Silly steam railroaders! The PROPER uniform is the actual suit you can wear after you get rid of all those fire hazards and greasy bits… by going electric! Signed, your friendly streetcar/tram uniform nerd who wants to perpetuate the historic rivalry between steam and street railway crews. 😁🚋
Working in the oilfield, we are required to wear Fire Resistant clothing on all outer layers. Not only are they cotton, as you've shown reasons why, they're treated to be fire resistant.
Aviation as well. Cotton isn't the best for cold weather (as pointed out at 10:09) but for 9 months out of the year it's a perfect cloth. Cheap, sturdy, easy to wash and mend, and more comfortable than some other fabrics.
I was a brakeman, switch man, and switch yard foreman. The bib-overalls were great with all the pockets they had. I had a pocket for a switch list, train orders in and a loop to put my switch keys on. I also had a pocket to put my watch in. They were great things to wear at work. Also, when I was off work they were good to wear when I helped my father in law on the farm.
As a modern railroader, I still wear bibs, but mainly because they're comfortable! Plus, I like the pockets, I keep extra reversers, pens, scratch paper, etc. Very handy!
Working as a brakeman and engineer in the 1970s and a trainmaster in the 1980s, on the CNW and CSX, train crews typically wore ju st blue jeans, a hoodie, steel toe boots and a company provided hat. Sorry no bibs...
Natural wool is also really nice as a fiber that keeps you warm and dry but also doesn't let you catch fire very easily. Firefighter uniforms were made of wool historically, as it also sheds water really well.
Wool is actually safer than cotton, purely from a fire aspect, since it does not smoulder. The problem with wool is that it will not withstand daily washing and it shrinks in hot water. While faded denim also looks fine and small holes fray and add to the character, worn wool just looks tatty. Worn wool that is not washed regularly, also starts to shine, which makes matters even worse. In extreme cold, donkey jackets and duffle coats are ideal, as long as they don't need regular washing. They are also very clumsy for engineering work.
As someone who works in steel construction we wear all cotton tightly wowen clothes since they indeed are resistent to fire as shown. the tight woven is important since it make it even harder to light and burn through. And it have saved me many times from catching on fire more then neccesary from all the spark and weld sparks that land on me...
Long gauntlet gloves are important too when welding ,cutting or working around live steam. Any exposed skin around the wrists needs to be covered. That was a very informative video,thank you.
@@rustymoore599 Im split on long gauntlets bacause of how wide the cuff tends to be to maintain flexibility, with at least gas cutting. Twice I've had a splatter ball jump into the cuff and burn the backside of my hand, a shorter glove with a tighter cuff would have been less likely to catch it, so I usually use thin goat leather TIG gloves when using an A/O torch (also goat leather doesn't shrink like cow leather does when heated).
I've been trained in labs about the need to avoid synthetics as they can melt and stick from heat and chemicals, but have never seen it demonstrated, not even in a training video. Ye gads. I recommend this video to anyone who teaches a lab/industrial safety class. I am also a craft and sewing nerd who likes historical clothes... so I looooove the intersection of cool historical machinery and the awesome, practical clothes that went with it. Thank you Hayley for the history lesson and collaborating on this fun video! Thank you Hyce, your work improves all the time! Onward and upward! :)
I can say from experience that working with a torch under a car is not a fun way to find out your long sleeve shirt is polyester, luckily in my case the part that melted was not in contact with my skin so there were no burns, but I did have to get a new shirt
For someone who burst out in laughter and a goofy smile at literally the drop of a hat, Hyce is an excellent conveyor of knowledge and getting really good hang on making the educational videos too! Adding in several of the other amazing chuckle brothers at the museum is a staple treat on the channel, but here the bar has been heightened even more, bringing on Haley the clothing expert for accuracy and Hyce's British cousin Lawrie for some right side of the pond shenanigans too! What can I say, Hyce really has outdone himself again (a recurring theme for these educational videos) and just delivers like the Big Boy freight train that he is! As an electrician of 20+ years, the importance of work wear and it's make has been drilled in from trade school and onwards into the working life. I've seen the constant reminders of using the correct fabrics from inner to outer, with horrible after images from electrical fires and explosions. Just a 5% plastic fabrics blend are not worth the risk in my line of work and it shouldn't be in the railroad either. But wool are a suitable addition/change for those cold area operations, only natural fiber have the correct properties and our company provided work wear have been treated with flame retardant chemicals as an added security barrier on most except the innermost layers. I've seen the aftermath of thousands of amps exploding in a molten copper spray with people in the room, where the several layers of clothing that were burned, can just be brushed off the burn area and the human inside the clothing escaped seemed nearly unscathed except the after effects of the deafening sounds that such energy releases. Brilliant video Hyce, on par with the safety videos I've been familiar with from my work, so pat yourself on the back for a well done task and thank thoroughly all the experts that took to make this a reality!
Though the history American railroads can not be talked about without mentioning the ways capitalists abused them to bully cities and how much workers were abused. Railroad workers were at the forefront of the American labor movement and played a key role in most of what America prosperous. Industrialization creates high GDP but because of capitalism all that goes to the top. You need a powerful labor movement, strong unions and a highly pro-labor population to spread that prosperity and railroad workers played a big part in that.
I work in the outdoor industry and the amount of times I have to tell people not to sit around a fire with their nylon and/or poly clothes makes me feel like a broken record.
Poor Peaches, trying to snuggle with her binky for a nap, but the humans just won't stop yapping right next to her pilot. All jokes aside, awesome video as always, Hyce.
I did know about the difference in how cotton and polyester react to fire, thanks to my involvement in motor sports. When I was getting my personal safety gear sorted for my very brief time as a race driver with SCCA, I learned that any patches I needed to add to my fire suit (the club does require a couple of them) should be sewn on with cotton thread. The use of cotton fabrics in the cab of a steam locomotive makes quite a bit of sense for this reason, particularly back in an age where things like Nomex didn't exist. And to be fair, Nomex doesn't make you invulnerable to fire; it just gives you a few extra seconds to escape.
The whole polyester thing is why the US Navy is getting away from our current uniforms. Since they are made of Polyester... Ship board fire, plus polyester = not fun times. Also I was wondering when you and Laurie would do a colab, however small. About bloody time! Love the info. the 101 series are my favorite.
