Big Lift Local, NO Power Colorado Springs, CO September2009 in Tales of the Jointed Track

This might have been a Open Diary, dunno.

They took our “Springs Switcher” from us on a Friday, because it was due Federal Inspection. Prior to setting it up for a southbound pick-up, we did our switching. We pulled the “Gazette”,
four unloaded empties, and placed 4 more boxcars of newsprint back in. We spotted and pulled the Lime at Kelker, and they are plugged and full in track 1 and 2. We have 20 more overflow in 4 track. Drennan, we spotted and pulled Silica Sand and the scrap yard.

Monday Morning:
I got up at 500 am, and logged in the mainframe. TRAINBRO (Train Browse) to see what is enroute north and south arrival at Big Lift and Colorado Springs. TURNOVER BIGLIF 11
(Big Lift) , that was a general turnover of track lists for Big Lift, Santa Fe Park, Castle Rock,
Colorado Springs, Kelker, and Track 99 ( LOL the Miscellaneous unknown track). Now do we have a replacement unit. Yeah I looked Sunday, there wasn’t one. Command line: LOCOBRO
(Locomotive Browse) COLSCO (Colorado Springs,CO)..No nothing. AEI (Automated Equipment Inventory), is an online reader for trains. I looked at several M and H symbolled, manifest freights. NO 4 axle units in the consist, or to be set out.

Arriving at Big Lift, a set of SD-70-MAC’s were started for the day. I inspected and logged ‘em out. The Conductor is getting the track bulletins for the BNSF and the UP, for the trip. Also firming up with Savage Industries and Liberty Rail. We’ll use those MAC’s as switchers and maybe????, switch out ACME BRICK at Castle Rock. Well no ACME today. The BNSF DS was called and we inquired about a Springs motor. Response, “Nothing set out for you talk to the Trainmaster”. The Division Trainmaster, we had at this time was pretty worthless. He had three positions, Can’t, Don’t Know, and Blame. We switched out Big Lift, had the pick up in 6506 ( Track 6 ) for the M-PUEDEN to grab. Tied up and went home around 1100 am.

Tuesday Morning:
Same scenario, No Power at the Springs. We usually don’t go down on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but ready to do so, if a motor was set-out. Switch out Big Lift and tie up
at 900 am.

Wednesday Morning:
I log in on the mainframe at 500 am from home. I look at TRNBRO COLSCO N (North) and LOCOBRO COLSCO, still nothing set out. Okay, I know the Lime Contractor has unloaded from the two tracks, and is in shutdown mode. I am sure calls to the Division Trainmaster have been made. Drennan, yeah they need work as well. TURNOVER BIGLI 11 verifies full tracks at 903 and 905 at Colorado Springs Yard. Those are the set out tracks and we have 35 cars there. Most are Lime, 4 sand, 6 DODX Military flats for Ft. Carson, and 3 empty gons for the scrap yard. TRNBRO has some promise D-AMADEN ( Lite Engine Amarillo,TX to Denver,CO) 10 units, a reposition move. I look and see the rear unit OWY 9097 an SD-70. Yeah it is 6 axles, but it will handle. It is due about 1100 am Colorado Springs. BINGO!! I’ll let the Conductor know, and he can talk to Matt Boyd the Division Superintendent and see if we can steal this.

Chris calls Matt Boyd..and says hey we need to steal this unit to switch out Springs, there isn’t a unit still and it is now 5 days without a switch down there. He says he’ll call the Chief and get it set out or we will snatch it if we beat them there, after we switch Big Lift. I am sure the Division Trainmaster got an earful after that. I was and ex-Company officer and so was Chris the Conductor, they hated us, but we kept this job running, and knew our way around the computer.

Big Lift was switched out and into the Van for the DH to Colorado Springs. The DS was called and said he is at Pueblo JCT. “We’ll call them on arrival at the Springs. We’ll help cut it off if we beat them there”. I tell Chris, “I looked at LINQ, there are no problems, but I don’t know if it has a marry-box ( locomotive read out for the ETD ) or a radio. I steal a marry-box and let the Mentor know, with a note under the door. Chris had an extra pack-set radio, so that is our communication.

Colorado Springs Wednesday 1130 am:

We call the DS and the Lite Engine is at Crews. They will meet us on the Main at the Colorado Ave overpass. The train arrives and they are Set and Centered as we attach to cut off the rear unit. We make the cut, set up the head light for the marker on the consist, and separate from them. “Local to the BNSF 4129, Lite Engine, we are detached and cut away. Your head lite is on and set up for the rear marker, Thanks”. “Local detached, Thanks have a good one”. “You too”.

