i am interested in train crew experiences in all kinds of bad weather,
but especially in the weather we now see across the u.s. and canada:
freezing cold, wind and sleet… i am interested in your experiences–
recent and not-so-recent… what is the worst part of workng in extreme
cold, aside from what everyone says about being out-of-doors? jumping
on/off cars; walking track; switching movements; communicating with
other crewmen-- on-the-ground or in the cab; throwing switches; coupling
cars and attaching airhoses; moving thru snow-bound right-of-way…
engineers: starting trains with wheels frozen to the rails; stopping on
slickened rails: moving up and down grades and anythng you can think
of… all crewmen: what is your worst single experience ever? is there a
special experience that turned out well for you under these conditions?
thanks.
im sure there are endless stories…heres a coupla mine…working D709 a CSX local out of Lansing MI in 1999 the Trainmaster had called (the local crews were issued cell phones back then) and informed us that there was a HOT HOT car on the TSBY interchange at Howell that had to be picked up no matter what…the interchange track is crappy at best…the derail is right at a road crossing…a dirt road crossing we (the local crew) hadnt been into the interchange in a few days and many inches of snow had fallen…autos had packed the flangeways with ice …we inspected the crossing going east and called TM W. Hanley to inform him it needed attention…going back toward home we got an approach medium at the distant signal for EE Howell were the interchange was telling us the DSPR knew we had to stop…and was making sure we did[#dots]…well the TM was there at the diamond and he called us on the radio to let us know he was “…here to assist picking up this 1 hot car”…well the engineer flatout refused to go over the packed ice on the crossing at first without track maintaince there to clear the ice… TM. Hanley says our GP38 would do it fine…so…me and Conductor Rupp grabbed our CSX issue switch brooms and guided our 120 ton “icepick” onto the crossing …the lead axle got up on the ice for about 3 feet then TM Hanley stopped him…backed him up…and me and Con. Rupp swept up the chunks…well it took abour 2 and a half hours but we got that hot car…ironically we died in Williamston about 20 miles east of Lansing…so that “hot car” waited another 12 hours anyway…my first experence with winter railroading was when i was still cubbing on the Detroit Div in 1996…Grand Rapids had gotten its typical 7 million feet of lake effect snow when me and my Con. were called on Q334 to Toledo…we had about 20 or 30 MT autoracks for New Boston …and…wel
I haven’t had any exciting experiences in the cold other than freezing my butt off but what I hate in the winter is working the pull back job making up trains up making sure all the cars are joined trudging thru the snow I really enjoy working the ubro sitting the ubro mobile staying warm all night or hump jobs in the winter though as it really isn’t too bad other than having to beat on the frozen cut levers with a 2x4
Sitting in a reasonably warm cab as you roll through snow-covered landscapes, plowing some snow and busting the snowbanks at crossings is kinda fun.
Wondering if you’re gonna find ice in the flangeways at the crossings isn’t.
Neither is stepping off the engine into a couple of feet of snow.
Our last runs of “Polar Express” last fall were run in a winter storm. Plenty of snow. Plenty of wind - in fact it changed from easterly to westerly during our runs. The conductor wanted me to check the intakes on the HEP generators under a couple of the cars. Plenty of snow on the filters, and knee deep snow to wade through as I made my way to them.
Had to spend some time on the walkway one night as we put away a locomotive we’d borrowed from a local shortline. Found out that it’s really hard to say “twenty-four fifty-six” when your jaw is numb from the cold.