Eddie Howard .. Engineer, Friend, and a Sad story Part 1 in Tales of the Jointed Track

I met Eddie, while I was a fireman, on the Santa Fe. Eddie hired out of La Junta, CO. His seniority, during the Santa Fe era in the mid 70’s and late 80’s, was the First Subdivision, La Junta, Co to Dodge City, KS. Boise City Subdivision, La Junta, CO to Boise City, OK ( pronounced BOY ssssss) the Pueblo Subdivision, La Junta to Pueblo. The associated branch lines, AV, CV , Manter, and Canon City ( pronounced Canyon) districts. I crew changed with him, as a locomotive fireman and as engineer. We stayed at the same motel that the Santa Fe put us up in. We interacted, as the trains, crew rest, calls determined.

Eddie stories to follow, kinda chokes me up at bit…so bear with me.

Santa Fe Passenger train El Capitain .... date unknown ..location unknown Train symbol unknown … SORRY

Eddie was firing on the El Capitain, the El “Cap” was a premier second section of the “CHIEF”. The schedule was a later connection, but provided all the accommodations that the Santa Fe could offer. Pullman, sleepers, coach, dining, and observation cars. All available from LA to Chicago.

An early morning call at La Junta… I am figuring 800 am to maybe 1000 am. I don’t know. The crews change out, passengers loaded and off loaded. Highball, train time, OS La Junta on time. They have their running orders, and any slows. The kicker ?? A weed burner, working with the associated trains and scheduled trains, per timetable and rule book requirements. There were train order operators, working as well, with the dispatchers and the weed burner. They were supposed to be in the clear, but were not.

The El Capitain hits them between 70 and 80 mph, on the mainline. The engineer places the train into emergency, as soon as they have a visual on the weed burner. The weed burner crew bails off, and the El Capitain is on a one way collision. Eddie, runs into the engine room, of the F-7, a car body, enclosed locomotive. Safe, maybe, maybe not. The El Captain strikes the weed burner, the propane tanks rupture and explode, liquified gas is now running rampant, till ignited.

Had Eddie stayed in the cab, minor burns, which the engineer suffered. The vaporized gas in the air, is sucked into the engine room, via filters, and air intakes. It all ignites in the enclosed engine compartment, where Eddie is trying to escape. It engulfs him, he is severely burned. Second and Third degree burns, hands forearms, face. Eddie recovers, he’s disfigured. Can see the hands, nose, ears, and facial features, lots of scar tissue, a sad state. But Eddie still railroads. The Santa Fe probably cut a good deal of money, but he has them, and stays employed..

To be continued in part 2

Last updated January 23, 2015