Winter of 1983 Cold bitter and the trip back north in Tales of the Jointed Track

We got into Pueblo about 1030 pm and it looked like out on our rest. Nothing is really open this late. I had eaten before I reported at Denver. Leuthey’s Kitchen, Swiss food, great portions, dessert included. Homemade Pies … They took care of the railroaders, and your meal came post haste.

The train down was a coal load. I had a “trainee”, if you want to use that term, but this was a promoted engineer off the Rock Island out of Chicago. The Rock Island was on a slow death spiral to bankruptcy and non existence. The Santa Fe needed engineers up here, and this was an opportunity to stay employed. I am sure, they tried hiring out of the Chicagoland area, but this is where the work and the greatest need was. I told Fred, run ‘em down, and I’ll give ya hints and tips. Let you get a feel for the grade and the route. If he scared me, or wasn’t doing what needed to be done, I could always take the “seat” back.

The phone rings at 530 am.. A coal empty for 700 am, and I can’t remember the symbol , but I’ll bet it was out of a Texas utility. It is 10 below zero. The clouds are low, and there are ice crystals in the air. The utility wires, are bouncing up and down, due to the weight of the snow and ice on them. We arrive at the yard office and sign the register. The inbound C&S crew had arrived 2 hours previous, so they have tied up and went to the motel. The train is in Yard 11, the head end is past the 19th St overpass by about 15 cars. We grab the orders, get into the crew van and head up to the power.

Four units, all GE’s, three of which were the older U-30-C’s and a C-30-7, as the rear unit. As we get out of the crew van, the lead unit is silent, and you can hear an alarm bell ringing. The lead unit was a U-30-C a BN 5800 series an ex- Locotrol leader.

BN U-30-C 5800-5900 and 5300 series they all are the same. 5800’s were the old RCE Leaders, 5900 were the RCE Receivers, and the 5330’s were just U-30-C’s
Yes all could lead, but if used in RCE consists the 5800’s had to lead and the 5900’s received the signals. Today’s DP consists, doesn’t matter the computer software allows for DP lead or DP Remote.

It’s been dead for a while, the cab is cold, but in this weather, they cool rather quickly. I make a quick check, isolate the unit and head back, to the start station in the engine room. There is some heat coming from the diesel itself, so that’s good news. Bad news, the unit has suffered CCOP (Crankcase Over Pressure), okay…we’ll have to switch this out. It cannot be restarted, due to a possible crankcase explosion, and causing injury and/ or death. Plus it will cause major damage. I call the yardmaster, and tell Mike Miller, sorry CCOP on the lead. We need to grab another unit. He tells us switch ‘em out let him know what the new motor is going to be, and he’ll get the Operator to get new track warrants from the DS.

BN C-30-7

I tell Fred, I’ll check what’s good, and we’ll use the old “Angel’s Flight” crossover between the Hi-Line and Hump 1. The second unit also a U-30-C, problem.. The front cab door is lying on the floor in the cab, and there is about a foot to two feet of blown in snow in there. It’s on line so it will make horsepower. The third unit, it’s a champion as well. This too is an older U-30-C, it has the old style hot water heat, from the cooling system. There are two tags, on on the isolation switch, and one on the outlet valve, stating the heater leaks, and has a bad shutoff valve. So as not to run the locomotive out of cooling water, the cab heater was shut off via the two valves. It will produce horsepower, and when it goes in for Federal Inspection, they will make repairs, but for now, its hauling freight. Well batting 1000, and there is the newer C-30-7, the BN 5007, it’s running, its long hood forward, meaning we’ll be running backwards, no big deal. Now can we operate from it. Yes, finally, cab heat, no bad Order tags, whistle works, wipers front and rear operate.

I call the brakeman and Fred and say, “Well, its long hood forward, but its warm and the only useable one of the bunch”. There is grumbling from the brakeman, but I said “You see any other power in the yard? “IF”, they will let us steal one ?” “NO!!” . I am really not looking forward to cutting and switching out power, in below zero weather either. I call the yardmaster back, stating the new lead, the rest of the Bad Orders units, and that we need to use Angel’s Flight.

We make the switch moves, and go back on the train. I make a locomotive air brake test, with the head brakeman. Everything works as it should, and the brakeman cuts in the train line to start charging the train. The crew clerk has driven back and delivered the new set of track warrants. Our track bulletins will remain the same. The Conductor reports, they are getting air back in the caboose, and will let us know when to set em up. They will be ready to go, when we are cleared by the yardmaster. Due to the cold, and 127 cars, it takes a good 40 minutes or more to charge the air brake system. Since we were “off air” for less that four hours, all we need is a set and release. Fred also checks train line leakage, as a precaution. We got a strong blow on the set, and it is just about 5 lbs, and within limits.

We tell Mike we are on the release of the air test, and ready. He tells us to take off. We call the Operator for the signal at 29th Street, relate the problems and that we are operating backwards (long hood forward into Denver). That the Chief DS for the Santa Fe..and the Burlington Chief and power desk needs to know too. Especially, Denver Terminal, like this will take an extra brain cell or two, for them to figure this calamity out.

It was cold and blowing snow the entire trip. We made a few meets at Colorado Springs and Monument, then into Denver. Not bad, with the power moves at Pueblo we were on duty 6 hours and 30 min yard to yard. We call for instructions, and were told into Coal 2, change crews. I reminded the BN yardmaster, that we are long hood forward, and the remaining units have no cab heat, a door in the cab and one CCOP. “I’ll let ‘em know”. Wow that’s a surprise, I figured we’d take ‘em to the house and the hostlers would spin the motor.

38th Street, Denver, CO The Sterling coal pool crew

The old CB&Q, now BN coal pool crews, were a combination of Sterling, CO home terminal and Denver home terminal crews. It was commonly known as a double ended pool between Sterling and Denver. The Sterling crews also ran to Alliance, NE and Guernsey, WY, plus there was branchline, to Holdredge, NE at that time.

Our crew change, was a Sterling crew. When they saw, how the consist was arriving, they were none too pleased. And as diplomatic, and politically correct railroad crews are to each other, we had a rather pleasant exchange.

“WTF, You F’ing Santa Fe crews may have to run trains this way, but we don’t HAVE to do this on the BN”. “Hey, asshole, pick out, what units that have no cab heat, and the one with CCOP, or better yet ride the one with no front cab door. It will be a great trip especially with 2 to 3 feet of snow in the cab. Your Chief and your dispatcher were notified 6 hours ago before we left Pueblo. So either deal with it and get over it, or Spin the f’ing consist and switch the unit to the head end”. We departed for the crew van, under wonderful terms. We heard them crying over the radio, and they were told to cut the power and head for the house. I don’t know if the BN Power desk, at that time in Overland Park, KS added one at Denver or had them turn the unit. Those Sterling crews are primadonna’s anyway. I can’t tell you how many times they don’t even report problems, till they get to Denver, or pass it off unknown.

And in 1996 we merged and became BNSF. Now we are one BIG HAPPY FAMILY…lol