TRAINMEN’S OFFICER The Globe Mar 21, 1928
ALBERT MCGOVERN , Senior Past President of West Toronto Lodge, Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, the 40th anniversary of which organization was celebrated last night in the West Toronto Assembly Ball.
What a TRAINMEN’S OFFICER was/is is still perplexing!
Trainmen, also known as brakemen, are we’re responsible for the safety and protection of the train, which includes flagging behind and ahead to prevent collisions. They handle throwing switches, coupling and uncoupling cars and engines, and setting and releasing hand brakes. They also keep a lookout for potential hazards on the train itself while it’s moving. In the past, the senior trainman rode in the caboose, while the other trainman, the “brakeman” or “head brakeman,” rode the engine.
