Almost everyone of my male ancesters worked on Railroads.

Henry Ford promised my Grandfather a life time job if he would come back to the DT&I when he bought the railroad to haul his cars. But he did not work in the Roundhouse.

The reason was because the tracks went around to get the engine out, I asume.

and there wasn't one at the place I am familiar with.

Where?

there was a water supply, and I just found out today, an ice house too. it was abandoned or discontinued in the late 1950s or early 60s. not a station for freight or passengers, just a stop/siding and houses for the crew.

it was (is) called Sybil _____ .

I’m a railroad brat and remember that term well but don’t remember if that’s what they were referring to.

but not what I'm thinking of.

The google says it is any temporary building to house poor workers.

Original layout of railroads called for a Section Point every 10 miles as that is due to the maintenance of Track that could be done be a Section crew in one day. Also the first Steam Locos needed to Water up after so many hours and that depended on the amount of steam necessary to pull the load behind the Loco as well as gradient of the track.

If one wants to see how this system works,take a trip on the CT&S Railroad in Chama New Mexico or Antonino Colorado. You will experience how a Railroad operated in the 1880's til 1950's. Every Run has a Docent who explains the how and why towns were originally laid out.

but point doesnt ring a bell. could it be section town? camp? something like that.

And that produced some interesting names .

Turpentine camp?

were called Hell On Wheels. They were mobile (hence the name), and served as recreation areas for the construction workers. More wholesome activities like churches and libraries lost out to brothels, saloons, gambling dens, shops with shoddy merchandise, etc, thereby earning their moniker.

They lived in Camp cars that were on the tracks. They were moved where needed. There were no dwellings. Those were maintenence. They buil tracks and even tunnels in Southern Ohio. Went to Detroit. Also called Section crews as the poster pointed out. Thanks.

I visited them many times when I was little and young adult.

stayed in a railroad hotel, which was a boarding house near the yard where men who had a one-way run could spend the night until they had a run back the next day.

That's where he met my grandmother, whose stepmother owned the hotel in Hinton WV.

Close to where my Dad worked for Railroad workers.

post upstream kind of clicked

I have heard the expression "jerkwater town" to mean a little dumpy burg.

Maybe?

but not really "towns" or a place where more people - families - lived. sometime a section house was just tool/supply storage, noy even living quarters, other times it was for living, sometimes the boss's house.

I know my Grandfather and Mother had a term, but I haven't been able to pull it up.

The location I know of had several houses.