Hey everyone – welcome to volume 2 of Zugtales: a look inside the boring life of a nobody railroader. Last time I examined the empty flatcar train from hell, and today I will recall the manifest from hell (noticing a pattern here...?).
As before, names and places have been changed to protect the innocent, guilty, guilty-by-association, and those that can't stay out of the goat pastures. But the facts are as true as my limited remembering-part of my body can remember them. And I am speaking as myself, and do not represent anyone else, any company, any railroad, or any other organization, and this story should be interpreted as entertainment only. So without further ado, let's get started.
This story takes place a year or two ago. I was near the bottom of the roster (some things never change, it seems) but I had a regular road train. We'll call this train the OLLE3. OLLE3 runs from my home terminal, and terminates at another terminal about 100 miles away. The train actually starts somewhere else, but it pretty much broken down and reclassified at my home terminal, but there may be a block of cars that runs through.
Now you may be wondering how a young pup like me could hold a regular train. Or if you aren't, then skip this paragraph and go grab a snack. Probably something cool out in the fridge. I recommend a carbonated beverage – with or without alcohol – your choice. Anyhow, the OLLE3 had a reputation for being a lousy job, and actually rated worse than working the extra list. It did sign up in the morning and was a daylight run, but unlike most trains in my territory, it had an assigned train to return home on. That train was scheduled for 4:30pm the next afternoon. Therein lies the problem. The OLLE3 usually went on duty 9-11am, and even if you made all 12 hours on it, you still had all night and most of the next day to enjoy the hotel. And this hotel was slightly worse than the Ritz. It was a Microtel, which I heard was based on European measurements. Namely, it was tiny and well-deserved of its nickname, “The Microhell”. The 13” TV had to be attached to the top of the cabinet/dresser for lack of any real space. So to watch it you had to lie in bed and basically look at the ceiling. The hotel was also in a lousy location. There were stores and restaurants in a nearby strip mall, but to get to them you had to cross a very busy four lane road full of cars driving about 700mph while texting and drinking a coffee they just bought at Dunkin Donuts.
And to top it all off, since the return train was assigned, you didn't get hotel pay (for us on the road, you used to get paid for every hour over 16 you spent in the hotel). But it wasn't all bad – I had a netbook and a Sprint wireless card, so I could waste time on the internet just like at home. I also don't have a wife or kids, so being away from home was no real big deal.
Ok, back to the OLLE3. Sure the train wasn't the best, but it was *MINE*. And I had a real awesome regular hogger, a daylight run, and a pretty set schedule. And OLLE3 was often used to shuttle power to the destination yard (we'll call that Batsville), so I had the chance to get some cool and old engines tacked onto our train. Life was good – or at least as good as you could expect it to be on a class-1 for someone with zero seniority.
It was a typical morning, and I got called by the friendly robot (this was before the robot caller went nuts and took over half the country by monitoring every camera and webcam in the world – or maybe that was a movie I watched, I forget) beckoning me once again to conduct the OLLE3. It was a beautiful summer day, and after fighting the late rush hour traffic (traffic was another downside to working days like normal non-vampire people), buying my daily newspaper, I once again found myself at the yard office. I printed up my bulletins, got my train consist, and my airslips. Today was a special treat (at least for the foamer in me), as we were going to be dropping off an endcab switcher (pup) to one of our yards along the way (let's call it Hill Yard). Our train was around 150 cars, as it usually was before the recession hit. The power would usually be at the west end of the yard near our cars. We probably had 3 different cuts of cars to grab out of the departure yard, I would slam the engines against the first cut, and a utility man would make the following 2 doubles, arm the marker, and send us along our way.
We received permission from the magic man in the tower, and started out doubles. Now, we are at the west end of the yard, near the yardboard. Once we leave the yard, we usually make a turn and go east on the mainline to reach our final destination. But you can also stay straight and end up going west on the mainline. I'm only qualified to go east, but I have been west a couple miles, namely to recrew trains that didn't make it to the yard in time. As we are doubling, the yardmaster or dispatcher decide to have us go west to make our doubles, then when we are one long, pretty train, we would reverse ourselves behind the junction (with the utility man protecting our shove) so we could make the right hand turn and go where we need to go. My hogger and I were joking over whether we were qualified to be going this far west - since this move was quite unusual.
After our train was doubled, the utility man armed and tested our marker. All that was left was to reverse behind the junction and go east. As soon as we tried to move, the marker decided to dump the train. My hogger was pretty sharp, and as soon as he saw/heard the pressure start to drop on the tail, he stopped before the train actually went fully into the hole. Keep in mind, we probably weren't even doing 1mph when the marker went “ka-powie” on us. Ok, try again. Same result. I think the 3rd time the marker cooperated for us. When we asked about getting a new marker, the yardmaster told us “no” and to leave with what we got. Remember that. It will come back to bite us all in the butt later.
