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[CBQ] CAT. Sorta Wide Loads.

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Subject: [CBQ] CAT. Sorta Wide Loads.
From: "Karl L Rethwisch" <qrailroadman@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 17:53:29 -0000
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Ahhh, CAT!!    As Leo mentioned, trks. 12 and 13 were the loadin' 
tracks in the building from which was shipped Cat's finest equipment.

These tracks were depressed and situated between concrete docks 
that, when the trks. were full,  presented a broad expanse of flat 
surface over which the tractors could be driven right onto the flats 
for loading.

I believe it was in the mid 70's that Cat introduced their new, huge 
Excavators.  These machines were heavy and, when equipped with 
special track shoes, WIDE!!  It was the first shipment of these 
machines that presented the humorous and, I would imagine, expensive 
incident soon to unfold.

We had coupled to trk. 12, I think, and had to wait while the 
loading crews secured the machines to the flats.  The engine was 
only partially in the building and pointed uphill at the doorway.  I 
was yakin' with some truck drivers while the loadin' chores were 
bein' completed.  This entire track was full of flats and the flats 
were all full of the new excavators.  Soon, the Con. notified me 
that all was in readiness and I could pull `em out.

Now I'm sure you all know that a GP7 is not the world's most 
powerful locomotive.  It IS, however, powerful enough to  cause a 
great deal of commotion and damage if all is NOT in readiness.  
After receivin' the "go ahead" from my trusty Con. I started pullin' 
on `em.  At first I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary but 
pretty soon a couple of the truckers began yellin' and shoutin' 
about something goin' on in the building.  When I looked back all I 
could see was something that looked like smoke.  Also, the 
appearance of this "smoke" was accompanied by a great shrieking and 
other noises not clearly definable.  Believing this to be somewhat 
unusual I shut the throttle off and everything QUIT, immediately!!

Walkin' back into the building I was greeted by the unmistakable 
odor of freshly pulverized concrete embellished with the scent of 
badly abused steel.

As it turned out the new excavators hadn't been "load tested" as the 
term relates to the flats.  The weight of the machines was such that 
they depressed the truck springs to a point that caused a great deal 
of the machines' weight to remain on the dock.  Now, since the 
excavators had been so carefully chained to the cars, they had no 
choice but to follow where I led them.  In followin' me however the 
track shoes that rested on the dock began to destroy that upon which 
they rested.

The dock, as constructed, had very heavy angle iron at the edges to 
provide "protection" to the concrete.  The degree of protection 
needed that day, however, had never been factored into the 
equation.  The angle iron had assumed the shape of that which wraps 
around the "key" on older coffee cans.

A remedy was initiated soon after this event that included a piece 
of four-inch timber between the tracks (of the machines) and the 
flat car deck.   Oh well - - -

Karl




 
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