How and Why did Conductors and Engineers get their outfits? | Railroad 101

Picture it - the suit, the brass-badged hat; or the overalls, bandana, and hat. Everyone's seen the outfits that the Conductor and Engineer have historically worn - but where did they come from, and why? Join us today as guest presenter and Historian Hayley Enoch guides us through the history of railroad clothing! Also, special thanks to ‪@lmm‬ for joining as a cameo!
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[@kholdanstaalstorm6881]

For someone who burst out in laughter and a goofy smile at literally the drop of a hat, Hyce is an excellent conveyor of knowledge and getting really good hang on making the educational videos too! Adding in several of the other amazing chuckle brothers at the museum is a staple treat on the channel, but here the bar has been heightened even more, bringing on Haley the clothing expert for accuracy and Hyce's British cousin Lawrie for some right side of the pond shenanigans too! What can I say, Hyce really has outdone himself again (a recurring theme for these educational videos) and just delivers like the Big Boy freight train that he is! As an electrician of 20+ years, the importance of work wear and it's make has been drilled in from trade school and onwards into the working life. I've seen the constant reminders of using the correct fabrics from inner to outer, with horrible after images from electrical fires and explosions. Just a 5% plastic fabrics blend are not worth the risk in my line of work and it shouldn't be in the railroad either. But wool are a suitable addition/change for those cold area operations, only natural fiber have the correct properties and our company provided work wear have been treated with flame retardant chemicals as an added security barrier on most except the innermost layers. I've seen the aftermath of thousands of amps exploding in a molten copper spray with people in the room, where the several layers of clothing that were burned, can just be brushed off the burn area and the human inside the clothing escaped seemed nearly unscathed except the after effects of the deafening sounds that such energy releases. Brilliant video Hyce, on par with the safety videos I've been familiar with from my work, so pat yourself on the back for a well done task and thank thoroughly all the experts that took to make this a reality!

[@Hyce777]

Thank you for the kind words my friend! Yeah, electricity is not one to mess with.

[@MrMarinus18]

Though the history American railroads can not be talked about without mentioning the ways capitalists abused them to bully cities and how much workers were abused. Railroad workers were at the forefront of the American labor movement and played a key role in most of what America prosperous. Industrialization creates high GDP but because of capitalism all that goes to the top. You need a powerful labor movement, strong unions and a highly pro-labor population to spread that prosperity and railroad workers played a big part in that.

[@VintageRenewed]

I love the little bit of fun that lawrie put in “Being an Englishman and therefore the proper way” Brilliant, absolutely brilliant

[@Hyce777]

We have a bit of fun here. :)

[@lmm]

I am also correct

[@brillbusbootcamp2320]

Silly steam railroaders! The PROPER uniform is the actual suit you can wear after you get rid of all those fire hazards and greasy bits… by going electric! Signed, your friendly streetcar/tram uniform nerd who wants to perpetuate the historic rivalry between steam and street railway crews. 😁🚋

[@southern207hobbies]

More colabs with lawie

[@godlugner5327]

To clarify he didn't mean "proper" the American way he meant "Distinguished" in British 😂 We all agree both are cool here

[@barryandbonnievandergreft2265]

Very enjoyable & informative! I've been a Canadian Railroader for 30 odd years in 3 provinces, 5 different railways, and always wondered about the history of the garb. For all my career I've gone out of my way in time & expense to buy Canadian made railway workwear from cap to boots! This is getting harder to do, but still worth while. I'll look up LaRose Hat Co, looks cool. I can't find the long jean jackets here. Hope you have a grand day!

[@jonathanpan6110]

HYCE IS NOW AT 100K SUBS!!!!!!!!!!

[@heatherklippel1741]

Hayley, I love your outfit. What shade of blue denim is that? I'm always looking for that color, or similar to it.

[@jerryniemeier1670]

😅tractor supply is where I got my hat

[@frankstrobel4350]

I believe the red bandanas came about from the coal miners in west virginia. Long story short . Miners traveled to other mines to protest mining conditions and working conditions. They wore red bandanas to identify themselves. Which is where the term “red neck” originated from. Maybe the idea transferred over to railroad ? I dont know.