--to be continued --
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
- Paul North.
Paul_D_North_JrSo far, so good - some funny lines in there, too - "so I could waste time on the internet just like at home". I'm waiting eagerly for the next installment ! Thanks, too, for this one as far as it goes. - Paul North.
As Paul said!
Me too, I'm a waiting for the other shoe (steel-toed boot(?) to DROP, or what ever else mischief is afoot !
A defective EOT that will dump a train is a dangerous device to have on a train and the yardmaster ordering you out of the yard with it is an invitation for many troubles across the road and worse. Can't really tell the story but I had a bad experience with an EOT that would put trains into emergency one summer morning a few years ago. I'll put up a pretty strong protest before I ever take another one.
Can't wait for the rest! Thanks for sharing.
Dan
CNW 6000 Can't wait for the rest! Thanks for sharing.
Johnny
Give me a few days, gentlement....I got sidetracked and am now currently looking for trains away from my home (and desktop). And by looking for trains, I'm being unseccussful... oh well, such is life. I'll try to have part 2 on by Thursday night/Fri morn.
Where's the fast forward button? Time's awastin'! (You must've had my English teacher, never just one modifier; 2 - standard, 4 - 'A' material.)
Art
Your writing has wetted my appetite for more....Enjoyed first part.
Quentin
Note: sorry for the delay, but I either didn't have the time, nor was in a writing mood - but here's the 2nd part.
_________________________
OK, so where were we? Ah, that's right, leaving with a messed up marker. I can't remember much about the trip between here and the yard (Hill Yard, I think I called it) where we were to drop off the end-cab switcher. It must have been the typical trip, not many trains to meet along the way since in 150 years, we never learned how to run many trains in daylight. I never understood it, and probably never will.
As we were nearing the interlocking for Hill Yard, the dispatcher calls us.
“I understand you have an engine for Hill Yard”
“yes, sir”
“Pull up to the interlocking at Hill, cut away and talk.”
Now to get into Hill Yard, you have to pull across the interlocking, then back into the yard lead. Simple move, and pretty easy. The interlocking is a pretty big one (the distance between the westbound and eastbound signals). Usually power being put into Hill Yard is parked on an old siding just inside the interlocking, so you really don't have to go too deep into the yard. Not that it mattered, since Hill Yard is a shell of its former self (as most yards are today, unfortunately).
So we pull up to the interlocking, and I walk back and spin on a bunch of handbrakes. We do our little handbrake test, dance a jig, then cut away. I'm now sitting in the end-cab that is at the rear of the consist (NOTE: it is a consist, not a lashup). Well, now it seems that the heavens have opened and every train on the division decided it needed its turn through the interlocking right now. And us, being the low priority junk freight we are, are at the bottom of the pack. That's OK... most railroaders could easily work in the restaurant business, since we are such good waiters (sorry...). But all this waiting has a major drawback: it's getting dark. I can pretty much stumble my way through any yard, but yards that I do not know like the back of my hand (and I didn't get into Hill Yard much at all) are a little trickier at night. So it was time for my next challenge: getting myself a light to guide my way! Now on any modern or rebuilt engine, it is easy to get lights – but this is an ancient end-cab, that has been rewired 50 times, and all its switches have long lost their labels, and those labels provably refer to functions that the switches served two railroads ago. That, and the fact that I never get to play with end-cabs are going to make this an extra fun challenge. But hey, the worse that can happen is the engine bursts into flames.
So after a few minutes of playing with breakers and switches and playing with the combination of them, I finally get the rear headlight to come on for me. Never did figure out the ditchlights, though. Nor the radio, but I think that was busted.
Finally, it's our turn and we get the green light. We pull across the interlocking, then get the light to go into the yard. After talking to the yardmaster, we back the engine into the little rickety siding, tie it down, and return back to our train, pump it up and knock off the handbrakes. By this time, we've been on duty 10 hours or so.
We get the signal, and permission to resume our trek east. Oh yeah, remember that marker I told you about before? As soon as we attempt to move, it dumps the train. Try again, and the same result. We call up the dispatcher. He tells us to hang on as he talks with the chief. We try a third time and it starts to move without going into the hole. But the dispatcher comes back on:
“Forget it, tie it down and look for rubber wheels”
“We think we got it moving, want us to continue east?”
“Nope, I don't want to risk you guys getting hung up in the single-track and clogging everything up.”
A wise dispatcher.
So, I walk back out and put more handbrakes on (didn't I do this already?). There were some local railfans hanging out at the interlocking, so after we tied the train down, we walked over and had a little chat until the taxi came to take us to the hotel. The re-crew would be out in a few hours to finish the trip, and would be bringing a fresh marker with them.