I read or heard somewhere that the neckerchief was also worn around the neck to help prevent hot cinders and ash from falling down one's collar. I also heard that the Derby hat was fairly popular for trainmen (and other laborers) up until the mid 1800s. :) I adore your channel and all the cool things I've learned from you!
This was great! I loved that you finally got Lawrie into one of your videos! My girlfriend is a big sewing and clothes person like Hayley as well, so I can't wait to show her this video!
In Britain, for a lot of the early era, enginemen wore _white_ fustian trousers, and in fact hard-wearing fustian cloth was used extensively. I expect they chose white as it was cheaper than dyeing, and colours would only fade and stain anyway.
Ah, thank-you. A lot of advertisements from the time for 'Working Man's Clothes' (or similar) leave the precise definition for fustian up to the reader - it never occurred to me it's more a category.
Hayley deserves mad props for her presentation on this subject, with Lawrie from across the Pond. (This presentation definitely gives credence to my Wrangler chambray work shirts as a daily uniform. 🤣)
OMG, Mark this deep dive into the origins of industrial costume with guest historian Hayley Enoch was absolutely fabulous! I learned so much from you both, Mark highlighting the cultural context for us and Hayley discussing the how and why of railroad uniforms. Hayley’s discussion about why we wear cotton, was excellent and I especially liked the burn demonstration of cotton versus polyester. Really liked her point about why bibs are loose fitting; now I have an answer for friends who ask me about this. Industrial clothing history is rather a neglected topic (as my costume curatorial colleagues tell me when I ask many questions about this); Hayley you provided the answers to those unanswered questions. To sum up, first-rate research! I’m definitely recommending this fab episode to my costume historian colleagues who will so appreciate it. Finally Mark, showing the British side was a great touch! Many, many thanks for creating this ultra-excellent video Mark, and a shout out to Hayley, many grateful thanks for being a guest and sharing with us your expert knowledge. Professor, these 101 tutorial videos just get better and better, It’s always an enjoyable learning experience. Cheers to you both!!! 🎉
@@Hyce777 Many thanks Mark for clarification. :) Hayley did a masterful job! Please ask her back as well as other guests to chat about specialized topics in the near future.
What a great video! I loved the collab to explore facets of railroad history and culture that you generally don't think about. While it may seem silly to passengers, almost every aspect of railroad culture is a product of hundreds of years of conscious and continual iteration and improvement. As a side note, chemists are also taught to avoid synthetic fibers while working in the lab. In addition to heat, there are also a variety of common reagents, including sulfuric acid, that cause plastic fabrics to melt. Basically, all these fabrics started out as sticky goos, so all the heat and chemicals are doing is just causing the reactions that created the fibers to run in reverse. Once again, thanks for the great video, and keep up the good work!
A wonderful video! Was so cool to learn the history and different aspects of the outfits! Thanks to Hyce and Haley for railroad clothing 101 and do hope that more videos like this are to come!
Great video! I guessed the very basics for the engineer outfit (practical, hardwearing clothing for a physical and dirty job), but you guys laid it all out so well. Thanks to Hyce for bringing this video to us, and thanks to Hayley for having the perfect intersection of knowledge and interests for this one! (And very fun to finally see Lawrie popping up for a cameo here, I was watching one of his videos just this morning.)
This was a very fun and educational video on clothing on the railroad! The mention of wearing cotton due to being more fire-resistant made me think back of when I used to work in kitchens donning the classic chef's coat and pants. Those are also made of cotton, for the exact same reasons of being more resistant to flames, and also providing some amount of cooling, as kitchens can get very hot with all the ovens, grilles, and stoves that are used. Going into the freezer with these on however, was not fun. Now I work in HVAC and for the most part, we wear cotton as well to help keep us cool and comfortable when working outside, but also giving us protection for skin from the various refrigerants and chemicals that you don't really want to get in contact with.
If it’s especially cold/ cooler, the natural flame resistance of wool that you could find in a three piece suit would be a pretty good option. Definitely less abrasion resistant than denim though. Super cool regional differences!
@@hairybutharmless7163 it was very important to look proper while working. Primarily on the smaller private railroads. That we’re always trying to outdo each other and they wanted to look just as professional as the state railroad.
I heard the engineer caps / hats referred to as oiler's caps as well. They also work well to hold water from a water stop to dump over your head on a 100 degree (outside) day. And bandanas I found work very well to keep the hot sparks getting down my shirt by layering it over the collar against my neck and down over the back of my bib overalls. Overalls are also the ideal clothing as it has so many pockets and the topmost pockets in the bib part hold my wallet and phone so I don't sit on them or get them wet as you tend to get splashed in a locomotive from about the waist down. Also handy for pulling out your wallet when stopped going 35 in a 25 zone in Golden than having to reach into my back pocket. The back pocket is for the oily rags anyway. 🙂
Now I'm unreasonably afraid of what all my clothes are made of, lol. Anyway, another great video as usual, and it's cool to see some new and familiar faces! Also, close to 100k!
If your an office worker, synthetic textiles are fine. I work outside, sometimes with spark producing equipment such a welder and grinder. Sparks produced can be hot enough to melt synthetic fibers and even set grass alight (this has happened to me). So cotton is a good clothing choice for me even if it's not FR rated (Flame Retardant). And for the most part, it's fine for fixing fences in the snow. I've also had polyester start to melt on me from simply being close to a well built campfire.
Very fascinating! I'm a bit of a clotheshorse, and understanding why people wore the clothes that they did makes me feel closer to the past. I recently discovered your channel, and am enjoying your content! Thanks for all the great information!
Most of us who wear demin or dungarees don't consider that there is a portion of polyster in the fabric. It provides wrinkle resistance, stretchability, and stylish fit--and an increased hazard in terms of fire safety. The same is true for bandanas.
If you ever come to Wisconsin, go to Green Bay. There’s a railroad museum there that has nice info about both that and what the MOW was like (they also have a big boy)
This is so incredibly informative and helpful. I will be sure to incorporate a lot of my newfound knowledge into my writings, as they'll add a lot more personality. I also hope we see Hailey again, it'd be cool if you two could do a video or two on the history of Women on the railroads, particularly during WW2.
The collab we've all been waiting for, Lawrie and Mark in a train video! Now we need to get you guys together in person. My excitement aside, this video was cool. Good job once again, as with all of your 101 videos.
