Swedish State Railways, SJ

Railway Occupations

There have been many different railway occupations over time, some still exist, and some are gone. Two occupations that no longer exist are locomotive firemen and brakemen. Below is a description of the most common historic railway occupations: The Stationmaster (Swe: Stationsinspektor or short Stins) is the person in charge of a railway station. In the US the role is commonly termed Station Agent. The station master is responsible for the management of other station employees and holds responsibility for safety and the efficient running of the station. In Sweden, the term was historically employed across larger stations, 1st to 4th class stations. The term for the head of minor country stations (5th to 7th class stations) in Sweden was Assistant Stationmaster (Swe: Stationsmästare). The number of other employees at a railway station varies according to size. The image to the right shows a stationmaster (Swe: Stins) with a signal spade, circa 1950. Photo: Eric Lundquist. Image: Järnvägsmuseet, ID: JvmKBDN00909. The Station clerk or Booking clerk (Swe: Stationsskrivare) was responsible for ticket sales and financial auditing at a railway station. There were booking clerks and senior booking clerks. The Station porter (Swe: Stationskarl) was responsible for platform safety, luggage transportation, and cleaning, and often ancillary staff in catering, left luggage, and maintenance roles. The porters were part of the traffic department and subordinated the head porter (Swe: Stationskarlsförman). When a train arrived at the station, the porters opened the train door and called out the name of the station. They helped the arriving passengers with their luggage and carried the luggage to the luggage room. loading and unloading of goods were also taken care of by the porters. At smaller stations, they also had the role of signalmen. A signalman or signaler is an employee of a railway transport network who operates the points and signals from a signal box to control the movement of trains. Porters were the most junior grade of station staff. In the US, the term porter had a somewhat different meaning of a member of staff attending to passengers on board trains, particularly in sleeping cars, a role known as steward in most other countries. The train driver, engine driver, or locomotive driver (Swe: Lokförare) is a person who drives a train. The driver is in charge of, and responsible for operating the engine, as well as the mechanical operation of the train, train speed, and all train handling. The driver was also responsible for minor maintenance tasks so he would be able to drive the train to a workshop for repairs if there was a problem. He was supposed to have a good knowledge of his line so that he could avoid unnecessary sudden breaking. The first female engine driver in Sweden was employed in 1977. The image to the right shows an engine driver in his locomotive waiting for the signal to start, circa 1950. Image: Järnvägsmuseet, ID: JvmKBDB02085. The locomotive fireman (Swe: Lokeldare) is a person whose occupation was to tend the fire for the running of a boiler in a steam locomotive and was subordinated to the engine driver. Much of the job was hard physical labor, such as shoveling fuel, typically coal, into the boiler's firebox. The firemen were not usually responsible for initially preparing locomotives and lighting their fires; a locomotive boiler takes several hours to heat up. He would clear the ash from the firebox ashpan before lighting the fire, adding water to the engine's boiler, making sure there was a proper supply of fuel for the engine aboard before starting journeys, starting the fire, raising, or banking the fire as appropriate for the power needed along particular parts of the route, and performing other tasks for maintaining the locomotive according to the orders of the engine driver. When the fireman wasn’t powering the firebox, he was attending the locomotive’s brake wheel being prepared to put the brakes on to the orders of the engine driver. Both the diver and the fireman had to keep a close watch on possible signals from trackmen along the tracks or from the stationmaster at a train station. The image shows a fireman in a steam locomotive in 1956. Photo: Lennart Nilsson (1922-2017). Image: Järnvägsmuseet, ID: JvmKBDB16275. A brakeman (Swe: Bromsare) was a rail transport worker whose job was to assist the braking of a train by applying brakes on individual wagons. In the UK, the brakeman was more often referred to as the guard. The brakemen were responsible for assisting with braking a train when the engine driver wanted the train to slow down, stop, or contrary start. The brakes were manually operated with brake handles or wheels applied by the operation of a screw and linkage to brake blocks applied to wheel treads. The brakemen traveled in crude shelters outside the vehicles, in Swedish known as “bromssäte, bromsbås or bromshytt”. Bromssätet (brakeman’s seat) was merely an outdoor seat for the brakeman. The