The B&O Railroad Track Foreman was a practical joker and I often was his prey. Every
Sunday morning he would hop on his handcar and check track condition over several miles. This Sunday I was on duty and I could see him, a mile or so away, heading home. We had little explosive bombs that were used to send a message to an Engineer while the train was moving. The number of bombs conveyed the message.They clamped on the track and the explosion was loud enough to be heard even over the noise of a steam engine. I had never used them but thought it would be fun to get even with the foreman so I clamped two on the track. They almost derailed his handcar with him on it. I had no idea they were so powerful. He came up to me in the tower, stuck out his hand and said "no more practical jokes". I agreed and we remained good friends.
Sunday morning he would hop on his handcar and check track condition over several miles. This Sunday I was on duty and I could see him, a mile or so away, heading home. We had little explosive bombs that were used to send a message to an Engineer while the train was moving. The number of bombs conveyed the message.They clamped on the track and the explosion was loud enough to be heard even over the noise of a steam engine. I had never used them but thought it would be fun to get even with the foreman so I clamped two on the track. They almost derailed his handcar with him on it. I had no idea they were so powerful. He came up to me in the tower, stuck out his hand and said "no more practical jokes". I agreed and we remained good friends.