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It was brutal. That's about the only way I can characterize it. It really was. And I guess it's nice to know that what comes around goes around. It's just that, well, it eventually comes back around to me and that's no good.
At home I was a content man. I awoke, had a bowl of refined sugar blobs in milk, watched the Weather Channel to get the latest and greatest on the climatic conditions ahead, and then prepared for work. The only part that really bothered me was the fact that the Weather Channel seemed to relax me too much with their elevator music, and I knew that a bloodbath was in store for me tonight.
So I arrive at the tower, and as I had suspected my suspicions were indeed confirmed: the entire north end was a mess. Now being an amateur sleuth of sorts, I wanted to get to the root cause of this ferro-transportational constipation. Not that it would help any, but when the men in the little white jackets come to take me away I can have the satisfaction of knowing that I had a handle on things. So I take the transfer and begin the investigation.
Now one of the tell tale clues as to the severity of the blockage is the number of recrews on any particular movement. When you see the second relief crew on a train you know there is a problem somewhere. I immediately take note that 240 is on recrew number two and is still on the IHB (according to my transfer). So now a deeper search is involved. Looking at the delay reports gives me the info I have been looking for. The delays begin to paint an ugly picture: 5'-15" at Bensenville waiting for orders from the UP, 2'-10" waiting on a red signal at the GTW, and 3'-15" waiting for the UP to take the train at Blue Island. The recrew fairs no better: 10'-25" waiting for the UP to take the train at Blue Island. They did have the glorious opportunity, however, to move the train from the yard to School Street on the runner.
So now we're on recrew number two and the picture isn't looking any better. The UP simply won't answer the phone, and the CSX informs me he has something like 10 dead trains on the UP, including a number of his hot tote trains and other Q trains. Shortly after this fact-finding mission, the Nashville Chief on the CSX calls and tells me to plan on holding all northbound Soo trains until the congestion can be resolved. Thankfully I had Keller clear and could bury train 241 there until the Ex-Lax could take effect. So in a moment of relaxation I call the CSX and inquire as to the cause of this problem. Could it be a derailment? How about a localized earthquake? Maybe a herd of Yeti stormed Yard Center? No, much to my dismay it is none of these. The UP apparently let several trains die on the main only to find out they had no crews to get them. So what this all boiled down to was poor dispatching. Well, that was nothing new to me, and really a major disappointment. I was hoping something really neat happened, like a flock of UFO's abduct the yardmaster and reunite him with Elvis for a concert in Des Moines. You know, the stuff that makes the cover of National Enquirer. Or how about the triumphant return of the Duck Billed Boy, sighted in a boxcar while making his way across the country to testify in the Clinton impeachment hearings? Now this would really make me happy. It would break the tedium and boredom of the average day in a way that I would really enjoy. But alas this was not to be.
Now as I peruse the train sheet, I begin to size up the situation and notice that there is a 780 type of empty coal train making its way back to the Soo with 109 empty hoppers. Remembering that Keller is now occupied by 241 and Lewis Dock has hoppers in it, I am presented with the dilemma that I indeed will have no place to meet trains of any substantial size between Spring Hill and Elnora. It now becomes essential to have a crew ready to move this 780 on arrival so as not to block the main track. So the call goes out to the CSX. When will my hopper train be here? 3 hours. OK. I call back a little later. 3 hours. OK. I call back a little later again. 3 hours. Great. I call back a little later yet again. Oh, the train is coming through Danville. Figure about an hour. What! I'm missing some time here. Someone owes me about an hour. So I call the practically famous Minneapolis NMC and inform the caller I need a turn to take this train south. OK. Well, as things worked out, the train had a few meets to make and the rendezvous worked out OK. When I came in Tuesday afternoon, the situation isn't much better. The log jam up north had been broken, but trains were still having a rough go of it. But not unlike the NFL unbeaten streak, the record of nine recrews for a train out of Bensenville has yet to be broken. I guess that there is some solace in knowing some records aren't made to be broken.
So to compound the issue of a bad day, the rail grinder is in town (actually on the sub for the rest of the week). Now this engineering marvel migrates at glacier speed, which can hamper operations. It also costs something like $2,000 per hour to rent. So now this becomes the hottest movement on the property. Go figure. So anyhow, right in the middle of the chaos and carnage, I get this phone call from the police down towards Coalmont. Seems a very concerned citizen out walking the dog spotted a train moving south with a "fire" underneath it and that the train might want to consider stopping to check out the situation! If you've ever seen a rail grinding train, the abrasive grinders release a shower of sparks as they go about their work. In fact, as an added precaution there were two section foremen following the train in hi-rail trucks putting out any additional fires that the train couldn't spray. Now everyone working on the sub knows about this train, but the call had been made to me and the temptation was just too great: I had to notify the foreman on the train he had a "fire".
