Your most interesting story or radio conversation?

[dmoore74]

We did have an interesting three way conversation several years ago. The specific town has been deliberately omitted.
Fire Dispatcher - "Dispatch to Station A, we have a brush fire down by the depot,
north side of the tracks."
5 minutes of silence.
RR Dispatcher - "Thank you 448 (Amtrak), we don't know these things unless they
tell us."
1 minute of silence.
Fire Dispatcher - "Dispatch to Engine 1, got Conrail on the phone. Says one of
their trains ran over your hose."

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kwboehm

Hey Mook-
I was listening last night to the scanner and I heard the dispatcher going on about a "cluster" in your neck of the woods. Something about 2 trains going into Lincoln, and light power running to Havelock because the crossover job (whatever that was) "went on the ground", which sounds like an oops on their part. Did you hear or see anything to that effect?? I know there's a lot of ground to cover between the yard on the west side and Havelock, and I can't narrow it down any. Just curious to see if you knew anything about any possible mishaps in your area.

I didn't hear anything on the radio this morning - will listen to local at 11 and see if they say something. My scanner is always on police and fire and they always do their best work - AFTER I go to sleep! I will check around and see what I can find. Thanx for the heads up.

Mook

[kwboehm]

Hey Mook-
I was listening last night to the scanner and I heard the dispatcher going on about a "cluster" in your neck of the woods. Something about 2 trains going into Lincoln, and light power running to Havelock because the crossover job (whatever that was) "went on the ground", which sounds like an oops on their part. Did you hear or see anything to that effect?? I know there's a lot of ground to cover between the yard on the west side and Havelock, and I can't narrow it down any. Just curious to see if you knew anything about any possible mishaps in your area.

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by goboard

Let's see . . .

I have a bunch of minor stories, but here's one for starters.

I had just hired in with a freight railroad that used NJ transit back in the 90s. I was training in as a conductor. They ran a tight schedule between passenger trains, and were understandably slick with their moves. Maybe a little too slick.

So I'm getting my typical crew hazing on the first day, and we pull up to the branch junction at the westbound crossover. The crew drops off, and the engineer pulls ahead of the switch. We get permission from dispatch to line for the backing move, cross over, and shuffle into the eastbound branchline switch.

Since the conductor doesn't want to use the west lead of the wye (since it's blocked with other loads), we yank our fresh loads off the interchange to the main for a drop.

Now, up until this point in my railroad career I haven't much used a drop. I worked in a chemical plant, and that was a no-no. About the time I'm calculating the total moves in my head, we cut off, I get down at the branch switch to line the main, while the brakeman bleeds the air (and probably bottles the cut). Meanwhile, the *REAL* conductor is somewhere down on the siding, getting papers or something.

Our brakie was an older guy, but a real mushmouth. I have my radio turned up all the way trying to make out his phrases. Suddenly, I hear this:

"I've asdghr ghrfdklhkd !"

(What the heck?)

"ADSRIUYREG AHHHHH!!!"

(By now the engineer comes on.)

"What's that Rog?"

"I got aBAD werrtylon thebasdkend! I caafrfnthrdown!"

(The cut is coming toward me, steadily by now . . .)

"Oh, )(*&^! What's that?"

(About this time the cut is picking up some speed . . .)

"Where are you Joe, can you get it?"

I look at the cars. I look at the engine. Now I'm calculating that this thing will be really moving by the time it gets to me. I start to move toward the cut and realize by the time I run 25 feet it will have doubled its speed. Plus, there's no B-end facing me.

The engineer sees me stop, jumps down the steps from the 1500, (which is hard enough to do on a vertical ladder) and runs across the ballast, reaching the cars as they start to gently rock back and forth.

He grabs the ladder and drags himself onto a box, and manages to start winding on the handbrake, as they coast by me.

Now the conductor has run into the picture, hops up into the cab, as I stay put. My blood runs cold in the summer heat as I realize I may have to line this for a running couple.

"What's going on Rog? You got them?"

"Yeah, Bill hopped on the middle. . ."

And so ends my first exhilerating experience with my crew (not to be my last).Everyone breathes easier. No one says a word.

