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It was a blood bath. Blood all over the floor. All over me. All over the train sheet. Just a big gooey mess. It's the kind of blood bath one gets when being pummeled relentlessly with a big stick. And about the time I have a respite to collect my senses the beatings begin again. And no Band Aids. I thought this tower was equipped for all contingencies too.
When I came in for transfer, the 3rd trick man just remarked, "It's bad", and left it at that. Yessiree, I walked into a bona fide hornets nest. So I park my big unexpecting buttocks in the chair and look over the situation. Yea, it's going to be a bad one. I on the sheet to see all kinds of hog catchers on the north end, and a 780 type train attempting to migrate south. As I'm looking over the rest of the sheet, the CSX block phone comes alive. Now generally we keep the volume on it low because it interferes with giving track warrants and hearing repeats. But just out of curiosity I turn it up to hear a veritable stream of expletives and colorful metaphors pour from this innocent communications device. So, being nosey and needing a little excitement in my life, I turn it up to listen.
"*&%%()##@!!!!. What do you mean he won't take them? That ***&@)::}+. Just wait. The first chance I get to put the screws to that **&!%$#, you can bet I will. }+&*$@^%$."
Now my ears are beginning to hurt just a bit. I hope he doesn't kiss his wife with that mouth. What it sounds like is that the Unorganized Problem, without any warning, closed the door on the CSX and they now had no place to put the trains. So I begin to worry on several different fronts. First, the CSX dispatcher is really charged up and when they get that way I don't like having to deal with them. Secondly, we're going to get caught in the cross fire between these two. And thirdly, will my trains enroute be grossly affected?
While I'm mulling this over, my phone rings. It's the relief crew for a 241 train asking where the train is. So I attempt to call the IHB. They won't answer. After several attempts, I get through to IHB Dolton tower.
"Where is 241? By you 45 minutes ago? Doing fine? Maybe up near Norpaul!" ... So I hang up.
Now sometimes the IHB does this. They won't move the train unless relief is called, and then they attempt to move it and it makes it. I call Norpaul. Nobody answers. I try their dispatcher again. No answer. So I tell the crew it looks like the train will make it. Call back in about 10 minutes. So I continue to try patronizing GTE and Ameritech with no results. Phone outage? Even the chief in Bensenville won't answer. OK.
The crew calls back and I tell them I can't get any good answers but the Dolton operator says they're long gone so head back to Terre Haute. BIG MISTAKE. OK, we will. Not 5 minutes after they call, the engineer on 241 calls. We're here in Blue Island. The train is yarded. Where is our relief? AAAAHHHH!!!! By blood pressure shoots up about 300 points. The beatings have commenced. OK, collect yourself. Get hold of the cab company and have them page the driver. Good idea! So I do that. I get a local cab for 241's crew since they die in about 30 minutes. The cab company calls back. NO RESPONSE YET. A left jab lands squarely on the chin. A right hook to the midsection. Please keep trying. OK. Meanwhile, phones are ringing, radios chiming, and no sunshine or singing birds.
Now it's almost one hour since that relief crew called in and still no word. Now I objectively size up the problem. If I jump through the middle window head first, the pain will be minimal. The phone rings. The cab company got through! I tell the crew I really screwed up and to head for Blue Island for the train. WHEW! The sun sorta comes out and the birds sing a few out of tune songs but it's a little better.
Meanwhile, I have this 780 train to contend with. The Unorganized Problem calls: Do you have relief called for this hopper train? ... Yes, I do now ... OK, I'll move him south and the CSX said they will also move him. Really.
So I call the CSX as diplomatically as I can and inquire. Yes, since he won't take anything north, might as well move 'em south. OK! A little more sunshine. Those songs aren't quite so out of tune anymore. However...
Last night 3-18 I came on and the beatings were in full swing again. As I am coming to work I have my handy talkie with me. I am listening to train 241 talking with the tower and a reference to a drawbar. Now any references made to just about anything except the normal is cause for concern. As the discussion progresses I am becoming more and more aware that there is indeed a problem. So I get to work and indeed see the headlight of 241.
