Pueblo Yard in Tales of the Jointed Track

I am starting to think I need to write...in my horrid style..fragmented etc so bear with me. I need to write down my thoughts as they come to me...So... that being said ..

I was called for a 1430 or 230 pm yard Job in Pueblo.. No big deal..took the call en route, because I knew I was going to be called off the Pueblo Engineers extra board to protect.. I lived in the far south Denver metro area, at the time, so the Pueblo extra board was good alternative. I didn't have to put up with the, Inter-divisional run through, or the Denver extra board etc, but that's semantics, plus I had the seniority to go where I wanted. I was Number One on the roster, so who's gonna bump me ? Also I chose this, so it was my duty to protect, and I did protect it...like a mother hen..

Okay back to the original part of the story..

I got called for the YPUE2011 job, the date I can't recall, but it was though a late springtime call. Pueblo, could get warm and watch it cool drastically when the sun went down. I left early, and took the call on my cell phone and went to FURRS Cafeteria for the pre shift meal..lol

I got to the yard office, and the regular crew was there, old heads as we called 'em.. Eddie Garcia was the switch foreman...Roger Herrerra was the field man. We got the lists and the power for the shift.

We had one GP-60M and a B-40-CW, they were 2 four axle power, at 3800 hp and 4000 hp on four axles each, 7800 hp total to switch with. These were old inter-modal Santa Fe work horses dealt to switch and local power. These were not made to switch cars, but you can do it. Make the motors do your bidding, and not they, yours..

The 101 job went dead...really ( lol ) again...so they sorta got into town without the Minnequa pick up. Oops, and they didn't interchange or bring up the Minnequa cut for the C&W ( Colorado & Wyoming ). After we switched for four hours, and the yard was caught up, the yardmaster said take lunch, and then you're going up to Minnequa. Take the yard sluff and deliver, plus bring the interchange for Pueblo down. Okay that's a good 5 hour turnaround. This is not a biggie but, to deliver and make the pickup, air test, train traffic..ect. You can bet, that will eat into the time. Hey we're here for 12 hours. Grab this track and this track, oh and class 10, okay no problem...

Power that is the problem, for these four axle units will not handle the grade from Salt Creek JCT to Minnequa Yard. So enter the equation... The only road power in the yard was a TFM SD-40-2 , 3000 HP on 6 powered axles. This is great and it will deliver horsepower. As a lead, there is no radio for communication. No problem we can use a pack set. No ETD head end device for readout, again no problem we’ll install a portable. OKAY, a problem, no power and antenna leads to hook up. This unit can’t lead period, either way. Why?, it is a Mexican interchange power pool unit that found it way here.

We're talking a cold raining night in Pueblo, CO it is 45 degrees F, and this unit has no cab heat, just strip heaters. This is electric heat along the cab sides, just to ease the chill. Hey, this isn’t Mexico. I place both on high and it is the lead, BUT I can't talk to the crew. We make the air test and I am in the second unit. Eddie says I'll ride this to Minnequa, and relay block signals till we get up to the yard. This is good , another problem, it is running long hood forward.

I can see what I need to from the second unit, but certain signals at Pueblo Jct, I have no access visually, that’s why Eddie rode that TFM 1417. That unit was the only reason we made the grade with the tonnage we had.

We tripled over into three tracks , but had five to take back. A good motor, and an extra 6 axles of dynamic brake down the grade. Everything was picked up, an air test made. I changed end before we picked up, and redialed the ETD in. 102 cars coming in, and we doubled into Pueblo Yard after 10 hrs and 30 min on duty. But we brought 'em in... An untypical yard shift, but an interesting way to do the job. Odd stuff ...Odd consists ...Odd problems loved that aspect of railroading...