We watch the BNSF yard. UP has pretty much left the Lincoln area, but they still do some local switching which they then pull into the yard to be sorted. Always see the same three engines doing the work - two forward, one facing backward.
Last two sightings - one crewman in head engine - going into the yard. One crewman in backward 3rd engine - I would assume to bring it back out of the yard or at least to watch the uncoupling of the cars.
Who is the 3rd man in the 2nd engine?
[:D]
Was he, by chance, wearing a mask, and a big, white cowboy hat? If so, I have a guess who that masked man was maa’am.
seems odd that all three engines would have someone in them, I would have to say that the crew dislike each other and therefore ride in seperate engines. I really couldn’t say why each engine would have a person.
Some crewmembers have been known to smell bad and the others have thought of creative ways or jobs to keep them away, (far far away) as long as possible when having to work with them.
Engineer in lead unit?
Conductor in traling unit?
Brakeman napping in middle unit?
Is there a prize for the correct answer?
Or is this a Koan?
[:D]
Like seeing 3 men in a pickup truck. Who’s the real cowboy?
You’re looking at a three-person crew, Sis–engineer, conductor, and brakeman. Probably all necessary when they get into Lincoln to do some work.
I’m not familiar with UP’s line into Lincoln, but I do believe that a second man would be required in the controlling cab (one hopes that’s the lead unit!) to take track warrants, to call signals, and other such mandatory requirements. Why you saw them all spread out through the consist is anyone’s guess, but it probably happened within a few minutes of the time you saw them.
Well, they all seemed to be busy doing something. It caught our attention, since they were SD40’s and should have been MU’d. (I would think). And BNSF made sure they sat in the sun and got a good tan (we thought maybe they were part of AMTRAK… little train humor there, people)
So it ran through my mind that there might have been a problem on # 2 engine and it needed a nursemaid - but two separate days made me re-think that. So maybe they just really don’t like each other. Or maybe the #2 person was cleaning up after the poker game.
Just curious!
The one in the middle… He is smart enough to sit there because he doesn’t have to drive, and he doesnt have to get out and open the gate!!!
Ok - I will bite - what’s a Koan? Anything like a Henway?
They were all specialists-
One was qualified to take the train there, the trailing unit was qualified to take the train back and the guy in the middle, he knew who to call if there was a screw-up. [}:)][oops]
[%-)] Oh,Yeah, What is a Koan???
Maybe the middle unit had the working air conditioner, that’s where the engr was! The other two are watching the crossings in each direction.
A Koan is a paradoxical, and often senseless, question or expression posed in Ch’an or Zen Buddhism to aid in meditation or understanding. “What is the sound of one hand clapping” is a well known koan.
As Tim the tool man Taylor on “Home Improvement”, would have said after Wilson had explained the meaning of ‘koan’-“AAuuugghhh?”
Hugh! Thank you for that explanation. While it doesn’t explain the “middle man” it does explain what The Driver has been tormenting me with for years! Now I know the rest of the story! And Tim had it right!
But does knowledge of the mechanism reduce the frustration of the tormenting?
(This may or may not be a koan, depends how you look at it I guess)
Yes it does. Just one piece in a very interesting puzzle!