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 465
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What a difference a day makes, or at least overnight. Sunny and 51 degrees in Ogden, Utah. Some coffee, for us and goofing around on the I-Pads, lets see what has transpired in Denver and Cheye...
We were supposed to be headed toward Boise Idaho on May 18th. The reason was for a wedding of my wife’s college friend’s youngest son. Plans would rapidly change. May 17th 1230 pm: I did my err...
The "OLD" Winter Park Ski Train in Tales of the Jointed Track
When I was in Junior High School, I took the Ski Train up to Winter Park a few times. The Rio Grande operated it. It was a mixture of passenger FP7 A and B units. The cars were of the 1940 to...
Damn We Can Be Bad To Each Other in Tales of the Jointed Track
Bob Roberson-Engineer: Bob came out of La Junta,CO , in a seniority swap, with another Joint-Line engineer, who wanted to return back to La Junta. I liked Bob, he could be brash and a trash talk...
Leuthey's Kitchen Denver, CO in Tales of the Jointed Track
Leuthey’s Kitchen was a staple in my early railroad life. It was close to the Yard office and the Roundhouse. I lived in northeast Aurora, CO at that time. It was usually a 25 to 30 minute dri...
Deer visit from time to time. Was a drizzly evening after we came home from the Mission and dinner, downtown, to let rush hour clear. Wow seven of them, grazing in the Greenbelt. I got pretty ...
Early April has come and gone. We had an unusual warm to hot March. During the late fall and late winter I think I used the snow blower three times. I “hand bombed” (RR slang for shoveling), t...
The Denver Rescue Mission, Hobo's etc in Tales of the Jointed Track
I have written about the transients or Hobo’s who rode the rails in my early railroad career. It was more prevalent, before 911, than it is now, but they are still there. I thought of this, whil...
Well I lied, I said I wasn’t going to write another Eddie story. Well this hit me, and so here it is. You Santa Fe Engineer’s, regardless of sub-division can relate. A deadman, the Alertors,w...
The Santa Fe Park branch circa 1975 in Tales of the Jointed Track
Time has marched on.. Some of this crew have passed, the branchline is now a walking path in some places. There are homes and buildings , business parks now in there area. The “industry” we sw...
The end of Rice Yard, and Track 17 in Tales of the Jointed Track
The west end and the train order operator on the C&S is the only bastion left out of Rice Yard. The East end is closed, and there are few operable tracks left. The City and County of Denve...
Rice yard, Floyd Smith and other tales. in Tales of the Jointed Track
We all, being retired Joint-Liners, have stories about Rice Yard. If I was working today, and if LODO and the old rail yards were not developed, I’d run out of Rice yard any day. Comanche Coal lo...
The Couch ... Hump Lead Pueblo Colorado in Tales of the Jointed Track
Dave Van Buskirk, a fellow engineer, and a previous trainman said something about hitting a couch. Maybe I was special, maybe it was coincidence. Pueblo, CO Santa Fe and BN Extras into the hu...
Big Lift ..Troubleshooting, and LUCK!! in Tales of the Jointed Track
Working the night rotation, in a late spring, early summer schedule, in 2012. The sun, sorta peeks up, lights up the sky, around 445 am 500 am, and on nights it all runs together. All the “Emer...
Mars lights... Gyra-lights etc. in Tales of the Jointed Track
Facebook.. Well, I follow some railroad related blogs and groups. A discussion on the Santa Fe SD-40’s equipped with a Gyralite style headlight. This was nose mounted, and the regular headlig...
Trains, Locomotive Consists, Crossed air hoses in Tales of the Jointed Track
This happened in my career. I inherited this one, and it could have been worse. When Locomotive consists are made up for service, at a DSF ( Diesel Service Facility or the old vernacular the “Ro...
The Joint-Line Big Lift and the Directors Special in Tales of the Jointed Track
I was called for a 600 am Helper at the 23rd Street Roundhouse. Surprise the train was actually there, and we chased it to 8th Avenue and tied in. The typical five units on the head-end and th...
Christmas and New Years all past in Misc. Thoughts opinions, the whole trash can.
I trust that all had a great Christmas and New Years. My best to all, for this 2017. Jan 1st 2017: The edict from the wife. After Church, I am (not me) going to take the Christmas Tree do...
Extra South meet 7 North Academy, CO in Tales of the Jointed Track
This is probably a repeat, but I think I either deleted it or did something stupid. I was working the “Pool” on the Joint-Line. Like it was in the Mid- to late 70’s, you were out on rest. !0 ...
Shop Rag in Fuel tank a EMD GP-60-B at true tale in Tales of the Jointed Track
An RJ McKay entry and pictures of a GP-60-B at Saginaw TX, brought this to memory. I was doing power for the Santa Fe in Schaumberg at the S.O.C., I was on the night rotation. It was pretty dead...
I was asked to help out in the “Corridor area” during the flood re-routes, summer of 2011. This route is stressed, so lets add extra trains. Promoted engineers, who transferred to other Divis...
Sanders, Coal or Heavy Tonnage on the Grade in Tales of the Jointed Track
On Facebook the dumb old rails. A picture of old F’s… Surely all ya all remember the old F units. Liars not!! There was discussion was it stuck sanders or brakeshoes. Me, sanders, ...
Terry Meyer and LISS 4.0 in Tales of the Jointed Track
This occurred at the NOC when I was on the power desk. I was working the night rotation, and it was the usual cast of characters, with the exception of Harold Vail, who was filling in, for the So...
Helper units... a muse or two in Tales of the Jointed Track
I have had many an odd unit in Helper service. The standard was two SD-40-2, or our bastard units ( they were hard runners and reliable) SDP-40 and 45 ex Great Northern units. Hey ..me .. ...
Dale Spahn, Marantz, the Diesel Engine Governor in Tales of the Jointed Track
An odd title. But Dale was a Roundhouse foreman, Marantz was a PBX, radio frequency. The diesel engine Governor, was what regulated, via throttle positions, how the locomotive operated. It...
