Bob Mayne The Oxford Hotel and the Symphony crowd in Tales of the Jointed Track

Bob and me, another helper. Typical and not a double shove. You will get told, before ya reach the summit, if your services are required to assist another. You go into your tour of duty thinking will be twelve hours, anything less is gravy. It’s 830 pm when we cut off at the “Lake”. 1030 we should be off, helpers on the Outside sand track, tie up and see what the future holds.

Oxford Hotel old downtown Denver:

Bob says to me, “If ya ain’t pussy whipped, want to have a few beers?”. “Yeah, I can do that”. I called the wife, before cell phones, from the roundhouse, that I was tied up. I said Baldy ‘n me (Bob Mayne) may go for a few beers. She never had a problem and I never abused it.

We go to the Oxford Hotel. This is LODO, ( Lower Downtown ) before it became renovated and fashionable. This is borderline skid row and a rough part of Denver. They had a bar, called the Cruise Room Bar. So those who know the Art-Deco style of architecture, it was that. Carving of the walls in the style of the era of the 1940’s and 50’s. Low lit neon of white, red and purple. It was a step back in time. It still exists today.

Bob and I get to the Oxford at 1130 pm. It’s hopping and the Denver Symphony just had a guest Conductor and Yo Yo Ma as well. Tux’s and formal dress. Casual dress, and the dumb old rails.

Bob and me, in total regalia , Overalls, work shirts and jackets. Me a ST. Louis Blues, baseball style Hockey jacket, reeking of diesel and smoke. A skoal can in the top bib pocket, and a reverser and train orders rolled in the flashlight pocket.

There is a “polite society” type in a white Tuxedo Jacket, standing next to me. Bob and me have ordered beers and a dozen oysters apiece. “I trust you were not at the Symphony tonight?” “No Sir, we just shoved up 16,000 tons of coal up the grade. I heard that Yo Yo Ma was at Cello and a guest Conductor, how was that?’. “It was magnificent, I’m sorry you weren’t able to attend”. “Great and thanks for sharing”. Bob, well he could go off at any moment. All was good.

Stinking rails, polite society, and the rest, all joined as one..

Circa 1989

Last updated October 02, 2014