[@thadrobinson8343]

The train is fine.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@Hyce777 >>> Great video...👍

[@Ronald.Golleher]

Working in the oilfield, we are required to wear Fire Resistant clothing on all outer layers. Not only are they cotton, as you've shown reasons why, they're treated to be fire resistant.

[@NathanH172]

Same in the Utility Energy field.

[@lloydlupfer1742]

Us welders as well. Up in the pacific northwest hickory's are still a thing but nomex and other FR material is common.

[@RockandrollNegro]

Aviation as well. Cotton isn't the best for cold weather (as pointed out at 10:09) but for 9 months out of the year it's a perfect cloth. Cheap, sturdy, easy to wash and mend, and more comfortable than some other fabrics.

[@carlsoll]

Very good point. Yeahh nowadays Polyester becomes glue when set on 🔥. Try getting thattt offf

[@b43xoit]

Appreciate the authority and depth of Ms. Haley's coverage of the subject.

[@scasey1960]

Anyone who has actually worked in a dangerous situation fully understands clothing requirements. A simple man is a feminist man.

[@armagonarmagon3980]

This is an absolutely wonderful and informative video! The burn demonstration between natural and synthetic fibers was really eye-opening

[@hayleyenoch514]

We knew exactly what was going to happen and it was still worse than we expected.

[@baills5694]

Nylon fabric does a very similar thing to the polyester

[@hayleyenoch514]

I believe nylon has an even lower melting temp, too.

[@hairybutharmless7163]

I work in the outdoor industry and the amount of times I have to tell people not to sit around a fire with their nylon and/or poly clothes makes me feel like a broken record.

[@dennisyoung4631]

Stuff turns into something like a smoky and sticky version of napalm…

[@Argondo]

As someone who works in steel construction we wear all cotton tightly wowen clothes since they indeed are resistent to fire as shown. the tight woven is important since it make it even harder to light and burn through. And it have saved me many times from catching on fire more then neccesary from all the spark and weld sparks that land on me...

[@rustymoore599]

Long gauntlet gloves are important too when welding ,cutting or working around live steam. Any exposed skin around the wrists needs to be covered. That was a very informative video,thank you.

[@rich7934]

@@rustymoore599 Im split on long gauntlets bacause of how wide the cuff tends to be to maintain flexibility, with at least gas cutting. Twice I've had a splatter ball jump into the cuff and burn the backside of my hand, a shorter glove with a tighter cuff would have been less likely to catch it, so I usually use thin goat leather TIG gloves when using an A/O torch (also goat leather doesn't shrink like cow leather does when heated).

[@rustymoore599]

Anything is better that covers any exposed skin.@@rich7934

[@peregrina7701]

I've been trained in labs about the need to avoid synthetics as they can melt and stick from heat and chemicals, but have never seen it demonstrated, not even in a training video. Ye gads. I recommend this video to anyone who teaches a lab/industrial safety class. I am also a craft and sewing nerd who likes historical clothes... so I looooove the intersection of cool historical machinery and the awesome, practical clothes that went with it. Thank you Hayley for the history lesson and collaborating on this fun video! Thank you Hyce, your work improves all the time! Onward and upward! :)

[@silaskuemmerle2505]

I can say from experience that working with a torch under a car is not a fun way to find out your long sleeve shirt is polyester, luckily in my case the part that melted was not in contact with my skin so there were no burns, but I did have to get a new shirt

[@Ronald.Golleher]

Look at Eric being a model conductor... model.

[@bluejacketwarrior2457]

The whole polyester thing is why the US Navy is getting away from our current uniforms. Since they are made of Polyester... Ship board fire, plus polyester = not fun times. Also I was wondering when you and Laurie would do a colab, however small. About bloody time! Love the info. the 101 series are my favorite.

[@sqike001ton]

The death of the crappy blue digi cammo

[@AlRoderick]

Natural wool is also really nice as a fiber that keeps you warm and dry but also doesn't let you catch fire very easily. Firefighter uniforms were made of wool historically, as it also sheds water really well.

