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Re: [CBQ] Doubleheading and Shoving.

To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Doubleheading and Shoving.
From: STEVEN HOLDING <sholding@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:07:30 -0700 (PDT)
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I think it was in March of '74 and my intro to the C&I(Aurora to St. Croix) Job 
in the Cicero Dispatchers Office.  For those with the Cicero Map from the 
latest Burlington Bulletin the office was on the east end of the north (Inbound 
House) side of Freight House No.9 right across from the intersection of 54th 
ave and 26th st.  The C&I Job was the first office you entered on the way to 
the East End office which was on the East end of the building.  The Main Line 
Desk was between the C&I and East End with doors (Which were almost never 
closed) between them.  I first got to post on 1st trick with Poopsie.  One of 
the first things he did was grab a bottle of white out and proceed to paint the 
grades on the CTC machine so we had some idea on making meets with the trains 
who to put in where.   Later in the year I had to learn the Chicago Chief's job 
which was the supervisors job for the East End, Main Line and C&I with days 
also having the Pea Vine split from
 the Main Line.  One problem we had was the yards in the Twin Cities would just 
run trains and not look at tonnage and power combinations.  As the chief you 
not only had to balance the crews but check the eastbound trains to get some 
idea if the train would have enough power to make the C&I.   Usually the Potash 
and Ore trains would be operated "Around the Horn"  This ment going south at 
Savanna (Train Order vs CTC) to Denrock and turn left on the 9th Sub(the 
numbers changed over the years) to Mendota.  Not necessarly less grades but 
less traffic and or meets.  You had to figure out what the units were on the 
train and look them up on a tonnage chart to figure if you had enough 
power(this in the days before HPT((Horse Power per Tons)) was used) Then get 
more power or run it "Around the Horn" if you figured it could not make the 
hills.
SJH.




________________________________
From: Karl L Rethwisch <qrailroadman@yahoo.com>
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, June 19, 2009 11:44:50 AM
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


   

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