Conductor Uniform Etiquette

Alan Walker · **Posted:** Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:34 pm

C W Craven wrote:

Hi All,
just thought I would pass this tidbit along...…
I was ridding on AMTK cal zepher and took my que's from the conductor.
I boarded at a non attended station, the conductor asked me to climb onboard in one of the sleepers, traveling in coach and as a wearer of hats, I was escorted thru the diner to the lounge car where we could sit down and process the ticket to ride. As we entered the dinning car he, and I, removed our hats, the hats were returned to the usual resting place upon exiting the dinner. The conductor thanked me for my courtesy and I learned a great lesson.

To this day my hat is in my hand as I pass thru or entering a dinning car.

C W

That was an actual uniform regulation on many railroads. Also, when trains carried Pullman cars, the train also had a Pullman conductor assigned. They were essentially a hotel manager and oversaw the Pullman operations.

EJ Berry · **Posted:** Thu Oct 17, 2019 4:25 pm

The big railroads each had standards for on-board train service uniforms and also had vendors (tailors) that could make them.

The late Earl Johnston, who did business as Transquip, had arranged with one of these vendors (M H Grossman who now produce only caps. Their R8 is a RR Conductors' bell cap) to produce uniforms, but the Transquip company died with Earl in 2013.

https://www.keystoneuniformcap.com/transit.html

BTW it's my understanding the Pullman Company assigned a Pullman Conductor only when a train had two or more Pullman Cars. A single car was handled by a Porter in Charge.

Phil Mulligan

Mount Royal · **Posted:** Thu Oct 17, 2019 11:44 pm

Hope Uniforms was a company suggested by a gentleman I spoke to at one point during my brief stint selling hats. Might give them a look.

Daniel-J · **Posted:** Mon Oct 28, 2019 12:41 am

Studying the uniform of different times, those who work on trains did not see or did not find information about shoes. For example, if I am a train driver, can I choose similar shoes? Or should it be of strict standards and will be issued by the company or does it depend on the organization?

Mount Royal · **Posted:** Mon Oct 28, 2019 9:56 am

Daniel-J wrote:

Studying the uniform of different times, those who work on trains did not see or did not find information about shoes. For example, if I am a train driver, can I choose similar shoes? Or should it be of strict standards and will be issued by the company or does it depend on the organization?

Modern safety standards suggest/require shoes or boots with a safety toe and a defined heel for train and engine crew.

In the days prior to such standards, I’m sure a pair of plain black leather oxfords would have been acceptable for conductors.

EJ Berry · **Posted:** Mon Oct 28, 2019 4:10 pm

I had Knapp steel toe lineman's boots. Polish (!) them with Kiwi and they'll become watertight and will last forever. Today, Amtrak and probably other lines require composite toes rather than steel in the electrified zones.

Good news is composite toes are lighter and do not conduct heat very well. Your toes stay warm in Winter.

You need actual heels if you are in transportation as you WILL ride a strap step sometime. A defined heel will prevent a shoe from sliding through.

Phil Mulligan

Conductor Uniform Etiquette

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