"CP Indiana Dispatcher to Foreman Harrison on the rail grinding train, over."
"Foreman Harrison responding, over."
"Say George, I just received a report from a concerned citizen that there was a train coming through Coalmont with a fire underneath it. Do you know anything about this, over." At this point there was a long silence. I think the humor of the moment may have escaped him, but then there was the reply I was waiting for.
"Well, dispatcher, we're not into Coalmont yet, over." Now that was a pretty good response. That might be tough to beat.
"Well, when you get into Coalmont, be on the lookout for a train with a fire underneath it, over."
"OK, dispatcher. We'll keep our eyes peeled, over."
"Thank you. Dispatcher out."
It comforts me to know that we have diligent, qualified individuals who can handle just about any situation thrown their way, including fire inspection. It just warms the cockles of my heart knowing this. Well, as it turns out, the rail grinder had a few mechanical problems and had to tie up at Blackhawk on the north leg of the wye for the night. I guess I was heartbroken. After the calls from concerned citizens and the unerring dedication of fire prevention specialists, the train was kaput.
The other day someone was asking me if all of my days are really bad. Well, not really. The whole thing seems to come in cycles, so it may be relatively calm for a few weeks and then everything breaks loose. Typically, the operation of any extras or any unexpected operations tends to make the days miserable. Always remember that this line is really a coal collecting branch magically transformed into a main line without the amenities of a main line, such as sidings, CTC, and the like. It becomes really difficult to make good moves without the tools to make those good moves. And the powers that be have saturated the sub with the "scheduled" moves. Anything else added to this mix overloads the sub and then things get pretty interesting. Add in section forces going about their business and it can get downright miserable.
This is the context for the past week. Above and beyond the normal movements, we have been moving 109 car coal trains to and from Chicago, as well as the 60 car trains to the IHB at Calumet Park. And as I was looking over the grain and potash report, I see potash coming this way again! Yikes! The short moves aren't so bad because they can be stashed in a siding in case of emergency, but those 109 car moves only fit at Lewis Dock or Latta and if those two are occupied then the train becomes a big problem.
Last night when I assumed the captain's chair, I was informed that 241 was waiting at Bedford for the rail grinder. Apparently the section forces were attempting to make Bedford with the train. Well, that idea came to an abrupt halt. 241 was already on short time and with a ton of moves between Elnora and Latta, plus work at Latta things would get interesting. So the rail grinder was instructed to tie up at Crane. Then the following transpired: I moved 241 to Elnora, had 59 meet the ISRR at Beehunter and deliver 100 loads, took 125 to Linton, had 59 meet 125 at Linton, took 125 to Beehunter and shove to clear the main, took 67 to Latta, had 241 follow 67 to Latta, and had 125 follow 241 to Latta. Meanwhile, 118 had gone to Blackhawk to wait for a track window at Keller (they're lengthening the siding!). I had 240 north of the tower waiting to come south behind 118. So once the window was opened, I took 118 north, had 240 come south to Blackhawk, took 59 up to Blackhawk with empties for loading, had 67 yard the train at Latta, took 240 to Latta to meet 241 and then 241 to the Hill. Whew! All of this was before 2000! Meanwhile, the INRD was firing up and the north end needed some attention as well. Needless to say, after work it was off to Dennys for some well deserved Key Lime pie. Again, remembering that pie falls into the sugar and instant food groups so it's OK railroad food. Oh, one other point. The Crane radio was on the fritz and the Latta radio was only working intermittently. So at the end of the night I was ready to leave. Dedication to the job really took a back seat to that Key Lime I'm sorry to report.
The south end has been the usual problem, with the CSX unable to move a 20 car train to Louisville in any kind of efficient manner. So we end up catching them at Pekin and the show goes on. I guess the CP should be making more waves since those trackage rights were a condition of the 1971 Monon merger, but the CP jellyfish are afraid of making waves so the problems continue. Now I would think that since those were mandated trackage rights and the CSX wasn't living up to the promise of the agreement, the STB would make some kind of an issue if informed. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I would do. I guess I just don't see the "whole" picture though. Oh well...
Van Yard Engine: SOO 4448
Farmersburg Power: CP 5777 - CP 5827 - SOO 6617
Maysville Power: SOO 2066 - SOO 4452
Kindill Power: SOO 4443 - CP 4406 - SOO 4445
XL Power: SOO 6619 - CP 777
PS- I will be on vacation over X-Mas so have a happy and safe holiday season!
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Editorial content (C) 1998 Mike Dettmers