As I come up into the tower and get m turn over it becomes apparent that additional pummeling are coming tonight. I seems one of CSX's pig trains pulled a drawbar at the south end of Pimento. OK, no big deal. Well, the SB dispatcher had a southbound coming and put that train in the siding at Baker.
Now, when Soo trains depart, they pull through a set of manual crossovers and enter the CSX via the siding. Now with the siding blocked, there is no way 241 can escape. It's now 2300 and this crew is good until 0720. Definitely not enough time to make Chicago considering the CSX, UP, and IHB factors. I make my presence known over the CSX block line and inquire as to a possible time frame for this move. It will be a few hours. Call back at 0130. OK, 0130 it is.
Meanwhile traffic is beginning to back up behind this train. The Cayuga coal train is stopped at MP 190 holding for an opening. The XL is sitting at Lewis Dock waiting. And 124 (2300 Latta Roadswitcher) is waiting to switch Lewis Dock. Time is money. The early bird gets the worm. And still we all sit. Finally, the CSX moves 241, so everybody moves up a notch. This 241 is something like 24-85-4980 and 7400' long (definite land barge). Now, since this guy has been sitting since sundown, he won't make it very far at all. So I have a relief crew called to take this thing north. As it turn out they get about as far as Clinton, and the relief crew is put on the train there. Pitiful.
Meanwhile, the Cayugas are finally docked at the Riley, and now I can get the XL by. Of course, they are just thrilled having just spent about 3 hours sitting. So I get to feel a little better. Everything is now moving and despite the CSX roadblock we are sitting in fair condition.
Now the planner comes in and inquires where 240 is, since 240 has power for Latta. I tell him the edited highlights and now he's all cranked up. A right jab to the nose. A left upper cut lands firmly on the chin. When will 240 get down here, he asks. I estimate about 10 am. Now the beatings step up a notch. We now graduate to using weapons. A crowbar to the groin. A power nail gun to the shins. How come YOU didn't move them ahead of 241? How come YOU didn't TELL the CSX to move 241? Now YOU have Latta yard all on stop because there's no power down here! Blah blah blah blah. I guess the moral here is you can't satisfy any of the people any time (dispatcher's corollary).
Lately the south end has been relatively calm. Trains are making it over the road, the freight is moving, and the CSX is answering their phones.
Life doesn't get better than that.
INRD T minus 2 and counting...
Power:
Hawthorn power: SOO 2041 - HATX 402 - SOO 4435 - SOO 4445 - SOO 2066 (GP40-GP38-GP38-2-GP38-2-GP40)
Maysville power: SOO 4400 - SOO 4452 (GP38-2's)
Farmersburg power: SOO 6620 - CP 5864 - CP 6411 (SD40-2-SD40-2-SD40 ex-Chessie....heaviest on the roster)
Roadswitcher power: SOO 4405 - SOO 4512 (GP38-2 GP38-2 ex-MILW)
Newly arrived: SOO 4648 - SOO 4601 (GP40 ex-MILW-GP40)
Van Yard switcher: 4443 (GP38-2)
Kindill power: SOO 4440 (?) - HATX 111 - SOO 2036 (GP38-2-GP38-GP40)
XL power: CP 5719 - CP 5604 (SD40-2-SD40(?)
Free agent: CP 6400 (SD40 ex-KCS)
INRD power: 7314 - 555 - 560 - 600 (SD18-SD10-SD10-SD20)
555 is the unit that was more or less the prototype for the SD-10 program. It was involved in a grade accident in Montana in the early 1970's (1971 or 72) and was rebuilt using a GP35 cab and had it's nose chopped but did not at that time have the mechanical system upgraded. At that time it's number became the 515. Later, as the SD-10 program began, it was used as the prototype for the sheet metal work. It was eventually upgraded and renumbered 555. Now that's the MILW history lesson for the day.
Have not seen any guilded rodent paint down here on anything. Does this scheme really [exist] in the world?
240 came down with SOO 768 - SOO 739! Both original SOO SD40-2 with the micro fuel tank.
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Editorial content (C) 1998 Mike Dettmers
