Santa Fe train 424 Leased power in Tales of the Jointed Track

During the early times, with my career on the Santa Fe and the Joint Line, there were business and economic changes . There was a time when I was barely hanging on, as a railroad fireman. I was fortunate and never got cut off. I was called as an engineer, in my early career to operate this train.

Also some parts of the country boomed, and others were in downturn. So, with the Class One Railroads. Some were hanging on, or reorganizing, and some were experiencing massive growth, along with that, power and crew shortages .
Solution ??? , hire more men ( women too ), and lease power from other railroads. Now, some of the leased units were, well let’s say, couldn’t pull me outta bed, with one foot on the floor and the covers thrown back.

It was a late March or early April day. The call was around 1000 am or 1230 pm. Santa Fe train 424 on duty BN 31st Street Yard, and the power was at the roundhouse. It was an overcast day, with low clouds, threatening rain and / or snow depending the elevation.

old Chicago & Northwestern ( C&NW ) SD-45

To preface, the consist was lead unit a CNW SD-45, no radio, no dynamic braking, the second unit was a CN SD-40, followed by a Santa Fe U-23-B. At this time the Conductor had a pack set, with a multichannel capability, for BN, Rio Grande, and Santa Fe. We contacted the yardmaster on the yard speaker, since the units in our consist, that had radios, were locked into one frequency. Our dilemma was told and, and we were told yer going this way. We doubled over made the air test and were ready to leave. I told the Conductor hey give us the pack set, we’ll contact at every station, to conserve battery life.

If something arises, start setting air off the rear end from the caboose valve. I would know, because the “Trainline” air gauge would start to reduce rapidly and the pressure maintaining couldn’t keep up.. We got “time on the mainline”, at the Junction from the 31st St operator, and headed for the depot. The rear end boarded and we went thought the Denver Union Terminal depot limits headed for Rice yard.

We picked up our train orders, looked them over, and were ready to assault the grade. Our only work, was a pick up of rail cars at Colorado Springs. Cars and tonnage I cannot recall, but my guess we were at least 4000 to 5100 tons for the consist. Minimum HPT had to be around 1.7, so 5100 tons would fit in that parameter. Around Sedalia, it started as a light rain, light snow around the Larkspur Palmer Lake area. We reported in to make things were good at all timetable stations..

We called and said we’re lined over the top, and as we crested the grade, we kept the pack set on so we knew when the caboose had reached the summit. Around 11 to 14 mph, I made the first initial set on the train. We were on the automatic brake valve, no Dynamic braking today. Gordon Euell, an old hogger I fired for, taught me air…and a good place for the first set. He had his places, and depending on speed and tonnage… it worked. You may get 3 mph over or 2 under the 25 mph speed limit, but you could ride them out, and play the sags to your advantage.

Was uneventful down to the “Springs”, we made the pick up and set out. I power braked them across the flats. We got our instructions from the yardmaster and yarded the train. Power went to the fuel rack.. We tied up and gave the pack set back to the Conductor, who placed it on the charger for our return trip.

Our Road Foreman at this time was John Saulsbury, he was out of the Texas / Oklahoma area of the Santa Fe. He wasn’t pleased that we came across the subdivision with that consist and no dynamic braking. I was confronted and said..”Hey its the BN, they really don’t care, and they will not concede..period. We are at their mercy”. “We’ll see about that!!” He got a lesson on the screw you Santa Fe people , from the BN and was in no uncertain terms, that this was a BN terminal and we’ll operate as WE see fit and you don’t like it!!!, switch the consist out on the road. Was what it was, and yeah, they thought they were screwing us…lol But they paid the penalty claims .

Funny they didn’t even know, and thought they were clever until Floyd Smith the old C&S Superintendent said, “You think your screwing these Santa Fe men?? ”
” yes.”.big grins..”Well yer not here are the agreements and violations you’re paying for” Was a wake up call, but it didn’t last long. ....
I still remember that trip… what you remember .. or, what stands out

Last updated February 14, 2015