Bob Brown Electrician Denver 23rd Street Round house Night shift in Tales of the Jointed Track

Bob Brown. He was an electrician, and old CB&Q man before the merger, and always worked nights. Cranky, unfriendly and was just Bob Brown. I worked with Bob on and off, only because Taylor Gregg the foreman said help Bob with this or that . Bob liked to drink, and most railroaders during that era did. Unless you were caught with a Rule “G” violation, or got away with it, it was Status Quo. Was it right, NO, but that was an era long past. You could tell whether Bob was, coming off one, or was still on the lighter end of one.

Mr Gregg approached me one night after lunch saying, “Have ya had lunch?” I did, and told him so. He told me that Bob needed help, with lubing some armature bearings on a few goats in line 2. Just hand him the hose and pump the reservoir as he asks.

A typical switch engine. These were in this scheme, the Chinese Red and Grey and the BN scheme, while I was breifly in the shops before going into engine service.

Certain SW and NW types had a zerk fitting for the armature bearings. The oil used was a light oil, almost clear in color, fine but was required for the bearings. He had to go under the pit, so you were underneath the locomotive, and you could stand up under the traction motors. The zerk’s were placed that someone had to be underneath, and you handed them the hose. When the zerk fitting was attached..about 3 or 4 good pumps would refill and clean out the bearing.

A Traction Motor.. The “circle” is where the axle of the wheel set is placed. You can see the pinion gear clearly. The Spur gear on the wheel set will mesh with that. A “Gear Case” will enclose this and “crater” ( a thick viscous lubrication material, will be added).. The open well just forward of the “circle” is the well or reservoir hat houses the oil for the suspension bearing. There are two and those support the axle in the traction motor. Also the slang for this is a hanger bearing.
The flat covered area top extreme right, is where the “bellows” is clamped in, and this plate is removed. This is the cooling air for the traction motor. The traction motor blower fan provides for this. Although this is a sealed bearing traction motor, the zerk fittings would be on the opposite side of the armature, not shown. there was an upper and lower zerk per motor.

Bob had the lube cart in position. I told him I was supposed to help him. He grumbled and went under. Now, right now Bob was cranky, red faced and had a glowing nose. Not like any other night, but ya never knew when he’d go off. We filled the bearing caps with no problem, till we got to the last one. He didn’t get the fitting seated properly. “Pump it kid!!” he told me. One pump sorta went ok, and then there was a stiff resistance. “Mr Brown, I think something is wrong, I can’t get the handle to cycle.” ” Goddamn it Kid bear down on it” ” I said are you sure” and he told me “WHAT DID I TELL YOU!!!!!? ” So I did, and the pressure caused the off cocked fitting to spray.. getting Bob in the face and hair and he was dripping with light lube oil… Lots of swearing. I said “I’ll get some shop rags, and be right back”.

You could hop on the rail housing, swing on the steps and get to the topside of the roundhouse line tracks quick. I grabbed some rags and went back down. I handed him the shop rags and he still was fuming. “Mr Brown? how can I help you?” He said calmly, ” No problem Kid lemme re-seat this and let’s try it again”. We did filled the cap and I took the cart back upstairs for him. He cleaned himself off, and not another word was said about the incident.

Another time, there was a goat in Line two near the drop table…The “Bridge” was up and locked. The cab of the goat was facing the drop table pit end. We finished the tops and were heading down toward the bottoms to finish up the inspection.

Bob was using a hose to blow out the dust from the electrical cabinet. Some of circuits are energized if the battery switch was up, and yeah it was. Bob hit the wrong part with that nozzle and BINGO…ZAAAAPPPPP.

Well there was swearing, and he threw his flashlight out of the cab, through the door, and down into the drop pit.

I went down the ladder to retrieve it. Now going down into the pit, was a new thing for me. The drop tables, which also were the “bridges”, were used to drop traction motor sets to either change out a traction motor or the wheel set and or both. They used water jacks and they leaked, so there was water and oil residue down there. The drains worked, but it was slick and darker than hell.

The illumination from the shop roof provided minimal light. I found the dented and severely destroyed metal flashlight, in about 5 pieces. I came up the ladder and said, well this is what’s left of it.

Swearing…” I hope I can get another one from the storehouse”. I gave him mine, and said “don’t throw it down there”. It was rubberized plastic, so at least he wouldn’t ground himself. “What about you ?” I said I’ll use Sandy’s if I need it, plus I knew where the hostler lanterns were kept. I could “borrow” one if needed.

Sandy and I finished off our part of the inspection and he signed the “Blue card” as needed, which is the FRA record of Federal Inspection, for the things done for that government requirement.

I went below and adjusted the brake travel, by sight and used the handle thickness of a wrench as a guide. After it was started and aired up… another adjustment could be done quickly, by cutting the truck out.

A freight consist showed up about 430 am, and we helped knock that out, and it was readied for the next assignment. Taylor Gregg, found me and said, “There is nothing going on till after 830 am, sign your card and give it to me. I’ll place the times in, you’ll get paid for 8 hours. Change your clothes and get out of here don’t hang around, before the Big Boys get here”. I did as instructed, and left around 515 am and headed home for bed.

Last updated August 25, 2014