BN Trains 93 and 94 Part 2 in Tales of the Jointed Track

I am holding the Denver Engineers Board 8, by choice. Living out on the road, does not appeal to me, at this juncture. We are still short of qualified engineers, on this sub-division still into the late 80’s to early 90’s.

First out, no shoves in sight, but the line up says there is a vacancy on 94. That’s gonna be me. I call the wife and say, sorry Pueblo bound soon. She is almost ready to leave work, and the call, gives us time for the transfer. I have the grip ready, and feeding the kids, when the call for Train 94 comes in for 830 pm.

On report to the yard office, we’re all extra board, but I have worked with them for years. The head brakeman and I get a ride over to Prospect, power is on. We’ll make the air test and pick up the Conductor at the Prospect yard office. The okay on the air is given, and 31st St is called for a route. The operator at Prospect is called, and he lines up the crossovers toward the depot. The yellow colored bulb lantern, gives a Highball to come ahead. We pick the Conductor up on the fly.
I notice that there is no working dynamic, leaving Prospect on the lead. I do a quick look around, something isn’t picking up.

We stop and line the Wye Bridge switch, and that also is our stop for the unmanned crossing at C&S Crossing. Protection is provided by a White rectangle with the word STOP, on each track, in each direction. There are no conflicting movements, and we whistle off. The 31st St yardmaster is called to let them know that the switch is left against the moves out of 31st ST. The junction switch tender, will walk over and re-line it back.

The first pot-signal into the depot shows a yellow, followed by Lunar signals through the sheds. The CTC signal, on the C&S main shows green and we call the Rice Yard Operator. He states he will be out at the West End, and hoop up the orders. The train has two older ex-CB&Q GP-40’s on the lead. They may have been rebuilt into the GP-40M or GP-40E designation out of West Burlington, Iowa Back shop. The trailing tonnage is just under 2800 tons. HPT will be just a little over 2.1.

There is nothing out ahead of us, and a load is following us out of the Depot. We will place a good distance, between them, by the time they get to South Denver. The time out of South Denver is 2230 or 1030 pm. The “Q” should be gone, but if the “Q” train is late out of Big Lift, we will know at MP 15.9, topping Wolhurst Hill.

The signal at Wolhusrt, shows a ‘high green”, and the south switch at Acequia, shows clear as well, which is the next block signal. The train topped Wolhurst at 32 mph, so we should have a two hour run or less, depending what we catch up with. Big Lift, is dark, and no sign of the Q-DVKC in the yard. We blast by at 37 mph. MP 19.3 show a clear signal as well.

The DS calls for the “Q” trains location, and they are just coming into Spruce. Our location is between Castle Rock and Tomah siding. The “Q” is about 15 miles ahead. We tone the DS as well, giving out present Mile Post location and estimated time to Palmer Lake. Running time from here should be close to 40 minutes. We are making about 40 mph on the undulating grade, before Larkspur. We will drop about 10 mph, through the reverse curves between Larkspur and Greenland.

At Greenland a soft glow of a headlight, a northbound coal empty, just over the top at Palmer Lake. At the south end of Spruce, MP 50.5, we see that we are lined over the top.

The train crests the “Lake”, and I set a minimum and stall the train about 21 mph. The dynamics aren’t working, and the lead, is causing problems with the second unit as well. The brakeman walks back and said it isn’t even reving up, like they do, when the dynamic circuits come in. The early locomotives rev to about throttle four, just to keep the excitation up off the Main generator, and the Auxiliary generator. It’s probably in the control stand contact switches. I am not going to worry about it. It is a light train, and I’ll air brake it to the “Springs”. Like the “Q” train, there are trains waiting for us at Academy and Colorado Springs. There is one waiting at Crews, as we take the switch for the southbound main.

I’ll power brake across the flats between Fountain, CO and Bragdon. Down the main and make the crew change with the C&S. The outbound engineer is informed about the dynamic brakes. I made a tag out and hung it on the isolation switch. “Tell your DS about this, so it is logged in. It will get lost in the shuffle between our DS and yours”. Was it done, don’t know.

Last updated July 20, 2015