Brakeshoe Bob ⋅ 72 ⋅
I am a retired Railroad Locomotive Engineer. I hired out with the BN in September of 72 as a machinist and went with the Santa Fe in engine service in 1973 as a Locomotive Fireman. I was promoted to Locomotive Engineer in July 1974. I retired in September 2012 after 40 years. During the period I ran the Joint-Line (Denver to Pueblo,CO) and the Interdivisional between Denver and La Junta, CO. I had almost 8 years in management with the Santa Fe and BNSF.
Entries 464
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Railroad stuff that happened in Tales of the Jointed Track
Every job has its stupid things that happened. I am trying to remember a few. Jimmy Cross Jimmy was a good ole southern boy. He started out with the FEC (Florida East Coast) Railroad. He was g...
Eddie Howard .. Part 4 last entry in Tales of the Jointed Track
Unless, I can remember some other events, about Eddie, this will be last entry on the subject. I have noticed over time, Eddie is more agitated, nervous, than usual. I am sure that over time, the...
Eddie Howard .. Engineer, Friend, and a Sad story Part 3 in Tales of the Jointed Track
It is late. About 930 pm, I am due for call maybe an empty, and maybe the 594. I think it’s gonna be the 594, and I am in that rotation. Sleep days work nights, and I feel good. I’ll watch the ne...
Eddie Howard .. Engineer, Friend, and a Sad story Part 2 in Tales of the Jointed Track
Pueblo..Downtown Motel 1978 I laugh at some of these, and am sad at the same time. I come into Pueblo, CO about 800 pm. Eddie is yarding a freight, possibly the 594, a drag freight into Denver. T...
Eddie Howard .. Engineer, Friend, and a Sad story Part 1 in Tales of the Jointed Track
I met Eddie, while I was a fireman, on the Santa Fe. Eddie hired out of La Junta, CO. His seniority, during the Santa Fe era in the mid 70’s and late 80’s, was the First Subdivision, La Junta, Co...
Extra ATSF 7500 North 11/26/1975 in Tales of the Jointed Track
I found this by accident. Nothing happened out of the ordinary, other than a set out in the Colorado Springs yard. This is still double track. I will show the clearance card, and the train ord...
I was transferred to the Southwest Power desk. I lost track of Dee, because he was still in Lubbock, TX or was he? Night Rotation NOC Ft Worth, TX: I was on my last three days of nights, before I...
I was working the South Central power desk, after the merger in Ft Worth, TX. Let’s just call this person Dee. A male, a young management candidate. His first name was Demetrius, and Dee was the ...
The Slag Pit at Salt Creek near Minnequa in Tales of the Jointed Track
The Santa Fe and the Rio Grande, bought and crushed the slag, from the Blast Furnaces at the CF&I Steel Mill. The Rio Grande’s pit was near Southern Jct. The Santa Fe’s was at the foot of the...
Barry Offerson..Santa Fe Engineer in Tales of the Jointed Track
Again what can I write about Barry and not be banned. Barry was a free spirit, and it took him a second try to get promoted, but he turned out to be a pretty good engineer. Train 594.. Pueblo, CO...
Snow snow drifts Palmer Lake North and South in Tales of the Jointed Track
A few tales, working in snow, drifting snow, blowing snow. Coal load in 1980.. This was a trip, without real consequence. We got the call, reported to BN 31st Street yard office. Left town, grabb...
Denver Union Depot 2015 in Tales of the Jointed Track
We walked down from our hotel, to the Denver Union Depot. This is not the DUT I knew in my early days of railroading. RTD ( Regional Transportation District ) bought the Depot, along with th...
The 2574 was a CF-7 rebuild. The Santa Fe shops in Cleburne, Texas, rebuilt old F-7 car body units, into a road switch type of locomotive. Some were good, and some were bad. some, couldn’t pull m...
Christmas Blizzard 1982 Part 2 in Tales of the Jointed Track
We flagged in to the siding and the DS asked if we would stop close to the south switch with the rear end. He wanted to make sure the switch would line back to the main line. We’ll spot Dennis...
Christmas Blizzard 1982 Part 1 in Tales of the Jointed Track
This was a storm in magnitude I have never experienced before, nor again since I have lived here. Yeah, we’ve had some good storms since I moved back and retired, but this was “THE BIG ONE”. ...
The Sponsel brothers versus the 23rd St Roundhouse Turntable in Tales of the Jointed Track
It was a warm day at 23rd St, I was working for the BN still in the shops. I was the on 700 am to 300 pm shift, as an apprentice. It was the usual routine, work inbound freights, running repairs,...
The Railroad watch and the rules in Tales of the Jointed Track
On time .. The railroads set a standard. They also are instrumental in our time zones. Back when train orders were the essential instructions, a proper timepiece and in good repair was the no...
Nixon Spur Sand Surfing Championships in Tales of the Jointed Track
Your thinking, what is this ? what does this have to do with Railroads, railroading? Well Kowabungda Dude!!, ( Dudette’s too ) . I will relate and you’ll see what this turns into. Put your best H...
The Caboose.. The PIG..the Coal Empty in Tales of the Jointed Track
I was holding a regular run as engineer, in the mid to late 70’s. I worked with older train crews and the younger ones as well. The Powder River Basin is breaking forth, lots of lignite coal goin...
Newton, KS Roundhouse...Locomotive Utilization 1995 in Tales of the Jointed Track
These are a few vignettes, that standout over the time I did the Power Desk, for the Santa Fe. The people at Newton were great, and pulled no punches … It was either available or not. Two men sto...
San Bernardino and the Roadrailer Train in Tales of the Jointed Track
ROADRAILER were the “new” technology. What is a ROADRAILER ?, it was a truck trailer, equipped with a set of railroad wheels on the back. They were tucked under for highway use, but could be e...
E-DONBTM Evans Avenue, DP problems August 2011 in Tales of the Jointed Track
A hot August, they are still rerouting trains, loaded and empty, certain freights, through Denver. If the freight power, needs fuel, the power may come to the house, or be fueled, by a contract v...
I was still set up and working the south freight pool. This happened on a late evening in October. I have been trying to get into newspaper archives, but to no avail. I like to back up my e...
RED over YELLOW CANON CITY, JCT Pueblo, CO in Tales of the Jointed Track
This incident was my only out of service time. I was still a new “runner”, but I have the skills and the knowledge, but …I fell into a circumstance beyond my control. What killed me was the rule....
Jack Olsen and the Yard Job(s) Part 2 in Tales of the Jointed Track
It is about 1986, maybe 1987, a nice summer day. Bill Jackson, my Conductor, and I are called on a J-15003 symbolled helper. We were going to shove a coal train up the grade to Palmer Lake, on du...