New Zealand Railways inherited the British traditions with a small twist - cab crews initially wore white shirts and black neckwear under the denim bibs and overcoat like Lawrie with a woolen cap - drivers even wore starched collars. This slowly changed between the 20's-40's to black shirts with white ties for both drivers and firemen (looked more presentable apparently when heading the royal trains), although some really old school drivers would still get laundered white shirts and stiff collars right through to the early 50's. Guards and station staff wore cheesecutter caps with gold and/or oakleaf braid for certain roles or seniority, and a wide range of coats cut to the style of the day, again with braid at the cuffs denoting seniority. Senior stationmasters at the main centres, likely only Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, all wore long frock coats with braid and silk top hats when dismissing the principal expresses - again right up to the late 50's.
What an awesome and informative video! I love your humorous banter. And I'm so happy you're doing what you love while preserving this equipment and traditions for the future. Hyce, you ARE a rock star! ❤
Stifel was one of the main producers of the patterned blue denim that was often made into railroad workers garments. Although it wasn’t technically denim, it did have some similarities being indigo dyed cotton weaved into a twill. The stripes (patterns) were generally ‘discharge printed’ as weaving an intricate stripe was expensive and technical. Discharge printing is similar to bleaching the colour out of the material to create the stripe usually consisting of dots or repeating patterns. It is a rare technique today. Vintage Stifel overalls and materials are valuable and sought after. The company went out of business long ago but the rights to the brand name were acquired by a Japanese company who reproduce accurate representations of these garments today.
I knew that was a LaRose cap 😂 Chris produces the best caps money can buy.. I have purchased several and work in them daily and the quality and attention to detail is nothing short of perfection.
A great video Hyce! I love the way you make those and in this one you managed to combine the relation between man and machine and its influence on society even, as we do recognize a rail road man or woman as such. Being from the Netherlands the 'fashion' follows the Brits more than the Americans except for the head wear. During history train personnel, specially the 'meester' (driver) and 'stoker' (fireman), had caps very much like the soldiers during the American civil war, so you have been a fashion influencer of a kind. Then the caps style took fashion from the French, and looked for many years more like the Kepi French police and military used. The rest was more like the UK outfit. With time and the change from steam to diesel and electric the need for those heavy outfits changed and a more formal uniform was used. Today we moved a bit away from uniforms showing rank and status. the outfits are more casual, yet recognizable as rail road personnel. being train driver or conductor almost become a 'desk job' compared to the old days of steam. The only constant is change, also in rail road clothing, but I do miss those kepis.
EXCELLENT video explaining why railroad workers wear what they wear! Looking at industrial photos from the late 19th- mid 20th century, it's easy to see workers dressed pretty much the same way. I work on an excursion railroad, and my 'bibs' have saved me from injury on more then one occasion! Locomotive s on the move tend to throw a body around, and everything in the cab is hot!! Thanks for sharing!!
I started out on the "RAILROAD" at kings island back in 1999( later that summer, I moved over to the electric shop as a rides electrician), and they are real steam engines( 2 of them) fired by propane. what your are saying about the dress of the fireman/ engineer is 100 % correct. the cab of the locomotive is a very hot place to be on a hot day!!!!. it does not take much to get a nasty burn, being that all of the piping/ valves are very hot, unless it is an air line, or water injector line feeding the boiler. everything is run by steam, the air compressor, the turbine that runs the generator, the water injector pump( when not in motion), the oil feeder. great job!!!! , I am glad that you brought this to light!!!!!!. the thing about polyester is that "IT WILL MELT INTO YOUR SKIN", and the emergency room / burn unit has to pick that off of you, a very painful proposition, but it has to be done, or infection will set in.
All we know is is he's not the Hyce but the Hyce's English cousin. Yep still got my hickory stripe cap,bibs and bandana from my model railroad club days and our traveling layout. Osh Kosh IIRC. A lot of the club members would just do " civilian " clothing but I liked to play it up for the guests coming to the train shows. To go off a variant of Alton Brown's melted sugar is culinary napalm polyester is wearable napalm.
Definitely an interesting topic. I’m definitely thinking besides passenger service the whole uniform thing dropped off. My dad worked for L&N/Seaboard/CSX and the only “uniform” requirements I ever saw was the safety vest, long pants, and steal toe boots.
A little railroad worker clothing trivia for you. Here in the Chicagoland area it was quite common to see engine service crewmen sporting a woolen Stormy Kromer hat in winter with the woolen ear flaps covering the ears as well a a Kromer welding cap in warmer weather. A wool 3/4 length coat with a wide lapel and collar like a Navy Pea coat, was almost universal in winter. The Kromer hats were almost the trade mark of the C&NW.
I work former CNW lines in Iowa. You don't see a lot of the welder's style cap, I still wear one, but in colder weather you see a lot of the original Kromers. Stormy Kromer was a CNW engineer in Wisconsin. He had his wife sew the first Kromer hat.
I definitely learned a lot from this video. I appreciate everyone who put their time and effort into it, to share their knowledge. I learn something everytime I watch one of your videos. Always great content.
This was awesome! I would like to see more like this in the future! It’s cool to see there is someone out there making historical and accurate railroader hats and gear! Knowing someone who does something similar with Civil War hats I can appreciate that.
Thank you Hayley and Hyce I really enjoyed this presentation. My hickory stripe overalls were made by the Key overall factory(great aunt sewed for them back in the day) of Fort Scott Kansas. My hat was obtained by my Grandfather(a boilermaker for the S.P.) during the days of Steam. The cap still bears the union made in the U.S.A.tag! One additional note, an elderly engineer told me in my youth that the bandana served another purpose. He knotted it about his neck and then fluffed it out to fill completely between his neck and shirt collar. This he said was done by both engineers and firemen to prevent cinders dropping in there. This was a very unpleasant experience, accompanied by a great deal of chest slapping and swearing!
I didn’t watch the whole video but I can tell you exactly why a lot of guys wear bib overalls when working: so you don’t have to hitch your trousers up every time you lean over or kneel down! That’s huge!
