Corridor Mentor MP 3.8 Main 2 Locked Axle Coal Empty DP Consist. in Tales of the Jointed Track

We are still in the flood re-route mode, during the summer of 2011. Trainman who are promoted engineers, and have gone elsewhere on the system, are being called back. This is not only happening on the Joint-Line, but on the former C&S and BN rosters as well, out of Denver. There are some east crews I do not know period. BNSF has also brought train and engine crews, from the flooded subdivisions, to help fill in.

I am locking the gate at South Denver, after working the two empties staged on Mains 2 and 3. My cell phone goes off, and it is the Brush Sub DS. This is NOT “Steve”, thank God, but the relief. This guy is a good Dispatcher. “Did you hear the empty on Main 2 at 13th Avenue call?” “No, whats the problem?” “He says he shows an alarm on the DP’s, and wonders how close you are?” “I am just leaving South Denver, I can be there in 10 minutes. I’ll call him when I get closer, all I have is a pack set”. “I’ll let ‘em know”.

It is still in the dying stages of the rush hour. The State is also rebuilding the bridges and interchanges near the Santa Fe Drive and I-25, is causing a back up. It takes that 10 minutes or better. I get to the rear end, via the M.O.W road to the south end of Hogan’s Alley siding. The DP’s are about 10 cars north of there.

“Mentor to the engineer, on the empty Main two, around 13th Avenue”. “Empty BNSF 9972” Yes sir Bob out of Big Lift, here to check out the alarm on the DP’s, need ya to set and center for me”. “Thanks, 9972 set and centered for Mentor out of Big Lift”. I board the rearmost unit, and the bell is ringing. I look at the screens on the SD-70 MAC, the computer has flagged a locked up number 3 traction motor. I isolate the unit, silencing the alarm, and call the engineer. “You have a major problem, computer shows a locked number 3 traction motor, I’ll inspect and call mechanical. Tone up the DS and tell him, this most likely will have to be set out’‘. “Okay, thanks”. The DS tone-in call, fills the radio, I be able to monitor.

A BNSF SD70MAC

I hear, “Shoe, Hot Rail Main 1, we’re coming over 13th”. “Okay Tom, I’ll start on the other side and wait for you to pass”. I get over to the other side, and notice a faint electrical smell, and motor cooling air outlets, show a little blockage. Something has let loose on the armature, and it is not rotating. I’ll check the other side when the train clears. I look at the wheel set, there are signs of sliding, breaking free, small flat spots. Okay that’s not good. The southbound passes, and the traction motor on the other side shows the same thing. Looks like the string band on the armature has worked or burned off and now jamming the rotation. The Chief calls and wants an update, he is told and I let him know, what options are available. My boss calls and is updated and mechanical is next.

An EMD AC traction motor, with out the pinon gear, suspension bearing assembly, and wheel set installed.

An EMD DC traction motor, to show the difference, between the two.

A used EMD DC motor with pinon gear attached. You can see the traction motor leads. The big square is when the traction motor blower bellows attaches. This provides for cooling air to circulate through the motor. The odd shaped entryway just below is the access panel to the armature brushes. You can see the suspension bearing oil reservoirs. The wheel set and suspension bearings are removed.

Ft Worth mechanical desk is called and told what was found, they say set the locomotive out. Now the “brain trust” at 31st st is getting into the mix. The Terminal Manager and the Terminal Superintendent are adamant that they’ll drag it into 31st St. Okay, LOL, that’s 3.5 miles away and numerous CTC switches and cross-overs. The roundhouse sends over an electrician and a machinist. They call and say “Hey he’s right!! It is really locked up, you can’t drag it to 31st Street”.

The terminal is adamant that this is going to move. “I politely tell them, this on your authority, and not mine. Your worried about a blocked main, wait and see when this goes on the ground, you’ll have a lot more hell to pay”. “We’re sending out the Terminal Trainmaster and the Road Foreman”. I leave Larry a voice-mail, “You better pull out all the stops, and squash this drag it in plan. Terminal madness is taking over”.

I tell the Electrician and the Machinist, be on your best behavior, they are on the way out. The Trainmaster and Road Foreman show up. “They are set and centered up there, and I am attached, you can piggy back off me”. I get THE LOOK. The quick glance and I think we can move it okay from both of these jokers. They were probably told by the terminal manager to expedite this period. I told them sternly, “You do what you think. If this goes in the toilet, I don’t want to hear that the mentor said, and the electrician said, the machinist said, because all three of us are in agreement. The motor is coming unwound and the string bands are preventing rotation”.

Saved by the bell. The Trainmaster’s phone rings, and it is Larry. He was told to listen to me and the mechanical people on site. Oh, that is a blow, that the great unwashed are right. I am handed the phone. “Do what you need to do. I’ll pay time slips to the crews, involved, if needed”. “Okay, will place it into that old spur, where the old 3rd Avenue crossover was. That old boxcar is in there, but we can get it clear of Hogan’s and into the spur. They have room to get equipment in there, and get the motor out and an idler in”. “Good call me, after you get the Chief and DS taken care of”. “Will do”.

I give the phone back, and brief everyone on the plan of attack. “I am going to cut this motor away, and set the Link up for a rear end marker. These guys can’t help due to their rules. They can aid as needed getting it into the spur”. Long faces, again. Boo Hoo :( :(..

I have already walked the Link, while supervision was on the way. The other motor has the air cut in, and the computer screen accessed to cut the Number One truck out. This will restrict any current from getting into the offending motor. The Number Two truck, will be our source of propulsion, three AC traction motors will get this to where it is needed. “BNSF 9972 the other unit is cut away, your Link has the headlight on for the marker. Card is signed, I’ll take care of logging it in, water is good no other exceptions noted and 1500 gallons of fuel. Mentor is physically clear and detached. Take off when you are ready”. “Mentor is clear and detached, Thanks for your help”. They tone up the DS and head for 31st ST and onto Sterling.

The Road Foreman will be my brakeman. The mechanical people will walk the unit. The Trainmaster will handle the switches. We start to make the moves needed to get this in the clear. It takes throttle 3 to four, along with a little independent to trim. I get a back up from the Road Foreman. The offending motor is sliding and crunching. The fiberglass wafers are breaking and making noise. Wisdom from the Road Foreman “I still think we could have drug it in”. “Well we’re not in the clear yet”. Yeah we just get off the main and this locks up, like really locks up. We place a little oil to ease the pain and clear Hogans siding and the main. The DS is called to say that Main 2 and Hogans are lined back all switches lined and locked. I call the Chief, and Larry. The Mechanical guys blue flag the unit. They do their inspections to report in. I have the Automatic in full service and independent full applied. I wind the handbrake. Mechanical has chunked the wheels to also prevent movement. An Out of Service tag is made out and placed on the isolation switch. The unit is isolated, and the diesel is shut down. “Our” Supervision stomp off back to the car, and call the Terminal manager. They take off a few minutes later.

I finished up my rounds, and started my reports. I was told to report to Larry, in his office first. He was filled in on what was going on during the ordeal. He was grateful that I stood my ground, and they would discuss the incident further. They changed the Number 3 traction motor out, and placed an idler in. It was picked up, and sent back to Alliance, NE for a new traction motor.

Last updated November 17, 2015