Russ, I know whatcha mean. 98 was the "train from HELL !!". If ya remember
the "Pick Up", which was nobody's top pick for sumpthin ta do, it STILL ranked
higher than 98.
Karl
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--- In CBQ@yahoogroups.com, "Russ Strodtz" <normansen@...> wrote:
>
> Karl,
>
> One time they tried, yet again, to run a business car on #98 and run
> them Northtown to Cicero. They started by dog catch between Northtown
> and LaCrosse. Next was dog catch off the CCP. At that point management
> had enough of #98. As soon as they stopped at Savanna there were taxi's
> on their ride to take drive to Chicago on the highway.
>
> Russ
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Karl L Rethwisch" <qrailroadman@...>
> To: <CBQ@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Friday, 19 June, 2009 11:44
> Subject: [CBQ] Doubleheading and Shoving.
>
>
> > Burke !! Someone with a track profile handy correct me if I'm wrong but
> > stays in mind that Burke was .87%, against eastward trains, not even a a
> > good ol', full fledged ONE PERCENT!
> > Leo brings back "fond" memories of that darned "hill".
> >
> > In the mid-seventies we were introduced to the "98" syndrome. Seems that
> > 98 was now handling all leftover 82 and 182 traffic out of the Cities,
> > carrying "shorts" and, generally, everything else that somebody thought
> > should end up in Cicero.
> >
> > I knew somthin' was up due the fact that an RFE was waitin' for us at the
> > Yard Office when we showed up for 98 that morning.
> >
> > Seems that after a few months of extraordinarily substandard performance
> > and numerous stalls and Engineers' complaints, a Company officer, I C
> > Ethington, hooked a business car on the rear end of one of these gems at
> > St. Paul to see, first hand, what all the "noise" was about. His trip to
> > Savanna was, I'm sure, uneventful. The "event" most noticeable to all who
> > were interested in train performance occurred less than 10 min. after our
> > departure from Sav. "Departure" is actually incorrect. I couldn't get the
> > rear of the train out of Yard Limits.
> >
> > Well, Jimmy Palmer had been called for 82, about 15 min. behind us so,
> > since he couldn't go anywhere with us tyin' up the RR, he was selected as
> > the most logical cure for an illogical situation. With Ivan's business
> > car sittin' dead on the main Jim cut his engine off and came up behind us
> > to "assist". In the usual, informal practices of the day, Jim locked horns
> > with the business car and started shovin'. As soon as I felt a nudge I
> > started pullin' and away we went. Now, with 7 units dedicated to serving
> > the "wonder train", we made a very impressive attack on "the hill".
> >
> > As my engine passed beneath the overhead bridge that was midway between
> > siding switches and a sign that the hill was "made", I asked Jim to pull
> > the pin and "give me my train back" which is to say, ease off the power
> > until all the slack had been stretched outta my train and we could be on
> > our way. As my train started down the east side of Burke, toward Dagett, I
> > hadn't felt the slack run out and inquired of Jim, "ya gonna let go of me
> > or what?". Jim responded that they couldn't pull the pin on his engine but
> > the "Boss" was commin' outta his car and was gonna pull the chain, attached
> > to the pin, on the business car. Soon we just so many
> > ton-miles-per-freight-train-hour again. All went well 'till, after leavin'
> > Milledgeville where, as Leo mentioned, lies Hazelhurst, another hill. We
> > managed to grunt over Hazelhurst and make a gallant run through Polo to
> > conquer Stratford hill. This train had NO problems with downhill I might
> > add. As we climbed up Stratford hill the speed really took a dive. We
> > were instructed by the "Boss" to do EVERYTHING the engine could do to get
> > over the top which, I concluded, put a temporary moratorium on the ol'
> > "Short Time" ratings on the motors. Well, "all" the engine could do simply
> > wasn't good enough, we stalled again. Jimmy to the rescue, again. Have
> > you ever smelled "toasted" Mylar??
> >
> > The remainder of the trip was every bit as lackluster as the part just
> > described but, for about a month or so, we had considerably better power on
> > sweet 98. Soon, same-ol', same-ol'.
> >
> > Karl
> >
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
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