The new ATSF 8000-8100 series Alertors, and Eddie Howard in Tales of the Jointed Track

Well I lied, I said I wasn’t going to write another Eddie story. Well this hit me, and so here it is.

You Santa Fe Engineer’s, regardless of sub-division can relate. A deadman, the Alertors,what can ya say.
The squeal, honk, repeat, a part of our run.

Horror … Blasphemy .... the C-30-7 series, or to be proper class 8000-8100 units have made their way up on the Joint-Line.

Eddie Howard train 594 or maybe 314:

Eddie and crew were called out of La Junta with a Santa Fe C-30-7 on the point. I guess throttle manipulation, and other factors, didn’t cause the Alertor to go off, until between Manzanola and Fowler, CO, it did sound off.

The route here is pretty straight and level, till you near Fowler and there is a good sag here. The train is doing good, no slow or gang orders, clear signals. The train orders say run extra La Junta to NA JCT, so there are no meets on the ABS single track portion of the railroad.

Enter the Alertor. No this is a safety function, to see if you are alive and alert. It monitors speed, throttle use, (power and dynamic),
activity with a whistle or use of the Automatic and Independent brake valves. This was a newer Alertor, not seen or utilized on other Santa Fe
locomotives. It would start with a low whooop- Then Whoop-Whoop Whooopp!!!. Then a light would flash Whoop-Whoop Whoop, then if no acknowledgement, a penalty air brake application would result. Well this is just what happened

The Alertor goes off, now to the crew, this is new and they think there is Emergency Vehicles moving on US Highway 50.

The Firemans window opens up, Eddie goes over as well to see the Emergency Vehicle commotion. They are looking for lights and siren action. Whoop- WHOOOP WHOOOP pstshhhhh, as the penalty application results. No Emergency Vehicles, just that dumb Alertor.

Claymar Motel ( former Downtown Motel) 2000 pm:

I am signing out of my room. The key is given to the desk clerk and ready to head for the yard office. Eddie comes in from his run. “Hey you getting that Santa Fe drag north?” “No, called for a coal empty at 2045 pm”. Eddie relates the tale, we all laugh. “Just be aware, if you get one of these, it isn’t an emergency vehicle”.

No, it isn’t and emergency vehicle, and you may get a Penalty Application. LOL !!!!

Last updated April 11, 2017