HAVE YOU EVER HELPED OUT?

[Anonymous]

I helped out once. When I was 10 years old, I was admiring a SP stack train sitting in Alta VIsta KS while the crew got lunch. When they came back, they offered me a ride to the bottom of the hill, which I accepted. As we were taking off, the engineer sat me in his seat, gave me a crash course (not literally!!!) on how to run the train, and let me do the running with little assistance from him. It is still the highlight of my life, and it's been 9 years ago!

[Anonymous]

When i was living in Brokaw,Wi, during the Summer and on weekends i would watch the Milwaukee Road come in the village to pick up and drop off the railcars for the Wausau Paper Mill.As they would be doing the pick ups and set outs,i would write each car down on a pad of paper,and track as to when that car came back through town.One day the conductor (Clifford Dolloff ) had asked me if i had known what the car numbers were that they picked up,as some trains were too long for him to walk back to the caboose,and write them in his sheet,so for quite a few years i got to help them out by giving the conductor a sheet that had the car numbers and in return they gave me some candy,and then there were times when I got timetables,train rides,caboose rides,train consist reports and lots of other neat stuff as well.Even on school days,the conductor told me that he would leave me a copy of the train consist report on the North side of the switch where the incoming cars would go,and after school i would go for a walk up to the switch,and there would be the list, that the crew would leave for me.Now at 33,I still have those train reports,and soon they will be going to the Milwaukee Road Historical Society,once i get them on compact disc,for my own collection and use.In a way i felt as if I was working for the Milwaukee Road even though i was only 9 at the time.

[edbenton]

about ten years ago on the old Conrail line in Streator that goes to Hennipin Had a train stop late at night waiting for permission to cross the Santa Fe mainline. the Engineer asked if there was any place to get a bite to eat nearby that was open at 11 at night. Told them there was a place about a mile away they had a 35 min wait for clearence something about 5 trains in 25 mins took the conductor down and he got the order for both of them brought him back on that crews next trip I got a cab ride to hennipin and back what a blast

[Anonymous]

About a year ago the BNSF gates in front of the house came down as they should when a train was apoaching but would not go up after the train was gone so I called
the 1-800 number and hit option 2 and explaind what happened, and while waiting
I went ahead and dirrected traffic around the gates. The signal mantainence man came
and fixed them. when he got done he came over to the house and thanked me and
said I probably saved the gates because some people would just as soon cra***hem.
I also made a great new friend.

railwayray
Ray Phelps
894 Sagle Road
Sagle Idaho 83860-9211

LOVE THAT BNSF

[Jordan6]

I help install a grade crossing last year on the IC&E.

[rrnut282]

As I was heading home late one night, I noticed a N&W crew all standing near the road in the snow around midnight. Being curious, I stopped, walked over to see what was going on. They had cleared up in a yard track to let opposing trains go by, but now they couldn't get the electric lock on the switch to release. Someone thought that the electric lock was wired so that it had to have a train on the main to release, but there was no more trains coming for several hours. I asked if a set of jumper cables would do the trick? They said it was worth a try, so I walked back to my vehicle and brought it to them. They attached them to the main near the contacts and tried again. Still no luck. They tried shunting various combinations of rails for the next 45 minutes and still had the same results. They said thanks and gave them back to me and said they'll have to wait a couple of hours for a maintainer to show up. I had to get up that morning so I said good luck and went home.

Another time I gave a conductor setting out a bad order (hot box) a ride to the next grade crossing since it was pouring down rain. He offered me a couple of bucks, but I said I would have done it without the money.

[kog1027]

In the mid 70's my friend Bill & I were watching a Katy train cross the Frisco from the platform of the Durant, Oklahoma depot. After it had passed I noticed something looked wrong with the Frisco's trackwork in the crossing, a closer look revealed that a 6 inch section had broken off the top of one of the Frisco's rails. As this was a Sunday, and there was no Frisco agent on duty, we reported the broken rail to the Katy operator, who immediately called the Frisco dispatcher. Within an hour there was a maintainer with a welder there to weld the rail back in as a temporary solution, the next day a full MOW crew came and replaced that part of the crossing.

It felt really good to have caught that, if the one of the Frisco's trains had hit the break chances were good that the Katy depot would have been demolished, and it was a 24hr agency where we knew all the operators personally.

Mark Gosdin
Who notes that the Katy's Durant depot is long gone and the crossing is between the UP & the Kiamichi short line now.

[eolafan]

Back in the 1970's I was pacing a SOO Line train eastbound into the Stevens Point area from Marshfield, WI when I saw an old fashioned journal box on one of the cars on fire (big time!), so I raced in my car ahead of the train (which was going about forty mph) and got to the yard office and alterted them...they radioed the crew who stopped and put out the fire...they were very thankful, but alas no cab ride...just a good felling for having helped out.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by interex

Not sure I'm in the correct area. Not use to a computer. My wife gave me a HO scale Athearn GP60 power unit for fathers day since I would like to try a HO scale layout. My question is "what RR used the GP60? Since its black could anyone advise me on where I can fine out how to paint his engine?

Interex,
GP60's were commonly used by the Santa Fe, Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, and BNSF. Your best bet on finding more info on railroads and paint schemes can also be found at your local hobby shop.

[athelney]

Hey UPTRAIN -- care to share just one event - I'm sure we would all like to hear of at least one occasion ----- cheers

[UPTRAIN]

I have helped out (duh).

