Smoke 'em and other tails in Tales of the Jointed Track

Diesels that idle soup and carbon up. When ya can blow ‘em out… Take advantage …

Pueblo, Co Summer 1980
Was called as the running crew on a light engine. Was 10 BN/C&S unit two cabooses. Was a reposition move. There were two Dead Head crews, plus us the working crew . We had to drop the hacks, to get behind the power. Permission to back down the lead. Past the CTC signals at the south end of the yard. The Conductors calls, “Waiting for orders, DS says occupy the Main, I’ll board in front of the Yard office.. I’ll hand ‘em up” Ya know when they will be a little smokey…LOL when ya give a light throttle ..2 or 3 notch. I yell down to one of the brakeman, “Tell the caboose close ‘em up, cause I am gonna wind em up, and smoke the Yardmasters Tower”.

South Pueblo, high green… 10 mph, get the train orders, pick up the Conductor. I have him at 5 mph, 10 pounds off the brake-pipe. I went straight to 6 throttle, and release the air. These old hogs went and smoke..!!! Right at the yardmasters tower… LOL Windows open and I was told.. “Thanks a lot Shoe!!!” I had ‘em down to 20 and dropping for Canon City Jct .. We rounded the curve… High ball High Green at 29th Street … Onto Denver.!!!

Pueblo,CO another DH…
Another reposition move for the Santa Fe.. 12 units, three cabooses moving tonnage, grain and manifest back south out of Denver. Told to gather the hacks and head up to the transfers. We got authority, to occupy the CTC at transfers . Opened up the switches, and lined back. Well again it is late spring and or early summer. The train crews didn’t shut windows. Okay delayed in block. At the whistle board, toward 29th st.. Yeah Green Highball I am there, and I am smoking Pueblo big time… a mile past 29th St… “Shoe stop, we are choking back here”. We stopped..aired them out…LOL .. well is what it is… and they soup and Smoke…