unusual occupations

pete black

Well-known Member
my granddad, mom's dad, worked for the southern railroad in the days of wooden boxcars at a shop in Sheffield, Al. his job was repairing/replacing the wood on those box cars and his job was know as "car knocker". he lived close to the shops and mom said on many days he would come home with a bundle of used planks on his back. used those to build many outbuildings in those days. not many of his tools remain but I have a few including these.
a254011.jpg
 
While doing a home remodel project for my sis, found the outside sheating/ boxing on her house was old shipping boxes. Mostly 3/4x6x2ft some smaller. Found shipping addresses painted and hand written to local business. Nothing was wasted gobble
 
Yes the Car Knockers were pretty much a jack of all trades with rail cars. If you want to see a really good old movie about railroading that has just awsume cinema look up " Danger Lights" on Utube. I will see if it will link. RKO pictures from 1930. The whole movie was shot for real on the Milwaukee Railroad out in Montana. It is one of the very first Sound action films after silent era films. Glad you have a few tools left. If you are a rail fan you are going to love this old timer!
Danger Lights....RKO Pictures
 
There used to be a big railroad car repair shop in St Cloud MN, it downsized about the same time that the paper mill expanded (1981). I worked with many former RR employees, now the paper mill is gone too!
 
Hello pete black,


In one word..................... PRICELESS!
Who ever thought to start tool of the day!

Guido.
 
Those tools are great for chiseling timber construction projects, even today.

Also for driving the wooden pegs "home" in an old barn.

John,PA Cabinetmaker.......18th century renewal projects in BEDFORD VILLAGE, Bedford, PA Summer stuff.
 
I'm replacing wood on some wooden cabooses at our local RR museum and sure not using those kinds of tools. My cordless tools are a long way from those in the picture. My best tool for working on old wooden rail cars is a planer. Todays lumber is a different dimension that that used earlier in the last century so all you can do is buy 5/4 stock and plane it down.
 
Does a television or computer count as an unusual tool? Being 100% disabled, I can't do much of anything other than sit in front of the television or my computer. In the summer I mow the lawn. So I guess a lawn mower could count as an unusual tool too.
 

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