What you hit with trains. Besides crossing accidents. Part 3 in Tales of the Jointed Track

Who has Cottonwood trees. I had one on the home site I still dwell on, and had to have it removed. The get big and they rot and get weak. Heaven help you when they start to fall. They are on the running and park trails here, because they like water. Their downfall is they get big quick..and they cannot support the infrastructure so to speak.

Wilson Road Rio Grande mainline MP 90.7 400 am

There was a bank of Cottonwood trees due east of the mainline. There also was some ditches for the farmer / rancher parcels along the mainline. During the summer, the trains “trimmed” the branches. was like a quasi tunnel passing through. It is late fall, still some leaves, but a hard frost. Then a rain, and freezing temperatures. Water has gotten into the cracks and stripped bark. It expands and well the weakness has stressed the wood. One falls over the mainline, during the night hours. The trunk has broken off in several places, and the bulk is over the west side. It took down the right of way fencing, so the property owner will be calling the Rio Grande.

A coal empty, and we are leading the pack. There are five more behind me. BN is fleeting north and the Santa Fe DS’s are handling the load. We are making good time. We have been doing 58 mph across the flats, no slow orders and could be a good 5 hour run home.

Its a dark night no moon, and we are approaching Wilson Road. The signal at 95.3 is green and the signal past Wilson Road, MP 90.3 just activated and is clear as well. I throttle down, because Wilson Road is 40 mph and then the crossings through Fountain, CO is 35 mph. I’ll let ‘em drift a bit.

Like the spike kegs, now something looms out of the darkness. Yeah it is a fallen Cottonwood. I can place it in emergency, we’ll still hit it at 30 mph.. I start a controlled brake, before I plug ‘em…that should keep us together, fingers crossed.

I tell the head brakeman, get ready to hit the floor if need. We hit at 38 mph and scatter wood, followed by an emergency application of the air. The tree remains have separated the air hoses between the second and third and the fourth and the fifth locomotives in the consist. We’re on the rail, but they need to walk back to see what else has happened.

I call the rear end, “Here’s the release, head man is walking back”. “Okay we’ll start up as well”. The head brakeman tells me that he is going in for air, and re-couples the air hoses, and cuts the train line back in. The rear end, during this time, is about 25 to 30 cars up from the caboose. “The retainers are starting to sneeze back here. Brakes releasing, still heading up”. “Okay I’ll let ya know, when we are good up here”.

Well the fleet has caught up and the calls are coming to us and to the other trains. “Let us know Shoe, when ya start rolling”. They will stage to keep clear of any road crossings that might be affected. The DS has asked for an update an the information is related. “I have two at the Springs, I am lining them through”. “Rodger, will let you know when we are rolling again. Might call the Rio Grande, to see about this tree, most is scattered, but over some fences”. “Yeah Okay, safe to get trains around it?” “Yes, they will clear with no problems”. “DS La Junta out”.

The head brakeman is 10 cars past the impact. “All on the rail, debris in the center, but nothing fouling. All on the rail, starting back up”. “Conductor to BN 6984, were still heading up, let us know when you’re ready to pull”. “Will do”.

The head man get up on the head end. “6984 ready to pull”. “Okay still clear we are 10 from the tree, will board or stop you there”. “Okay understood”.

We pull up and are asked to stop. The Conductor and rear Brakeman remove a few large, but can safely handle chunks from the center of the rails. This will prevent a following train from tripping an air hose and going into emergency. “6984 all aboard highball”. “Highball”. “Rolling” Trains are notified behind us.

The plow is bent a little, but is still safe to move the locomotive. A torch and a come-along will get it and a couple of grab irons back to normal. *36 is the call in, and the return call tone is received. “DS La Junta”. “6984 is on the move, mainline is safe to let other trains by”. “Rodger, signal indication”. “Understood signal indication, 6984 out”.

Another trip ..and too many more to follow. Thanks for reading.