This video inspired me to make my own hat. I looked up some plans online, reverse-engineered them to fit my head and made 2 hats out of old jeans. Thank you for your effort and inspiring videos
German here. On passenger trains, our crews mostly wear outfits like your conducters' uniform, while everyone who enters the track area wears neon orange overalls with reflective stripes^^
Another uk youtuber "Anthony Dawson" is currently doing thorough research into railway uniforms, not just what they look like or the material but where they were made, how long they last and how they were re used
Good to know I'm not crazy for thinking I'm more comfortable in my dark blue coveralls and hi-vis than just a hi-vis shirt and pants in the summer. Plus, I stay cleaner with the long sleeves, and the heavy cotton, as mentioned, has kept me from burning myself on a lot of stuff.
I thought the history around army clothing influencing the attire of railroad employees was particularly interesting. I work in the rail industry and have described it as similar to a military career without the guns and exercise. Lol I work passenger service and we are basically a small army and dress in clothes that takes influence from modern military/police attire. I have been addressed as "officer" a few times by passengers before. Funny how the history lives on in the present and you can see how things evolved and why. Great video.
What a great informative video. Especially the demo between cotton and polyester. Certainly eye opening. But seeing the Schenectady Locomotive Works name plate was something I hadn't really thought about watching your videos. I used to work in Schenectady for GE and many times drove past what was left of the original Schenectady Locomotive (1848) which eventually merged with American Locomotive Company or ALCO (1901). There is so much history in that area, it's pretty sad though that today a gambling casino sits where the old ALCO plant used to be. Regardless, between GE and ALCO, we certainly knew how to take the lead in Industry back in the day. Thanks again for a great video.
here at the northern central railway of York County I typically see steam engineers as a dress shirt vest suspenders dress shoes and sometimes a nice cap.
Nice! Nice to hear from Hayley too! Never knew why striped uniforms were closed until now - in France their loco crew goggles so some European crew took a different approach
Who else clicked this video thinking "Hmmm... Lawrie just did a video on the proper British train driver's uniform" and was also delighted that Hyce not only included a clip from Lawrie's video, but also took 30 times as long to explain literally everything?
This is great. Thank you. I was visiting a sawmill in Oregon several years ago, talking with the millwright. One of his co-workers walked by, wearing a new hickory stripe shirt. The millwright said, "Y'know what we call that shirt? That's a Longview Dinner Jacket." (Longview being a prominent forest products town in Washington.)
My grandfather worked for Champion Spark Plug in Detroit from 1926 to 1964 in the milling plant where he was later the foreman and wore pretty much that attire every day. Before moving to Michigan he did work for the railroad in SE MO as part of the bridge building gang starting as a young teenager.
Amazingly informative. I think the reason that the blue collar uniforms are denim is the same reason that lab coats (what I wear at work) are also 100% cotton. And awesome choice of guests.
A Scot struggled on board the train to Edinburgh with a huge suitcase in tow. "It will be 50 pence for you and 50 pence for the suitcase", said the conductor. The Scotsman thought for a bit and then it was quiet: "Well, then you might as well come out and pay Jim yourself!" 🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃
As a modern day freight railroader everyone’s attire is quite different seems like carhartt work pants could be the norm now. However I find a nice set of key bibs over my wrangler jeans and a t-shirt seem to work the best in warm months and a nice carhartt jacket or hoodie in cooler ones. An added benefit to the bibs is once you get to your destination they are quick to come off and you have nice clean clothes underneath ready for a night on the town!! Foot wear would be an interesting topic to cover next….
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I love the little bit of fun that lawrie put in
“Being an Englishman and therefore the proper way”
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant
We have a bit of fun here. :)
I am also correct
Silly steam railroaders! The PROPER uniform is the actual suit you can wear after you get rid of all those fire hazards and greasy bits… by going electric!
Signed, your friendly streetcar/tram uniform nerd who wants to perpetuate the historic rivalry between steam and street railway crews. 😁🚋
More colabs with lawie
To clarify he didn't mean "proper" the American way he meant "Distinguished" in British 😂
We all agree both are cool here
Working in the oilfield, we are required to wear Fire Resistant clothing on all outer layers. Not only are they cotton, as you've shown reasons why, they're treated to be fire resistant.
Same in the Utility Energy field.
Us welders as well. Up in the pacific northwest hickory's are still a thing but nomex and other FR material is common.
Aviation as well. Cotton isn't the best for cold weather (as pointed out at 10:09) but for 9 months out of the year it's a perfect cloth. Cheap, sturdy, easy to wash and mend, and more comfortable than some other fabrics.
Very good point. Yeahh nowadays Polyester becomes glue when set on 🔥. Try getting thattt offf
We wear the same stuff in steel mills (outside of the blast furnace or other areas where having the most fire resistance available is necessary)
I was a brakeman, switch man, and switch yard foreman. The bib-overalls were great with all the pockets they had. I had a pocket for a switch list, train orders in and a loop to put my switch keys on. I also had a pocket to put my watch in. They were great things to wear at work. Also, when I was off work they were good to wear when I helped my father in law on the farm.
Appreciate the authority and depth of Ms. Haley's coverage of the subject.
Anyone who has actually worked in a dangerous situation fully understands clothing requirements. A simple man is a feminist man.
As a modern railroader, I still wear bibs, but mainly because they're comfortable! Plus, I like the pockets, I keep extra reversers, pens, scratch paper, etc. Very handy!
Working as a brakeman and engineer in the 1970s and a trainmaster in the 1980s, on the CNW and CSX, train crews typically wore ju st blue jeans, a hoodie, steel toe boots and a company provided hat. Sorry no bibs...
Natural wool is also really nice as a fiber that keeps you warm and dry but also doesn't let you catch fire very easily. Firefighter uniforms were made of wool historically, as it also sheds water really well.
Wool is actually safer than cotton, purely from a fire aspect, since it does not smoulder. The problem with wool is that it will not withstand daily washing and it shrinks in hot water. While faded denim also looks fine and small holes fray and add to the character, worn wool just looks tatty. Worn wool that is not washed regularly, also starts to shine, which makes matters even worse.
In extreme cold, donkey jackets and duffle coats are ideal, as long as they don't need regular washing. They are also very clumsy for engineering work.
As someone who works in steel construction we wear all cotton tightly wowen clothes since they indeed are resistent to fire as shown. the tight woven is important since it make it even harder to light and burn through. And it have saved me many times from catching on fire more then neccesary from all the spark and weld sparks that land on me...
Long gauntlet gloves are important too when welding ,cutting or working around live steam. Any exposed skin around the wrists needs to be covered. That was a very informative video,thank you.
