Vol. 18 No. 6  June, 1988 Make Tomorrow Happen A Day in the Life of Bob Roberts By Bruce Nett   At the foot of Boarstone Mountain, Mike Littlefield (foreground) and Bob Roberts measure a section of rail that needs replacing. Brownville Junction Maine - Spend a day with Bob Roberts and there are two things you can count on - a sharp-edged, dry Yankee humor, and some of the most spectacular scenery to be found anywhere on the CP Rail system.   Mr. Roberts is the section foreman on section 15 of CP Rail's Moosehead subdivision in western Maine. His "beat" runs from a point 10 kilometres west of here and stretches some 32 kilometres westward toward Greenville.   PICTURESQUE     Bob Roberts.     Now in his 38th year with the railway, Mr. Roberts operates out of an old section foreman's house at Bodfish. At one time the building also served as a station where passengers could board the "Scoot" or other CP Rail passenger trains that plied the rails here.   Although he has served at many other areas of the rail line through this northeastern state, Mr. Roberts began his career in the Bodfish facility.   His father worked for the railway for a time many years ago, he said, and his brother, Raymond, is currently the senior conductor operating out of Brownville Jct.   A well respected member of the railway fraternity in Maine, Mr. Roberts draws nothing but high marks from his co-workers.   Conductor Neil Arbo says that train crews can always count on a good ride up through Mr. Roberts' country. John Marsh, conductor/trainman, adds that there isn't a better man on the railway.   About the only negative comment came from a trackman who jokingly stated he doesn't like to work for Mr. Roberts because "he works too damn hard".   Mr. Roberts' section 15 is at the eastern end of what has been described by CP Rail's Ron Ritchie, recently retired assistant to the president, as "the most rugged piece of railroading anywhere on the entire system".   It is an area of breathtaking beauty and one where mother nature has left nothing out, Mr. Ritchie said.   Mr. Roberts and his trackman, Mike Littlefield, regularly patrol this remote area of Maine where there are more moose and deer than people. "And I like it just fine", Mr. Roberts said.     Bob Roberts and Mike Littlefield tidy up some ties, 4.5 kilometres west of Bodfish.     WORKS HARD   There are only two road crossings along the section - one a seasonal dirt road, the other a paved crossing which ends at the Bodfish site.   CP Rail's right-of-way, by contrast, is a continuing series of sharp curves along numerous streams and ponds and through rock cuts, some carved into the side of a mountain. The combination of steep grades and numerous curves puts running crews' train handling experience to the test each day.   In the heart of Mr. Roberts' territory can be found the picturesque Ship Steam Pond trestle, more commonly known as the Onawa trestle. A stream runs 40 metres below the 395-metre-long trestle with Onawa Lake on one side, towered over by the sharp peak of Boarstone Mountain.   LOTS OF CURVES   The sharp curves of the main line here present Mr. Roberts and his able trackman with an on-going maintenance challenge.   "The newer locomotives we've had in recent years, the ones with six-wheel trucks, are real hard on our track", Mr. Roberts explained.   "The heavy units and long trains really drive onto the outside rails. Then those same long trains coming up pull the lower rail down. There's just so much strain there and its hard to get a middle ground".   Regular inspections of the line are a necessary part of this section foreman's routine.   Spending time with Mr. Roberts shows one pretty quickly that he is a dedicated worker; that it isn't just talk.   YANKEE HUMOR   It also offers a glimpse of the working relationship between him and Mr. Littlefield. The continual exchange of insults - a subtle form of Yankee humor - belies their respect for one another.   "Mike, if you were any damn good you'd put that new rail in by yourself; then I could go fishing", rattles Mr. Roberts as he tightens a track bolt. "I don't know why I put up with him all the time".   "I think I'll book off tomorrow then I won't have to spend another day looking at that face", counters Mr. Littlefield with a grin.   This Canadian Pacific Railway News article is copyright 1988 by the Canadian Pacific Railway and is reprinted here with their permission. All photographs, logos, and trademarks are the property of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company.