The AA062 or the J-CCE, Comanche out of Denver in Tales of the Jointed Track

Ah the BN, pass it off to the next crew, just get it out of “our” terminal. Plus were were Santa Fe, and then hey it’s okay. We get called for a load, yeah no big deal its a load. We have a Caboose, helpers, the whole nine yards. Five motors on the head end, three shoving the rear, 128 steel hoppers 17,325 on the tons. We wait, as usual for the train to run the gamut , from Irondale into Denver. Amtrak is in the picture, and train 63. Kent Bridgeman is the Conductor, Ron Johnson the rear brakeman, George Armijo is the head brakeman, off the extra board.

The speaker bellows, “Santa Fe’s he’s by 38th Street, change out front”. We head to the coal tracks. Amtrak’s coming out of the depot eastbound, the load will clear in time, and life is good in BN land. 63 is yarded, and our load followed him into town.

The train comes to a stop, we wait for the inbound crew to get off. “How they running?’‘ “Good, but no dynamic brakes”. “Just the head unit or the whole consist?’‘ “The whole consist.” “Okay thanks”. I’ll check the cables, maybe change one, and make a small dynamic brake test, at Kalamath Ave, while we attach the helpers. I notify the yardmaster about the Dynamic Brake condition. That fell on deaf ears, and even though this is a terminal, where they are supposed to correct. Well the “SCREW YOU”, intention, though that wasn’t said, was conveyed, and we were told you will leave town and deal with it out on the road. The rear end gets on, and I tell Kent, Whole head end is bad order dynamic braking, I made a swap with the Jumper, but something is not allowing the circuit in on the others. Okay we’ll deal with it. Yeah I’ll be dealing with it.

We make good time up the hill, and the signal at MP 50.5 says we’re lined up and over the top. I tell George, that he needs to bail off at the South end of Palmer Lake, and set retainers. I get the look, what’s a retainer? I get out the Air Brake Book, and show a picture…this is the retaining valve, and I’ll make it easy, place on slow direct, and show the indication. I tell George, count the cars by, gimme at least 60, I’ll take more, and remember to write the car number down, as you start toward the head end.

a typical standard 3 position retainer EX exhaust- HP high pressure- SD slow direct

We stop, the helpers are ready to run around the caboose. I tell Kent, let the Dispatcher know, no dynamic brakes. I want a straight shot through Monument, and will wait here, if necessary. After that, I can work getting to Academy or better yet Colorado Springs, CO.

The caboose has been reattached, the DS has been notified. I hear the air being cut in. “85 pounds on the gauge, helpers are away. Take off when ready, the DS says through Monument, CO and depending if we get the detector at 60.4, he’ll hold the Rio Grande at Springs. The Grande has work there, and is past Crews” “Okay thanks, Helpers good trip back”. “You too, good luck”. Wow is that a death sentence or what..lol. I don’t want to use air, but that’s what I have been trained to do. The railroad doesn’t care, get it to destination. George is about 5 cars back, and gets on the last unit and walks up. I have planned the descent, most the way up the hill. I can’t hold onto my original set, cause I can’t get them to budge against the brakes . “Here’s the release Kent, here we go”.. Releasing, the slack is coming in”. “Okay, were on 60 slow direct, so they’ll hold air for another minute or two”. “Roger”.

The release is now fully progressing. The nudge and the squeal of the independent brakes, as the are being shoved forward is evident. I back off the pressure, and then feather the head end so it doesn’t run out. The speed is at 6 mph, I want to hold off, till at least 9 mph, and I catch the minimum set off the valve. A good blow, but 10 lbs will be the better alternative. I bring the equalizing reservoir to 80 lbs..the valve is exhausting strong. I have brakes, and lets see how good they hold. I am not afraid to stop, if needed handbrakes and recharge, but if I catch this right, like Frank and Gordon said… They’ll catch and hold like they should. I put another “Chew” in .. Me, the air, and Chew…and 17000 plus tons. That’s a good hand to draw to. Like a high Queen no pair in Jacks or better, and someone has that Jacks or better pair.

The intermediate signal at 54.4 high green. We are lined through Monument. Speed is at 20 mph, fluctuating. Speed limit is 25 mph, if this holds here great, or slowly climbs, I’ll make and adjustment. We blow for the main crossing at Monument. North Monument Clear signal, 22 mph, South Monument, Clear signal and 27 mph. It’s stalling a bit, as the siding levels, then drops again. Baptist Road, well get into the reverse curves here, and another stall. I’ll go 32 mph, before another set. It’s holding, and 2 mph over…so what, I’m good with that. We drop to 23 mph, I don’t want this to stall to much, but as we exit the curves, it climbs up again. 26 mph, the Hot Box Detector and the signal at MP 60.4 high green. We’re at 27 mph, but the sag at old Husted will stall us as well. I release at 12 mph, that upgrade and the 60 retainers will recharge the train. I come around the curve at 62.3 and see a Flashing Yellow. We’re meeting the Rio Grande at Academy siding. “Highball the detector no flashing warning”. “Highball, thanks”. Why we didn’t trip that, who knows. “Santa Fe DS La Junta to 5861 South, did ya get the detector?’ “No DS. we are clear”. “Proceed the Rio Grande will meet you at Springs”. “Great”. I am at 19 mph, accelerating, but the air is good, and ready for the next set. Through the old Academy siding, now known as Stadium, at 25 mph, I make another set. I increase the air to another 10 pound total reduction. It holds around 28 mph, speed limit is 30 here. I ride that to the Springs.

The dispatcher is called, and notified we’ll be between switches, for a wheel cooling stop, plus we have to knock off the retainers. The medium haze of brake shoe smoke and hot wheels is evident. The descent wasn’t bad, and it worked well. Although it took 15-20 more minutes on the running time, the trip down seemed quick. The dispatcher says go when ready there is nothing northbound or called out of Pueblo. George knocks off the retainers, the air has been recharged, and I tug on them leaving Springs. Its starting down grade again, and the curve at MP 75.8 , the Martin Drake Utility and the track swings upward slightly will keep the speed down. Another set at Royer Street, MP 76.6, a good blow, and they are tugging, and stalling on the grade at Martin Drake. I’ll hold this till we start up at Kelker Siding, I’ll release it mid siding, speed is at 24 and dropping. they’ll stall here, and I’ll get another set past the Drennan Industrial Spur. The south end of Kelker to the south end of Drennan is level, but will start down again and then slightly level out into the Crews station switch.

I’ll play the sags, all the way to Pueblo. It works, and the 3 miles from Bragdon to the top of Bragdon Hill, will allow a good charge. I’ll stall em purposely to about 20 mph coming over the top. The set against power, will keep ‘em stretched, and the train is still coming upgrade, but the majority is starting down. Good exhaust, a crossing whistle at Johns Manville, the block says were down the mainline. The train levels off at 27 mph, with the set on em. If I caught it right, I can ride them to the yard office, with a little more air under ‘em at Canyon City Jct. That’s a quarter of a mile before the stop. I want them at 8 to 10 mph and slowing. I can give a little throttle to help my cause, but it is all going how I want it. Sand and independent come into play, and the groaning squeal of protesting wheels grows louder, till the stop is made. Our smoke cloud has returned. We trade out and the crew is told no dynamic braking. They wont need it, it’s uphill in 2 miles till they reach Southern Jct. They’ll be in the plant unloading. Glad the trip was over, but I was glad I was able to accomplish the task.