@@rustymoore599 Im split on long gauntlets bacause of how wide the cuff tends to be to maintain flexibility, with at least gas cutting. Twice I've had a splatter ball jump into the cuff and burn the backside of my hand, a shorter glove with a tighter cuff would have been less likely to catch it, so I usually use thin goat leather TIG gloves when using an A/O torch (also goat leather doesn't shrink like cow leather does when heated).
Anything is better that covers any exposed skin.@@rich7934
I've been trained in labs about the need to avoid synthetics as they can melt and stick from heat and chemicals, but have never seen it demonstrated, not even in a training video. Ye gads. I recommend this video to anyone who teaches a lab/industrial safety class.
I am also a craft and sewing nerd who likes historical clothes... so I looooove the intersection of cool historical machinery and the awesome, practical clothes that went with it. Thank you Hayley for the history lesson and collaborating on this fun video! Thank you Hyce, your work improves all the time! Onward and upward! :)
I can say from experience that working with a torch under a car is not a fun way to find out your long sleeve shirt is polyester, luckily in my case the part that melted was not in contact with my skin so there were no burns, but I did have to get a new shirt
For someone who burst out in laughter and a goofy smile at literally the drop of a hat, Hyce is an excellent conveyor of knowledge and getting really good hang on making the educational videos too!
Adding in several of the other amazing chuckle brothers at the museum is a staple treat on the channel, but here the bar has been heightened even more, bringing on Haley the clothing expert for accuracy and Hyce's British cousin Lawrie for some right side of the pond shenanigans too!
What can I say, Hyce really has outdone himself again (a recurring theme for these educational videos) and just delivers like the Big Boy freight train that he is!
As an electrician of 20+ years, the importance of work wear and it's make has been drilled in from trade school and onwards into the working life.
I've seen the constant reminders of using the correct fabrics from inner to outer, with horrible after images from electrical fires and explosions.
Just a 5% plastic fabrics blend are not worth the risk in my line of work and it shouldn't be in the railroad either.
But wool are a suitable addition/change for those cold area operations, only natural fiber have the correct properties and our company provided work wear have been treated with flame retardant chemicals as an added security barrier on most except the innermost layers.
I've seen the aftermath of thousands of amps exploding in a molten copper spray with people in the room, where the several layers of clothing that were burned, can just be brushed off the burn area and the human inside the clothing escaped seemed nearly unscathed except the after effects of the deafening sounds that such energy releases.
Brilliant video Hyce, on par with the safety videos I've been familiar with from my work, so pat yourself on the back for a well done task and thank thoroughly all the experts that took to make this a reality!
Thank you for the kind words my friend! Yeah, electricity is not one to mess with.
Though the history American railroads can not be talked about without mentioning the ways capitalists abused them to bully cities and how much workers were abused. Railroad workers were at the forefront of the American labor movement and played a key role in most of what America prosperous. Industrialization creates high GDP but because of capitalism all that goes to the top. You need a powerful labor movement, strong unions and a highly pro-labor population to spread that prosperity and railroad workers played a big part in that.
This is an absolutely wonderful and informative video! The burn demonstration between natural and synthetic fibers was really eye-opening
We knew exactly what was going to happen and it was still worse than we expected.
Nylon fabric does a very similar thing to the polyester
I believe nylon has an even lower melting temp, too.
I work in the outdoor industry and the amount of times I have to tell people not to sit around a fire with their nylon and/or poly clothes makes me feel like a broken record.
Stuff turns into something like a smoky and sticky version of napalm…
Poor Peaches, trying to snuggle with her binky for a nap, but the humans just won't stop yapping right next to her pilot.
All jokes aside, awesome video as always, Hyce.
The crossover we didn’t know we needed, Hyce your English accent is impeccable! :P
Here’s toward 1/6 of a Wrangler blue work shirt 👕
My man :)
I did know about the difference in how cotton and polyester react to fire, thanks to my involvement in motor sports. When I was getting my personal safety gear sorted for my very brief time as a race driver with SCCA, I learned that any patches I needed to add to my fire suit (the club does require a couple of them) should be sewn on with cotton thread. The use of cotton fabrics in the cab of a steam locomotive makes quite a bit of sense for this reason, particularly back in an age where things like Nomex didn't exist.
And to be fair, Nomex doesn't make you invulnerable to fire; it just gives you a few extra seconds to escape.
The whole polyester thing is why the US Navy is getting away from our current uniforms. Since they are made of Polyester... Ship board fire, plus polyester = not fun times.
Also I was wondering when you and Laurie would do a colab, however small. About bloody time!
Love the info. the 101 series are my favorite.
The death of the crappy blue digi cammo
I read or heard somewhere that the neckerchief was also worn around the neck to help prevent hot cinders and ash from falling down one's collar. I also heard that the Derby hat was fairly popular for trainmen (and other laborers) up until the mid 1800s. :) I adore your channel and all the cool things I've learned from you!
Great having Hayley and LMM with you, Mark…! 👍 Greetings from 🇳🇴…
We've got plans for more
Thank you, I really enjoy visiting Norway.
This was great! I loved that you finally got Lawrie into one of your videos! My girlfriend is a big sewing and clothes person like Hayley as well, so I can't wait to show her this video!
There is more planned...
@@lmmvery excited😅
In Britain, for a lot of the early era, enginemen wore _white_ fustian trousers, and in fact hard-wearing fustian cloth was used extensively. I expect they chose white as it was cheaper than dyeing, and colours would only fade and stain anyway.
As general information, fustian is a category of cotton fabrics that include corduroy, moleskin, and velvetine, but not cotton velvet.
Ah, thank-you. A lot of advertisements from the time for 'Working Man's Clothes' (or similar) leave the precise definition for fustian up to the reader - it never occurred to me it's more a category.