So, 12-13 hours after beginning the trip, we wound up at the Micro-hell at midnight or later. 12 hours + and we got the train halfway to where it was supposed to go. That's OK: everything stayed on the rail and no one was hurt – and that is what matters most. Well, the not getting hurt part. They can always put the cars back on the track.
Now for those wanting some super-great ending, I'm sorry. We ended with two tired railroaders awaiting our call to duty the next afternoon. But that's how most trips end up.
--Zug
Hey Zug, Thanks for the report, great ending or not, for some of us that have other vocations and enjoy this avocation, it;s not boring at all . It's all a matter of prospective .
Btw- tonight this was/is the only thread I opened (I'm tired) and I got my railfan fix for the night, thanks. Anytime you have the time & motivation to tell more 'Zug Tales', Please do .
..........living the railroad life vicariously through a railfan forum .....What a concept ...........
Zug, that sounds like, oh, with some differences, a whole lot of trips that I have made. I'm sure I could write up a few if I really put my mind to it. I thought sure after Part 1 that you were going to get out and tie up the railroad with your defective EOT. I'm kind of disappointed,, to tell you the truth.
All that tells us what real railroading is like is worth reading. Thanks!!
ValleyX Zug, that sounds like, oh, with some differences, a whole lot of trips that I have made. I'm sure I could write up a few if I really put my mind to it. I thought sure after Part 1 that you were going to get out and tie up the railroad with your defective EOT. I'm kind of disappointed,, to tell you the truth.
Sorry, we had a good dispatcher that night. If I ever do a part 3, then it will involve tying up the railroad..
The reasons for fewer trains operating daylight on virtually all railroads can be directed to Maintenance in the Way. For some reason contracts in those crafts want them working in sunlight most of the time. Track has to be inspected in accordance with FRA Regs and Signal systems have to be tested....all that takes track time. Secondly, most industries have their work force working daylight hours and don't want the railroad coming on the property to switch their plants and upsetting their production.
You are right, good dispatchers don't want to take chances with trains from hell on short time in a single track situations. Better to call the recrew and run the world around the train from hell, until the railroad will permit it's operation with the potential for minimal damage to the rest of the operation. Two things a dispatcher NEVER wants to hear..."We don't fit in the siding" and "We are on the law, on single track in the middle of nowhere".
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACDTwo things a dispatcher NEVER wants to hear
And of course the worst one of all; "Engine xxxx, we're on the ground, mile yy.y"
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
AgentKid BaltACDTwo things a dispatcher NEVER wants to hear And of course the worst one of all; "Engine xxxx, we're on the ground, mile yy.y" Bruce
BaltACDThe reasons for fewer trains operating daylight on virtually all railroads can be directed to Maintenance in the Way. For some reason contracts in those crafts want them working in sunlight most of the time. Track has to be inspected in accordance with FRA Regs and Signal systems have to be tested....all that takes track time. Secondly, most industries have their work force working daylight hours and don't want the railroad coming on the property to switch their plants and upsetting their production. You are right, good dispatchers don't want to take chances with trains from hell on short time in a single track situations. Better to call the recrew and run the world around the train from hell, until the railroad will permit it's operation with the potential for minimal damage to the rest of the operation. Two things a dispatcher NEVER wants to hear..."We don't fit in the siding" and "We are on the law, on single track in the middle of nowhere".
I know why trains mostly run at night. That was pretty much a tongue-in-cheek bit at humor wondering why the industry doesn't revolove around my needs...
This story has to be too frustrating to be anything but true. There are some same things that happen in trucking. Point~~our tractor ( Rattler ) was in dealer for warranty work. ~ Fine , we got a loaner from said dealer for the last400mi. of the load. Now the fun!?? begines. New breakaway valve was installed in theair system . OK to run,~~riiight. Hook up to our trailer and do walk around . All systems go. Hit breakaway valve and high pitched squeal heard. Blow air and ck. hoses ~~ red to red blue to blue. Here we go.On the super slab one or two light touches on the foot brake in a few mi. , then a hard foot apply , truck seems to pullhard. then ease up. This goes on for an hr. Brake smell is not good. Then I getreal interested and crawl under this thing after 75 mi. The exhaust valve for the trailer was replaced also. Low and behold that Rhoades scholar who replaced those parts did not remove the exhaust plug . The plug was not down tight and air did exhaust ever so slow. Much frustration ,but dealer paid dearly with cash for anguish and down time. P.S. ~~ A free service lube and oil chit at any Pete car dealer two times. Providence does smile.
Cannonball
Y6bs evergreen in my mind
That was better than the flat wheel cafe.
RRKen That was better than the flat wheel cafe.
Eleanor Roosevelt is very pleased.
switch7frgThe exhaust valve for the trailer was replaced also. Low and behold that Rhoades scholar who replaced those parts did not remove the exhaust plug .
Uh-oh.......Perhaps those trailer brake lining were burnished in a bit after 75 mi of slow bleed off.....
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