Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

119. at noon call up Fortune – Miss Tracy expresses general disappointment at my failure to do Enola Hump. They seem insistent on a hump picture. So P.M. with Phelan & Grimshaw to hump at W. Altoona an interesting layout here – they put up a freight car for me to stand on, and I make plans for the next day.

6^th Day – Saturday-

     All day at hump. All the cars sorted here either according to the freight they contain, or their use (if empty) or state of repair. The sorting is done by gravity. The hump, an artificially built hill, supplying the gravity. The long train of cars is pushed up over the hump – at the peak, the cars, or groups of cars, are disconnected, and start down-grade toward the yard. The operator in the tower opposite watching how the cars are marked presses a button which throws the switch, and the car slides onto the desired track. As the cars are released the waiting brakemen climb upon the car, and stands with a stick inserted in the brake-wheel (to enable him to trim it easier). He controls the speed of the car. Mr. Phelan pointed out that the turn is always made inward, towards the car; so that in the case of a slip or breakage of the stick, they will fall toward the car and catch themselves, and not away from it, to injury or possible death – One of the amusing sights is the jitney, an odd high, gasoline-operated little car, that goes down into the yards and brings the brakemen back. There was something quite humorous about it, as it came scooting down the track, little puffs of white vapor going up from its exhaust on the roof, the men hanging on the sides, feet on running boards,