Hayley deserves mad props for her presentation on this subject, with Lawrie from across the Pond. (This presentation definitely gives credence to my Wrangler chambray work shirts as a daily uniform. 🤣)
OMG, Mark this deep dive into the origins of industrial costume with guest historian Hayley Enoch was absolutely fabulous! I learned so much from you both, Mark highlighting the cultural context for us and Hayley discussing the how and why of railroad uniforms. Hayley’s discussion about why we wear cotton, was excellent and I especially liked the burn demonstration of cotton versus polyester. Really liked her point about why bibs are loose fitting; now I have an answer for friends who ask me about this. Industrial clothing history is rather a neglected topic (as my costume curatorial colleagues tell me when I ask many questions about this); Hayley you provided the answers to those unanswered questions. To sum up, first-rate research! I’m definitely recommending this fab episode to my costume historian colleagues who will so appreciate it. Finally Mark, showing the British side was a great touch! Many, many thanks for creating this ultra-excellent video Mark, and a shout out to Hayley, many grateful thanks for being a guest and sharing with us your expert knowledge. Professor, these 101 tutorial videos just get better and better, It’s always an enjoyable learning experience. Cheers to you both!!! 🎉
Cheers Patrick! The genius was all Hayley on this one. Her research and script. :)
@@Hyce777 Many thanks Mark for clarification. :) Hayley did a masterful job! Please ask her back as well as other guests to chat about specialized topics in the near future.
What a great video! I loved the collab to explore facets of railroad history and culture that you generally don't think about. While it may seem silly to passengers, almost every aspect of railroad culture is a product of hundreds of years of conscious and continual iteration and improvement.
As a side note, chemists are also taught to avoid synthetic fibers while working in the lab. In addition to heat, there are also a variety of common reagents, including sulfuric acid, that cause plastic fabrics to melt. Basically, all these fabrics started out as sticky goos, so all the heat and chemicals are doing is just causing the reactions that created the fibers to run in reverse.
Once again, thanks for the great video, and keep up the good work!
Almost 100k bro! I love your videos, I hope I can come up to the Colorado railroad museum to meet you! Greetings from Southern California
A wonderful video! Was so cool to learn the history and different aspects of the outfits! Thanks to Hyce and Haley for railroad clothing 101 and do hope that more videos like this are to come!
Look at Eric being a model conductor... model.
Great video! I guessed the very basics for the engineer outfit (practical, hardwearing clothing for a physical and dirty job), but you guys laid it all out so well. Thanks to Hyce for bringing this video to us, and thanks to Hayley for having the perfect intersection of knowledge and interests for this one!
(And very fun to finally see Lawrie popping up for a cameo here, I was watching one of his videos just this morning.)
23:10 Jeff realizes there's something going on and decides to dip 😂
I was wondering if anyone would notice. Lol
@@Hyce777 "Just gonna climb up in the cab and never mind I've got something super important to do anywhere but here."
This video is incredibly well put together! Was a pretty fun watch!
This was a very fun and educational video on clothing on the railroad! The mention of wearing cotton due to being more fire-resistant made me think back of when I used to work in kitchens donning the classic chef's coat and pants. Those are also made of cotton, for the exact same reasons of being more resistant to flames, and also providing some amount of cooling, as kitchens can get very hot with all the ovens, grilles, and stoves that are used. Going into the freezer with these on however, was not fun.
Now I work in HVAC and for the most part, we wear cotton as well to help keep us cool and comfortable when working outside, but also giving us protection for skin from the various refrigerants and chemicals that you don't really want to get in contact with.
Up until about 1940 an engine crew in Sweden used to wear an uniform similar to that of the uniform worn by our conductors and station masters.
Haha såg precis din kommentar tänkte på och skrev detsamma.😂
If it’s especially cold/ cooler, the natural flame resistance of wool that you could find in a three piece suit would be a pretty good option. Definitely less abrasion resistant than denim though. Super cool regional differences!
@@hairybutharmless7163 it was very important to look proper while working. Primarily on the smaller private railroads. That we’re always trying to outdo each other and they wanted to look just as professional as the state railroad.
@@hairybutharmless7163burning wool releases hydrogen cyanide.
This one was particularly interesting, I already knew alot of it but always good to get more detailed information. More collabs like this, please!
I heard the engineer caps / hats referred to as oiler's caps as well. They also work well to hold water from a water stop to dump over your head on a 100 degree (outside) day. And bandanas I found work very well to keep the hot sparks getting down my shirt by layering it over the collar against my neck and down over the back of my bib overalls. Overalls are also the ideal clothing as it has so many pockets and the topmost pockets in the bib part hold my wallet and phone so I don't sit on them or get them wet as you tend to get splashed in a locomotive from about the waist down. Also handy for pulling out your wallet when stopped going 35 in a 25 zone in Golden than having to reach into my back pocket. The back pocket is for the oily rags anyway. 🙂
Now I'm unreasonably afraid of what all my clothes are made of, lol. Anyway, another great video as usual, and it's cool to see some new and familiar faces! Also, close to 100k!
If your an office worker, synthetic textiles are fine. I work outside, sometimes with spark producing equipment such a welder and grinder. Sparks produced can be hot enough to melt synthetic fibers and even set grass alight (this has happened to me). So cotton is a good clothing choice for me even if it's not FR rated (Flame Retardant).
And for the most part, it's fine for fixing fences in the snow.
I've also had polyester start to melt on me from simply being close to a well built campfire.
I have a friend who's entire family haven't worn synthetics in over a century after a tragedy at a children's pagent in 1916.
Synthetic plastics $#!+ makes one sweat like a fricken pig anyways. Just one more valid reason not to wear that.
Always excited for the railroading 101 series cant wait to see more and learn
Fantastic work! What a surprise finally seeing a crossover with Lawrie!
Very fascinating! I'm a bit of a clotheshorse, and understanding why people wore the clothes that they did makes me feel closer to the past. I recently discovered your channel, and am enjoying your content! Thanks for all the great information!
Most of us who wear demin or dungarees don't consider that there is a portion of polyster in the fabric. It provides wrinkle resistance, stretchability, and stylish fit--and an increased hazard in terms of fire safety. The same is true for bandanas.
This was fantastic! I really enjoyed the historical background on the "uniform". Nice touch at the end with the perspective from over the pond.
If you ever come to Wisconsin, go to Green Bay. There’s a railroad museum there that has nice info about both that and what the MOW was like (they also have a big boy)
Need more Haley and History along with you Hyce.
This is so incredibly informative and helpful. I will be sure to incorporate a lot of my newfound knowledge into my writings, as they'll add a lot more personality.
I also hope we see Hailey again, it'd be cool if you two could do a video or two on the history of Women on the railroads, particularly during WW2.
The collab we've all been waiting for, Lawrie and Mark in a train video! Now we need to get you guys together in person.
