[RITSlist] Reminiscing on the Rock Island

[Jeffery L Hergert]

Not only retired ones, I (and a few others) still wear them and they are still in business.  They did sell off the winter style line. The summer kind are called welder's caps.  One time checking into the motel at Clinton a person asked if I was working for ADM there because of my Kromer.  He was used to seeing the construction guys wearing that style.    

The designer of the original, "Stormy" Kromer was a C&NW engineer who wanted a better cap.

Jeff
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: LaVerne Andreessen 
  To: Gerald Berwald 
  Cc: ritslist at simpson.edu 
  Sent: Friday, October 05, 2007 11:16 PM
  Subject: Re: [RITSlist] Reminiscing on the Rock Island


  Kromer was a long time cap manufacturer in Milwaukee.  They sold both summer and winter caps, the latter having the distinctive pull down ear flaps, made of wool, very warm, I have a couple of winter models that I still wear on occasion, only a retired rail would recognize a Kromer.  I understand the firm has gone out of biz but a small firm in Uppper Michigan has taken over the cap biz.  lwa 

  Gerald Berwald wrote:

    Pete, 

    Sorry for my ignorance; but, what is a KROMER?

    Jerry Berwald

    At 10:27 PM 10/5/2007, jpslhedgpeth at aol.com wrote:

      Any readers of REMINISCE MAGAZINE out there.

      Most recent issue just received today has an interesting Rock Island picture on page 25.

      No location given, but the picture shows a trainman in a passenger uniform sans the regulation "stovepipe" hat, but wearing the classic KROMER and work gloves.  He along with some school kids and, I assume their teacher going for a ride per the caption.  

      Another man in coveralls is standing in the doorway of what, at first glance appears to be a baggage car, but upon closer inspection it's either the 750 or 751 pre second prime mover, still being used  as a part baggage car.

      The fact that the brakeman is wearing work gloves and a KROMER rather than the regulation uniform hat tells me that he's a train baggageman as well as a brakeman and the run is perhaps between Limon and Colorado Springs, or perhaps on the Bellville-KC portion of the run where the head brakeman might be called upon to perform baggage handling duties.

      I would assume that the man standing in the doorway is the engineer...he's also wearing a KROMER.

      If I knew how to scan I'd try to put this one out on the list

      The caption reads...in part.   "When my dad was a brakeman/conductor for the Rock Island railroad he had to wear a uniform.  ....My uncle Pete Geil was an engineer for the Rock Island lines....the girl in the middle is Nancy Smith, a grandniece of my dad's.   Photo submitted by Faye Dawald Missoula, Montana.

      This ought to stir up some comment.

      Pete

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