[@wilsjane]

Wool is actually safer than cotton, purely from a fire aspect, since it does not smoulder. The problem with wool is that it will not withstand daily washing and it shrinks in hot water. While faded denim also looks fine and small holes fray and add to the character, worn wool just looks tatty. Worn wool that is not washed regularly, also starts to shine, which makes matters even worse. In extreme cold, donkey jackets and duffle coats are ideal, as long as they don't need regular washing. They are also very clumsy for engineering work.

[@wobblebee1242]

Very not fun fact. Polyester and other synthetic fabrics melt into your skin, so you'd have to have it surgically separated if it burns you

[@ajaxengineco]

In Britain, for a lot of the early era, enginemen wore _white_ fustian trousers, and in fact hard-wearing fustian cloth was used extensively. I expect they chose white as it was cheaper than dyeing, and colours would only fade and stain anyway.

[@andrewadams3894]

As general information, fustian is a category of cotton fabrics that include corduroy, moleskin, and velvetine, but not cotton velvet.

[@ajaxengineco]

Ah, thank-you. A lot of advertisements from the time for 'Working Man's Clothes' (or similar) leave the precise definition for fustian up to the reader - it never occurred to me it's more a category.

[@Socoolds455]

As a modern railroader, I still wear bibs, but mainly because they're comfortable! Plus, I like the pockets, I keep extra reversers, pens, scratch paper, etc. Very handy!

[@bholberg561]

Working as a brakeman and engineer in the 1970s and a trainmaster in the 1980s, on the CNW and CSX, train crews typically wore ju st blue jeans, a hoodie, steel toe boots and a company provided hat. Sorry no bibs...

[@yuyuhaio]

This was great! I loved that you finally got Lawrie into one of your videos! My girlfriend is a big sewing and clothes person like Hayley as well, so I can't wait to show her this video!

[@lmm]

There is more planned...

[@ChiliCheeseNuggies]

@@lmmvery excited😅

[@Tristan_S346]

The crossover we didn’t know we needed, Hyce your English accent is impeccable! :P

[@brucethebatcat5084]

Now I'm unreasonably afraid of what all my clothes are made of, lol. Anyway, another great video as usual, and it's cool to see some new and familiar faces! Also, close to 100k!

[@jed-henrywitkowski6470]

If your an office worker, synthetic textiles are fine. I work outside, sometimes with spark producing equipment such a welder and grinder. Sparks produced can be hot enough to melt synthetic fibers and even set grass alight (this has happened to me). So cotton is a good clothing choice for me even if it's not FR rated (Flame Retardant). And for the most part, it's fine for fixing fences in the snow. I've also had polyester start to melt on me from simply being close to a well built campfire.

[@SirNigelGresley4498]

I have a friend who's entire family haven't worn synthetics in over a century after a tragedy at a children's pagent in 1916.

[@CakePrincessCelestia]

Synthetic plastics $#!+ makes one sweat like a fricken pig anyways. Just one more valid reason not to wear that.

[@shimesu443]

Poor Peaches, trying to snuggle with her binky for a nap, but the humans just won't stop yapping right next to her pilot. All jokes aside, awesome video as always, Hyce.

[@granthoppel2534]

What a great video! I loved the collab to explore facets of railroad history and culture that you generally don't think about. While it may seem silly to passengers, almost every aspect of railroad culture is a product of hundreds of years of conscious and continual iteration and improvement. As a side note, chemists are also taught to avoid synthetic fibers while working in the lab. In addition to heat, there are also a variety of common reagents, including sulfuric acid, that cause plastic fabrics to melt. Basically, all these fabrics started out as sticky goos, so all the heat and chemicals are doing is just causing the reactions that created the fibers to run in reverse. Once again, thanks for the great video, and keep up the good work!

[@Midland1072Productions]

I have been waiting for this episode for a year and a month and a few days and I am not disappointed, not even close. This is awesome, informative and I am likely going to be watching this at least 20 times.

