Roger Bell the C&S 840 and the Skunk ...Rice yard in Tales of the Jointed Track

The C&S 840 was an SD-9, it was in the Chinese Red and Gray scheme, and was showing its age and faded. It was one of the " newer" SD-9 models in the fleet. It wasn't a dual control stand 24 RL and SA-24 independent brake valve arrangement. It had a modified EMD control stand, and the newer 26-L and SA-26 independent brake valves. The unit was still a high hood, roots blown 16 cylinder 567 cubic inch diesel engine, rated at 1750 hp.

Like all diesel locomotives, it had main reservoir blow down, on each of them. This one was peculiar, and when it blew off, it whistled You would be out in the roundhouse area of the yard, and if it was around, you'd be thinking who is hell is whistling at us ? It wasn't Art Phillips... he couldn't whistle...LOL. Well it was the 840 sounding off. Spring was in the air, as well as the rats, the skunks and anything that thought it could scrounge a meal. We were very close to the Platte River, so things came up from the depths...except the carp and turtles that lived in there too.

Other than the pit and the round house office, most of our area was dark . There was a timer pole light that shut off after 15 minutes around Mechanical track 14. No there wasn't 14 tracks, but these were leftover names etc. These are rearranged and merged with other tracks, that used to exist.

We were working 78's power for an outbound call, probably for 0100 am, since we were told get on this, right after we came on duty. Roger Bell, the roundhouse foreman was lining up a laborer to clean cabs and help him hostle yard power for the morning shift.

The C&S 840 was called out to be on an outside yard job. It was heavy tonnage, gather industries, spot and pull cars, outlying assignment. It needed to have the cab facing in a certain direction, so it needed to be spun. Someone put the 840 on the turntable, but was called for other duties. So there it was, in all its glory, sitting on the table waiting for a spin. Things calmed down, and Roger was heading to spin the 840 on the table. We noticed a skunk during the early part of the shift, looking for food and wandering around the roundhouse proper.

Well Roger was headed for the table walking along side, the railing of the turntable and the 840. Midway between the end of the table and the 840, a small black and white figure was also approaching. THE SKUNK !!!! .

Roger stopped and started slowly backpedaling. The air compressor started kicking in and was pumping up the reservoirs. The skunk now is mid unit and Roger is almost off the table. The limit for air pressure was reached and the compressor stopped. The blow down whistled, and the tail came up and sprayed the 840. Roger was at a gallop right now, because he knew that the blow down whistle was going to happen. Well Roger ran off... the skunk ran off...the 840 stayed put, and it smelled a lot..

It was on the table still for 2 more hours. There was a slight skunk odor, but it was ready to go. "Whadda ya think Roger, we need another "nine" if we have one "? "We don't, but this will have to work, and if the crew bad orders it ? We'll go from there". It was turned and placed on the ready track.

The 0600 am crew came on. Don Bolzano was the engineer. "Smells like they hit a skunk,and it aint too bad. I have had worse" . Out they went of the track 14, and called the west end and got their marching orders. Whewww!!!