SaturdayMay 21st Rocky Ford, CO in Tales of the Jointed Track

As we age, so you lose people you work with. Rusty Rogers, a Switchman, Brakeman, Conductor I worked with for 30 plus years passed about a week ago. Rusty developed terminal cancer, what form of, I don’t know. The last time I worked with Rusty, is when he was training new hire brakeman, and RCO,(Remote Controlled Equipment) for the switchman. Yeah cut off us engineers in the yard. Must have been late 2010 early 2011. I knew Rusty, was diagnosed, but didn’t know how bad.

I was notified the week before that he had passed. John Warren, who was a Brakeman, Conductor, and Locomotive engineer, notified us on Facebook. I asked John, a memorial, or ? He told me a Wake in Rocky Ford,CO if you want to attend.

I drove down, stayed for a couple of hours and drove back. Caught a Coal Load at Manaznola, and a DP Denver Amarillo east of Rocky Ford,CO. Ate at Pueblo at the Texas Roadhouse, about 1/4 mile from where the railroad put us up at Pueblo. Wow some memories, all good . Listened to the St. Louis vs San Jose hockey game via XM. The Joint-Line, my old territory is basically dead. Coal is almost gone jobs are lost. I was told at the “wake” the Local chairman I worked with and helped, that the Engineers board was cut from 25 turns to 12. BNSF has laid off close to 5000, in the Train Engine and Yard. 400 coal service locomotives laid up in storage. Sad commentary, but I went through that in my 40 years. But it was about remembrance of Rusty Rogers that day :)