[@DinsdalePiranha67]

I did know about the difference in how cotton and polyester react to fire, thanks to my involvement in motor sports. When I was getting my personal safety gear sorted for my very brief time as a race driver with SCCA, I learned that any patches I needed to add to my fire suit (the club does require a couple of them) should be sewn on with cotton thread. The use of cotton fabrics in the cab of a steam locomotive makes quite a bit of sense for this reason, particularly back in an age where things like Nomex didn't exist. And to be fair, Nomex doesn't make you invulnerable to fire; it just gives you a few extra seconds to escape.

[@emilpersson8250]

Up until about 1940 an engine crew in Sweden used to wear an uniform similar to that of the uniform worn by our conductors and station masters.

[@callepedersen1487]

Haha såg precis din kommentar tänkte på och skrev detsamma.😂

[@hairybutharmless7163]

If it’s especially cold/ cooler, the natural flame resistance of wool that you could find in a three piece suit would be a pretty good option. Definitely less abrasion resistant than denim though. Super cool regional differences!

[@emilpersson8250]

@@hairybutharmless7163 it was very important to look proper while working. Primarily on the smaller private railroads. That we’re always trying to outdo each other and they wanted to look just as professional as the state railroad.

[@randymagnum143]

​@@hairybutharmless7163burning wool releases hydrogen cyanide.

[@SDE1994]

Another uk youtuber "Anthony Dawson" is currently doing thorough research into railway uniforms, not just what they look like or the material but where they were made, how long they last and how they were re used

[@musiqtee]

Great having Hayley and LMM with you, Mark…! 👍 Greetings from 🇳🇴…

[@lmm]

We've got plans for more

[@hayleyenoch514]

Thank you, I really enjoy visiting Norway.

[@slanderedstone]

This video is incredibly well put together! Was a pretty fun watch!

[@SteamfanScott]

A wonderful video! Was so cool to learn the history and different aspects of the outfits! Thanks to Hyce and Haley for railroad clothing 101 and do hope that more videos like this are to come!

[@georgewolf7063]

I read or heard somewhere that the neckerchief was also worn around the neck to help prevent hot cinders and ash from falling down one's collar. I also heard that the Derby hat was fairly popular for trainmen (and other laborers) up until the mid 1800s. :) I adore your channel and all the cool things I've learned from you!

[@drewbarker8504]

Hayley deserves mad props for her presentation on this subject, with Lawrie from across the Pond. (This presentation definitely gives credence to my Wrangler chambray work shirts as a daily uniform. 🤣)

[@garysprandel1817]

All we know is is he's not the Hyce but the Hyce's English cousin. Yep still got my hickory stripe cap,bibs and bandana from my model railroad club days and our traveling layout. Osh Kosh IIRC. A lot of the club members would just do " civilian " clothing but I liked to play it up for the guests coming to the train shows. To go off a variant of Alton Brown's melted sugar is culinary napalm polyester is wearable napalm.

[@catfish552]

Great video! I guessed the very basics for the engineer outfit (practical, hardwearing clothing for a physical and dirty job), but you guys laid it all out so well. Thanks to Hyce for bringing this video to us, and thanks to Hayley for having the perfect intersection of knowledge and interests for this one! (And very fun to finally see Lawrie popping up for a cameo here, I was watching one of his videos just this morning.)

[@ravenamiir9340]

Always excited for the railroading 101 series cant wait to see more and learn

[@rgsrrofnc]

I heard the engineer caps / hats referred to as oiler's caps as well. They also work well to hold water from a water stop to dump over your head on a 100 degree (outside) day. And bandanas I found work very well to keep the hot sparks getting down my shirt by layering it over the collar against my neck and down over the back of my bib overalls. Overalls are also the ideal clothing as it has so many pockets and the topmost pockets in the bib part hold my wallet and phone so I don't sit on them or get them wet as you tend to get splashed in a locomotive from about the waist down. Also handy for pulling out your wallet when stopped going 35 in a 25 zone in Golden than having to reach into my back pocket. The back pocket is for the oily rags anyway. 🙂

[@catreader9733]

Most of us who wear demin or dungarees don't consider that there is a portion of polyster in the fabric. It provides wrinkle resistance, stretchability, and stylish fit--and an increased hazard in terms of fire safety. The same is true for bandanas.

