Rail tales & Cigar box notes
Two Men & 4 Railroads
My two railroad grandfathers came together upon the impending engagement of their children. From differing backgrounds and with little in common, a kinship arose around family, vocation and an affinity for good quality coffee. Regardless of ethnicity or lifes journey, commiserating railroad hardships, bellyaching praetorian management juxtaposed by fond recollections of workplace ribbing & off color camaraderie couples such men. Coffee fueled this narrative.
Italian American
Rocco Colucci immigrated to America as a young boy. He learned early on, coffee was a cherished reward that followed a day of labor & pouring a cup was prerequisite to every family conversation. This son of Italy. like many other young Italian men in the early 1900's, was chasing a dream. The promise of honest pay for Italian labor spurred him to venture north toward the Catskills for a Grand Gorge rail project. Later on, he signed up as oilier for the Delaware & Northern.
The work was erratic. Longing for family, Rocco returned to the city, now with rail experience. He quickly found position at the Inter-borough Rapid Transit company. Following 15 years of dedicated service, a new "Literacy" requirement forced him out, Undeterred, Rocco and wife Margaret took a leap and branched out as owners of a small store & caffé in Astoria. As always, a pot of coffee was always ready to greet patrons and friends..
The Pennsylvanian Trainman
"Square Head Bill" (his words, not mine) was a brakeman for the Erie Lakawanna Railroad. While he began at Pensy, he quickly seized opportunity to shift to the lucrative freight work of EL. Through his first half dozen years of service, he learned the ins and outs by, "keeping yer' eyes & ears open and yer' mouth shut kid". Roughneck Irishmen had the seniority then and ran the show. Over time and adherence to instruction, Bill earned the respect of these rail souls.
Hand roasting and brewing coffee between switching was an expected assignment of the crews in and around Dundee yard. With 15 free minutes between drills, an old frypan, German precision and a trusty Rail Master watch, Bill could expertly toast a variety of profiles satisfying the varying demands of yardmasters, train crews and machinists, all with different palettes. His consistent product made him the preferred roaster amongst the yard crew. Where did they get the green coffee to roast? Don't ask...
Job briefing
Time passed, their children wed and began a new family, Bill and Rocco would often converse about life, railroad b.s., on get togethers and holidays, Bill mentioned his yard coffee roasting and challenges with demand. Rocco recalled an old Royal peanut roaster that had been buried away in his store basement. Over the following few days, using his machinist Italian ingenuity, he repaired the rusted burner assembly and modified the drum for chaff venting. At the next family outing, Rocco presented it to Bill as a gift under one condition; to provide the family with fresh roast coffee as needed.
epilogue
Rocco's Cafe evolved into a grocery store and was later sold. Bill completed a 30 year career & retired from Erie Lackawanna. Both men have long since passed. They provided well for their families & fostered a foundation of success for their children. The coffee roaster was lost to history. All that remains is the stories recalled by the grandchildren. Fading accounts of those before us. That and an old cigar box full of hand written notes. Yard manipulations, train lineups, some crass off color railroad references and these neat methodical time charts each titled by, "Brazil, Columbia, etc." Temperatures, times, aromas and weights.
Following the breadcrumbs...
I was very young when Grandpa Rocco passed. All I have are stories from family and the mental snapshots a toddlers mind files away. Contrarily, I knew my Grandpa Bill well and can attest to his fondness for family, coffee and career. He also passed by the time my life's path brought me into the rail industry. I can only hope they are smiling together as I revive their passion and in doing so, connect with the family and the rich history that fuels our industry.