bromsbås were similar to the seat but a covered seat. It looked like a nesting-box on the exterior of the wagon. The job as a brakeman was somewhat monotonous but also arduous. The brakeman had to work in cold as well as wet weather without any chance to change clothes. In winter they were exposed to sharp frost and strong winds and many of them got bad health over time. The image shows a train brakeman in his seat dressed in a fur winter coat in 1946. Photo: Sture Gewert, 1946. Image: Järnvägsmuseet, ID: JvmKDAF04690. The conductor (Swe: Konduktör): A conductor (US) or guard (UK) is a train crew member responsible for operational and safety duties that do not involve the actual operation of the train/locomotive. The conductors were part of the traffic department and subordinated the stationmaster. Before the conductor’s work shift began he had to report to his stationmaster and receive orders for his shift aboard the train. The conductor was responsible to make sure that the tail and side lanterns of the train were cleaned and in working order. A conductor's duties also included ensuring that the couplings between cars were properly set and that the sliding doors on the goods wagons were properly closed. The train left the railway station on the signal of the stationmaster, thereafter it was the conductor who had the responsibility for passengers and goods. During the train ride, the conductor had to watch for possible signals from the engine driver. The Trackmaster (Swe: Banmästare) was part of the track department and he was responsible for a specific section of the route he was assigned to. His superior was the track engineer (Swe: Baningenjör). Several trackmen subordinated the trackmaster, were each responsible for a specific stretch of the trackmaster’s section and they reported to the trackmaster. The trackmaster’s duty included ensuring that the tracks in his section of the line were in good working order so trains could pass safely. He, therefore inspected his section regularly and during these inspections, he also made sure that the trackmen had fulfilled their duties. A platelayer (UK) or trackman (US) is a railway employee whose job is to inspect and maintain the permanent way of a railway installation. The Swedish term is “banvakt” which means “track tender”. Therefore I will use the US term trackman in this article. The Swedish railways employed a large number of trackmen whose responsibility was to supervise and maintain a designated part of the railway line generally watching for wear and tear. Not only the tracks were supervised by trackmen but also the embankment and the strip of land on both sides of the embankment. The trackmen were obliged to inspect their respective part of the railway line at least once a day. This was performed either by foot or on an inspection trolley (Swe: dressin). Each trackman was assigned a specific stretch of the line and each stretch covered between 2.5 km (1.6 mi) and 10 km (6 mi) or more. Each trackman was working from an assigned railway trackman cottage (Swe: banvaktsstuga) located on their respective part of the railway line. If there was a minor defect, the trackmen had to do the repairs between two trains passing the spot. Major defects were imitatively reported to the trackmaster. Examples of defects are; ground frost displacing the tracks, rail breaks, rails buckled in the sun, trees that had fallen onto the tracks, etc. Bad sleepers were regularly being changed, as were damaged fishplates (joint bars), bolts, spikes, etc. The trackman’s duty included also watching passing trains to ensure that they were in good running order, lighted lanterns, etc. The system of having trackmen supervising the tracks was finally abolished around 1960. The image shows a railway trackman on an inspection trolley beside his trackman cottage, no 122 in Wästra Hästbo. Photo: Josef Eriksson. Image: Länsmuseet Gävleborg, ID: XLM.Torsåker1129. A railway gatekeeper was tending the gates at a railway crossing. Formerly, the crossings were having manually operated gates. The tenders of such a gate were called gatekeepers (Swe: Grindvakt). In good time before a train was going to pass the crossing, the gatekeeper’s duty was to close the gates for road traffic. When the train had passed, the gates were opened, now closing the tracks. Therefore, it was of uppermost importance that the gatekeeper knew the trains’ schedules. It was the gatekeeper’s duty to close the gates for road traffic 10 minutes before the train was passing the crossing and thereby gave a clear way for the passing train. A gatekeeper's duties also included watching the trains’ last car for the “extra train is coming” signal. The gatekeeper then had to keep the gates closed for road traffic. If a crossing was close to a trackman cottage, the wife of the trackman could earn some extra money for the family as a gatekeeper. Later, level-crossing barriers were introduced. The image shows a female railway gatekeeper at a crossing in Söderala in 1922. Image: Järnvägsmuseet, ID: JvmKDAA16802.

