Trackman's Helper, The By J Kindelan HC 3rd ed Track Foremen instructions

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RailroadTreasures offers the following item: Trackman’s Helper, The By J Kindelan HC 3rd ed Track Foremen instructions The Trackmans Helper By J Kindelan Hard Cover Third Edition Copyright 1894 Revised and enlarged, with new illustrations and tables. A book of instruction for Track Foremen 314 PagesTable of contents:New Road, spring track work, summer track work, fall track work, winter track work, frogs & switches, curved track, general instructions, wrecking, misc. WIth lots of subtitles under each listing. PREFACEI can no better introduce the Third Edition of THE TRACKMAN’S HELPER to the reader, than with the opening lines of my first preface.The main object of the author in writing this book is, through its agency, to assist young or inexperienced men who work on track repairs or construction, to become the equals of track foremen who have had more experience and a wider field to work in, and thereby make the track service more efficient, and save Roadmasters and other officers from the necessity of continually instructing inexperienced men on every subject relating to track work.That there is a necessity existing for such a book is admitted by every good trackman, and I have received many letters from prominent Trackmen, and other railroad officers throughout the United States, who all agree in the opinion expressed, that all trackmen should be supplied with a book of instructions, which would advance their knowledge of theoretical and practical details of Construction and Track Maintenance quicker than such knowledge can be gained by actual experience. This would fit them for doing all work in a practical manner, with less inconvenience to themselves and in a way that would be more satisfactory to the company by preventing waste or loss which is common when the men are ignorant “heir duties:.: The time of Roadmasters, Supervisors, and others, is often so fully taken up with other duties that they seldom have time or opportunity to give full instructions to all the men working under them in a manner that would insure their thorough efficiency as good reliable trackmen. -Of course, after a certain amount of time has elapsed since a man has entered the service, his natural aptitude for gathering knowledge along with what instructions he receives, will make him a good average trackman, and familiarize him with the rules of the road and his other duties, but unless he has had the benefit of a wide field of experience and a very thorough training, he seldom becomes so expert as to be able to do in a proper manner many kinds of work with which he is unacquainted, but which he may be called upon to do at any time.To help fill this want of the Trackman, the writer published the first edition of this book, which I hope has proved to be what its name indicates, a Helper for Trackmen.I fully realized how difficult a task it would be to write a book which would be accepted by even a majority of the Trackmen of the country, but to accomplish anything, a beginning must be made, and as I had a practical education, from the shovel up, I thought I could offer something that would at least assist the ambitious young trackman seeking knowledge of his profession. I deemed it my duty also to put into book form what little of practical knowledge I possessed, if for no other reasons, than to show the importance of the Track, in relation to the other Railroad Departments, and assist in bringing more uniformity into the methods of doing trackwork on the different railroads.The book was not without its share of errors and shortcomings, but it has been well received by the Trackmen of the country. In fact, it had a much bate: reception than the writer had anticipated, and the many letters I have received from Railway Officers and Roadmasters, commenting favorably on the work, have encouraged me to publish this Third Edition and to add to the old work as much valuable matter as was possible, which would be consistent with present day practice.Before closing I wish to make a few remarks about the practical training of Trackmen. It is of the greatest importance that railroad companies employ none hut the best and most expert trackmen for Roadmasters, Supervisors or Foremen, because on these men depends in a great measure the successful operation of the road. The track and roadway being the most important and costly department to maintain, it offers superior advantages for these men to display what talents they possess in economically keeping up a first class track, and educating the laborers to perform their ditties in a thorough, practical manner without waste or loss to the company, and with the greatest degree of safety to the trainmen and the public.I believe the best way to produce good, practical trackmen, is by educating them along with what knowledge they possess, or have gathered from experience, and I believe the best aid to accomplish this end would be the distribution among the men of in. structions in book form, covering all the theoretical and practical details of their work according to the best methods now in practice. This would cost the companies but a small amount separately and the results would repay them ninny fold.The history of track maintenance from the beginning up to the present date, shows a state of affairs existing which would not be tolerated in any other business. With only a few exceptions, little if any effort has been made by the railroad companies to aid their men to gain a technical as well as a practical knowledge of their profession; in fact an entirely opposite course has been pursued in most cases.The Civil Engineers and such officers as have charge of the laying out, or direction of construction work, have been too widely separated from those in charge of the practical end of the work, and as a consequence, the Trackman has to shift for himself and pick up his knowledge by a slow and tedious process, which often results in great injury to the company which employs him; and it often happens that the men who hold a superior position above him, know so little about the details of his work that .they are not qualified to correct his errors. It cannot he denied that to construct and properly maintain a first class track, is both a science and a trade that requires its share of energy, skill, intelligence and ability in just as great a degree as any other important profession, but owing to the rapidity with which new construction has been carried on in this country, together with the very limited opportunities which some Track-men have for gaining a thorough knowledge of their business there are many now working on railroads who could not be numbered in the first class. It would be well, I think, if the different railroad companies attached more importance to the necessity which exists for adopting some system of educating their Trackmen to a higher standard of excellence.If by the publication of this book I have laid one more stone in the arch which would span the gulf of prejudice and support all good Trackmen in a common effort for the welfare of each other, and the upbuilding of their profession, I have accomplished enough, and I sincerly hope that what little I have added to the track literature now in existence may only be the beginning of something better and more worthy.
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