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
Page 14 of 19
Jack Olsen and the Yard Job(s) Part 1 in Tales of the Jointed Track
Jack Olsen was a yard engineer for the C&S. I am sorry , Jack, God love him was as affable and likeable as could be, but was a terrible engineer. Jack was bad enough to be banned from road se...
We moved down to Texas. Southlake, Texas 25 square miles and a great place to live. I am now BNSF management, and I have found rinks and the high school also has a “club” team. My oldest ...
What you hit with trains. Besides crossing accidents. Part 3 in Tales of the Jointed Track
Who has Cottonwood trees. I had one on the home site I still dwell on, and had to have it removed. The get big and they rot and get weak. Heaven help you when they start to fall. They are on...
What you hit with trains. Besides crossing accidents. Part 2 in Tales of the Jointed Track
The Grocery shopping cart that wouldn’t die. We have hit these many times, usually knocking them off to the side. Sometimes they would go under, and you hoped the air hoses wouldn’t be knocked...
What you hit with trains. Besides crossing accidents. Part 1 in Tales of the Jointed Track
I have hit some interesting things in my career. These are a few I remember. Single Track Tie and Rail replacement 1978: They are still getting the track in shape to hold up to the pounding of...
Corridor mentor Denver Terminal The loose injector at 38th St. in Tales of the Jointed Track
There were two trains in the coal tracks. They were southbound, and called on duty. One was a loaded coal train. the other a grain train. I talked to both engineers and told them consider me atta...
Terminal Madness.. The Corridor mentor Job in Tales of the Jointed Track
As Mentors, and troubleshooters, outside of Denver, we basically had the reins and control, when things went to “shit” (sorry). We made the assessments, formulated a plan, informed the Chief disp...
Vegas is Vegas .. a good time in Misc. Thoughts opinions, the whole trash can.
This is the Vegas trip. We stayed off the strip. At the Gold Coast, was near the RIO and the Palms. This hotel was recommended by the relatives friends. The Palms would have been better, but ...
John Scott another tale in Tales of the Jointed Track
Dave Lackey related this one to me, while I had traded off with John on the night shift. The Santa Fe had a private email system, for Company business. You could send wires to the Dispatchers, o...
Okay, what do I say about this one. John is off the Winslow, AZ part of the Santa Fe. We did crew planning. He was two weeks into the power desk, before I joined that team. John was serious...
Vegas and the Hoover Dam trip Part 3 in Misc. Thoughts opinions, the whole trash can.
This is a part of the Dam, besides the structure of the dam itself, that fascinates me as well. The intake towers. These are quite unique, because the too are of an Art Deco design. They stand...
Vegas and the Hoover Dam trip Part 2 in Misc. Thoughts opinions, the whole trash can.
The tours have changed since 911. They don’t do the “Hard Hat tour” like they once did. On the dam face side on the top of the dam are three elevators one on the Nevada side, one on the Arizona...
Ed Carver .... in Tales of the Jointed Track in Tales of the Jointed Track
When you worked with Ed, who knows what type of Ed, you were getting. This is 1974, and I am close to getting into the training program. Right now, I am a “fireman”, by craft, I might be asked to...
The Veral Hines Microwave Yard Office Cookbook in Tales of the Jointed Track
I laugh as I write this one. So if this was a former Open Diary repeat sorry. Veral was a Train order Operator and a clerk. When track warrants came into being, the Operator jobs went out the w...
Bob Mayne The Oxford Hotel and the Symphony crowd in Tales of the Jointed Track
Bob and me, another helper. Typical and not a double shove. You will get told, before ya reach the summit, if your services are required to assist another. You go into your tour of duty thinki...
Train orders ... Flimsies the tissue paper type . in Tales of the Jointed Track
I found a box of train orders that I collected over the years. There was at one time there would be a collection of train orders stuck in the trash bag, or behind the regulating valve, or betwe...
The Ast Brothers and the three coal empties north in Tales of the Jointed Track
I was called out of Pueblo one afternoon, and was the third empty out of the three that were called. Each crew was called 10 minutes apart. All were either past Southern Junction, or coming int...
A blown Turbocharger at Castle Rock in Tales of the Jointed Track
I was called for a set of helpers for a late morning shove. It was nondescript, and Steve Pfaff was my Conductor for the trip. I always liked working with Steve. He worked for the Santa Fe out...
Rerailing a locomotive in Tales of the Jointed Track
Well, it happens time to time. compromised track … ties.. well we all have been there as railroaders This is not on the line I worked, but it gives you an idea. The engineer re-railing thi...
CAKE!!!! in Tales of the Jointed Track
I have left the BN and I am in engine service with the Santa Fe Railway. I have two small children as well. How did that happen?.. It’s late 80’s I came in from a helper run, and was told t...
Oktoberfest in Tales of the Jointed Track
My German roots…and have been at the Oktoberfest when in High School, a should have known better adult and the last one in 2010. a few songs to get that “fest on”… the ol too fat Polka… an...
The Expanded Railroad Glossary Part 5 in Tales of the Jointed Track
EMD air box : looking inside the air box of an EMD 567 or 645 cu in diesel engine. The cylinder liner is in view..the ported area ( looks like little windows ) is where the combustion air come...
Big Lift Local .. Computer and Router problems in Tales of the Jointed Track
Big Lift was and still is an outpost. It is basically 19 miles south of Denver metro proper. The computer we used, was a terminal, that was tied into the mainframe. It allowed us to print li...
The Automatic brake valve in Tales of the Jointed Track
This is a part and an integral part of the engine or locomotive. The word engine means many things and is interchangeable. The engine, a locomotive, a unit, a motor..same thing. The Cab, the...
Palmer Lake Helpers etc in Tales of the Jointed Track
This is beyond my era, but also when I troubleshooted. The weather is that. The tunnel type bridge, is at MP 49 near where, I laid my late Labs to rest Bear in 2011 and Cooper in 2014. This...
