Ed Sewell Extra Yardmaster. Part 2 in Tales of the Jointed Track

I took a work train, that originated out of Big Lift. Was 15 minutes from home, Sunday off. Sometimes a half of Saturday, was offered due to staging empties and waiting for the next weeks arrival of ties and ballast.

Friday late June 2005:

Jon Riggs our Section Foreman, who worked and directed us on the work train, had the day off for an appointment. He tried to get a relief foreman in, to cover the assignment. Well, management, for the section, decided it wasn’t important. So we report, and nose picking, and standing around. No foreman, to designate the dropping of ties, or ballast.

Allen Wolfe the Division Trainmaster, comes in and says, “I guess you guys aren’t working today. Can you go into Denver with the PUEDEN pick up?” “Allen we can take the ballast empties and tie cars off of 6503 into town”. “Would you take track 6506 as well?” “Well, if they don’t screw with us yes, but we aren’t being the extra yard bitch”. “I’ll make sure its a straight set out and/or double over period”. We as a crew agree, and Allen sends the edict. Two GP-38’s and 50 cars, and onto Denver. A track warrant from MP 19 to CTC Littleton, and off we go. We call the Union Pacific and say “Get ready we will be light power out of Denver back to Big Lift. We will need Littleton to MP 20, and clear up”. “Call me when you are en- route”.

Ed Sewell, Day Yardmaster Rennix Yard:

We get to South Denver and start the process to getting to Rennix. The call is made and the DUH?, we don’t know your symbol. “Train W-BGLBGL, ( Work train BIG LIFT-BIG LIFT ) bringing ballast empties and tie cars, and a Big Lift pick up. Allen Wolfe was to co-ordinate with you”. “Oh, got it.” The Nickel fell.. It must have been a slug.

“Rennix Four double to Rennix Five, and take the head six to the Run Around track”. “Ed..we are a work train, bringing in a train plus Big Lift tonnage. We are not your switcher”. Ed has that Elmer Fudd voice, “Well grab them six off the run around and shove in”. OH Yeah with pleasure, and yer dumb ass has a crew beating off. “Make sure the cars you set over, are behind the cars in the run around”. CA-Ching a time slip, a switching claim. There are 8 empty tracks, and he does this. Allen Wolfe hit the ceiling when this time slip came in. “I specifically told the Terminal Trainmaster and the Terminal Manger, a straight set out with a straight double over, and light back to Big Lift”. Well 100 miles basic day for the work train and 100 miles terminal switching, not in connection with the train we brought in.

A shot of the Rennicks yard from the pedestrian bridge looking due southeast. The eastbound Z-CHIDEN is yarding. They are on Track one. You can count over all eight tracks. The red signals below the containers coming in is Prospect Jct. The back of the triple signal ( far right ) lines you either to Fox Jct to via to UP’s North Yard (former Rio Grande) or to Utah Jct via the Tom Cat. That is the BNSF route to Cheyenne out of Denver.

We run down Rennix One, take the signal at Prospect and wait for a couple of hours, because they have plugged Main One and Main Two. The signal winks Double yellow at 20th Street. The UP is flagging down off the “Tom Cat” from the former Rio Grande North yard. It is a coal load. We out distance them.

A call to the UP DS, and a warrant between Littleton and MP 20. “You guys switching or other work at Big Lift?” “No DS, and if we do we will let that UP load by” “UP DS-18 out”.

We tie up Power is on track 6503 at Big Lift. The UP warrant is cleared. The UP load blasts by Big Lift, as I head under the overpass, for home.

Last updated December 11, 2015