My excitement aside, this video was cool. Good job once again, as with all of your 101 videos.
This was honestly a brilliant video. Having someone else to sort of host really worked well!
New Zealand Railways inherited the British traditions with a small twist - cab crews initially wore white shirts and black neckwear under the denim bibs and overcoat like Lawrie with a woolen cap - drivers even wore starched collars. This slowly changed between the 20's-40's to black shirts with white ties for both drivers and firemen (looked more presentable apparently when heading the royal trains), although some really old school drivers would still get laundered white shirts and stiff collars right through to the early 50's.
Guards and station staff wore cheesecutter caps with gold and/or oakleaf braid for certain roles or seniority, and a wide range of coats cut to the style of the day, again with braid at the cuffs denoting seniority. Senior stationmasters at the main centres, likely only Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, all wore long frock coats with braid and silk top hats when dismissing the principal expresses - again right up to the late 50's.
That's super neat! Thanks for sharing the context. :)
Larose hat Co Is definitely a amazing person. I have a few of his hats and I love every single one of them.
What an awesome and informative video! I love your humorous banter. And I'm so happy you're doing what you love while preserving this equipment and traditions for the future. Hyce, you ARE a rock star! ❤
Hyce, LMM and a clothing expert. Awesome! Doing the obligatory “comment&like”
I swear mark you never fail to deliver on the questions I’ve always wondered about
Great video Mark & Haley - learned a lot!
Definitely need more of this. Afterall, when you get down to it, it's a history museum.
That was absolutely delightful. Thank you to Hayley for the enlightenment!
Stifel was one of the main producers of the patterned blue denim that was often made into railroad workers garments. Although it wasn’t technically denim, it did have some similarities being indigo dyed cotton weaved into a twill. The stripes (patterns) were generally ‘discharge printed’ as weaving an intricate stripe was expensive and technical. Discharge printing is similar to bleaching the colour out of the material to create the stripe usually consisting of dots or repeating patterns. It is a rare technique today. Vintage Stifel overalls and materials are valuable and sought after. The company went out of business long ago but the rights to the brand name were acquired by a Japanese company who reproduce accurate representations of these garments today.
Awesome edition to the Railroading 101! I got a great smile seeing LMM in this video.
Always wanted to know this stuff! Was hoping you would get to it! Thanks! It was great Hyce! Cheers 🍻 & be safe out there!
I knew that was a LaRose cap 😂 Chris produces the best caps money can buy.. I have purchased several and work in them daily and the quality and attention to detail is nothing short of perfection.
A great video Hyce! I love the way you make those and in this one you managed to combine the relation between man and machine and its influence on society even, as we do recognize a rail road man or woman as such.
Being from the Netherlands the 'fashion' follows the Brits more than the Americans except for the head wear. During history train personnel, specially the 'meester' (driver) and 'stoker' (fireman), had caps very much like the soldiers during the American civil war, so you have been a fashion influencer of a kind. Then the caps style took fashion from the French, and looked for many years more like the Kepi French police and military used. The rest was more like the UK outfit. With time and the change from steam to diesel and electric the need for those heavy outfits changed and a more formal uniform was used. Today we moved a bit away from uniforms showing rank and status. the outfits are more casual, yet recognizable as rail road personnel. being train driver or conductor almost become a 'desk job' compared to the old days of steam.
The only constant is change, also in rail road clothing, but I do miss those kepis.
EXCELLENT video explaining why railroad workers wear what they wear! Looking at industrial photos from the late 19th- mid 20th century, it's easy to see workers dressed pretty much the same way. I work on an excursion railroad, and my 'bibs' have saved me from injury on more then one occasion! Locomotive s on the move tend to throw a body around, and everything in the cab is hot!! Thanks for sharing!!
I started out on the "RAILROAD" at kings island back in 1999( later that summer, I moved over to the electric shop as a rides electrician), and they are real steam engines( 2 of them) fired by propane. what your are saying about the dress of the fireman/ engineer is 100 % correct. the cab of the locomotive is a very hot place to be on a hot day!!!!. it does not take much to get a nasty burn, being that all of the piping/ valves are very hot, unless it is an air line, or water injector line feeding the boiler. everything is run by steam, the air compressor, the turbine that runs the generator, the water injector pump( when not in motion), the oil feeder. great job!!!! , I am glad that you brought this to light!!!!!!. the thing about polyester is that "IT WILL MELT INTO YOUR SKIN", and the emergency room / burn unit has to pick that off of you, a very painful proposition, but it has to be done, or infection will set in.
Hyce - this is the kind of unique history that I love - and the reason you are awesome!!!
Great video thank you Happy Turkey Day to you and the whole Crew
All we know is is he's not the Hyce but the Hyce's English cousin.
Yep still got my hickory stripe cap,bibs and bandana from my model railroad club days and our traveling layout. Osh Kosh IIRC. A lot of the club members would just do " civilian " clothing but I liked to play it up for the guests coming to the train shows.
To go off a variant of Alton Brown's melted sugar is culinary napalm polyester is wearable napalm.
Definitely an interesting topic. I’m definitely thinking besides passenger service the whole uniform thing dropped off. My dad worked for L&N/Seaboard/CSX and the only “uniform” requirements I ever saw was the safety vest, long pants, and steal toe boots.
When she said Live Steam
it made my heart throb.
Y'all do beautiful work.
Combining my two loves of railroading and textiles & clothing history, my favorite video of yours yet! This was absolutely fascinating!
A little railroad worker clothing trivia for you. Here in the Chicagoland area it was quite common to see engine service crewmen sporting a woolen Stormy Kromer hat in winter with the woolen ear flaps covering the ears as well a a Kromer welding cap in warmer weather. A wool 3/4 length coat with a wide lapel and collar like a Navy Pea coat, was almost universal in winter. The Kromer hats were almost the trade mark of the C&NW.
I work former CNW lines in Iowa. You don't see a lot of the welder's style cap, I still wear one, but in colder weather you see a lot of the original Kromers. Stormy Kromer was a CNW engineer in Wisconsin. He had his wife sew the first Kromer hat.
I definitely learned a lot from this video. I appreciate everyone who put their time and effort into it, to share their knowledge. I learn something everytime I watch one of your videos. Always great content.
ONG this is the best video! Haley is incredible! More Haley! Learned so so so much & also verified why I always wear 100% cotton on airplanes
Fascinating! I love this kind of detailed and deep historical exposition. Thank you, Hayley; thank you, Hyce.
