E-DONBTM Evans Avenue, DP problems August 2011 in Tales of the Jointed Track

A hot August, they are still rerouting trains, loaded and empty, certain freights, through Denver. If the freight power, needs fuel, the power may come to the house, or be fueled, by a contract vendor to make the next facility.

Denver is like “Mecca” in their minds, we are here, but we serve who we deem worthy. Denver has always been dysfunctional, and continues to be so to this day. Like Fresno, CA , I have written about, they are a “can’t do or perform terminal”.

They really don’t screw with me, but if I tell them of a major and it has to be addressed problem, they pay attention. More, so, after I mentioned, wrote a wire, and spoke by phone, and they ran it through. It took a major dump out east of Denver and really plugged up the operation. It took almost 15 hours to recover, wasted and unavailable crews, due to rest, it cost the Division a good amount of wasted money, manpower and time. The trainmasters here are quite young and clueless. Lambs to a slaughter, but I blame the BNSF for that. Some of these could be my children. If I walk up stairs to the tower, it’s not what can we help you with? But what needs to be addressed? How can we make this work? Funny how that has to happen when you break it off in your own ass.

Evan Avenue, Tuesday morning 1000 am August 2011

There were east coal empty trains staged at South Denver MP 3.3 Evans Avenue MP 6.1 on Mains two and three. A total of 4 trains, that will be called that afternoon, around 1300 to 1400 pm on duty call times. I have the time to get these all worked and ready. I call Brush line DS, thank God Steve Gottle is not the dispatcher. This one is good, he’s a relief, and I have worked with him. I get an update and say. “I’m doing the South Denver’s first, I’ll Blue Flag with a note, pack set radio on Channel 66. I’ll clear up when I get the DP’s back. I can work with the crews have them call me”. “Get it done, they aren’t on duty for another 45 minutes”. I’ll have it all done, before they get out on the trains. I clear with Brush, and leave the info on the control stands on the South Denver trains. I head back to Evans Avenue.

Evans Avenue MP 6.2

There is an empty on main 3 and a grain empty on main 2. The grain empty will head up the Front Range subdivision to Cheyenne, Casper, Sheridan, and then into Billings, MT. There are three units on the head end, they are inspected and carded out. I leave a note for the outbound engineer, and notate that the ETD is air driven, so they won’t have to worry about a battery replacement.

On to the empty at Evans the E-DONBTM (Donie, TX-Black Thunder MIne, WY). I hear an alarm bell on the SD-70-MAC that is the DP leader. It is coming from the rear DP consist. I blue flag the unit and walk around the head end. Everything checks out okay on the head end. I head for my truck, and drive back to the DP’s. I have to park in the RTD Park and Ride lot. Walk to the platform, cross the RTD north and southbound tracks, for the lite rail, and walk down a quarter of a mile to the DP consist. I walk the path between, Main 3 and the RTD southbound line. I can hear, when an RTD train is coming, due to the Catenary wires singing as the Pantographs slide along them. I get a BONK-BONK, synthesized tone as they approach and fly by me at 50 mph.

I reach the DP’s, 2 more SD-70-MAC’s on the rear. The rear unit, is the bell ringer. I isolate the unit to silence the alarm. I get the usual prompts on the screen. Engine not running, No Battery Charge. I scroll through the log, to see if it is diesel engine related, or if it something else. It is not the link, but if it can’t be restarted, they will have to set it out, or run them up to the head end, and hang an ETD at Denver. Odds of that, well you have a better chance winning a “sucker bet”, on a Vegas Crap Table.

Oil is good, it is about 3 inches above the full mark, when the diesel is dead. The diesel block, feels warm, so it has been dead for a good couple of hours. Water is at FULL when DEAD. So that is good. I go back and try to restart. The start switch is the cab. I reset, what I need to, and press the start button. The computer cycles, the alarm horn sounds that a start is imminent, the fuel pump is priming and it tries to turn over, it groans about 3 seconds, I hear the starters click and disengage. The alarms sounds again, the fuel pump breaker trips, along with the Local Control and the Control breakers drop as well. Okay, lets look at the starting fuse, and the Alternator circuit fuse. They are good, they light up the test light, when placed across the test links. I drop all circuit breakers, Computer control, TTC-1 and TTC-2 computers ( Traction Control for the Traction motors and associated circuits) and wait 5 minutes. All are placed up, with the main Computer
control placed up last.

The screens are rebooting, along with the computer. This will give a good reset and maybe this will fire off. All ready, hit the start switch with the same result, I swear at it, and call it a name, there it will feel bad about itself. NOT!!. I call the NOC Mechanical on the radio, and relay the information, and what I have found. We try a few other options with the same result. If it is the rear unit, it needs to be set out. I tell them there is no place to set out the unit, due to location, and being 7 miles from the terminal. I also tell them, I will physically ride the train in. That satisfies them, as long as someone is on the unit, till it is set out.

