The NERAIL New England Railroad Photo Archive
 
 
Previous Photo Photo of Joe Buonopane Next Photo
Joe Buonopane

Joe Buonopane was an Amtrak C&S maintainer in 2000. "C&S," if you've never heard the term before, is an abbreviation for Communications and Signals, the department that fixes switches and signals, among other things, when they start acting up. They also install new devices, along with the track department folks.
When I worked at South Bay Tower in Boston (one mile west of South station on the Dorchester Branch), it was his job to keep the switches lubricated with a slippery, grease-like substance, check the bulbs in each of the signals monthly and replace them as required - and keep up with the paperwork assuring the powers that be that he had conducted all the required voltage and other tests as required.
Joe was not always groveling in the ballast and ties, though. Sometimes he came up for air to check out the rest of the world, like when Bombardier's subcontractors were installing catenary at Southampton Street Yard. We were both standing on the "chute" track, connecting Dorchester No. 2 with Southampton Street Yard. The "Dorch" is geographically south of the station, as is the yard.
I was a second trick train director when I retired in 2002. In short, I operated the switches and signals to get the trains onto the right tracks, and gave them the signals to go - and sometimes to stop.
April 9, 2000

Photographed by Leo King, April 9, 2000.
Added to the photo archive by Leo King, May 1, 2004.
Railroad: Amtrak/Northeast Corridor.

Leo King's awards:

Sharing this photo?

Use this "permalink" to avoid broken links:

http://photos.nerail.org/s/?p=28832
 
Submit to Stumble Submit to Digg Submit to Del.icio.us Google Bookmark Submit to Reddit Twit This

[Turn Ads Off]

Visitor Comments about this Photo:

No comments have been left yet.


You must be logged on to post comments.

 
Follow us on Facebook
News | About NERAIL | About Jeff | Contact Jeff | F.A.Q.'s | Privacy Policy | Other Great Sites
This site, excluding photographs, copyright © 2016 Jeff S. Morris. Photographs copyright © individual photographers, except as noted.