomotives 1948 to 1959 - diesel horn.
If a man drives a train form hauling coal in the day, is he home at night? How does that all work, driving the trains?
Generally yes..most of the time an engineer would return home in the evening..
Is it plausible a man (engineer) could drive the same train for say, 30 years?
sort-of..the same *kind* of train, with the same railroad, but the train itself would vary day to day..
different locomotives, and different cars hauled behind it..the train itself is never exactly the same day-to-day..but the "kind" of train could be.
but you could have an engineer who worked "on freight trains" for the same railroad in the same general region, for 30 years..
although he wouldnt start out as an enginner..you have to work your way up to that. it might take 10 years or more before
you could be promoted to engineer..
Scot