(too many times to mention)

[Anonymous]

I was watching trains near summit at Tehacaphi when the engineer started walking back from the lead engines on the BNSF grain train. I offered him a ride and we went back to the mid train DPU's to restart one of the new GE's, a 4700. It had shut off and the train required all of the units to continue for the downgrade around the loop. The engineer was grateful as the midtrain helpers were 5000' feet back and I got to watch the unit isolation and restart. He then put it back on line and called the conductor to load the unit. AS I drove him back, I realized how much time he saved with someone around to help. It is always great to help and you get to see the operation.

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TwinModal

This may not be much help, but it was fun. In 1978 I was playing Frisbee with my college room mate behind Able Hall at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. A Rock Island train came through, and stopped with the caboose just past the diamond with the MoPac spur that runs parallel with V Street. The head end of the Rock cut off to pick up some cars at a lumberyard a couple blocks down the line. The conductor in the caboose stepped out on the back deck to catch some air, and I motioned the Frisbee toward him. He yelled out "Toss it over!" and my roomie & I included him in our Frisbee toss until his train started to move again.

Twin - Abel Hall is about all that is left of that area now! Rock Island and Mo Pac are now trails. But Frisbee is still popular!

Lincoln Mookie

[locomutt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by UPMODELER1

I helped a BNSF conductor with a broke nuckle few years ago.

Did the conductor have a broken knuckle,or the train [?][:D]

Yes I have helped out several times. I've called in hotboxes(yes I'm old enough to know the difference between them and roller bearings) plus I've called in about
gradecrossing flashers not properly working,along with a few other things.

[Anonymous]

I gave a UP crew a ride to the store in Evanston,Wy. They offered me a cab ride into Ogden,Ut. but I had no way to get back so I didn't take it. I did get a very good tour of the locomotive.

[Anonymous]

I helped a BNSF conductor with a broke nuckle few years ago.

[Anonymous]

This may not be much help, but it was fun. In 1978 I was playing Frisbee with my college room mate behind Able Hall at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. A Rock Island train came through, and stopped with the caboose just past the diamond with the MoPac spur that runs parallel with V Street. The head end of the Rock cut off to pick up some cars at a lumberyard a couple blocks down the line. The conductor in the caboose stepped out on the back deck to catch some air, and I motioned the Frisbee toward him. He yelled out "Toss it over!" and my roomie & I included him in our Frisbee toss until his train started to move again.

[Noah Hofrichter]

interex, go over to the Model Railroader forums. Click on the forums button at the top of the page then go to the Model railroader side, then to the General discussion section, then click Post new topic, and ask you question there.

Noah

[tree68]

Local crew was stopped at a small town convenience store (I think they were getting ice cream) and couldn't hear the DS calling them. I stopped at the store, asked them if they were the train being called (I knew they were), and told them the DS was calling. The conductor snagged the hogger (just paying for his purchase) and they headed out, with the conductor muttering about how his radio was on and he didn't know why he didn't hear, etc, etc.

They were tying up the RR, too.

[heavyd]

I helped in the ULTIMATE way!!! I drove a conductor to get a coffee once. You know how they are if they don't get their coffee!!! (LOL) They were waiting for a meet, I got a tour of the engine, ...cool!

[Anonymous]

Not sure I'm in the correct area. Not use to a computer. My wife gave me a HO scale Athearn GP60 power unit for fathers day since I would like to try a HO scale layout. My question is "what RR used the GP60? Since its black could anyone advise me on where I can fine out how to paint his engine?

[espeefoamer]

Back in the 70s,some friends and I were watching a freight on the SP that had stopped blocking a cossing.We drove the brakeman back to the crossing to cut the train.We got a cab ride out of it.[:D]

[Noah Hofrichter]

A couple of weeks ago I was riding in the cab with my dad of a WSOR engine in Reedsburg and both the conductor and the engineer were on the same side so the engineer asked us to check if the crossing was clear on that side for him. We did that a few times at some of the smaller crossings as well.

Noah

[Anonymous]

Years ago (shhhhh don't ask how many) I saw a speeder wreck. There were 2 men riding the speeder. One was seriously hurt. I called the ambulance. I guess you could say, "I helped".

[Anonymous]

Yep, during the Indian blockades in Canada about 1990-1991, I was railfanning with a friend in Neenah, WI, when we heard on the scanner of a detour coming southbound in to Neenah, so the crew change could be made. We headed down to the yard, and started snapping pictures of the CN units. Then, the head brakeman or conductor asked us to drive him back to the rear end to get the FRED.
No problem,so he jumped into the back seat, made a comment about it being against the rules,[}:)] we drove him to the tailend, and he got the FRED and threw it into the back seat alongside himself. We then gave him a ride back to the head-end, he thanked us, and we even got some in-cab pictures for our trouble.[8D]
We didn't bother billing him for gas...[:D]

[miniwyo]

I helped throw a switch once, it hadn't been used in a long tim so i was kind of stickey and i was sitting in my truck waiting for the train to go by and it stops in the middle of the crossing and a guy jumped out to throw the switch and he pulled on it for a couple of minutes and then i could see that he was having trouble so i hollered to him "do you need a hand?" and then he waved me over and together we were able to throw the switch.

[athelney]

Glad to see other fans have gone a few extra steps to help out the railroad crews -- keep up the good work

[JoeKoh]

Yes I have.A train was stuck outside of Defiance yard because of frozen brakes with a train in front of them I went to Mcdonalds for them for breakfast.I also bought a conductor a pepsi in deshler a few weeks ago.
stay safe
Joe

[Anonymous]

Im not saying you will or not but your good deed could give you a cab ride.

A helping hand goes a long way.

David Brown