Buick 1948 - 1958

'Buick workers'. If you notice the dock plates placed between the rail car and the dock in the top right photo it is a medium wide gap, making this the dock called "16 rail". Factory #04 had a small gap and #12c body shop had a very wide gap . If you damaged a rail car or found it damaged you would send it to "RIP TRACK" for repair before leaving Buick property. We had numerous runaway cars come down through this dock. Being the clerk it was my job to open stuck doors. On one occasion I placed my fork into the push pocket and the whole box car  took off.  I ran after it and leaped aboard and spun the big wheel to apply the brakes, "but it had none". Fellow employee Greg Lamay was unloading a Delco car at the time farther down the dock and received quite a jolt when the runaway slammed into it.   Another time a lone runaway came all the way from north of Leith steet and found our dock empty. It took out the large spring loaded bumper at the end of the dock and really shook up the people in the first aid station located there. I have many memories from the time I spent on these docks, which will be in my memoirs.