Hudson’s grandfather was a yardmaster for the Milwaukee Road and his uncles were also “railroad guys,” he said.

His father was a yardmaster for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad; his mother was a saleswoman and later a social worker.

It is hard for a railroad man to realize that a couple of silver bars have changed a yardmaster into a captain.

Ralph ran up to the yardmaster and held out his watch to him.

Dougherty, the yardmaster, took the bank roll I slipped him, all right enough, and promised to help out.