Frank and the Rules Exam Mid 1975. in Tales of the Jointed Track

I got called again with Frank for a Coal Load for the Comanche Power Plant in Pueblo, CO. It was a late evening run, and I think our call time was for 1000 or 1030 pm. Like the grain extra’s, a BN switch crew brought it over from 31st ST, down the main, trade off crews and leave town. The train crew was Bill Swarz, Jimmy Kurtz and Ray Hill. Frank says “Take ‘em Kid if ya want, I’m beat”. “No problem I got in at 600 am so I’ve been asleep most the day”. We had the Red over Lunar, showing we were crossing over to the southbound main at Walnut Street. Frank pipes up again and says, “Hey did ya hear we have to take the Book of Rules every year now?”. I nodded that I did. “Ya know I haven’t taken a rules test, since I took promotion with the Santa Fe 35 years ago. So you’ll be getting a notch in seniority”. Ray and I laughed, I said “You’ll do fine, It’s not like they are handing out the test and tell ya to go after it. They will have a class over the rules they are going over, then ya take the test”.

There were 5 units in the head end consist, we had were a mixture of U-30-C’s and SD-40-2’s as well in the remote consist had 3 units ( RCE’s) spliced in about 75 deep. The first two units were both headed south, so it was nose to tail. Frank puts on his coat and says “Hey, I’ll walk this head end, then settle in the second unit and read this F’in rule book”.

The rear end has changed crews, and about that time, Frank calls and says they’re all loading up. I see the cab light go on, and Frank settles in behind the control stand of the second unit. All the way up the hill, I could see Frank reading the rule book, or head down on his chest dozing off. Ray and I laughed, hey the guy is mid to late 60’s, we’re young, promoted and alert…ready to go.

About 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours after we left Denver, we see the signal at MP 50.5, its green and were lined into the CTC at Palmer Lake at MP 52. I call the rear end and tell ‘em we’re going over. We crest the grade, trains all on the downhill side, and have the dynamics on and the first set, ( a minimum reduction ) under the train. The head end had the dynamic brakes on full and working along with the train air. The remote consist is being trimmed as needed to balance the grade. We’re 128 cars 16,890 tons.

We were lined through Monument, and I blew for Baptist Road, just south of the Monument siding. The second unit cab light winks out, and I see a flashlight coming up the catwalk. I told Ray well Frank is on the way up. The cab door opens and there is Frank. We turn on the lights and he gets rid of his coat and plops into the fireman’s seat. Ray says ” How was the Book of Rules”. Well there was a burst of profanity..lol “That was the most boring S.O.B. I have ever read in my life.” “How far did ya get?”, I asked. “I never made it past page three”. We broke out in hard laughter at his expense. He was frustrated. Yes Frank took the rules class and the test and passed it… lol PAGE THREE !!! Got to love it ....Harrrrrrrr..