[@patricksheary2219]

OMG, Mark this deep dive into the origins of industrial costume with guest historian Hayley Enoch was absolutely fabulous! I learned so much from you both, Mark highlighting the cultural context for us and Hayley discussing the how and why of railroad uniforms. Hayley’s discussion about why we wear cotton, was excellent and I especially liked the burn demonstration of cotton versus polyester. Really liked her point about why bibs are loose fitting; now I have an answer for friends who ask me about this. Industrial clothing history is rather a neglected topic (as my costume curatorial colleagues tell me when I ask many questions about this); Hayley you provided the answers to those unanswered questions. To sum up, first-rate research! I’m definitely recommending this fab episode to my costume historian colleagues who will so appreciate it. Finally Mark, showing the British side was a great touch! Many, many thanks for creating this ultra-excellent video Mark, and a shout out to Hayley, many grateful thanks for being a guest and sharing with us your expert knowledge. Professor, these 101 tutorial videos just get better and better, It’s always an enjoyable learning experience. Cheers to you both!!! 🎉

[@Hyce777]

Cheers Patrick! The genius was all Hayley on this one. Her research and script. :)

[@patricksheary2219]

@@Hyce777 Many thanks Mark for clarification. :) Hayley did a masterful job! Please ask her back as well as other guests to chat about specialized topics in the near future.

[@isaiahwilliams2642]

This is so incredibly informative and helpful. I will be sure to incorporate a lot of my newfound knowledge into my writings, as they'll add a lot more personality. I also hope we see Hailey again, it'd be cool if you two could do a video or two on the history of Women on the railroads, particularly during WW2.

[@melissaolson2517]

What an awesome and informative video! I love your humorous banter. And I'm so happy you're doing what you love while preserving this equipment and traditions for the future. Hyce, you ARE a rock star! ❤

[@marvinjameson2104]

Need more Haley and History along with you Hyce.

[@JonatanGronoset]

This one was particularly interesting, I already knew alot of it but always good to get more detailed information. More collabs like this, please!

[@tomw7220]

I was a brakeman, switch man, and switch yard foreman. The bib-overalls were great with all the pockets they had. I had a pocket for a switch list, train orders in and a loop to put my switch keys on. I also had a pocket to put my watch in. They were great things to wear at work. Also, when I was off work they were good to wear when I helped my father in law on the farm.

[@wesbellmore6664]

I didn’t watch the whole video but I can tell you exactly why a lot of guys wear bib overalls when working: so you don’t have to hitch your trousers up every time you lean over or kneel down! That’s huge!

[@bluescrew3124]

ONG this is the best video! Haley is incredible! More Haley! Learned so so so much & also verified why I always wear 100% cotton on airplanes

[@akaBoG]

Great video Mark & Haley - learned a lot!

[@sptownsend999]

Very fascinating! I'm a bit of a clotheshorse, and understanding why people wore the clothes that they did makes me feel closer to the past. I recently discovered your channel, and am enjoying your content! Thanks for all the great information!

[@kiefershanks4172]

I thought the history around army clothing influencing the attire of railroad employees was particularly interesting. I work in the rail industry and have described it as similar to a military career without the guns and exercise. Lol I work passenger service and we are basically a small army and dress in clothes that takes influence from modern military/police attire. I have been addressed as "officer" a few times by passengers before. Funny how the history lives on in the present and you can see how things evolved and why. Great video.

[@epoxysentra]

This was a very fun and educational video on clothing on the railroad! The mention of wearing cotton due to being more fire-resistant made me think back of when I used to work in kitchens donning the classic chef's coat and pants. Those are also made of cotton, for the exact same reasons of being more resistant to flames, and also providing some amount of cooling, as kitchens can get very hot with all the ovens, grilles, and stoves that are used. Going into the freezer with these on however, was not fun. Now I work in HVAC and for the most part, we wear cotton as well to help keep us cool and comfortable when working outside, but also giving us protection for skin from the various refrigerants and chemicals that you don't really want to get in contact with.

