Brakeshoe Bob ⋅ 71
I am a retired Railroad Locomotive Engineer. I hired out with the BN in September of 72 as a machinist and went with the Santa Fe in engine service in 1973 as a Locomotive Fireman. I was promoted to Locomotive Engineer in July 1974. I retired in September 2012 after 40 years. During the period I ran the Joint-Line (Denver to Pueblo,CO) and the Interdivisional between Denver and La Junta, CO. I had almost 8 years in management with the Santa Fe and BNSF.
Entries 462
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AMTRAK musings power etc Part 2 in Tales of the Jointed Track
I can’t remember the actual date. I was firing, but we had to come over to 31st Street for the power. They had shut down, the C&S 7th Street roundhouse facility, at Rice Yard, but still ope...
AMTRAK musings power etc Part 1 in Tales of the Jointed Track
AMTRAK became a government project to keep passenger trains running in 1971. The Class 1 railroads, basically left the passenger business, for more profitable TOFC/COFC, Coal Grain and Red Ball ...
A short entry to all and my readers. God’s blessing this season to all. Christmas has a different tone and meaning to many people. It is a pagan Germanic, Nordic and St Nicholas was Turkish...
La Junta, CO The Capri Motel and other stuff Part 3 in Tales of the Jointed Track
I guess this is the last entry about La Junta. I’ll show some passenger stuff. The La Junta Depot. Many passenger trains have stopped here. The Super Chief and the El Capitain, both east and ...
La Junta, CO The Capri Motel and other stuff Part 2 in Tales of the Jointed Track
Aerial photo of the La Junta Metroplex :P. The RED SQUARE, is the old Capri. La Junta Feed. On the US 50 By-Pass ass well across from the depot. An old condemned Hopper is the distribution...
La Junta, CO The Capri Motel and other stuff Part 1 in Tales of the Jointed Track
I crew changed here on the Interdivisional “Q” trains in the late 80’s to early 90’s. La Junta was 2200 population at that time. It is the county seat for Otero County. I visited La Junta, wh...
Ed Sewell Extra Yardmaster. Part 3 in Tales of the Jointed Track
Ed is working the 3rd trick again, and Pam is on vacation. We look at the train its on track 37 in the yard. No double over. The Conductor is getting the paperwork ready. Kenny and me head ...
Gene Barnes Pueblo Yard Switchman- Conductor Pueblo Sub in Tales of the Jointed Track
It would be an understatement, if you said that Gene was a unique character. Gene was opinionated, a good rail to work with, and a practical joker as well. A preface, to the story below, I wor...
Ed Sewell Extra Yardmaster. Part 2 in Tales of the Jointed Track
I took a work train, that originated out of Big Lift. Was 15 minutes from home, Sunday off. Sometimes a half of Saturday, was offered due to staging empties and waiting for the next weeks arr...
Ed Sewell Extra Yardmaster. Part 1 in Tales of the Jointed Track
What can I say about Ed. We found out Ed, worked as a trainman out of Newton, KS and did Yardmaster work there. He wasn’t well received, because he was, well basically did stupid things. Ed p...
PAM the Night BNSF 31st ST Yardmaster a Quick tale in Tales of the Jointed Track
Pam worked the “Third Trick” or the 2300 to 0700 shift as a yardmaster. She basically did as instructed. She retired about 6 months before I did. She led a hard life, was divorced, and worked...
North Bound Train Stall Postash Train Monument, CO in Tales of the Jointed Track
I am back running an engine, after being cut-off at the NOC. I took the DENPUE ( Denver / Pueblo), shortly after the South Loop Inter-divisional was instituted. The hours were horrid. On du...
I was working the Southwest Power desk on a warm week day. I was on the day rotation and with the usual people I worked with. The North Central man, worked the coal fields in the Powder River B...
An Old Railroad Safety Video in Tales of the Jointed Track
Okay this is old. But the semantics still hold true. Steam yes…on and off cars moving yes … Us old farts…been there done that. But this is “basic” railroading 101. Still holds true T...
We are still in the flood re-route mode, during the summer of 2011. Trainman who are promoted engineers, and have gone elsewhere on the system, are being called back. This is not only happening ...
Locked up Traction Motor change out CP Railway in Tales of the Jointed Track
This is how they change out locked up traction motors out in the field. The Santa Fe at one time used to take off the traction motor gear case off, cut the pinon, if wheel damage due to flats sp...
I have written about BIG LIFT and the TOFC and COFC intermodal trains we operated out of there. BN, now BNSF out of Denver has an Intermodal facility that utilized piggy packers. I believe the ...
Engineer Qualifying Trip Back, Train 594 in Tales of the Jointed Track
Barney Steele told me and the crew caller to call us out on 10 hours rest, regardless of train. So it could be basically anything. Well it turned out to be the 594. The 594 was late, and is us...
Engineer Qualifying Trip June 1974 in Tales of the Jointed Track
I know I have written about this, but it maybe an Old Open Diary piece. So again my apologies. Six weeks of intensive schooling, simulations, air, air equipment, train orders, operating rules an...
TThe Ft Worth & Western and the Carrolton / Hodge Local in Tales of the Jointed Track
Southlake Texas… Summer/ late Fall 1998: It was a weekend. I am on days off, I can’t remember the day or night rotation. I am on days off, doing yard chores, and a happy camper. Maybe the wi...
Slag unloading at a steel mill in Tales of the Jointed Track
CF&I ( Colorado Fuel & Iron ) was a working blast furnace(s) for steel making. We’d get refined red ore and taconite out of the BN’s origination’s. We would deliver to Minnequa at the M...
Travel can be a wonderful thing… or the demons come out to derail you. NOOOOOO is the BNSF in charge of airline travel.. They are stalking me.. I am retired .. Work with me .. it’s a tou...
SD-9's A drag engine, Road switcher, Yard goat, a Saga in Tales of the Jointed Track
I have written in the past about SD-9’s. These units, along with the SD-7 were EMD’s first six powered axle locomotives. The SD-7 and SD-9 basically look alike, except for a few minor cosmetic ...
Pisser Bill .. A related Railroad expirence, ex BN in Tales of the Jointed Track
I worked power with these guys in Ft Worth. Gary Schimdt, was a former Dispatcher, Assistant Chief with the old BN out of Laurel, Montana. I worked with Gary off an on in odd power rotation....
Pueblo Yard mid '74 to '76 Part 3 I am on a Road Job in Tales of the Jointed Track
Okay, I never condoned this, I never was pulled for Rule G, which and still is substance abuse. It is what it is, we policed ourselves, and if ya had to ya bad ordered a crew. Train 151 ...