Uniforms of the Swedish State Railways (SJ)

The railway staff wore a uniform. As seen above, there were many different railway occupations and some of these occupations were involving greasy and grimy tasks. Therefore, not all railway staff wore the uniform regularly but protective clothes. However, usually, they always wore a dress cap. The earliest information about uniforms of the Swedish State Railways (SJ) is from January 1857 when buttons for the uniform were ordered from Denmark. In a newspaper, Handelstidningen, from 1859, there is an article describing the SJ uniform. The uniform was dark blue with white piping. The silver buttons had an imprinted locomotive. The peaked cap had silver stripes marking the rank. The Stationmaster wore three parallel stripes with an embroider locomotive in-front on his cap. The First Conductor wore two stripes while the Second Conductor wore one. The Station Clerks wore 2 stripes, as did the Assistant Stationmasters. It was allowed to wear the cap to civilian clothes. In 1864, the introduction of the uniform was completed for all railway staff with SJ. However, there was one exception, the engine drivers weren’t wearing uniforms until the 1870s. On 29 January 1864, Gerhard Lagerstråle, Minister of Public Administration, signed the first Royal Decree regarding rules and regulations for the uniforms of the Swedish State Railways. A winged wheel under a Royal Crown is the logotype of the Swedish State Railways. See the image to the right. In 1864, the Stationmasters received a red ribbon on their caps as a sign of their professional status. Under the rules of 5 September 1865, the Stationmasters adopted gold stripes, with a width of 16 mm respectively 13 mm, depending on the size of the railway station. The button to the left has an imprinted B-class locomotive, worn by station porters, trackmen, and other petty employees, 1860s. Image: Järnvägsmuseet, ID: Jvm13820-1. Below is a summary of the uniform regulations in use during the first 50 years of the Swedish State Railways (SJ): The 1870 Uniform Regulations: On 5 April 1870, a new uniform regulation for the SJ railway staff was adopted. First Conductors (Swe: Överkonduktör) kept their two silver stripes on the cap but also their employment number (cap number) in white under a royal crown worn in-front of the cap. Second Conductors (Swe: Underkonduktör) wore one stripe. The image to the right shows a peaked cap with two stripes and a serial number under a royal crown for a Second Conductor with SJ, model m/1870. Below the stripes is a cockade. First Trackmasters (Swe: Förste banmästare) wore two silver stripes on their caps, Second Trackmasters one. Head Porters (Swe: Stationskarlförman) wore one wide stripe while Porters their respective employment numbers in silver under a royal crown. Trackmen (Swe: banvakt) wore a so-called trackman’s badge on their caps in the shape of a shield stamped out with their employment numbers (cap number) under a royal crown. The image to the left shows a trackman’s cap with the badge in- front of the cap. Image: Järnvägsmuseet, ID: JvmKDAK00233. The greatcoat was equipped with a folding collar, roundish cuffs, peaked pocket flaps, and white piping on the collar, pocket flaps, and cuffs. The greatcoat was double-breasted with 7 buttons in each row. The trousers were also equipped with white piping. Under the regulation of 1876, Stationmasters and First Conductors were both wearing two stripes on the cap, however no employment numbers. Instead, they wore a white, winged wheel of metal. In 1878, the insignias on their sleeves stating their professional status were changed from stripes to chevrons pointing upwards. In 1889, Station clerks received a 5 mm wide stripe on caps and sleeves. First Trackmasters now wore a winged wheel and two 10 mm wide silver stripes. The image shows the type of cap used between 