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 out to the power. It is on the old Caboose track. It looks like it has been there, from where we left it on tie up yesterday.

Ed has told us get on track 37, come out on the South Lead, and cross back over to the North Lead, when the Salt Mine clears. I’ll walk the power, because they use it to switch with, and not smart enough to get it to the house for fuel. Yes, I have been instructed to leave on short fuel. 300 gallons, well LOL, and a mountain grade, well if you want to back it up, after notification. I am more than willing, to do your bidding. Took only one time, and it never happened again.

The Caboose track has our power blocked in, by two units ahead and two units behind. I have hit Ed with a 100 mile special claim several times for hostling units, with hostlers on duty. I think well here is another.

The Trainmaster sees the scenario unfolding. He tells Ed, not to have us switch out our power.

“DENPUE, SANTA FE’s !!! … desperation over the radio. “Don’t switch out the power. I tell Kenny don’t answer, lets let them stew in their own juices… lol. Now is on the yard speakers… “Santa FE!!!, don’t switch the power out”. The hail is and has been repeated a couple of times. Gotta love it. I throw my grip up and stow it in the cab. The radio is a buzz… “Santa Fe’s DENPUE Crew”. I walk the power, and guess what 500 gallons, they never took it in. “DENPUE, Ed”. “Don’t switch that power out!!” “Okay no problem, but here is yours right now, both units 500 gallons of fuel, seriously no one took it in for service? Also, the third unit is due for Federal inspection at midnight tonight”. It is quiet.

“Trainmaster says take it to the house for service”. “Okay, Ed, will do give us a route”. We get the blessing, and call for permission into the fuel tracks. The Electric Blue lights and derails are off, and we spot for fuel and service. We have 3 units, all four axle Geeps. I let the foreman know, and say, “Our third unit is coming due Federal Inspection tonight”. “Work with the power desk in Ft Worth and the Yardmaster. We’ll need another unit for the tonnage”.

That fuel and service, plus scrounging another motor that took all of three hours to complete. It is coming on 530 am, and we get back to the yard. The train is coupled into, and bad order cars set out. We wait for an air test, because it is shift change now. Oh, and AMTRAK No. 6 is by Hudson and due in an hour. The Z-DENCHI ( Hot Intermodal Denver to Chicago ) will depart after AMTRAK.

It is 830 am when we finally leave the yard at 31st Street. It will be close to 1000 am by the time we make our set out at Big Lift. We tell DS-16 to have the Chief order up a Dog Catch crew, and he can make the determination on where we’ll swap with the relief crew.

We make Pueblo Yard with the crew van. It is coming on 230 pm, and we tie up at 300 pm. We tell Rennicks via phone to make a note to the Night yardmaster, we’ll be rested and on duty at 300 am not our usual 100 am report time.

Last updated December 12, 2015