Tim O'Connor writes:

Subject: Re: [STMFC] Wine traveling on the Overland Route in 1949

"Since these documents were unofficial, I see no reason to assume they
are 100% accurate."

Since the subject references my message about information from my UP Frt
Conductor book...UP form 2639...I can say that I have no idea if the
contents of the frt cars listed are correct. Nor do I know for certain that
UP actually ran frt trains in Wyoming in 1949...since I was not in Wyoming
to verify that in '49. I would also say that it is likewise possible that
conductor Fraley chose the area of his operation [ Laramie/Rawlins ] because
he thought that Rawlins was the end of the earth and if he traveled further
west he would fall off. He might also believe that certain Indian tribes in
Wyoming were still at war with the U.S. Or...he may have thought dinosaurs
still roamed the area west of Rawlins. We'll never know. OTOH, we DO know
that the purpose of the frt conductor book was to record certain info about
the trains Fraley rode. Examining the book I have only been able to find a
couple of possible known errors. I certainly cannot prove the accuracy of
the information...nor do I believe it necessary. It IS a valuable source of info...and, like most sources...vulnerable to error and the viewer should understand that and use the info with that in mind. OTOh, as Mark Amfahr notes, few known errors from Fraley's books stand out.

"In fact, since I can show you examples of incorrect
entries -- non-existent reporting marks, non-existent car numbers, I have
no reason to assume that every cargo listing is accurate."

Oh? You have a copy of my book? I would be interested in knowing the errors
you have discovered.

Mike Brock