OWY 9097 has no radio, no marry box. It is dirty, but we have a case of water, I’ll take care of the windows in the yard. I’ll walk around it, in the yard as well, and make an inspection. The unit has 4000 gals of fuel, placed on line, head light switch to SINGLE or INTERMEDIATE UNIT. Tone-in to the DS is sent. “DS-16 answering Colorado Springs call”.
“DS, Local OWY 9097, cut away from the Lite Engines, need to make a reverse movement south to Cimmaron X-OVER , and into the siding, to switch Springs yard. We can clear the siding if needed”. “OWY 9097, permission to make reverse move Main to Cimmaron , signal into the siding, you can hold the siding”. Instructions repeated and a request for two line ups for the signal. This is for switching out and making up the train for Kelker and Drennan. The Gazette, has unloaded and released the 4 empty boxcars, but they will stay there, because we can’t take a six-axle up there due to track conditions. Luckily there is no newsprint in the set outs at the Springs.

The marry box is plugged in, and the unit walked for inspection. The crew is walking 903 and we’ll switch that out. There are 3 UP transfers that are lumber those are kicked up to 902 track. We set up the Lime, the DODX flats, then Drennan, the sand empties and the scrap empties.
We grab the remaining lime off of 905 track, and double the overflow to 903, The DS is called, to leave and to line us into Kelker and hold the siding. The UP switch job calls and says they have 4 interchange on hand and are bringing down 3 more from Roswell. Chris says to shove them into 905, we’ll grab ‘em on the return.

Kelker Yard:
I guess the Lime Company was glad to see us was an understatement. Chris called them on the way down, and got the instructions on what was needed. The UP switcher made room for them, and set over our empties to track 4 at Kelker. The amount of lime hoppers along with the Drennan’s and the DODX flats we’ll have to switch from the bottom of the yard, and shove up over the unloader. The Lime Company is notified and he makes sure the unloader boots are removed from both tracks. We will still crawl over if the unit goes into the loader area, due to clearance of the traction motors. This too, applies with a four-axle unit. We pull down and grab over flow lime, with with the lime and the DODX’s, the Drennan’s behind. We shove the 20 overflow lime into track 1. A reverse move and we head down with the loads and the DODX Flats are left in 3 track and we grab the empties off 1 and 2, and shove then up on track 4 to the other empties the UP left. We grab 15 hoppers and shove up to the top of track 4, and cutoff. So we have 15 overflow loads in 4 track with the lime empties. We shove up from the bottom with the remaining Lime and fill 2 track. We spot a hopper for Ramon. They are filled up for now, we’ll see what Thursday or Friday holds. The DODX flats are grabbed and shoved into the “old Rio Grande” side of Kelker yard into track Rio Grande 2 and tied down. The Fort will have their switcher grab them later on after notified that they are there. Onto Drennan.

Drennan Industrial Spur MP 79.8
We grab our empty lime hoppers and the Drennan’s left on the siding. We will shove the hoppers to Drennan and leave them on the mainline. Drennan is about a half mile south of Kelker siding and the yard. We have 4 sand and 2 scrap loads to take back with us, along with the lime empties. The empty scrap 3 gons are dropped into the spur. They clear and we shove up into Silica Sand. The 4 sand loads are set over and the empties spotted. We shove those up the main, bleed ‘em off, and drop them on the lime cars. We switch into the scrap yard and grab the empty gons. The loaded scrap cars are coupled into and shoved up the spur. Back into the yard to spot the gons. Two are shoved over the yard crossing and cut off. The other is spotted on the other side. We grab the scrap gons and since the are behind the unit we’ll double to the cars on the main. We make the air test, call the DS, and say up the siding at Colorado Springs. We get authority to move northward from Drennan to Kelker and then proceed on signal indication.

Colorado Springs Lower East Yard:
Due to the size of our train back, it is easier to shove in from the top end of the yard. Pres will
ride the set out to the clearance point at the bottom of 903 track and tie down at least 5 cars. We will fill that up, and the remainder will go into 905 track. I’ll shove those to Pres he’ll tie down and walk up. Chris has relined the cross-over off the siding. “Shoe, call the DS and report clear”. “Roger, will tone him up”. The Call tone is punched in. “DS-16 on the Colorado Springs call”. “DS, Local OWY 9097, we are physically in the clear at Colorado Springs siding, all switches in the siding are lined and locked into the NORMAL POSITION, the 9097 will be left on the top of Track 905 for a northbound pick up”. “16 … , Local in the clear at Colorado Springs, switches used are lined and locked in the normal position. Unit left in 905 for northbound pick up”. “Correct DS, thanks for your help”. “Do you guys know if you’ll have a unit on Friday?” “Don’t know yet, we’ll check at Big Lift tomorrow and on Friday”. “Okay, DS-16 out”.

We head back to Big Lift in the Van. Before we arrive at Big Lift, the Road Foreman calls us. Chris, did you leave the unit for a Northbound? Well yeah and did all the work, the hammerhead is updated and will upload the laptop at Big Lift. You guys will have a unit for Friday. Well that is good news for all and at least we won’t be further behind. We tie up and will show again tomorrow.

Last updated August 09, 2017