[@cabowerks3973]

Always wanted to know this stuff! Was hoping you would get to it! Thanks! It was great Hyce! Cheers 🍻 & be safe out there!

[@redrock717]

Definitely an interesting topic. I’m definitely thinking besides passenger service the whole uniform thing dropped off. My dad worked for L&N/Seaboard/CSX and the only “uniform” requirements I ever saw was the safety vest, long pants, and steal toe boots.

[@theromanorder]

please do a video on the porters steam loco the Japanese class d5, the Chinese QJ 2,10,2 or just exsamples of asian trains how do gear trains work something on saddle bolier and side tanks (like the big water boxes) tank engines double ended diesel trains (and electric) eletric trains American and European switches other then the British class 07-09 what to do if the train stalls one talking about the different types of steam funnles and there uses, a video on steam locomotive combination breaks (steam and vacuum brakes) a short video on how a Armstrong turn table works what did train flagman do what did trains (mostly steam) do when going in tunnels, ive heard of gas masks or just useing a wet cloth, or did they bring in other engines like later on they used electric trains, or were there no bigv tunnels. evaluation of electric trains why are some trains wagion tops (the stream lining thing to boilers) railway terms abd slang one on the meaning of flag and lantern colors like green on rear engine means theres another one coming soon, the different types of cut offs/reversers/Johnson bar some are a big lever, some are a big valve wheel, and ive also seen some that are like rods, one exsample is train sim world 3 and im not sure where to find the other reverser and how much water do steam trains take usually, and how much would the crew drink

[@theventuracountyrailfan]

Almost 100k bro! I love your videos, I hope I can come up to the Colorado railroad museum to meet you! Greetings from Southern California

[@Peotre]

Interesting stuff, thanks Hayley and Hyce. Didn't realize until now that I've never seen a female engineer running a train. Have you done a piece on the history of that already?

[@billlaird7332]

I managed to wrangle a cab ride in the Sumpter Valley Railroad. To my surprise, the engineer was female and was wearing Denim overalls and cap in a pink hickory stripped pattern. She handled the train very well and looked stylish doing it.

[@christopherspringer2764]

Here's an idea. Someday, get Lawrie over to the states to participate in the 3/4 show. An event for the ages that would be.

[@LeonTroutskiunplugged]

This was fantastic! I really enjoyed the historical background on the "uniform". Nice touch at the end with the perspective from over the pond.

[@dantanner785]

Hyce, LMM and a clothing expert. Awesome! Doing the obligatory “comment&like”

[@joeldunsmore5159]

My grandfather worked for 47 years for CB&Q and BN he wore coveralls and overalls so grandma didnt have to wash grease and coal dust out of his regular clothes.

[@BandanRRChannel]

I'm gonna side with Hayley and say the red bandanna was probably for dramatic flair in pictures and film. Besides the color contrast, the red-blue combination seems to be used a lot with more "heroic" characters in media--Superman, Mario, Optimus Prime, just a few examples. And in media of the time, that's generally how the train crews were depicted, as the "good guys". On the other hand, out on the Sumpter Valley Railroad and at various Class I and Sound Transit jobsites I've been to, red is actively discouraged or prohibited (though I've worn it in the past). This way, the sight of something red moving, be it an arm or a bandanna being shaken clean, isn't mistaken for a stop or emergency signal. I'd guess a blue color would have been more common, black would attract heat and white would get dirty easily.

[@Hyce777]

I always personally wear blue myself. I agree.

[@WhiteStar1222]

2:30 ERIC. And the twin has arrived

[@andrewreynolds4949]

Fantastic work! What a surprise finally seeing a crossover with Lawrie!

[@Ronald.Golleher]

23:10 Jeff realizes there's something going on and decides to dip 😂

[@Hyce777]

I was wondering if anyone would notice. Lol

[@Ronald.Golleher]

@@Hyce777 "Just gonna climb up in the cab and never mind I've got something super important to do anywhere but here."

[@RejectsGarage]

The collab we've all been waiting for, Lawrie and Mark in a train video! Now we need to get you guys together in person. My excitement aside, this video was cool. Good job once again, as with all of your 101 videos.

