One of the drawbacks of living in a small town is the train tracks. Waiting at a train crossing becomes a way of life, which thankfully is now less than in the past. Back when the depot was in operation, if you found yourself on the first street crossing you’d witness a routine which no doubt dates back to the early days of rail traffic.
Communication was made possible through notes, passed from the depot to the moving train. The train didn’t slow down for the delivery of messages. Instead a man from the depot would climb the ladder of the signal and wait with a long stick, note attached. As the caboose drove by, the man would point the stick towards the moving cars, and a man from the caboose would lean out and take the note. Often the two would give a salute or a tip of the hat, and the crossing lights clicked off and the train pulled away.