PAM the Night BNSF 31st ST Yardmaster in Tales of the Jointed Track

Pam worked the “Third Trick” or the 2300 to 0700 shift as a yardmaster. She basically did as instructed. She retired about 6 months before I did. She led a hard life, was divorced, and worked the night shift, to help out her family.

I was on duty for the DENPUE, the regular Conductor and brakeman marked off the trip. They were short of crews, and just called a Conductor to protect the assignment. Mike Solano is my Conductor. I like Mike and we work well together. He was the guy that called me Number 1, when I was number 1 on the seniority roster. Mike is a promoted Locomotive Engineer, but couldn’t hold at the time.

Denver 31st Street 0245 am:

Mike is gathering the paperwork. Making sure we have the track bulletins required for the BNSF and the Union Pacific. “Mike, were over tonnage out of here”. “Okay I’ll call upstairs”. We had a former BN SD-40-2 and a former Santa Fe GP-60-B.

The power is on, we are on track one, and the pocket of one. We don’t usually leave on this track, because the former BN has designated arrival and departure tracks. They deviate, only when they are compromised, or losing crews to hours of service. They are not flexible, unless its about to be broken off in em. Being here, this is a big train, and we’re about a Coal Load train length.

I tell Mike I’ll go out and make the air test, and work on ‘em. I walk the power, and make the air test after the car man is contacted. I tell Pam, we’re still way over tonnage. “The Trainmaster says, “you’re reducing at Big Lift” “Great Pam, tell the Trainmaster, when we sew up the main to double into Big Lift, how he feels when the NOC will bite on ‘em”. “You’re going period”. “Right on, and with pleasure…plus I have a special claim already, without a brakeman… per BID and schedule rules, both way over the road. Bring it on”. “You have permission on the south lead out of town”. BN arrogance, the TERMINAL, and the NOC doesn’t stand up to them.

Mike asks me what I think. I tell him lets see what South Denver holds. I’ll let ‘em ramble through Littleton, that may buy us a few more MPH, but we’ll see. At South Denver, RED over GREEN and lined up Main 1, throttle 7 at 30 mph. At Evans Avenue MP 6.3, wide open 33 mph. Englewood cross overs, MP 8.7 flashing yellow, and DS-16 is toned up. He is told we have a warrant with the UP, to the “Lake” and before we take the signal, it goes Clear, (Green). MP 10.3 is Clear, and wide open, at 34 mph, we’ll drop down and gain 2 or 3 mph, but will lose it as we come out of the depression. Littleton MP 12.3 (End of CTC) and lined onto Main 1, 27 mph and dropping. It will drop down to about MP 13.2, then its upgrade till MP 16.1, we’re on the Wolhurst Hill, I have written about where the Loads call us for inspection of the DP. MP 14.3 the signal past the Highway 85 bridge, wide open and 16 mph and dropping. Blakeland is an old Rio Grande Spur, with a few industries, just before the signal at MP 15.7, and we are at 8 mph and dropping. They are going into the red, which is short time ratings.

Mike asks, “What do ya think”? “Well, I am not going to tear ‘em in two, but I ain’t gonna rawhide ya either. Let me feather ‘em, if I have to, if I can get 20 cars past MP 16.1, we’ll tie down at the crossing at Acequia, and make our set out for Big Lift”.

MP 16.1 we are wide open, sand on, an a wild out of control 4 mph. I should drop a notch, but if they are gonna snap well, so be it. Ten cars past, I drop to throttle 7, and will stay there and watch the speed recorder. Every car we get past, is a victory. The smell of overheated traction motors is evident, but speed is building. We get down to Acequia. I drop Mike off and pull thirty more cars. The call for a stop is made. Mike ties about 20 handbrakes, we make the release and they hold. The Big Lift cut is made, and we proceed to the switch. Mike unlocks the main and unlocks the derail.

“Shoe, you worked this local, how should we fill the tracks?” “Is 6 clear?’‘ “Yes”. “Ride that to the clearance point . Then fill 4, to clear, overflow to 5 track. Is three locked out?” “Yes” “Well place on top of the unit on 7, if needed and Jimmy will have to work it out.” “Okay”.

Jimmy Kurtz wasn’t to pleased, when he got there. We didn’t tie him up to bad.
We flagged back to the train, knocked off the handbrakes, and up the hill we went. We dragged, over the top, Springs pick up and set out . Yard the train and tie up.