This was awesome! I would like to see more like this in the future! It’s cool to see there is someone out there making historical and accurate railroader hats and gear! Knowing someone who does something similar with Civil War hats I can appreciate that.
I’m second that endorsement for LaRose hats. I’ve got one and love it. Looks great and very high quality. It’ll last me many years.
Thank you Hayley and Hyce I really enjoyed this presentation. My hickory stripe overalls were made by the Key overall factory(great aunt sewed for them back in the day) of Fort Scott Kansas. My hat was obtained by my Grandfather(a boilermaker for the S.P.) during the days of Steam. The cap still bears the union made in the U.S.A.tag! One additional note, an elderly engineer told me in my youth that the bandana served another purpose. He knotted it about his neck and then fluffed it out to fill completely between his neck and shirt collar. This he said was done by both engineers and firemen to prevent cinders dropping in there. This was a very unpleasant experience, accompanied by a great deal of chest slapping and swearing!
What a treat to feature Hayley! Thanks for another great video Hyce!
I didn’t watch the whole video but I can tell you exactly why a lot of guys wear bib overalls when working: so you don’t have to hitch your trousers up every time you lean over or kneel down! That’s huge!
The LaRose hats are great. I got a black and grey canalman's hat and an engineer hat made by him. Both fit perfectly and just feel great.
About what did they cost? Cause I've been eyeing them for a bit but they don't have any sort of price range on their website.
@@Chesemiser depends on style of hat and material. My engineers hat was 70 and my canalmans was 100.
@@RailMachanic1 Sweet! Good to know! Thanks!
This video inspired me to make my own hat.
I looked up some plans online, reverse-engineered them to fit my head and made 2 hats out of old jeans. Thank you for your effort and inspiring videos
That was a fun one Hyce. Thank you Hayley. Very informative. And shout out to your friend across the pond.
this answered so many questions i didnt know how to even start to ask. thank you
German here. On passenger trains, our crews mostly wear outfits like your conducters' uniform, while everyone who enters the track area wears neon orange overalls with reflective stripes^^
Another uk youtuber "Anthony Dawson" is currently doing thorough research into railway uniforms, not just what they look like or the material but where they were made, how long they last and how they were re used
Good to know I'm not crazy for thinking I'm more comfortable in my dark blue coveralls and hi-vis than just a hi-vis shirt and pants in the summer. Plus, I stay cleaner with the long sleeves, and the heavy cotton, as mentioned, has kept me from burning myself on a lot of stuff.
I thought the history around army clothing influencing the attire of railroad employees was particularly interesting. I work in the rail industry and have described it as similar to a military career without the guns and exercise. Lol I work passenger service and we are basically a small army and dress in clothes that takes influence from modern military/police attire. I have been addressed as "officer" a few times by passengers before. Funny how the history lives on in the present and you can see how things evolved and why. Great video.
That was AWESOME! Thanks for the insights on apparel!
Great content. Thank you for all that hard work and, of course, the info.
Oh, I am ALLL about learning more about railway clothing and fashion, anyplace from beginnings to now!
Thank you! Hyce and I have been tossing around some more ideas....
What a great informative video. Especially the demo between cotton and polyester. Certainly eye opening. But seeing the Schenectady Locomotive Works name plate was something I hadn't really thought about watching your videos. I used to work in Schenectady for GE and many times drove past what was left of the original Schenectady Locomotive (1848) which eventually merged with American Locomotive Company or ALCO (1901). There is so much history in that area, it's pretty sad though that today a gambling casino sits where the old ALCO plant used to be. Regardless, between GE and ALCO, we certainly knew how to take the lead in Industry back in the day. Thanks again for a great video.
here at the northern central railway of York County I typically see steam engineers as a dress shirt vest suspenders dress shoes and sometimes a nice cap.
Makes perfect sense. Overalls don't allow garments to snag or get caught in any dangerous machinery in the cab of a locomotive
Nice! Nice to hear from Hayley too! Never knew why striped uniforms were closed until now - in France their loco crew goggles so some European crew took a different approach
4:58 the firebox door looks like yin/yang, how lovely!
Who else clicked this video thinking "Hmmm... Lawrie just did a video on the proper British train driver's uniform" and was also delighted that Hyce not only included a clip from Lawrie's video, but also took 30 times as long to explain literally everything?
This is great. Thank you. I was visiting a sawmill in Oregon several years ago, talking with the millwright. One of his co-workers walked by, wearing a new hickory stripe shirt. The millwright said, "Y'know what we call that shirt? That's a Longview Dinner Jacket." (Longview being a prominent forest products town in Washington.)
My grandfather worked for Champion Spark Plug in Detroit from 1926 to 1964 in the milling plant where he was later the foreman and wore pretty much that attire every day. Before moving to Michigan he did work for the railroad in SE MO as part of the bridge building gang starting as a young teenager.
Most interesting! Thank you! Super pleased to see the bit about the hats and reproduction clothing being made in USA!
Love the layout, really gives the 1950s vibe.
Amazingly informative. I think the reason that the blue collar uniforms are denim is the same reason that lab coats (what I wear at work) are also 100% cotton.
And awesome choice of guests.
My friend - what a great way of explaining the way of history and safety of work clothes
:P
A Scot struggled on board the train to Edinburgh with a huge suitcase in tow.
"It will be 50 pence for you and 50 pence for the suitcase", said the conductor.
The Scotsman thought for a bit and then it was quiet: "Well, then you might as well come out and pay Jim yourself!" 🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃
As a modern day freight railroader everyone’s attire is quite different seems like carhartt work pants could be the norm now. However I find a nice set of key bibs over my wrangler jeans and a t-shirt seem to work the best in warm months and a nice carhartt jacket or hoodie in cooler ones. An added benefit to the bibs is once you get to your destination they are quick to come off and you have nice clean clothes underneath ready for a night on the town!! Foot wear would be an interesting topic to cover next….
Enjoyed this video. Thanks to both of you. Very interesting, educational, and fun. And I’m glad to see you let your hair out!
Keep the content coming.
La Rose hat Co
Is from my neck of the woods and yet I have not heard of him. Thanks for the info.
I make use of a bandana when doing yard work in summer. A cold wet bandana around the neck will totally cool you off.