I'm going to tell a story
I have nothing to lose or gain,
I don'€™t mean to be a poet,
I'm just a brakeman on a train.

On the 12th of March we left St. John'€™s
With the train, the Caribou.
With 916 out in front,
And behind, 932.

We had seventy in the coaches
And thirty down behind,
We never had a worry
About keeping the train on time.

We were happy in the service
As she rolled along that night,
We had a little ground drift
But the starts were shining bright.

We arrived in Bishop's Fall on time,
And registered in the book,
Then the operator on duty told us
No. 2 was at Kitty's Brook.

A storm was raging on the Gaff
But the plow got up alright,
But the train we rain to Bishop's Falls
It was staying there all night.

We knew the men upon the Gaff
Would do their very best,
So we went back into the staffhouse
To get a little rest.

We lay around our beds next day
Feeling kind of blue,
Then the call-boy came and told us
We were deadheading on fifty-two.

With Conductor Connolly in command
We left on the hour of nine,
With twenty passengers in the coach,
And the Governor on behind.

The weather was fine, we lost no time,
Until we reached Alexander Bay,
Then the engineer informed us,
That they had a ground relay.

With pill-box hats and a string of flats,
And very little rest,
I'€™d say the men that rain that train
Were better than the best.

When we arrived at Clarenville
A storm was coming on,
The Chief Dispatcher told us
We were staying there til dawn.

I went in the day coach
And sat up in the seat,
We had neither food nor cigarettes
And very little heat.

We did everything was possible,
To keep women and children warm,
They'€™ll never forget the day and night
They spent out in the storm.

At four o'clock next morning
The weather it was fine,
And the rotary was leaving Gander
Un charge, was Conductor Ryan.

A train was out of Badger
With seventy-five or more,
Some of them went Sunday
And the rest, the day before.

With six or seven days on the trip
They had nothing to brag or boast,
They had to join the "Cabot Strait",
And go up the South West Coast.

When she arrived at Clarenville
Oh! What a happy sight,
With snow upon her
Just inches from her light.

The rotary was down at Goobies
Before we left S O
And the foreman on her told us
They were striking heavy snow.

There was heavy snow all along
About thirteen feet or more,
The heaviest drift we struck that day
Was somewhere around Camp Four.

Hats off to our dispatchers
Working in there like mules,
Giving out the orders
And abiding by the rules.

Regardless of our troubles
We never once complain,
You will always have your headaches
If you're a brakeman on the train.

Now when we go to the great beyond
And I'€™m most certain that we will,
St. Peter at the gate will tell you
That it'€™s still rifting on the hill.   Submitted By: NULL