1900-1909 by Station Clerks. Image: Järnvägsmuseet, ID: Jvm02520. The 1909 Uniform Regulations: The previous cockade on the cap of the locomotive personnel was abolished and replaced in 1901 by a new cockade made of blue enamel with a winged wheel, three crowns, and thunderbolts. Under the 1909 regulations, the silver-colored buttons were replaced with golden ones. from 1909, all personnel wore a winged wheel under a royal crown on their caps. Below the cap badge was the national blue and yellow cockade worn. The image to the left shows the blue cap cockade worn by engine drivers from 1901. Image: Järnvägsmuseet, ID: Jvm51657-1. The image to the right shows a golden uniform button under the 1909 regulation used between 1909 and 1953. Image: Järnvägsmuseet, ID: Jvm13701-1. Some railway personnel also wore a golden cap number (employee number) on their caps. A railway cap number identifies petty railway personnel. Special collar badges were used to show the department a staff member was being part of. Further, Stationmasters wore a 20 mm wide bright red ribbon around the cap. A special summer uniform was also adopted, made of white cloth with dark blue insignias or stripes. Higher ranked railway officials no longer wore rank insignias on their caps. Instead, they wore a black silk ribbon with an attached badge with a winged wheel under a crown, oak leaves, and the letters SJ around the caps. The 1921 Uniform Regulations: The 1921 uniform regulations didn’t bring many changes. However, there were some changes, the cap numbers were abolished as was the cap cockade for train serving personnel. Also, for higher-ranked officials, the winged wheel and the cockade were removed and replaced with an embroidered cap badge with a winged wheel encircling the Swedish national Three Crowns under a Royal Crown. The image to the right shows the 1921 cap badge with a winged wheel encircling the Swedish Three Crowns under a Royal Crown. Image: Järnvägsmuseet, ID: Jvm23644-1-2. In 1929, there were some minor changes regarding the number of stripes and their width for the various railway ranks. The 1921 uniform regulations were used until 1954 when a new uniform regulation was issued. Private Railways in Sweden: The railway staff with the private railways also wore uniforms. At large, these uniforms were like the uniforms worn by the SJ staff personnel. Of course, there were differences between the many railway companies. However, rank and service insignias usually were like the ones used by the state railways. The SJ logotype, the winged wheel under a royal crown, was only used by SJ for obvious reasons. Instead, the private railways used a similar symbol, a winged wheel under a griffin head and the buttons worn on the uniforms had an imprinted locomotive instead of the SJ winged wheel. Images of Uniforms worn by the SJ Railway Staff

Related Links

• Railway History, part-1 • Railway History, part-2 • Swedish State Railways - Locomotives • Iron Ore Line • Railway History - Images • Maps of the Swedish Railway System • History of Swedish Log Driving

Source References

• Staten, järnvägarna och den regionala utvecklingen i Sverige 1840–1890, Agaton Sten, 2015, Umeå Universitet. • Den glade rallaren? Norrbottniska rallares syn på sina arbets- och levnadsvillkor, Per-Jonas Pihl 2016, Luleå Tekniska Universitet. • Boken “En rallares levnadsminnen”, av Samuel Magnusson Svanbäck; nedtecknade av Herbert Malmback, 1931. • Boken: “Banbrytare. Äventyr och upplevelser under ett 100-årigt järnvägsbyggande i Sverige”. Manne Briandt. Kristianstad 1959. • Sveriges järnvägars historia, Populär Historia, 13 september 2006 av Niklas Ingmarsson, publicerad i Populär Historia 7-8/2006 . • Rallarna i Sverige banade väg för industrialismen, av Mats Utbult, publicerad i Populär historia 11/2009. • Wikipedia • Järnvägsmuseet (Railway Museum in Gävle, Sweden) Top of page