Entries 401
Page 9 of 17
I really was blessed to have Dave as Chief. I also was blessed with “Eddie-Bob” as a Texas Chief as well. I guess Dave and me caused more commotion than Eddie did. I did the Locomotive Utiliz...
Unpolitcally Correct Railroaders
We .. the old rails are that. Stuff that I hired out with, doesn’t hold water now. I am glad I hired out, with this mentality, although harsh, made me and others good rails. Why ?, because you we...
F-45 Locomotives
As a retired locomotive engineer, the F-45’s were always my favorite. I enjoyed having them as the lead unit. They were a good on the grade, and like the SD-45’s, I rarley had problems with the...
Ray Redman "The Chief" another great Santa Fe Engineer.
Ray Redman, was a small man. I’d say maybe 5 foot 5 or, 5 foot 6 inches tall. Slim and balding, and always wore jeans and an engineers cap. Quiet and polite. Ray would run up the hill with hi...
Train 152 my first run as engineer
I am promoted as a locomotive engineer. I am on the fireman’s pool board. The old heads in Pueblo are all marked up. Vacation time, till December is a couple of months off. It is late Octobe...
Ernest F Zumbrumn Engineer
I liked working with Ernie, when I was able. This was probably the top Hogger (engineer) on the Roster. I’d follow him up with Gordon Euell, then Frank Kasulas, Elvin Bethurm, Domonic Valent...
Ed Carver the work train Kelker to Crews.
Okay this is a drunk Ed story. I worked with Gorden Euell, and delivered the Switch, and signal masts, the signal heads and the “Bungalow” that housed the circuits and the DS phone. I caugh...
Colorado Springs derailment April 14, 2015
Okay… I have been called on this, by people who knew I worked this route. My wife said, her co-workers wanted to know what I knew about this. Sorry folks, my access now is very limited.. but I ...
Charlie Westfall Joint-Line late 70's early 80's Part 2
I met Charlie a few times, either working the head end, or with good Conductors who had him on the rear end. Charlie worked with Bob Morley, and if I caught this crew, YES!!! You know they were...
Charlie Westfall Joint-Line late 70's early 80's Part 1
Charlie, was a railroader before he went teaching in Colorado Springs, CO. He hired out in the early sixties as a brakeman in La Junta, CO. He worked the 1st Subdivision, the Boise City, as well...
We are leaving Pueblo. The La Junta Derrick Crew is a rag tag group of Section men who sign up for emergency work. They get paid a little more, and have to be derrick qualified, to operate the...
I may have written this in Open Diary a while back, or thought I did. I was first out in Pueblo, waiting a call. We had just got back from Furr’s, and I called the crew caller to get an update....
The Railroaders luncheon... April 09 2015
Were still alive. That’s a good thing … Two weeks ago, I attended a memorial service, for a Switchman / Conductor / Brakeman I worked with. Some of the Pueblo people, were there and are here t...
1978 thru 1982 UFIX coal hoppers an engineers nightmare
UFIX what does that mean? It was reporting mark ie; UFIX 223579 UFIX was the owner of the car. U= Utility F= Fuels I=INC X= leased Utility Fuels Incorporated..and they leased the cars. These oper...
I was taking my youngest home after his shift ended. My cell rang. HMMM Billy, somethings up. “Yeah Bill, what’s up?” “Hey, just found out that Dale Williams passed away, this morning”. ...
Helper Link and weather Palmer Lake,CO
This is beyond my era, but also when I troubleshooted. Meaning that Helper link has really evolved. The weather is that. The tunnel type bridge, is at MP 49 near where, I laid my late Labs ...
Gordon Euell ...Engineer
How do I describe, Gordon Euell, unassuming, quiet, not braggadocios, and he could run an engine. I was fortunate, when I could work with Gordon. If he trusted you, the words of trust was, “say y...
I was working the night rotation doing Locomotive Utilization for the Santa Fe. I was on the “Eastern” half of the railroad. My territory was Chicago to but not including Amarillo, TX. At Emp...
For those who are Ranchers and Horseman, the National Western Stock show is a big deal. It is held at the old Denver Coliseum, and National Western complex. It runs for two weeks, starting ab...
The Daily Blab Poop Sheet
This was “my” fun but it served as a report as well. I had the “masque” saved so it was always overwritten. What did it contain? Staged Power for emergency use. Power set out online, due to ...
Tales from the water trailer
These are a few vignettes, I suppose. It was regular day by day railroading. I am not running an engine by choice. My career is winding down, and I am leaving the railroad and BNSF on my ter...
