Entries 464

Page 18 of 19

For those that have read my previous entries, I have stated that Mr. Graul spared no expense for practical jokes. Was good for him. He could not take one, I digress and will add that as well. ...

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This was a summer long 5 month ordeal, starting early May and finished up in September. Ties were replaced, during April and May. The tie gang started at MP 49, and worked north to Sedalia,CO ...

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This is a continuation, of the ballast work train, I was on for most of the summer of 1984. We arrived as we did around 0645 am at Spruce siding MP 49.0 . We called the Foreman in charge of the...

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This is Northern California. This terminal is almost halfway between Fresno and Richmond, California. Richmond, for the Santa Fe, this was the most "northern part" of the railroad. Stockton /...

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How can I explain this? This was the mannequins last stand. It all works out, and I was a part of the plan. St Peter and Paul Catholic church, was having a raffle fundraiser and pot luck. ...

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The saga continues, there is a tug of war over the mannequin. It's in my mother's possession now. Mr Graul could come into the shop anytime, because he has keys. Despite his faults, he was h...

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How Mr Graul acquired this mannequin, I was never sure. I was still in High School, working for him at The Florist Shop. He was a practical joker, and spared no expense. He had the money to...

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I was told one day, you need to break this person in on South Central Desk, for two days. Then on your third day, you'll move over to the Southwest Desk. This is still the old Santa Fe transcon...

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Clovis was a hotbed on the Trans-con mainline. All the "Hot" inter modals came through here. Cuts and adds were made for the power. These add on's were mostly for freight trains. The P-Q-Z ...

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When I hired out in December of 1973, into engine service, it was an eye opener. The old heads scrutinized, every move. You had to prove yourself, to them, PERIOD!! There was no political cor...

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I was breaking in, learning Locomotive Distribution. It was tougher than I thought, but it was not insurmountable. The biggest problem, you are under the microscope. No, you can't predict fa...

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I went into management with the Santa Fe Railway, Schaumberg, Illinois in 1994. My wife had accepted a position with her Company, and after discussion, I said, I have options and we'll work thr...

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I have been back, now for maybe 5 years. It is the year 2007. The Inter divisional runs have started, what a clusterfuck, that idea has become. I was working the Big Lift local, on a three week...

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I was called off the fireman's board again, to step up and run as an engineer. The BN ran 160 cars of Taconite ore, into Denver. These cars are what we called ore jenny's. They were mostly in t...

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These units, during my career, as a machinist in the shops, and as in engine service, were probably the worst locomotives ever. It seemed they spent most of their service life, isolated and dead...

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The first day of the assignment, was routine . Probably not for them, but for me, but we did the south lead work.. Pulling the class tracks off the hump, making up trains. an odd task here a...

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I successfully passed my, Book of Rules, Air Brake, Mechanical, Simulator, the "check ride" with the Road Foreman Barney Steele. I was given the okay to mark up, where I could hold. I could b...

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The load leaves, all is good or is it ? NOT. I am close to a 7/11, my dinner is cold. I go for a BIG Coffee, and the next best thing, "ROLLER FOOD". A well done, over cooked, shriveled u...

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I was working again, another night rotation. At the time we traded off at the 31st Street yard office. We locked up the truck, we had valet keys, hid the ignition and the phone. we transfer...

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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 Sund...

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The railroad had decided to operate a "Loop" operation. Coal loads, one way in to Texas, and the empty trains back another. The only log jam, was the single track between Palmer Lake and Crew...

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Please remember, what was made, on this caboose stove, was primitive. Plus I didn't have the option to bring everything I had, and ingredients..So I am going to attempt to do the original recipe...

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I'll write more of this work train, but to preface, it was to dump ballast, after the Undercutter did its bidding. I'll write more about what it was what it did and a vignettes, but someo...

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This was, when I hired out, like a car museum. There were old cars and trucks at the Pueblo, CO train yard. These were the transportation, privately owned, while getting rest and waiting for ...

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I don’t know why this hit me, this idea. There were places that the old heads frequented. I mean that it was like a shrine. Just a place that’s where, we’re eating. Your with them, either by...

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