[@bobbysenterprises3220]

.They should make n95 or better p95 bandanas. Also fancy seeing Lawrence pop up here. I'll admit it was unexpected. Second time this has happened where two people I follow show up in the same video unexpectedly

[@henkmeerhof8647]

A great video Hyce! I love the way you make those and in this one you managed to combine the relation between man and machine and its influence on society even, as we do recognize a rail road man or woman as such. Being from the Netherlands the 'fashion' follows the Brits more than the Americans except for the head wear. During history train personnel, specially the 'meester' (driver) and 'stoker' (fireman), had caps very much like the soldiers during the American civil war, so you have been a fashion influencer of a kind. Then the caps style took fashion from the French, and looked for many years more like the Kepi French police and military used. The rest was more like the UK outfit. With time and the change from steam to diesel and electric the need for those heavy outfits changed and a more formal uniform was used. Today we moved a bit away from uniforms showing rank and status. the outfits are more casual, yet recognizable as rail road personnel. being train driver or conductor almost become a 'desk job' compared to the old days of steam. The only constant is change, also in rail road clothing, but I do miss those kepis.

[@heronimousbrapson863]

The heavy denim overalls must be strictly a "steam" thing. Most modern diesel railroaders I've seen of late don't wear specialized clothing.

[@YourLocalRailfan]

If you ever come to Wisconsin, go to Green Bay. There’s a railroad museum there that has nice info about both that and what the MOW was like (they also have a big boy)

[@IsaacDaBoatSloth]

surprise lawrie i wonder if there would ever be a hyce LMM IRL thing at some point

[@Hyce777]

You bet... Unfortunately it involves international travel and that's a lot but we're planning on it!

[@lmm]

Plans are afoot!

[@mattymerr701]

This was honestly a brilliant video. Having someone else to sort of host really worked well!

[@Transit_Biker]

Can't help but think of the times i had to shoo kids away from autumn bonfires who were wearing polyester halloween costumes. Did not want them to shake hands with danger!

[@jameshigh6481]

Definitely need more of this. Afterall, when you get down to it, it's a history museum.

[@treewindle]

New Zealand Railways inherited the British traditions with a small twist - cab crews initially wore white shirts and black neckwear under the denim bibs and overcoat like Lawrie with a woolen cap - drivers even wore starched collars. This slowly changed between the 20's-40's to black shirts with white ties for both drivers and firemen (looked more presentable apparently when heading the royal trains), although some really old school drivers would still get laundered white shirts and stiff collars right through to the early 50's. Guards and station staff wore cheesecutter caps with gold and/or oakleaf braid for certain roles or seniority, and a wide range of coats cut to the style of the day, again with braid at the cuffs denoting seniority. Senior stationmasters at the main centres, likely only Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, all wore long frock coats with braid and silk top hats when dismissing the principal expresses - again right up to the late 50's.

[@Hyce777]

That's super neat! Thanks for sharing the context. :)

[@rdreher7380]

Combining my two loves of railroading and textiles & clothing history, my favorite video of yours yet! This was absolutely fascinating!

[@srajfnly2]

I watched @lmm shorts where he showed off the British Railway man’s uniform

[@MrMarinus18]

I would like to see a video about the railroad unions and the labor struggles as well as the abusive of power of the railroad tycoons. They are a huge part of American history.

[@edwardsimpson1164]

I definitely learned a lot from this video. I appreciate everyone who put their time and effort into it, to share their knowledge. I learn something everytime I watch one of your videos. Always great content.

[@insylem]

How authentic is Jon Railroadson's outfit?

[@stevemellin5806]

Great video thank you Happy Turkey Day to you and the whole Crew

[@trainnerd25]

here at the northern central railway of York County I typically see steam engineers as a dress shirt vest suspenders dress shoes and sometimes a nice cap.

[@burdizdawurd1516Official]

Who else clicked this video thinking "Hmmm... Lawrie just did a video on the proper British train driver's uniform" and was also delighted that Hyce not only included a clip from Lawrie's video, but also took 30 times as long to explain literally everything?

