Ronald Walter:  

Life Worked around Manhattan until my first divorce, then moved to Lincoln, NE to work for Burlington Northern Railroad. Worked as an apprentice/carman there till I got my Journeyman's card, then got a promotion to car foreman at Alliance, NE, where I worked till 1988. I had a number of jobs there, and was stationed at Edgemont, SD for a while, filling a General Foreman's job, without the title, but with all the responsibilities for any derailments and repairs to rolling stock on main line to Gillette, WY, and the high line to Deadwood, SD. It was hard, hours were ridiculous, lousy weather in winter, too, but it had this vacation feeling to it, as well. Spent a lot of time up in the Black Hills while there, and if I'd had my way would have stayed up there. High line was eventually abandoned, my crew re stationed, and I was laid off for 6 months during this time, but was called back to Alliance after that. I took a lateral move to Denver, CO in 1988, and worked as a car foreman there until 1993, when the stress and many disadvantages of managing good people, for a horse's ass of a boss couldn't outweigh the beauty of the mountains anymore, and I returned to Lincoln, NE to be a carman once more. I had a career ending injury to my upper back/shoulder, and neck while working there, and ended my relationship with the railroad in November, 2002. In there somewhe...Expand for more