The Local, the Rainstorm, and the stall in Tales of the Jointed Track

It had been a while since I have last written.

I was working the Big Lift / Colorado Springs local in the early 80’s . It is an early spring morning. It had rained most of the night. We finished up, getting the morning “Q” Train on its way, and had to finish up a little garbage, that wasn’t picked up. So our GP-38, four empty auto rack cars, five empty plastic hoppers and 2 cars for Acme Brick at Castle Rock, CO. This old dog will handle it well, we’ll set out and spot at Acme Brick, and pull any released loads or empties, then to the Springs. We’ll set out all these cars and pick up our switch list, here off of 903 track, and work the industries, or will we?

Remember, I said it had been raining. Okay rain doesn’t affect the railroad, unless in a flooding or washout condition. Well rainwater, did us in and this was the reason. The air filters on a GP-38 sit just behind the cab, and there are two banks per side. There is a metal panel that bridges and seals the unit at the top. It was warped, and allowed a bunch of water to pool, so when we headed southward to Castle Rock and the “Springs”, it was gonna bring us down.

We had our regular addressed train order Run Extra MP 19 to Palmer Lake. We wouldn’t be leeching on the “Q” due to our work. Pulling out Billy Ray would line back, and we’d shove back 11 and pick up the remainder of the crew. Off we go, HIGH Green signal and off to Castle Rock. At Louviers, CO throttle 6 and at track speed at 45 mph. I’ll throttle off, and set for the 35 curves at MP 21.7, I get a little shosh, and watch some water get sucked into the air filters.. Okay hopefully it won’t breach. At 23.3 elevated curves left and right and into Sedalia, CO I see a bunch of water get sucked in. I told Tim Bryant our Conductor, I think we may get screwed here. Well in Tim great knowledge, “You run this engine, I’ll worry about the rest”. Yeah, you will if we ground out..You can figure it out Tim, cause you know so much.

At the main road crossing Manhardt Street, the amp gauge is fluctuating, should be holding steady here, and losing a little speed. Into Orsa, CO at MP 710, now MP 29.4 BANG bell ringing Ground relay.. well by the time its Isolated and hit the reset, throttle at idle, we lost 10 mph. Okay back on line and we are at 25 mph, from 35 mph. Back on em, I know this doll is gonna lay down on me again. Just past the south switch at Orsa, the bell rings again, ground relay. Yep, the traction motor blowers, along with the supercharging roots blowers for the diesel, have sucked excess water. I give Tim that glace of a told ya so look.

Coming into MP 703.9 now MP 30.1, we get hit again, and it wont reset. We are at 30 mph, but the grade will overtake and we’ll stall.
Okay Tim, as the brake valve is exhausting. “I’ll try to dry this out… but you better get a plan going.. remember I’ll run the engine and you do the thinking”. LOL Silence, God I love when I can shut this guy down.

We stall just before Wolfensburger Road crossing. The unit is in a centered condition, with a throttle 4 to induct air into the blowers.. I think we are done, too wet, it will eventually dry out, but not now.

The station agent arrives, like he is going to do something. Jim McDonald couldn’t fix a sandwich. “Mechanical says, try to place it in neutral and throttle four” LOL “Okay Jim we have been there for 30 minutes”. Silence.

Radio “BN 6348 to the local”. “Local” “We are flagging in, are you at Castle Rock, switching?” Bill Bibee was the hogger on an extra south. “No Bill, stalled with ground relay, you may have to shove us up above, the south switch, and let us drift into the clear”. Okay, Tim and the Station Agent can work this out. The 6348 was a freight, so they cut off and shoved us, and they, or should I say “we”, used their power, and switched out Acme Brick. They took the ACME loads, and the rest of our train, and the grounded GP-38 and went to Pueblo. The Station Agent took us back to Big Lift, where we tied up, and went home. Springs, will be switched another day.

A Santa Fe GP-38

Last updated August 08, 2016