It turns out that the grade is a steady 0.5-1% in there all the way to Dover. It was about 8:00 in the morning with frequent commuter trains for the Midtown-Hoboken runs.

When the brakie let off the handbrake, he didn't realize it was bent. The wheel kept catching on the ribbed bulkhead. If the engineer hadn't caught it, we would have been playing catchup, not to mention clearing the main through to Morris Plains. . .

'Course, this was the same *conductor* (also road foreman) who was best buds with the GM, had run a few engines off the rails, and hit a series of hirail dumps in an unflagged section of track. And they ran 30-45 mph as "restricted speed" on a technicality in NORAC.

Needless to say, since I was a straight arrow (along with some other issues), I didn't last long . . . I can't tell you how many times it was a comedy of errors for me. Everytime something happened, it became my fault. And of course, I wasn't vested yet, so I couldn't breathe a word, crew loyalty and all that.

I won't mention the road, but things are probably safer and calmer now with the old owner out of the way . . .

I especially enjoyed the radio conversation. I have heard that "type" of conversation relayed by the old engineer more than once! He worked with both lanterns and radios over the years - neither one "talked" well in some people's hands!

Mookie

[Anonymous]

Let's see . . .

I have a bunch of minor stories, but here's one for starters.

I had just hired in with a freight railroad that used NJ transit back in the 90s. I was training in as a conductor. They ran a tight schedule between passenger trains, and were understandably slick with their moves. Maybe a little too slick.

So I'm getting my typical crew hazing on the first day, and we pull up to the branch junction at the westbound crossover. The crew drops off, and the engineer pulls ahead of the switch. We get permission from dispatch to line for the backing move, cross over, and shuffle into the eastbound branchline switch.

Since the conductor doesn't want to use the west lead of the wye (since it's blocked with other loads), we yank our fresh loads off the interchange to the main for a drop.

Now, up until this point in my railroad career I haven't much used a drop. I worked in a chemical plant, and that was a no-no. About the time I'm calculating the total moves in my head, we cut off, I get down at the branch switch to line the main, while the brakeman bleeds the air (and probably bottles the cut). Meanwhile, the *REAL* conductor is somewhere down on the siding, getting papers or something.

Our brakie was an older guy, but a real mushmouth. I have my radio turned up all the way trying to make out his phrases. Suddenly, I hear this:

"I've asdghr ghrfdklhkd !"

(What the heck?)

"ADSRIUYREG AHHHHH!!!"

(By now the engineer comes on.)

"What's that Rog?"

"I got aBAD werrtylon thebasdkend! I caafrfnthrdown!"

(The cut is coming toward me, steadily by now . . .)

"Oh, )(*&^! What's that?"

(About this time the cut is picking up some speed . . .)

"Where are you Joe, can you get it?"

I look at the cars. I look at the engine. Now I'm calculating that this thing will be really moving by the time it gets to me. I start to move toward the cut and realize by the time I run 25 feet it will have doubled its speed. Plus, there's no B-end facing me.

The engineer sees me stop, jumps down the steps from the 1500, (which is hard enough to do on a vertical ladder) and runs across the ballast, reaching the cars as they start to gently rock back and forth.

He grabs the ladder and drags himself onto a box, and manages to start winding on the handbrake, as they coast by me.

Now the conductor has run into the picture, hops up into the cab, as I stay put. My blood runs cold in the summer heat as I realize I may have to line this for a running couple.

"What's going on Rog? You got them?"

"Yeah, Bill hopped on the middle. . ."

And so ends my first exhilerating experience with my crew (not to be my last).Everyone breathes easier. No one says a word.

It turns out that the grade is a steady 0.5-1% in there all the way to Dover. It was about 8:00 in the morning with frequent commuter trains for the Midtown-Hoboken runs.

When the brakie let off the handbrake, he didn't realize it was bent. The wheel kept catching on the ribbed bulkhead. If the engineer hadn't caught it, we would have been playing catchup, not to mention clearing the main through to Morris Plains. . .

'Course, this was the same *conductor* (also road foreman) who was best buds with the GM, had run a few engines off the rails, and hit a series of hirail dumps in an unflagged section of track. And they ran 30-45 mph as "restricted speed" on a technicality in NORAC.

