Snow snow drifts Palmer Lake North and South in Tales of the Jointed Track

A few tales, working in snow, drifting snow, blowing snow.

Coal load in 1980..

This was a trip, without real consequence. We got the call, reported to BN 31st Street yard office. Left town, grabbed our helpers and away we went to Palmer Lake MP 52. Was a good run uphill for 15,000 tons of coal. The wind was blowing, and most of the snow had evaporated with the wind or drifted elsewhere. The signal at the “sag” MP 50.5 showed a green glow, in the late afternoon, early evening light. There was that hazy, cloudy, light blue that shown through type of light. It was cold, maybe 20 degrees. Small streaks of sun was in the area, everywhere but where we were. The wind is blowing pretty hard. You can see where it has scoured snow, away from one area and deposited it in another. I’d say, looking back in my mind, maybe 300 to 500 pm. We had stopped just over the top of Palmer Lake. The head end was about MP 53.3, while the helpers were running around the caboose at the Rio Grande side of the Palmer Lake house track. I took a picture of the head end, while they were switching out the Hack. It is a slide if I can find it, I’ll try to post.

The tracks, on this side of the “Lake” are clear, there is snow on each side, with small amounts blown on the inside of the rails. That will change in about three and a half miles, unbeknownst to us. I hear the valve starting to charge, as the air is cut in on the caboose.

“Highball, Shoe, 80 lbs of air, helpers are cut off, we’re ready back here”. “Roger, all ready and clear…Thanks Billy, you guys have a good trip back down”.. “Okay Shoe, you too”. I release the air, and wait for the train to nudge me forward. I feather the independent brake and have the Dynamics in full eight, and the amps will start to increase, as our speed does as well. At 9 MPH, I set back to 10 lbs, and get a good blow. They are tugging, and as the shoes warm against the wheels, I’ll get a feel on how that set reacts. MP 54.5 High Green, we’re lined through Monument siding. I am able to trim the dynamics against the set. The train will do the majority of the braking, along with the dynamic braking, until around MP 62, at the old Husted siding, or what remains of it. The track will rise a bit, and the train will stall around 27 mph on the release, and in about a mile I’ll make another set. I will also know how we’ll proceed and / or stop at Academy siding.

We are coming into Monument, CO..MP 55 still holding at 25 mph, the train is braking and handling great. Even in this bitter cold, YES, makes my job easier. We round the curve, and start over the Palmer Lake highway overpass, AND where the Apartments are..and the “Mountain Farmer” Garden Center, on the other side of the tracks… There is a windblown drift, maybe 4 to 5 feet tall. I don’t know how long this drift is. There is a crossing about a quarter of a mile south, the Whistle board is hidden in the drift. I start to blow early, because, the trumpets will be choking on the snow, and I’ll lay on the whistle to keep air blowing and attempt to keep ‘em clear. This is a gated crossing, so that is good in its own right.

Well I tell the brakeman, get ready this should be interesting. “Buddha, ya better shut that window, or you’ll be eating some of that snow”. Steve Westfall, was smoking a cigarette, and blowing the smoke out a small cracked open cab window. He was about 5 foot 5 inches, rotund and balding, his age was maybe 47 at the time. That’s why we called him Buddha.

side note.. Unfortunately 2 months after I worked with Steve, he committed suicide. Reasons today I don’t know today. His brother Charlie Westfall was a veteran railroader, working out of La Junta, when he started on the First Sub division, La Junta to Dodge City. He taught music in the Colorado Springs public schools. He came back to the rails in 1978. Hiring back out on the Joint - Line. Charlie retired in 1990, and while I was in management, he died at 72 in 1998. I was told by one of the trainman I worked with while in management.

We hit that drift and snow exploded everywhere. The whistle is clogging, clearing and clogging again, and we can’t see anything. I know we are close to the crossing, and hope I don’t hear that dreaded BANG. I am sure whoever is waiting there for us will get a snow covered shower as we pass. If I was at that crossing, I bet the snow being plowed was a sight to behold. About 100 feet past the crossing the “carnage” clears, and clear vision is back. The whistle is still unclogged, squealing a bit, but working.

The next day, we have an empty back. We approach Monument and the crossing. There is the Apartments and “Mountain Farmer” Garden Center, and that swath we cut was ten feet in height, and about 900 feet long. It was a fun one…

Last updated January 05, 2015