TThe Ft Worth & Western and the Carrolton / Hodge Local in Tales of the Jointed Track

Southlake Texas… Summer/ late Fall 1998:

It was a weekend. I am on days off, I can’t remember the day or night rotation. I am on days off, doing yard chores, and a happy camper. Maybe the wife and I will go out, or stay at home. Hockey season hasn’t started, for the school or the leagues, so it is a lazy Texas afternoon.

The Ft Worth and Western is a small short line in the DFW area. The parent company also operates the Texas and North Orient as well. ( No they are not operating to the “Orient” ..there is an Orient, Tx…this was at one time a Santa Fe branchline that was sold off). Daily, during the summer the FW&W operates a steam powered passenger train, from Grapevine to downtown Ft Worth, with a 4 hour layover at Ft Worth Stock yards area, then returns. They operate a Friday-Saturday and Sunday schedule during the winter months. They also switch and service industries, with a local train from Ft Worth east, to Carrolton and Hodge, TX. The local shows up any where from 100 pm to 4 00 pm, and returns 4 to 5 hours later. It can be one unit or maybe two, depending on cars and tonnage.

Southlake TX, 200 pm

I am finishing up pool and yard chores. It is hot, but the cloud cover makes it nice. The wife has finished up sweeping around the pool, and netting the stray strands of Bermuda grass, that has made its way into the pool. We’re done, adult beverage time, Labrador time…it is always always Labrador time, for those who have ever owned one or two.

Relaxing by the pool, the yellow is being goofy, like when isn’t a yellow lab NOT goofy? The Chocolate ? well there is a bone to be taken care of.

I hear the scream of a steam whistle, coming into town. They are on the edge of Colleyville and Southlake, TX. They are approaching South Carroll Ave and will soon parallel Ira E Woods Avenue into Grapevine, TX. They will discharge passengers, then back into the siding at Grapevine, and cut off the passenger cars, then place the steam engine to the house track. They will spin it on the turntable, in the morning for the next trip to Ft Worth Stock yards.

I hear the whistle as it blows for the crossings, then a different whistle signal. Something I haven’t heard, or something I haven’t whistled off in a good twenty years.

A long- and three short blasts of the whistle. That by rule, is protect the rear of the train, with a flagman. Yeah that got my attention. I tell the wife, the engineer just whistled out a flag. She nods with that, Okay Bob what ever you say look. This is a branch, and probably a rule 99 requirement. I don’t have their timetable, it is non block territory, and they are stopped. Soon afterward I hear another whistle signal coming from the west, blowing for South Carroll Avenue. Yep the Carrolton Hodge local, coming into town, behind the steam train. I am sure they know of the passenger train ahead, but rules are rules. The rear brakeman, is probably flagging the east switch, at Grapevine siding, so they can shove in, when all passengers discharge. I hear later as they come into Grapevine, a call for signals. Four short whistle blast signals, from the Carrolton Hodge local. That is a call for signals. Then an acknowledgement, from the local, that the flagman was spotted and recognized.

The train is shoved clear, and the Carrolton Hodge local, proceeds through town. At 800 pm that night, the local is returning to Ft Worth. Was nice to hear that scenario, and I was probably was they only one, other than the train crews involved, knew what was going on that afternoon.

Okay Dumb Ol Rail note… The engineer is “quilling” the whistle. Two longs a short and a long..then the slow blend cut off.. “Quilling”.