Needless to say, since I was a straight arrow (along with some other issues), I didn't last long . . . I can't tell you how many times it was a comedy of errors for me. Everytime something happened, it became my fault. And of course, I wasn't vested yet, so I couldn't breathe a word, crew loyalty and all that.

I won't mention the road, but things are probably safer and calmer now with the old owner out of the way . . .

[kwboehm]

LOL true, but the one word I've heard I'm pretty sure is still not allowed.

[Anonymous]

kwboehm, maybe you should watch more TV, there aren't many words not allowed anymore.

[tree68]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

And when I catch that guy there's gonna be hell to pay. He leaves gates, doors and refrigerators open. Leaves the butter out and eats all the pop tarts and leaves the empty box in the cabinet....all sorts of stuff.

I think he's been at my house, too [:D]. Worse, he's spoiling the dog. Every time I eat now, she's at my side begging. Of course, I have to give her something. And here I thought I lived alone (with the dog).

[kwboehm]

I was wondering if the railroads were supposed to stick to FCC guidelines on the radio. Lately I've heard one of the seven words you supposedly can't say on the air in a couple radio conversations on the railroad.

[dharmon]

And when I catch that guy there's gonna be hell to pay. He leaves gates, doors and refrigerators open. Leaves the butter out and eats all the pop tarts and leaves the empty box in the cabinet....all sorts of stuff.

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

And now you're going to try and tell me it wasn't a Mookie that made all those circles on my lawn too?

And you think Mookies go around in circles?

Beats me, but the chocolate cake that was sitting on the counter is gone too........after rounding up the usual suspects it seems that either a Mookie or some oriental guy named Naut Mi ate it.

It was definitely Naut Mi!

Chocolate Mook

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

And now you're going to try and tell me it wasn't a Mookie that made all those circles on my lawn too?

And you think Mookies go around in circles?

Beats me, but the chocolate cake that was sitting on the counter is gone too........after rounding up the usual suspects it seems that either a Mookie or some oriental guy named Naut Mi ate it.

[Saxman]

During the 1980's I worked at the Huckleberry Railroad and Crossroads Village in Flint, MI. The railroad's east loop circled by a campground called Timberwolf Campground. This campground had a store that sold sandwiches. On occassion we would call from the depot in Crossroads, order our sandwiches and tell them to make change for say a ten or twenty. The camp store would in turn pack the lunch and put the change in the bag. The train would approach the store give a long blast on the whistle through the money out attached to a piece of coal and retrieve the lunch.

This little procedure worked most of the time. However, one day my fireman forgot that he had change for a twenty in the bag and he bought only $5.00 worth of food! I watched as he carefully took his food from the bag, placed it on the paper towel he spread on the firemans seat and then promptly throw the bag into the fire box. The look on his face when he realized what he had just done was priceless. I thought he was going to jump in the fire box after the bag with his money. All he could do on the way back to Crossroads Village was mutter: "My change, my change and I gave them a twenty dollar bill."

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

And now you're going to try and tell me it wasn't a Mookie that made all those circles on my lawn too?

And you think Mookies go around in circles?

[mudchicken]

Mookster in cahoots with the local gendarmerie? I am now considering a large detour via Kansas (Land of Ah's) next trip east. I now have to worry about looking through the rear view mirror prior to Lancaster County. Mooks let a large kitty-kat loose in the Platte River bottoms the last trip through. ( A plains ...er,um...mountain lion!, that showed up in Willy2's neighborhood a long way from any mountains....)

As for best radio story, a play by play account of a caboose drop gone bad over the caboose radio. Seems the crew forgot about the bad-ordered handbrake, bled the air off, dropped the car off the main line and forgot about the derail in the middle of the lead track going down hill. A big "Oh No...oooooo!" followed by the sound of wheels hitting ballast and ties when gravity and the derail actually worked.

Honorary runner-up: Blind geometry car shove caught by the on-board CAMERA as the car split an improperly thrown rigid switch and hit the dirt.

dirty Bird

[dharmon]

And now you're going to try and tell me it wasn't a Mookie that made all those circles on my lawn too?

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

[}:)] Ever had a Mookie on your front porch?

[dharmon]