The Red Signal Efficiency test ... Firing with Frank. in Tales of the Jointed Track

The Railroad would perform efficiency tests from time to time. They were unannounced. This was per the Companies policy and also the FRA (Federal railroad Administration). These were made to ensure compliance with the rules and proficiency.

I was with Frank again, we were called out of Pueblo, Co on a 151 around 600 pm.
The inbound train was small into Pueblo. We also had 3 crews dead heading back to Denver, we were the working crew. We were told Yard 11 and pull up to the signal at 29th St after the switch crew cuts off the caboose.

As the caboose, came into the clear of Yard 11, we were told to stop. The switch crew made cut on the caboose, and added it to the rear of 3 more cabooses and 115 empty ore cars. So we had about 8 locomotives and 135 cars, mostly empty.

Eight units on a light train?? This was probably a reposition move for where power was needed. The BN would make an empty ore extra out of Denver, with these. The reason, they didn’t make an ore extra out of here, is the BN didn’t want to pay for a crew start. Most of the train crews, rode the caboose with the working crew. The engineers and some of the head brakeman, found units to ride home in. We pulled up to the signal, the switch crew added the cars and cut the air in. The Santa Fe carmen did the air test and we left about two hours later.

We were basically the only train out there. There might be a Rio Grande around, and we found out there was. We ran around him in Colorado Springs, while he was picking up and setting out cars. We had the power so we made good time across the flats. The 151 headed for the top, and an hour later we crested Palmer Lake at MP 52 and were on the northbound mainline.

There was a siding at that time about 17 miles south of Denver, called Acequia (pronounced AH-cee-kwah). The block signal at Acequia was green, as we went about another 2 miles and the next governing signal was RED. Now under normal circumstances, if we were following someone the signal at Acequia should have been Yellow. We were under clear or Green signals for the last 40 plus miles.

An example of a Block signal. This is a single track mainline, hence the signal masts on each side of the main line.

There was no way someone was ahead of us or got in between us. I placed the dynamics full, and made a minimum set. I then continued to increase the brake pipe reduction till it reached full service, the brake pipe was still exhausting when we came to a stop. The locomotives were bunched and held in with the independent, as we quickly slowed. The empty cars were braking hard, due to an empty car will brake 85 to 92% of its weight. I did not place the train into emergency, because there was no emergency condition. The track past the signal for 1/2 mile was clear.

We might have a bad track bond (we were not welded rail at this time frame) or may have a broken rail or angle bar.

A signal bond wire, on “jointed angle barred rail

Examples of insulated joints. This is isolates one section of track from another. Whether welded rail or jointed rail, this aid in making the Block.

An example of a broken angle bar and with rail intact. The rail ends are still good but the angle bar has snapped. This is usually due to rail and tie movement due to ballast erosion. This usually occurs in the yards or industrial spur tracks

I called the rear end,stating that Acequia was clear and the next one was red. “Let me know when they release and we’ll flag the block. We got past the Red signal by 2 locomotives”. That would have been a rules violation, but this was an unusual operating condition. This was a signal improperly displayed. We still were required to stop, quickly as possible and consistent with good train handling.

One of our dead heading engineers, Mr. McDaniel was rushing up from the second unit. “Here comes Mac , Frank”. “F kid I know what that old fool wants”. Mac rushed into the cab, and is in a panic. “Goddamn it!!, this Kid got us past a red signal we’re all fired”.

Well that was the wrong thing to say, and Frank got up and unloaded on him. In a polite way, or as polite as Frank could be. “Ya know Mac, I’ll bet you were asleep back there. Acequia was clear and this next signal was RED. Now a dumb ass like you would have big holed it,( placed train into emergency ) and you still would have gotten past it. Plus with all these ore empties, we’d have knuckles and
draw bars ( coupling devices on each end of the cars) and be in many pieces all over this mainline. Get your stupid ass back in the second unit and mind your Goddamned business, and I take care of this KID!!” .

Mac slinked back sheepishly and went back to the second unit. Mac was a poor train handler and a poor engineer. He was a fireman most of his engine service career, and now set up to run. Most of the experienced engineers tried to help him, but he was in a different world. I asked Frank one time why Mac was so bad, I won’t enter the reply I got in here.

Mac’s nick name was Scrap Iron or Knuckles. He could rip a train in two, because he did not control slack, and was too poor with the air. He wouldn’t wait for a good release after stopping, or when making a running release of the brakes allowed he train to slow down, below 10 mph not release at the proper time. The rear end would hang up, and like an anchor, stretch out the train. A train is like a chain, strong as the weakest link. Plus if you really messed it up you would slam the rear train crew around in that caboose, like a rag doll.

Frank told me, “I am sure glad you didn’t Big Hole it Jack, that goofy Mac would have torn this train to hell and back”. I released the air and the slack was starting to come in, the rear end called and said they were released.

We started flagging the block to the next signal per rule.
The rule states:
Restricted speed to the next signal, after the lead wheels pass the next governing signal ( favorable indication ) you can increase speed. Also Restricted speed is a speed not exceeding 20 mph, be prepared to stop short for train , obstruction, broken rail, or switch not properly lined .

That doesn’t mean you do 20 mph, NO!! Whats the grade?, Tonnage? Track profile, blind curves?, can you stop if needed. Is it a flagman or a lit fussee. We flagged the block, the next signal was about a mile and three quarters away at County Line Road.

As we were coming across the highway bridge at US 85, we saw that the next signal was clear, but remained at restricted speed per rule. Who knows, there could be a red flag or a red Fusee just around the next curve.

Well we saw a white Ford station wagon, slinking away, it was a test, but they knew they had goofed it up. It was our Division Trainmaster, Delbert Miller, Road Foreman Barney Steele, and a Rio Grande Trainmaster. They thought the Rio Grande was the first train ahead, and when they called he was approaching Sedalia at MP 25. They had plenty of time to shunt the track, and get back to see if the proper stop and proceed was done. Then they would wait for us and test us as well. They didn’t know we were ahead of the Rio Grande.

When we spotted them, they had just returned to get rid of the shunt cables, and try to leave undetected. They had to turn around on US 85, and almost were to the signal that went red on us. Frank said ” I’ll find out next trip into Pueblo, what the hell was going on”.

We called the Operator at Rice Yard via radio, told him of the Red signal, nothing found, and we would be to Littleton in about 10 minutes and how many cars we had. We’d call the Rice Yard yardmaster around Dartmouth Avenue and get instructions on yarding the train.

We had just about 30 hours off and I was again with Frank. We were called for 530 am and got to Pueblo around 100 pm that afternoon. “Come on Jack, we’ll see if Delbert or Barney are in. Yeah they were.
Frank said “Were you guys at County Line Road the other night?” The Trainmaster got a little in red the face and related the above tale. “You guys were not supposed to be ahead of that Rio Grande, per the dispatchers line up. We called him and he was around Sedalia, then we heard you guys get past the signal, and stated that Acequia was clear”. “Well be glad that stupid Mac wasn’t running that train and the Kid here was. You’d still be out there changing knuckles and draw bars!!” Barney Steele laughed and said…“We were talking about that, as we were leaving”.

Last updated May 30, 2015