Troubleshooting and the FRA 203 inspection
FRA and CFR rule 203 stated that locomotives will be inspected every calendar day. It was up to the shops, when they go in for SFS ( Sand Fuel Service) to be carded. Out on the road, it is u...
Troubleshooters diary ...what I remember
I was still on the local, was great job. I was asked to become a mentor, due to my electrical and mechanical skills, plus I was a promoted engineer. I didn’t take it? Why?, Saturday and Sunday of...
Pueblo Yard Extra .. Weed spraying and other work
I was called in late August 2008 for a yard extra in Pueblo… There were two of us engineer’s extra board, holding the board by choice. We were still unloading the XCEL Comanche Power plant, at...
Big Lift, Why it is called that.
Big Lift, I worked in and out this terminal, close to 20 years by choice. I held various jobs, from locals, to helpers and even holding the “Q” Trains when they ran out of here in the late 70’s ...
Book Description
Tales of the Jointed Track
Railroading my career from September 15th,1972 thru September 5th. 2012
This is my first attempt of writing down my thoughts. I have been asked or have been suggested that I do by my Co-workers or others that know me. This will be about railroading throughout my career, first starting out in the Roundhouse and then changing railroads and going into engine service, which I finally retired from in September of 2012 forty years.
I hired out with the Burlington Northern in September of 1972. I was called by the General Roundhouse Foreman, one week before my hire date. “Do you still want this job”…”yes Sir” I told him. He said come down get physical papers , get that done see the clerk and you’ll be a Midnight Machinist helper. “Okay” I told him… I was working at a bakery for a major Grocery chain, in Denver at the time… also on midnights so not a big difference. I got up went to the Railroad physician and took my 5 minute physical. Returned to the shops and turned in the paperwork. “When can you start?”…I need to give notice and I will firm up with you. I gave my notice to the bakery and started a week later on nights ..
I introduced myself to the night Roundhouse Foreman.. Taylor Gregg....mid to late sixties …skinny as a rail…and always wore his hard hat cocked at at angle..and always started the night out at the coffee vending machine… ready to delegate the nights task. You’ll work with Sandy Ortiz .. we have a bunch of Goats that need Federal inspection and repair… ( a Goat is a slang term for a switch engine ) ..
I entered my midnight shift as a Machinist Helper, working with Sandy. He was Hispanic ..( didn’t care that he was ) and elderly, about early to mid sixties. He had terrible arthritis and shuffled when he walked… I always wondered why a man of his age, worked nights ? He had the seniority to work days, or really any shift he wanted. But as I continued to work for the railroad, there are those that prefer nights, Night Fighters they were called.
The Diesel shop had a Three stalls or tracks in the main shop… The old roundhouse stalls were west of that location but “did” join up… Line one was the running track for inbound inspection and minor maintained. After units were fueled, they came into line one, line one had another exit on the other end of the shop and the track extended out toward the depot. That track was the “Buck Main” that line one connected to. On line one units had cooling water added as needed, Lube oil, compressor oil, and someone went underneath and checked the Traction Motor suspension bearings for lubrication levels. Also the gear cases were looked at and “Crater Bags” were added as needed to provide lubrication to the gear cases. These were bags of heavy grease in a plastic casing that broke down after meshing with the pinion and spur gears. During the winter they were kept in a warm water bath to stay supple. I always said when these were hard you could kill someone with it…like a blackjack .. plus if they were like that they would jam the gearing and slide the wheels or drivers of the locomotive.
Line two was a run through track in the shop, and connected to line on about 300 feet west. this was an inspection maintenance , track…
Line three…well that where Amtrak had units that laid over and it was stubbed.. Old early FP-7 FP-9 E-8 and E-9 a and B units… They were from all railroads, and the US government bought em… some were really trash…I’ll elaborate on that later : ) … We also performed general maintenance and certain Federal inspections as needed…If heavy repairs of a big inspection was needed they went to one of the older roundhouse stalls and remained till completed.
Sandy and I were assigned a SW12 switcher for completion. The second trick, ( afternoon shift ) did the diesel engine requirements and the electricians did their electrical cabinet, auxilliary generator and main generator work. We were to complete the bottom end… Brakeshoes, truck maintaince, suspension bearings, lube the cooling fan bearings..and check or replace cooling fan belts, air compressor, lube the center bowls ( where the trucks meet the carbody of the unit ) and change out and air brake or air equipment not done and and filters not changed out or replaced.
We finished off the inspection and started on another…after lunch that was completed as well and they were “carded off” and ready for service. Sandy had me do the heavy work, and I will always be greatfull because I learned and I still remember to this day, and it served me well when I went into engine service.
