Extra South BN U-30-C's 1976 in Tales of the Jointed Track

It is a waning late winter or an early spring. We had a good size storm, but most was due south of the Denver Metro. It was on the route I worked. I was holding a regular pool turn, I am still a young runner, like 24 years of age. I am still working with trainman that are 30-40 to fifty years older than me. So I will be the one under scrutiny. I can understand that, you want to make them know you know yer stuff. I took a while, but I proved myself, and I was given “acceptance”.

When I got promoted, I was the youngest on the former Santa Fe to be an engineer. I was 21, and turned 22 in August of ‘74. I got a regular run at 24, which was unheard of. But people were retiring at a rapid rate, and coal, grain, and manifest business, was growing. The BN was doing well, and the Santa Fe too.

Extra South 800 am call snowing:

Denver metro in rush hour, is bad enough. Add a little snow and time for an alternate route to Rice Yard. I left shortly after call, and knew a Mexican place that served breakfast burritos and whatever you wanted. I grabbed two burritos, meat, cheese and green chili. Onto Rice Yard, down the dirt road, past the fuel tracks. Three U-30-C’s older 5300 series BN’s. Some goats waiting crews to come on, and 4 SD-9’s for the 800 am Beer run.

Looking at the call slip and signing the register, yep those three U-30-C’s are our assigned power. The crew was Dave Bradford, Conductor, Edgar Motley, Rear Brakeman, George Harrower, Head Brakeman. George shows up soon thereafter, and we head for the power. Now George has seniority as a Conductor. He could be my dad. He could hold a regular pool turn as Conductor, but doesn’t want it. I like George, he’s old school, and a good rail.

A call to the yardmaster, and permission to come out. “Double 15 to 18 call the carmen”. Ed is walking the tracks, making a list that the Conductor will match the waybills with. We’re a drag, Dave meets us out with the train orders, and boards on the fly, after George gets off. Dave Bradford is in his mid to late 60’s. The railroad is his life, old scool and he’s a good rail as well. Train orders are delivered and the familiar “soup ticket” on the first page.

55 loads - 25 mtys - 80 cars NO ORE 5200 tons. Dave tells me the caboose is dead, meaning the batteries are shot. The red marker may or may not come on. We have a rule that covers, a red flag in the knuckle, and if needed a lantern in the grab iron if its dark. He’ll grab a fresh lantern battery if needed. I am also told that there is no radio communication. It may work or it may not. Yep life on the rails, but we can make it work. Dave told me, if you stop out on the road, he’ll walk up. They have a caboose valve, if needed, I’ll know if that is utilized. “The Operator at Rice yard, will stop you as needed, and tell you when we’re on”. Well not the first time, working on hand signals, and won’t be the last. Well, it doesn’t work, the radio, but it is what it is. We all have been out here, and know what needs to occur.

I get the okay from the carman, and the West end yardmaster, tells me to take off. He also states that he and/or the operator will let me know when the rear end is on. I pull out, at a standard 3 to 5 mph, it is slower than usual, but there is snow and ice. Ed took off most of the handbrakes, when he walked the tracks, prior to the double over. “Tex” Seale, the yardmaster on the west end,calls and says the rear end is on the caboose. The caboose we had, and never did display any electrical function. The generator was bad, and it was to be used as a yard transfer hack. Our pals at the BN sent it over. An older worn out caboose, wooden oak floor, with a stove. Friction bearings and the bare essentials. It is faded and seen better days. This was a surprise extra, and hey its a rear end marker. The side metal flag markers were placed, as well as a RED Flag in the knuckle, in the drwbar.

By rule this is legal. Today, this would be an uproar, but that’s how you railroaded. That’s how you knew and understood the rules by actual use, and it hammered it home.

Rule 19 ATSF Railway 1966 Operating Department:

The following signals will be displayed to the rear of every train, as markers, to indicate the rear of the train.
(a) A single RED light of prescribed type, illuminated day and night; or,
(b) Marker lamps by day, not lighted, and by night lighted displaying RED to the rear.
(c) A train not equipped to display the above prescribed signals will display to the rear a red flag by day and a light by night.

This rule was amended as above January 1967

GCOR (General Code of Operating Rules) now prescribes a Highly visible marker. That is an ETD (End of Train Device) or a dimmed head light (Helper or DP). This is modified to state a Bad Order car, a white light and/or a red flag.

Well you are thinking, or maybe not, what did they do in the steam days? Good question and here is the answer. There were Five people on the crew. Engineer Fireman, Head Brakeman, Swing Brakeman, Conductor, Rear Brakeman. Train length, 2500 feet, was a big one. Then tonnage and car count got bigger, the transition to diesel locomotives, all changed the landscape.

They passed signals by hand, (day) and light, by night, and all were positioned, and all knew the work and moves involved. The railroads are slowly whittling away, the crews, and work rules. The Unions are in bed as well, some work rule changes are good, some are not. Hot Box detectors and their placement as well, will take away a Caboose. It is easier to UPS and or train some extra ETD’s, then have to Dead head extra Cabooses to a terminal. Yes the former Santa Fe, now BNSF, will FLY to terminals, ETD’s . Cost of doing business, and a new era.

Okay, before I write a volume against a volume..The trip proceeds.

I have been working long enough, so I have a good idea, where the rear end is, and if unsure, I’ll go 2500 feet more. These three U-30’s are a strong bunch, they look like 100 miles of bad road, but mechanically they are a strong set of runners.

It’s a heavy wet snow. There is slush, along the old highway 85 or South Santa Fe Drive. It gets heavier as we head south. Around the Larkspur area, we hit two guns, (GUNS…torpedoes as a warning for a flag, unannounced). I know that this could be a section patrol under a line up, and we have shown up quicker than they thought. They have a “Pop Car”, and running under line up, and “their special” way side signals that are for them and not “us” the trains. The block signals are our operating authority. They are protecting themselves, and getting into the clear. They will bail off around the house track, or south siding switch at Larkspur.

A gun or Torpedo..this rule doesn’t exist anymore.

Rio Grande Pop Car… a Fairmount speeder…Santa Fe had them as well. an example.

Getting to the main road crossing at Larkspur, there is a fusee and a red flag, held by a flagman. Yep, who knew, and they were sweeping out switches, and under rule, they did what was proper. We got the highball, when they were clear, and again, we are on the way. Five minutes have transpired, and old “Brad” is on the way up in deep snow. I whistle off, Four Longs, calling in the flag for West and South. The whistle signals resound off the surrounding buttes, Dave had to hear that.

We take off, at a 5 mph pace, plus the delayed in block rule. I get to about 4 cars from the next block signal, and tell George, “I think Dave should be on by now, if not Ed will pull the air”. “Yeah, I’d go for it, he has to be on”. I widen on em. the U-30’s take off and are walking the tonnage. We find out later Dave was about 2 cars away, he made the hack, but it was faster than he thought.

We get to Pueblo, and I am told, “Well ya did good, Larkspur was a tough board. I said, “We went a train length, George and I discussed it”. Ed Motley the rear man says, “Well, I guess you two misfigured”. I was about to unload on him, like where the fuck were you, when we started to move. And there is a caboose valve, if needed. Well George, his father-in-law unloaded on him with the same question. That shut him off pretty quick. I told Dave, well at train length, and I didn’t think these old U-Boats would accelerate the tonnage like they did. He said he was surprised as well.

I gave him the 29th Street arrival time and we tied up. Ready to do another one after our rest. George continued to give Ed, an earful.

Last updated August 10, 2016