I call the dispatcher, and tell him what needs to be done, and what I will do to assist. I ask when the crew is on duty. “1730, they will go into Coal 1 and wait for Amtrak”, is the reply. It is 1600 or 400 pm, I need to get out of the Park n Ride lot. I head back to 31st, and I’ll ride with the crews if there is room, if not I can get a ride. I call the terminal manager, and the yardmaster, and relate what has to be done. They are not happy, but I tell them I am riding it in, and will cut it off in the coal tracks. I will wait there and babysit, till the hostlers can nab it and take it to the house. That seemed to pacify them, plus after getting burned on the last fiasco, they are in agreement.

Arriving at 31st St yard office, I check to see who is called for this. Dave Rhodus is the engineer, good, I know Dave, when he worked south, as a trainman, when he couldn’t hold as an engineer. I relate the problem, and what needs to be done. He understands, and says when his conductor gets here and they get their paperwork, they’ll head out there. I told him, I may have to ride with you, unless I can get a ride elsewhere.

I’m in luck, Billy Hugh, the day Mentor at Big Lift walks in. “Billy, what are ya doing”? “Checking up on you, no wonder nothing gets done, with you screwing off in the yard office. But no, I have 3 extra ETD’s and just set them off at the carman’s shack”. “Well I need a ride back to Dartmouth, I have to ride a dead one into town”. “Why” “Its the rear DP, starting circuit, and associated problems”. “Okay, whens the crew on duty?” “Now, but they have to wait for paperwork and a ride.” I tell Dave, I have a ride back to the DP’s and to contact me when they get on. I have removed the Blue Flag, and left them a note on the info on the control stand. “Okay we’ll call you”. I make a quick stop at Gomez’s and grab a couple of Beef and Green Chili burrito’s, I will be 1930 almost 2000 pm before I get back here. This has taken up most of the afternoon.

Billy drops me off, and I board the DP’s. I settle in the working unit, the air conditioner is on, there is cold water, and it is 98 degrees out. The radio is on 66, and I await the call from the outbound Sterling pool crew. The Burrito’s are good, but damn are they spicy hot.

Forty five minutes pass and the radio crackles. “BNSF 8929, hello Brakeshoe!!” “Yeah Dave, go ahead”. “We’re on and getting ready to leave”. “Okay, I am back here and ready, you still have control of both of these. I’ll sever the bad order in the Coal tracks”. “Okay”.

“Conductor, 8929, going in between for handbrakes, and tone up Brush”. BNSF 8929 set centered for the conductor”. Brush DS answers, and told they are ready to proceed. “Shoe we have a signal we’ll ease toward South Denver, we’re following the one ahead of us in”. “Okay Dave I’m ready”. We head toward Denver, and 45 minutes later, the head end calls 31st St for instructions. Instructions are relayed and repeated by the crew. “You still have the mentor riding that bad order”. “YES”. “Yardmaster, This is the Mentor, I am on and will make the cut in Coal one”. “Okay, we’ll get the hostlers in position, and snatch the unit to the house”. “Roger, will be there waiting and ride it to the house as well”. “Thanks”.

We stop in the coal tracks. I tell Dave I am going in between to make the cut. It is acknowledged, and I sever the train line and the associated hoses. I’ll let the train break them free when the pull away. Jumper cable removed, and safety chains dropped and re hooked to the units they belong too. The head light MU, is set to the DP that leaves with the train, single or intermediate unit, on, dim. Yep works. I go and get the air cut in. release the independent brake and drift into the consist to get slack for the pin. I feel the slight run in, go lift both pins, on each unit, and report clear. “Dave, mentor detached and clear pins lifted, take ‘em ahead when ya can”. “I have a car and a half, will that work?’ “Yeah I just need a half a car, just break the coupling”. The train pulls ahead, the bad order unit goes into emergency as planned, the hoses pop, and clank against the pilots and/or plows. “Dave you’re clear and cut away. Thanks for your help”. “Okay Shoe, have a good one”. I tie a handbrake, close the angle cock for the train line. I reset the the PC and recover the automatic brake. I wait for the hostlers and notify the yardmaster that the bad order is cut off.

The hostlers, are on the bridge, and get authority to flag into the offending unit. I talk to them, and release the handbrake. We proceed into the house. I talk to a roundhouse foreman, who I have never seen before. He is new, clueless and unsure. The problems are related, and I get a blank stare. I said check the “L”, and see if you can get it to crank, it trips the starting circuit, fuses good. If not check with the North Central power desk. I get the Huh? look. “Who are you?” “Mentor out of Big Lift, Locomotive engineer, troubleshooter, working the Corridor for the flood reroutes”. “Ah Okay?” An electrician who I worked with many years ago, Dave Romero, says “Don’t worry, we’ll explain what’s going on and who you are”. “Thanks, have a good one”.

I walk over to 31st Street. Finish up my reports and turnover. Those are emailed off. I talk to a couple of south crews, and say I am dead on hours of service, talk to Big Lift, I have notified them, I was unable to work ‘em here. I get the nod and head home for the night.

Last updated December 07, 2014