Train crew

[NYC54]

I'm starting to get into operations on my layout and I have a question. Late 60's early 70's how many people made up a train crew?
Did we have an Engineer, Fireman and head brakeman in the loco and Conductor and rear brakeman in the caboose for a crew of 5?

Also if the train was going say from Cincinnati to Chicago I realize there were crew change points and the engineer & fireman were changed out
but did the conductor stay on board in the caboose or was the whole crew changed out?

One last question... on the local switching out industries within a 20 mile radius how many people made up a crew?

Thanks, Tony

[sd45elect2000]

Yes, five man crews as you described. If you are doing industry switching they may add a switch man. In the days before radios signals had to be passed by hand so extra help was sometimes needed.
Often times at division end points the entire crew and caboose were changed out. Engine crews went to the bunkhouse and train service crews stayed in the caboose.

Randy

[Ed Kapuscinski]

General rules of thumb for that era:
Yep, 5 guys.
Generally the entire crew would change at once.

Local crews were the same. Sometimes they'd also attach another person to do things like relay hand signals. Remember, this was largely before the days of portable radios so everything was done by hand signal.

[Missaberoad]

Also by the late 60s and early 70s run thru cabooses were starting to appear with the train crews staying in the bunkhouse rather then on their caboose... (specific dates depended on the various railroads collective agreements)