Steve Kraus

Very good read. Railroad police continue to this day but the author says he was one of the last doing the job the old way, spending nights walking the big railroad yards, in the dark, miles from the office or a phone, long before portable 2-way radios. He would deal with vagrants, thieves, drunks and dishonest employees. Sometimes that meant administering street justice. Here is an excerpt: "Our main depot was located on Madison Ave. and because of the tremendous numbers of people, especially at rush hour, it was a natural target for pickpockets. However, they were nearly impossible to catch. They were invisible because they looked just like anyone in the crowd. However, I was finally lucky to catch one because he bungled things. In the act, the victim's wallet fell on the floor. The passenger grabbed his wallet and ran for his commuter train. I was left holding the pickpocket, but I had no evidence and no one to sign a complaint. I was only interested in keeping this guy and any of his associates out of our depot. So it was that I made my own law. I'm not going to tell you what I did, but I never saw him again, and there weren't any more reports of passengers losing their billfolds in our depot." Cover photo is a bit odd. That doesn't appear to be a US train. But don't let that stop you. Mr. Moen worked for the C&NW in Chicago.