Virginia Pykiet Santa Fe Train Order Operator Pueblo,CO Part 2 in Tales of the Jointed Track

Virginia and the lost car on the Extra North:

We were called for a extra drag north out of Pueblo. Was a bunch of BN power, and a rag tag bunch of cars as trailing tonnage. This is still the era where a physical copy of the Weigh-Bill was carried.

The rear man rode with us up to the train. Double over Yard 5 to Yard 11, call the car man. The rear man wrote a train list as we pulled out Yard 5. After he made the double to yard 11, he wrote the list for the remaining train. The air test was made, the yardmaster called, and permission was given to take off.

The Conductor is matching the waybills, with the list. The rear man is up in the Cupola. The head brakeman and I are on the head end. We are a make up crew out of Denver and back again. Richard Pennington, is the Conductor, for his turn. The brakeman were taken off, or stepped up to fill the vacancy. I caught this off my rotation on the board. I can’t recall the rear brakeman, but Ray Hill, stepped up off his turn and took the call. This was good for Ray, because more time at home, till his turn gets back to Denver. Also if his turn makes more money than this one, a “make whole” is generated. He wins either way.

We get the Hi-Ball and on the main at 29th Street. This is a strong set of locomotives and nearing Johns Manville spur, we are around 41 mph. That will mean, depending on signals and slow orders we can make track speed across the flats.

The radio comes alive. A shrill voice, “Santa Fe Pueblo Operator to the RNWFX BN 6542 North”. Penny answers, “BN 6542 North”. “Penny, we have a problem, we are not sure, if this car ( number transmitted) is in your train”. “It is in out train, a box car, empty”. The doors were open. “Okay Penny, It is an empty car going for general reloading, no dangerous. I thank you and the yardmaster thanks you and I know the DS is grateful too.” Now this gratitude went on for several minutes. My head brakeman and I are laughing. Rays says God Damn, ya think they discovered gold. That Virginia, how can ya top that!!!”.

Denver/Sterling coal pool crew, about Virgina:

I am in the 31st Street Yard office. Again there are crews going in various directions. We are waiting for our Coal load to come into town. There is a Sterling pool crew, Sterling based waiting for an empty. I have traded off with these guys for a number of years.

I hear, “Hey, your a Santa Fe, what’s with that shrill voiced Operator at Pueblo”? “Ya mean Virginia”? “Yeah, we can hear her all the way to Lorenzo and Sidney Nebraska on a good day”. “Well don’t feel bad… (laughing). She has been heard as far east as Dodge City, KS, as far South as Springfield, CO and Raton NM. She gets on the Cheyenne Mountain repeater, and they probably hear her in Moscow. We all laugh.

I report to the 630 am Hill-Cut one morning in 2008. There is an obituary that Virginia had passed at 87. The picture was one in her youth, it wasn’t the Virginia I remembered. She was a great person and a good railroader as well.

Last updated June 18, 2015