The Handcart Race

Warrior of the woodland, struggling against extreme odds, traveling dangerous trails, fighting the many enemies of nature. This is the job of the Guardian of the Forest, Ranger Bill, pouring rain, freezing cold, blistering heat, snow, floods, bears, rattlesnakes, mountain lions. Yes, all this in exchange for the satisfaction and pride of a job.

Well done. Hello boys and girls. This is Ranger bill. Have you ever stopped for a railroad crossing when the gates were down and waited for the train to show up and then all of a sudden the long comes a hand car putting away?

It's rather a let down to what was expected, isn't it? But nevertheless the little vehicle saved many hours when the section hands want to travel short distances. In our story today the Rangers and I get involved with one of these contraptions that we've been talking about They come in mighty handy, especially when you need them.

No, I'm not going to tell you any more about this story. You'll just have to listen to the Hand Car Race. This is the railroad dispatchers' office of Junction City, the nerve center of the railroad for quite an area around, even as far north as Canyon City.

Wilson McFadden, who's been nicknamed Unk, and his staff of highly trained men keep the trains rolling and it's also their job to smell trouble and do everything possible to avoid it. Let's get a little inside view ofunk and his boys hard at work. Hey, young, here's trouble. Let me see the teletype. Boy, get me the station agent at Naughty Pine.

By the way, here I thought we were getting a nice spring rain and now we find out but it's storming cats and dogs and naughty pine. Don't tell me there's pugas of water all over the place, or I'll throw you out to winter.