[@olic9804]

Nice! Nice to hear from Hayley too! Never knew why striped uniforms were closed until now - in France their loco crew goggles so some European crew took a different approach

[@jackpeterson6540]

I worked as a Brakeman on the GN from 60-68 and engine service on the Soo Line from 68-92. On the GN most train/switch crews wore blue bibs and engine service the stripes.. It was different on the Soo Line as street clothes were the norm. The Soo hauled Iron Ore from Ironton, MN area with joint trackage rights with the NP. The Soo also had a switch job spotting ore on the NP ore docks. For lunch time Soo Crew would take a side trip to South Superior Business District at the Audubon Society (BIRDS Bar). A NP Trainmaster was looking for the crew and he did enter the bar looking for the crew. He was standing right by them at the bar when asking the bartender if he had seen the Soo crew. Bartender suggested he go look in the restaurant across the parking lot, which he did. The Soo crew in street clothes was have hamburgers and something that was forbidden on duty to wash it down. As soon as the Trainmaster went out the door they did too thru the opposite side door. The Soo crew being in street clothes never dawned on the Trainmaster as the NP crews had the blue and stripped bibs too.

[@ryderkennell22]

I love these videos. Got here in the first four minutes!

[@GabrielTruesdale]

That was a great video hyce. I have the engineer clothes that I have.

[@CDROM-lq9iz]

Good to know I'm not crazy for thinking I'm more comfortable in my dark blue coveralls and hi-vis than just a hi-vis shirt and pants in the summer. Plus, I stay cleaner with the long sleeves, and the heavy cotton, as mentioned, has kept me from burning myself on a lot of stuff.

[@MaddoxMason-lc9gq]

This was an absolutely fantastic video as always, It was really cool to see this. This actually reminds me of a really cool clinic by Merrill Walz called Courier Nurses on the Santa Fe. And I would definitely recommend trying to get in touch with her as it is a very fascinating subject, even as someone with a burning hatred for the Santa Fe. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find any recordings of her clinic.

[@RobbyDouglas-w4w]

Great content. Thank you for all that hard work and, of course, the info.

[@jackboerner1901]

Something I'd like to add, in the Pentrex video, Last of the Giants Part 3, engine crew members who worked on Big Boys were interviewed and describe when they went through Hermosa Tunnel on Sherman Hill, they would often get either cotton waste or rags, dip it in water, and cover their nose and mouth while in the tunnel. While not specifically a red bandana, it's definitely what was used historically and probably inspired the red bandana. The bandana's probably just a little more colorful!

[@joekmoch978]

This was a fabulous video - more like this! I'm into education too!

[@robertbalazslorincz8218]

Well now I've learnt where denim originates from

[@RailMachanic1]

The LaRose hats are great. I got a black and grey canalman's hat and an engineer hat made by him. Both fit perfectly and just feel great.

[@Chesemiser]

About what did they cost? Cause I've been eyeing them for a bit but they don't have any sort of price range on their website.

[@RailMachanic1]

​@@Chesemiser depends on style of hat and material. My engineers hat was 70 and my canalmans was 100.

[@Chesemiser]

@@RailMachanic1 Sweet! Good to know! Thanks!

[@stephenhfoster]

Fascinating! I love this kind of detailed and deep historical exposition. Thank you, Hayley; thank you, Hyce.

[@rocketplane]

That was absolutely delightful. Thank you to Hayley for the enlightenment!

[@alexanderhogan2521]

Larose hat Co Is definitely a amazing person. I have a few of his hats and I love every single one of them.

[@warwolf416]

This was awesome! I would like to see more like this in the future! It’s cool to see there is someone out there making historical and accurate railroader hats and gear! Knowing someone who does something similar with Civil War hats I can appreciate that.

[@ja-bv3lq]

Hyce - this is the kind of unique history that I love - and the reason you are awesome!!!

[@osageorangegaming5128]

Very interesting as I never knew some of the reasons behind the apparel choices. Bringing others who know more about something related historical railroading would be a big draw for me, so more stuff like this would be neat, Hyce!

[@Lux_cur]

Awesome edition to the Railroading 101! I got a great smile seeing LMM in this video.