RED over YELLOW CANON CITY, JCT Pueblo, CO in Tales of the Jointed Track

This incident was my only out of service time. I was still a new “runner”, but I have the skills and the knowledge, but …I fell into a circumstance beyond my control. What killed me was the rule. I will relate my tale, confess my sins, but the operating rule is what did me in.

We had a coal load, was good handler, power was good, train braking was excellent. Also has a mid consist “swing” helper, via the old primitive “RCE” control. It is about 1030 pm. It’s dark, suns down behind the range, a Flashing Yellow at Highway 50, roughly MP 621 ( old Santa Fe mile post ) . A solid YELLOW at 29th Street. Canon City Junction ( pronounced in Spanish Canyon ) MP 619.9 is ALL RED. We stop at Canon City Jct, and call the yardmaster. They are in the midst of a turnover, and we are asked to stand by.

The new yardmaster has taken over. “Coal load, take the signal, down 24 change out front”. There had been a rail relay problem, so the decision was made to route through the yard, and no problem.

CANON CITY JUNCTION … What was to happen:

This is what what supposed to happen, but didn’t. We were to flag the RED signal at Canon City Jct, down the main and take the transfer tracks, into track 24 and change crews. The switches were lined and spiked by the section crews, so as not to get into the compromised area, south of the crossover switches.

CANON CITY JUNCTION … What really happened, and wasn’t supposed to:

The yardmaster called and says “Take the signal at Canon City Jct, down into 24 track change crews out front”. The instructions were repeated, and the signal changes to RED over Yellow…

This is a restricting signal. Restricted speed, not to exceed 20 mph, be prepared to stop short of train, cars, switch not properly lined, looking out for derail and/or broken rail. This is the rule that got me.

Even though this is 40 years past, I still accept it, even though I was set up, I allowed a mistake to become mine. Plus were now in Yard Limit rules, coming off of CTC (Centralized traffic Control) into the yard. Yep, Restricted Speed, did I just get bit in my ass twice. YES I DID. Isn’t heavy tonnage, and all the above fun? Wow what a lesson I learned. Cost me 30 days off, but made me a better hogger.

I call the rear end, and said “RED over YELLOW, we’re changing out front”. ” Roger, releasing and rolling”. I wait for the cars to nudge me, I have the head end and the remotes in full dynamic braking. It is minimal, due to no extended range capability, but get ready and hit an initial set off the air brake push buttons. I increase to a 12 lbs set total, we’re at 8 mph, right where I need them. There is a line of cars, down hump 3, we’ll cut in there, but they should be clear of the clearance point, or we wouldn’t be lined in this way. OR are they ?

Mistake No. 2:
Assumption that previous trains have been lined in this way, the route is clear. They realize heavy tonnage, and will aid in keeping the tracks clear to expedite the moves through the yard.

We take the signal, we’re lined in and guess what, that line of cars is fouling by 5 cars, that is why we were to flag down the main to the transfers. The train is doing 6 mph and dropping. I place the train into emergency. I grab the brakeman, and say “Bail we’re hitting this fucking cut”. I basically throw Tommy off the engine and bail off my self. We hit the cut at 2mph… 2 mph to fast and I didn’t stop short.

The damage, a Rio Grande empty coal hopper has the rear truck, knocked off the rails. The lead unit bent grab irons, fireman’s side, and two electrical locker doors, knocked off and damaged. There also was rail damage about 30 feet, turned over. Cost at that time.. $20,000.00 for labor and repairs. It took 10 hours to get it all back to normal. I was the “GOAT”..

After the carnage, was over..I get back up into the engine..
I call the yardmaster and say, “Thanks Ronnie, ya lined us right into the side of a cut off the junction”!!! “No, you were supposed to come off at the transfer tracks”. “Well, we’re off the CTC crossover at Canon City JCT”.

Silence. Well the radio tapes and telephone tapes showed he told the DS to line us in at Canon City Jct. His mistake and mine too.

I took a 30 day suspension, without pay, and accepted the responsibility for the Restricted Speed rule. Yeah, I was set up, but yes I was not in compliance of the rule. I hold no animosity for my suspension.

Two days before I am to be pulled out of service, I am called for an Ore Train. Carl Anderson is my fireman, and is newly promoted. We make the trip, I let Carl get some more running time, and we tie up . After rest, I have less than 16 hours to get back to Denver. I have slipped through the cracks. I wake up, I have a letter saying as of 0001 am on this date, you are suspended from service on the Santa Fe railway. You are able to mark up on this date, anytime after 0001 am.

I call the crew caller. “we don’t have any record, you’re staying put and will work back”. Ahh, bureaucracy, railroad style, no one give a damn.

I call the Road Foreman, and say “Dwight..I am in Pueblo, and I am going to be pulled out before I get called” “What, Denver wasn’t supposed to call you”. “Well they did and I made the trip down”. “Okay, I’ll call ya back”. He did, and I got a call to dead head home. Since Carl was promoted, he ran the trip home as engineer. I tied up and was out of service for the next 30 days.. An unpaid vacation, I had job insurance, but still a blow to my ego, that I got run off.

I marked up 30 days later, and took my position on the board. I was told by the Road Foreman in Pueblo, they were glad to have me back, They said they had 30 days of two or more people reaming them for pulling me out of service for being set up for the accident. Plus the fact, if I didn’t alert them, more people, including the supervision would have been run off as well. That wasn’t my intention from the start, there was nothing I could have done, I did what I had to. 2 mph, 25 mph, 102 mph, doesn’t matter, per the rule I wasn’t prepared to stop short. Line of sight, and darkness had their own factors, but I was the one operating the train. Ronnie Charleston got 30 demerits, he was the yardmaster at the time. Well that restricted speed rule will bite ya every time.

I was in Ft Worth, as a Company officer, working the power desk. I am, and I am working with Ronnie Charleston. The same accident happened, like me 25 years previous. A good crew, seasoned.. I said “I feel for them, and there is nothing I can do… Not that I don’t want too, but the Restricted Speed rule is the nail in the coffin”.

Restricted Speed … as it says, as it is, and as you comply. Ya never know whats there.

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