Pueblo Yard mid '74 to '76 Part 1 in Tales of the Jointed Track

I may have written this in OD for those that remember the site. So if a repeat, bear with and old fart lol.

I got forced to Pueblo Yard many times in my career, and a funny thing Pueblo Yard became a job of choice, during my final years, and before I went troubleshooting. I did Bill Davis’ vacation for three weeks in August of 1974, and I got a few days force assigned till either bumped, due to the engineer marking back up, or a senior employee claimed the job.

Afternoon City Job 1430 PM - New Trainmaster

I was called out of Pueblo, as the “rested and promoted Fireman”. Yep, they could do that, and they did. I’d get engineer wages for the yard trip and the dead head home. Problem is when we tied up, I missed the last departure with the Continental Trailways bus back to Denver which was 1030PM. So, they paid for a room, and I was called and picked up FOR THE BUS for a 600 am departure. Semantics, but is what it is.

A report to the switchmans shanty, my crew was there. Bernie Beeker was the switch foreman, John Proctor was the pin puller, and a new hire switch man off the extra board working the field. We got the marching orders, and locomotive assignment. The unit was an older roster numbered GP-38-AC at that time. They were the 3800 number series. We would spot the “Chieftain” with newsprint, grab and spot a scrap gondola, then head to Pueblo Junction. Yes at one time we ran through town.

A flashing Red, restricting signal and lined onto the Pueblo sub. About 500 to 1000 feet was a “spur” that took you to the TEXACO distribution warehouse, a beer distributor and Acme Brick. I was riding with cars on either side of the unit. We had to shove into this spur to switch out. We left the cars, behind me, in the clear of the main when we lined back and locked up. They were tied down, and chunked, so I could see behind, and the crew could spot the remaining industries. It is a cooling Fall afternoon, and they have their rain gear, and the clouds are low a a grey drab day. Bernie has one of the new Santa Fe radio pack-sets. It has the Santa Fe, BN, and a Rio Grande channel on it. Okay, we worked on hand signals primarily, but a radio did come in handy at the time. These multi channel pack-sets were for the road crews, but Bernie snagged this one. We had a couple of gons, empty for pipe loading at the brick spur, and some box cars for brick. Two box cars of Miller beer for the distributor, and a Tank of diesel Fuel, and other for bulk lube oil and a box car of additives and oil, for the gas stations. We’d grab our pulls back to Pueblo, after switching out. We’ll spot and pull the Brick first, that way we can shove in as needed, with the rest of our work.

Enter the “Trainmaster”:

Paul McKinnon was our new “Yard / Divison” Trainmaster. We was an engineer out of Chicago Corwith. Now as a Company Officer, he was going to show the crews who was boss. Well that’s alright, but ya don’t mess with yer good yard crews. Brash, arrogant and not too well respected. He snuck around, looking to prey on unsuspecting yard crews, maybe “doing” something wrong. He went out of his way, and was loathed for it.

We’re spotting Texaco now after doing the “brick” and the “beer”. Mr McKinnon is slithering around. Bernie spots the 67 yellow Ford convertible. Also the balding pate and the ugly Plaid sport coat, is a give away. “Switch to the BN channel”. “Ya here” “yes” Ya see anyone sneaking around with a plaid sport coat on”. “Yep, he’s about three cars back, in between parked automobiles and shrubs in the yards of homes”. “Okay go back to the Santa Fe channel, watch for hand signals from John, I am going to a pay phone”. “Okay”

Bernie went into Texaco and used their land-line. He called the yardmaster, “Jug. there is a guy sneaking around looking into parked cars and hiding in bushes. I think he’s looking to break into cars and stuff” Well Jug called the Pueblo Police. Five minutes later, they showed up and the trainmaster was arrested.

This is how and why, it went like this. Paul didn’t take a railroad radio. He didn’t have a Santa Fe railway ID, and just an Illinois drivers license. Plus, he was staying at a Motel, so that was fishy to the police officers who arrived on scene. He never let the Road Foreman know what he was doing. When pulling efficiency and operational tests, two Officials needed to be present. The assistant trainmaster was called to pick up Mr McKinnon at police Station downtown.

We finished up our switching, grabbed the cars we left deep and called the yardmaster. We contacted the Santa Fe DS, to get authority to enter the CTC main at a hand thrown switch. We were lined down the main, and into the yard at South Pueblo. We kicked some of our cars in to the bottom end of yard one. Ran up two, and double the remainder behind into yard one as well. I tied up,went to the motel, and got the call to Dead head home 6 hrs later for the 600 am bus ride back to Denver.

I was asked, what I knew of the situation, upon tie up next trip. Well, I was to pay attention, due to close clearances on this spur. I was still relatively “new” in Pueblo Yard, and being off the road an outcast, to the yard crews. I replied, if the switch foreman saw something that could endanger them, or something was not right, they had the “authority” to act in a proper manner”. In his tenure in Pueblo Yard all four years of it, he still was a Horses Ass. No Horses were hurt by my comments.