I come to work at 1201
mostly every night
to sit before my Comtel and hear
the train crews fight.

It sometimes sounds pathetic and
I set there with dismay
to see the art of railroading and the
little games they play.

Book me off at midnight,
I hear them tell the clerk
and book me on at 6 o'clock that
wayfreight's too much work.

And come to think, it is kind of sad
and fills my heart with pain
to see one crew get going and another walk the train.

It seems to me quite strange, but can we really know
that trains will not have leakage when
its 35 below.

All in all, they're quit a bunch and
tho I feel some spite
with the average hogger, I would never
pick a fight.

The only thing that irks me
is when I work so hard
to send a 909 before they leave the yard
the Yard Clerk comes and tells me
it all has been a farce
and the train I have transmitted has
set off 30 cars
and when I send the traffic
early and am looking for some praise
at two the 999 man calls asking for delays.

Author Unknown