Railroaders were a different sort of people. To do the jobs that they did, and take those kinds of risks, they had to have a different mindset. It used to be possible to tell that someone worked on a railroad by noticing their missing limbs, and that's the case with the man who speaks to you this week.
A railroad man tells his story. He tells of how he lost his leg, in what might be called a railroad accident or on the other hand might not be. The strange events that lead up to his accident, and the unusual circumstances of the accident itself, take some time to explain.
Right now, the man is heading back to see a girlfriend who he hasn't seen in 42 years. A lot has changed in that time. This trip brings back memories for him.
If you seen a fella with one leg it was pretty certain he was a railroader. 'Cause there wasn't so many wars, and automobiles, and things like that to cut a fellas leg off then. Pretty near always he left it on a railroad track.
Phil Conner