The Sponsel brothers versus the 23rd St Roundhouse Turntable in Tales of the Jointed Track

It was a warm day at 23rd St, I was working for the BN still in the shops. I was the on 700 am to 300 pm shift, as an apprentice. It was the usual routine, work inbound freights, running repairs, inspections, air brake change outs, the whole gamut.

We had visitors as well. There were some Corporate bigwigs, from St. Paul and Lincoln, taking an audit and seeing how the shop was performing. Neil Ritchey, was the the General Foreman, for the shop in Denver.

The doors were wide open, on the general floor area. Along the wall, there were several vending machines. Doughnut and Pastries, Pop machine, a snack machine, and the coffee machine. Whoever ran that concession, made a good haul off of the railroad men. This was still an old roundhouse stall, a holdover from where the Diesel shop was added. there were rails still in in the floor. They just filled in the pit with cement. I think they still remain, to this day.

The shop door, was a dual door, for a better lack of words to describe it. There was two doors, that swung outward, to open the stall, and in one door, was a cut-out door, so you could use it during bad weather. This would keep main doors shut, but still provide access, to the outside. There also was a 10 foot stub track to the turntable. They chained and stored wheel sets for the traction motor shop. It also opened up the view of the turntable, and associated tracks around the general area, of the pit.

The ready track 23rd St. 1000 am

There were three SD-45’s in the “pre merger” BN experimental paint, sitting of the ready track. All three were facing east. Two were assigned to another freight, and the leftover had to be turned, to added to another freight.

The SD-45 pictured is not the one that ended up in the pit, but this at Denver on the Table lead track. The next track over between the 6471 and U-25-B 5424 is the ready track

The Santa Fe 3102 GP-20 sand track, BN 6399 SDP-40 this is the ready track, and Amtak 587 SDP-40-F. This gives an idea of the layout of the land. I was in engine service with the Santa Fe, when this picture was taken

The Sponsel brothers were working together as hostlers. Both were promoted engineers and fireman, but could not hold an assignment, on the road or yard, at this time. I would say they were late thirties, mid forties at the time. The machinists and an electrician, made the cuts for the MU air and Jumper cable connections, so the consist was ready to be severed. It was the hostlers responsibility to make sure the air was cut in and the brakes applied, and better yet along with a handbrake.

There was a lot of power in the roundhouse. We got slammed, with about 6 freight consists, local power, you name it. Some were turned back, just the controlling ends changed, and set over till called. There was a second 100 ( a second section) that was going to be run 4 hours early ahead of 100’s regular operating schedule. That’s where those two SD-45’s went toward, another unit was to be added. The remaining SD-45 was cut off, probably for an extra, going east and needed the horsepower and a working cab. Remember, just because there is a cab, don’t assume it can be a working lead unit. It may have various problems, like bad order speed recorder, bad order brake valve, no heat ( cold weather only) and other stuff, I could write volumes about.

The Sponsel’s arrived for this task, and each assumed that the other cut the air in, and maybe applied a handbrake. Slack was given the pin pulled…A pop of the air lines, and off they went. Yeah, it “looked like” the brakes were set.

The Automatic brake valve was still in Handle off Cut-out, and the independent brake valve in 26-A trail. Slowly the air leaked off, cut off from either supplying it’s own air pressure, or getting it from the lead locomotive, controlling the units.
When the air leaked off, well like releasing the brakes. The SD-45 slowly started moving toward the pit, and claimed it’s resting place. It again “beer canned” the fuel tanks, again a full 3600 gallons in the pit. Least the rear truck didn’t fall off, the lock block and restriction “links” held it in place.

The Vending machines, the show begins.

Our Big Wig visitors, came down from the pow wow, with the General Foreman. We were told later there was anger, finger pointing and general disgust, with this meeting. They grab some good ol vending machine coffee, and headed to the door for a smoke. This was before smoking was politically incorrect, and you were relegated to area of shame and wore a scarlet “C” on your forehead.

A shout came out, and I don’t know who uttered it, but “Goddamn that unit is rolling towards the Pit”!!! Yep it did, and the Big Wigs snuffed out the cigarettes, and marched angrily back up into Neil Ritchey’s office.

Well, the unit was fished out, repairs were made, an Investigation held. The Sponsel’s were out of service for 30 days. Life went on. Ah the railroad, track side in the diesel age.