Crawford Hill 1994, A Engineer and a Friend

Notice to all visitors and members of the Train-Sim.Com message forums:
If you plan on using a signature banner in your posts, we would like to remind you that there is a maximum size for banners. That maximum is 450 pixels wide by 120 pixels high, and not to exceed 25k. Your compliance is appreciated. FORUM RULES Problems? There are two common reasons for problems with logging in and posting messages. The first is that you are running a firewall that prevents your messages from being sent to the server. The other is that you have cookies disabled; the DCForum software requires cookies to work properly.

Previous Topic | Next Topic

Printer-friendly copy Email this topic to a friend

Reading Topic #2134

ssw_96Charter Member · 1499 postsSep 27, 2003 11:16 PM

LAST EDITED ON Sep-27-03 AT 07:40 PM (EDT)

I hired out on the Frisco in 1979, as a conductor out of Memphis. Then when the BN swallowed us up, I took that opporitunity to try different places on the BN. Being young and single with no wife or kids, that made it better. I worked out of Linclon Neb, Seattle, WA, and in Nebraska on the famous "Crawford Hill" line. I often got strange looks in some places because I was black, but I didnt mind, I was doing what I liked. So one Autumn day in Oct 1994 I was on a freight train heading up towards the hill. A ballast train ahead of me derailed some cars in the yard at Crawford. So we were instructed to get the engine and upright cars that had been pulled to the pocket track. After switching the yard, we picked up the engine and six cars, met a train and started uphill. Not too far behind the coal train was a guy I knew as "Big John" Williams. He had his grain train in charge and his rear helper surprised me. Dont see that too often in these parts. Also I met a young feller who was the local railfan. I invited him up he looked around took pics of us setting out, we chit chatted this that and the other. While he was in the cab he took a pic of Big Johns grain train approaching. Onve the ass end came he stepped down took a pic of the helpers, and we had to leave. I gave him a toot goodbye and we left the hill. We saw him one more time at the crossovers at 419.
I also toted my camera and took a pic out of the window looking back at my train. Just a souvenier to take with me. Then we saw our little buddy one more time as we approached the horseshoe curves. Giving him that final toot we headed on. By 1988 I was a engineer and i returned to my home terminal in Memphis. I worked the Thayer Sub from 1995-1999. I survived the BN/SF merger and when the BNSF was granted trackage over the ex SSW, I seized the opporitunity. Now I still work for the BNSF on its Gulf Division. Im married with two kids and still ridin the high iron. God I love my job.CAPTIONS:
1. Approaching Crawford
2. Passing derailed ballast cars (Accident)
3. A shot of the yard and derailment site
4. The locomotive and the rest of the cars that didnt derail
5. Empty coal train passing with a BN SD70MAC and two C30-7's
6. A impatient driver goes around the gates as we begin to pull
7. My little railfan friend sitting in the engineers seat taking a pic
8. The head end of the train is passing with engineer Big John Williams
9.Grain train still a rolling
10. The helpers pass with a surprise on the end
11. Hitting the crossovers at 419
12. Fighting uphill at 15mph
13. Still moving uphill but down to 10mph
14. The final shot from the local railfan and my pal.Scanned from my photo album.

member of http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SP_MSTS

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Tim FrostMember since Apr-9-03 · 437 postsSep 27, 2003 11:35 PM

RE: Crawford Hill 1994, A Engineer and a Friend

A little scary with that car there! Nice shots, cool story! Tim Frost
NVTA Subway routes for BVE:

The Union Atlantic Railroad: Your stuff's important!

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

RAILDOGCharter Member · 680 postsSep 28, 2003 2:08 AM

RE: Crawford Hill 1994, A Engineer and a Friend

Hey? ssw did you actually work on the Thayer sub? If so remember a little hobby shop across the street from the Depot in Thayer,Mo called RJ's Hobby&Supply Before it closed in 2000 or 2001?I remember A Engineer that was black talked to my dad,Think that he was the only African-American Engineer on the Crew Roster not much Arican-Americans in these parts,Puzzling......
Jeremy Smith West Plains,MO
BNSF Engineer (In Training)

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

plainsmanCharter Member · 2579 postsSep 28, 2003 12:31 PM

RE: Crawford Hill 1994, A Engineer and a Friend

One of the Alliance rebuilt C33-7 units leads a trio of UP C30-7s on a coal train up the hill, with a pair of helpers following.

Attachments
Crawford Hill 1994, A Engineer and a Friend – image 18
http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/3f76d4696699048e.jpg

http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/3f76d48c67509c3d.jpg

Alert | IP

Restored from the Train-Sim.Com archive, captured October 25, 2003. About this archive.