Train 152 my first run as engineer in Tales of the Jointed Track

I am promoted as a locomotive engineer. I am on the fireman’s pool board. The old heads in Pueblo are all marked up. Vacation time, till December is a couple of months off. It is late October, early November 1974, and depending on how the engineers board is operating, I could get called.

The phone rings about 730 pm one night. There is a Comanche coal train close, so I am being stepped up to work that, as a fireman. They are still operating these with the primitive RCE, radio controlled consists. I am rested, but am surprised when I answered. “Bob, this is Syl, in the crew office. I need ya for 152 for 900 pm, you’re stepped up as engineer, because no one is rested”. “152 ..900 pm. Who’s the crew”. “Schwarz, Kurtz and Hill”. “Okay thanks”. I worked with these guys on my first trip, as a fireman.

I passed the power on the dirt road next to the fuel track. Other than a mix of SD-9’s and switch power, these were the only, four “Big” ones in the roundhouse facility. Looks like SD-45’s and a U-33-C will be 152’s motors tonight. Checking the call slip, I was right.

The door opens, and the head brakeman walks in. It is Ray Hill, and he is a good hand. The whole train crew is great to work with. I sign the register, and look at the engineer, running ahead of me. They were called out about 330 pm, so unless a Rio Grande is or gets out ahead of us, the main line will be totally ours. Ray and I walk out to the power.

While walking through the consist, Ray calls the West-end yard master for permission to come out. As I walk into the cab of the third unit, I hear the radio. “16 double over to 18, I’ll get the Operator to line you out the lead”. We will need the pot signal to make the double over to track 18.

We ease out of the roundhouse lead and stop in front of the West-end yard office.

“Brakeshoe!!, grab these train orders from me”. That was Jimmy Kurtz, the rear brakeman. “I’ll ride back with Ray, and make the double”. “Okay Jim”. Jimmy walks back and checks the route to track 16. Ray backs the consist into the first car. We get the okay from the yardmaster to make the double over. Ray has walked up to the lead unit, after coupling the road power into track 16, and cutting in the air.

The pot signal goes lunar, as soon as we pass Walnut Street. I gave Ray the orders to look at, while we’re making the double over. I’ll look ‘em over, while we’re making the air test. “Shoes!!, gimme 8 to clear”. “Eight cars”. I adjust the speed and set a minimum off the brake valve. A good exhaust. “Four now, two, and stop ‘em 152”. “Switch is lined and we’re lined all the way to 18, shove back ten cars to the joint.” “Shove 10”. The count begins to our coupling. “Gimme five more, two…One and easy, half car and that will do. Stop. Stretch ‘em …and stop. Going in for air”. “Okay, Stop and in for air. Yardmaster, 152 is doubled over”.

The carman calls for a set, when we get 85 lbs on the caboose gauge. We make the air test, and get the okay to leave town. I read the orders while making the air test. All the normal stuff. We have a ATSF (Santa Fe ) Clearance card for the entrance to the CTC at Bragdon, and any orders they have issued for our trip. The Rio Grande (D&RGW) will dispatch us from South Denver to Bragdon. We have the Rio Grande Clearance card and the train orders they issued. Remember we are still Double track ABS Rule 261 territory.

The okay is given by the yardmaster. The Conductor is ready and says to take off. The operator has us lined again off the lead and I ease out at 3 to 5 mph. The Counductor will check the list and Jimmy will remove any handbrakes that may still be applied. “We’re all on. Out at 1035 pm”. The total horsepower is 14,100, with the four locomotives. Our tonnage is 6385 tons. 2.2 HPT (Horsepower per trailing ton). The majority of the train is Coors beer, with a 20 car fill on the rear.
The “soup ticket” was written on the bottom of the first train order.
65 loads-16 mtys-6385 tons.

The climb is uneventful, and we are doing good up the grade. A clear signal at MP 52, the summit at Palmer Lake, beckons two hours and 15 minutes later. We are starting to crest the grade, and ready for the controlled descent. About 20 cars from the top, the throttle is being notched off one position at a time. Balancing the power vs the remaining tonnage, still coming over. A freight this size 10 to 12 mph is a good stall speed. All decision making is on me now. Even now if I did run another ( won’t because I am retired) it would be second nature. I am nervous, but call on what the “old Heads did”. The Gordon Euell first set location off the top, just near or at MP 53. I get the units set up for dynamic braking to assist the air down. Yep, like he said. They are braking good, and the dynamic brakes are trimmed against the tonnage. There is a slow order from MP 59 to MP 59.2, 10 MPH. This had been a problem area for the Rio Grande section. I was able to stall the release, recover, and get through the order.

We made it to Pueblo, and I asked where I roughed them up. A mental note on how to better handle. Its all experience and practice.

A clear signal at Johns Manville old Santa Fe MP 625.5. The yardmaster at Pueblo is called. “Down the main change out in front of the yard office”. The trip nears its end. We change crews and head to motel for rest. The next call will be about 8 to 10 hours later. To be repeated during my 40 years on the rails.

Last updated April 29, 2015