Barry Offerson..Santa Fe Engineer in Tales of the Jointed Track

Again what can I write about Barry and not be banned. Barry was a free spirit, and it took him a second try to get promoted, but he turned out to be a pretty good engineer.

Train 594.. Pueblo, CO 1978

We got called for train 594, and I am coming down with the flu, and big time. A 0100 am call, and I feel like warmed over death . Barry is firing for me this turn. Barry is on this second attempt. I tell the head brakeman and Barry, I’ll be in the second unit, barfing and other bodily functions. “Barry, you need to get this over the road, I’ll help as I can, I don’t want infect the crew”. He told me he would do that.

We leave Pueblo Yard, damn I am so sick. Sick, barfing, and an old GP-20 and me got to be real good friends. I hear the head end say, “We’re heading in at Kelker, for a meet”. We will fit here, and I am the backseat driver. The Caboose reports they are clear of the mainline, I monitor where we are at. I feel so bad, and this GP-20 is no nurse. We get close and I tell Barry “Stop ‘em when ya can, when ya see the signal”. “Will do” ,was the reply, and we stopped, like 30 cars short. I apologized for that upon tie up. The work at the Springs, was completed, and we are on toward Denver. Barry delivers, and does good. I have faith in Barry, and he proved it over the years until he retired before me.

Denver 31st Yard Office Barry and a former BN Road foreman

We are still despised. We’re Santa Fe and the BN has all the answers, and still dysfunctional. All the yard problems are Santa Fe, all problems..yep. Wonder why people, good rails bump over here, and work south? They can’t stand the BN Operation. Yes we have newer people hiring on, and our problems, but Denver, under the BN has never changed.

I have dealt with this guy at the NOC, doing power, and he flits back and forth. I think he gets ushered out the door. Amarillo area, now back in Denver. This is a Company officer, you wonder why, he’s still there. Politics mostly, and “someone likes him” . It’s a sad state, and there are people that know of me and have read here, my position. The men aren’t always right and the Company is not always right. I have held that true to myself either working as a scheduled engineer, as a union officer , and a Company officer. Logic and getting the facts plays a big important part.

The BN has been finalling, and calling trains south 15 minutes apart. There are crews called south, some who have been at the terminal going on 5 hours. Reality sets in, and the Terminal knows that they are going to lose most of these crews to hours of service. The NOC are on ‘em, the crews are on ‘em, and NOW!!, they are taking action.

It is August and going on 200 pm, and it is 90 plus, and a clear sky. The Road Foreman comes in and tells the first 3 crews, wait out on the coal tracks, your trains are coming in from Irondale. That goes over well, no shade no water, and just stand out there on display, because its a crisis now. Irondale is a good 20 miles away, and on railroad time a good 40 to 45 minutes.

The crew stages outside, but this guy is going to exert his authority. It goes nowhere, and he knows he is wrong and being stupid, but isn’t going to back down. The crews tell him, hey if we can stand out there no water no shade, why don’t you come with us. We’ll all be miserable together, especially now after we’ve been on duty, because the dispatchers and the terminal can’t get it together. He’s losing, and is flustered. So he starts picking out certain people, he thinks he can bully. He chooses Barry. Oh a wrong choice…LOL

Now Barry is clean cut, smokes, and has a couple of teeth missing. He takes out the bridge when he doesn’t need em. The Road Foreman says “You a south crew?” Barry says “NO..I am a Renzenburger contract driver for crews”.

Renzenburger shuttles crews within the terminal or provide Dead Head or Hours of Service transportation.

Barry has a cigarette going, and its placed in the gap, and he pulls this off. The crews get a good laugh. Headlight of the first one is spotted mid yard and they are out there, crew change, a quick walk through and they are on the way.

Two weeks later there is a Terminal Safety Blitz meeting. Again crews are called early to attend . Barry is part of this. This same Road Foreman is there at the meeting. He spots Barry, and stares intently. The meeting is over, and the Road foreman stops Barry and says why is Renzenberger in this meeting. Barry tells him, “I just hired out for BNSF in engine service, I’m, training”.

Lol duh..... I can see this in my mind, even though I am not there…

Denver Terminal … Train DENAMA..and the “new Train master”

Everybody has to start somewhere. When I hired out with the Santa Fe, Train masters, and Road Foremen came out of the ranks. Why? because you had the basics, and knew why problems were problems, or someone was trying to pull a stunt. Now in the “politically correct” world of Corporate management, they come right out of college. Now, before I get barraged with there is nothing wrong with college, education and the like, let me clarify my position.

The railroad, regardless of Company, is a different type of business. There is big equipment, operating rules, schedules, and a twenty four hour, 365 day proposition. You don’t learn it over night, and if your sharp you still continue to learn, till you retire, or leave the railroad, you see the operation for what it actually is. Even though I started young and was running freights at 21 years of age, I still wasn’t comfortable, until I had a good 2 years running under my belt.

Why is a locomotive bad order? Why does a train fail to get air pressure? It stalled on the grade, power problems or over the tonnage rating? Track, crew, power issues, I could go on and on. So one day your on stage getting your diploma, and the next your a trainmaster, supervising crews, and most that have been railroading longer than you and while you were still shitting your pants.

Back to the story. Barry got called for the Denver-Amarillo. This is a drag freight, and the hostlers brought out the power from the house and placed it on the train. These were a bunch of SD-40-2’s, and knowing the Denver roundhouse, it got the pressured once over, fueled and sent back out.

The crew walks out to the head end, most likely there is a double over, before the air test is made. Well the lead unit has problems, it is a former BN SD-40-2, with a tagged bad order speed recorder and the toilet reeks. First problem, this unit was not to lead out of a terminal where repairs can be made, that’s an FRA rule and a BNSF rule. A smelling toilet out of the house, laziness, they have the facility to discharge and recharge the toilet. When its hot these really reek, like a poorly maintained park toilet or a portable.

Barry calls and lets the yard know. Okay well ya need to make the double-over. Okay and they do that. There are Bad Order cars to throw out, before the air test begins. Barry says we need to address this speed recorder and the toilet. Okay, what don’t they get or it’s falling on deaf ears.

Barry stands his ground and the terminal sends the sacrificial lamb out, a new hire trainmaster. The train master boards, and watches the speed recorder as they start tossing bad orders out. The needle bounces then goes to 80 mph then flat lines at zero. Its a gear or signal to the speedometer box that is not making a circuit. It could be in the housing or on the axle driver or the over wiring itself. “It looks good to me the new train master exclaims”. I’m sure it does, he clearly doesn’t know. Barry tells him about the rule…Blank Deer in the headlights look. Then the toilet issue is addressed. “Smells okay to me” lol really. Barry says to him, “Ya had lunch yet?” “No, I’m going after you leave town”. The set up… Barry says “Why don’t you order lunch, and it’s on me. Anything you want, and if you can eat it in this cab, and not throw it up, I’ll leave town”. I think we better take the power back to the house was the reply. Again I laugh, been there done that as well.

Sad note: Barry retired about 6 years before me. He has developed COPD and is on oxygen. He comes to the luncheons when he is able. I’d like to see Barry again.

Thanks for reading.

Last updated January 07, 2015