The Denver coachyards of the Q and C&S were consolidated at Burlington's 23rd St. complex northeast of Denver Union Station in 1933. Thus any spare cars would be in a location where they could be utilized by either road in an emergency. Additionally, throughout the 1930s and 1940s the C&S regularly rented or leased Q cars -- primarily cars for offering food and beverage service.
On April 13, 1944, C&S Vice President Robert Rice sent a letter via company mail to the railroad's superintendent of motive power, John Pfeiffer, including a report from assistant special agent Fred Pfalmer at Trinidad, Colo., reporting complaints that a borrowed CB&Q coach in C&S train No. 7 for Fort Worth had been without water since its departure from Denver.
Since Pfeiffer knew nothing of the matter referred to, he sent his own letter the next day, April 14, via company mail to C.A. Odiorne and W.J. Higgins, both foremen at the coachyard:
Herewith Mr. Rice's letter with Special Agent, Mr. Pfalmer's report, concerning condition of Coach CB&Q 6103, Train No. 7, out of Denver, April 6th, asking to handle for correction and to advise.
Mr. Odiorne will please let Mr. Higgins have sight of papers and with return of same let me have the answer.
But no reply had been received from the coachyard when, on April 27, Pfeiffer received a second request from Rice:
Please reply to my letter of April 13th, in regard to Special Agent Pfalmer's report concerning condition of coach Q 6103 in Train No. 7 out of Denver, April 6th.
This time he telephoned the coachyard and requested an immediate reply in writing -- which he promptly received from foreman W.J. Higgins:
Your letter April 14 with Mr. Rice's letter with Special Agent Pfalmer's report concerning condition of Coach CB&Q 6103, Train No. 7, out of Denver, April 6.
This car was used out in emergency on #7 in place of one of the C&S coaches account air conditioning failure could not get car out on #7 without serious delay.
This car had been tested out in yard as to lights in the afternoon but car had not been watered as we did not anticipate the use of this car until it was necessary to use it out in #7, and Car Foreman [Odiorne] states that car was properly watered and cleaned, but it is possible inasmuch as when coaches arrive in coachyard faucets are opened so as to allow old water to drain out so fresh water can be put in - perhaps faucet was not closed to prevent water from escaping. Inasmuch as everyone was in a hurry to get this car out this is what may have resulted.
The next day, April 28, Pfeiffer was finally able to respond to the vice president:
Your letter of April 14th regarding the attached report.
I have handled this matter with Joint Coach Yard and they advise as follows:
The remainder of Pfeiffer's letter was simply a direct quotation of Higgins letter to him, and thus the matter rested. Thereafter the coachyard crew, presumably, was more careful about closing faucets after draining water from cars.
Four months later, on August 24, 1944, superintendent of transportation E.P. Stine in Denver sent this note and attached letter to Pfeiffer:
Herewith copy of letter from Officer Pfalmer regarding damage to CB&Q Coach 350 by reason of a drunken soldier breaking glass window and door in this car.
The attached letter from assistant special agent Fred Pfalmer at Trinidad had been sent on August 22 to chief special agent C.E. Amis in Denver. Pfalmer's attention to detail is likely a result of police department training, as he was likely an older man retired from police service and not eligible for military service during the war, and thus working for the railroad. But looking back at the report some 70 years later, his precison and repetition is almost humorous -- as is the event described:
At about 9:30 p.m. August 17th, Mr. H.W. Totten [probably a trainmaster at that time, later assistant superintendent of the Denver Terminal Division of the Q and C&S] informed me that conductor D. Gahagan, on train No. 8 out Trinidad, Colorado, reported from Walsenburg, Colo., Train No. 8 delayed 30 minutes between Ludlow, Colo., and Lynn, Colo., account drunken soldier breaking glass window and door on CB&Q Coach 350 and getting on top of train and having him taken off train at Walsenburg, Colo.
Upon investigating, I learned that the M.P.'s had missed train No. 8 out of Trinidad, August 17th, they had a friend drive them from Trinidad to Walsenburg. Upon arriving at Walsenburg ahead of Train No. 8, the M.P.'s learned about this solider being drunk, breaking glass window and door on CB&Q Coach 350, the M.P.'s removed this soldier fromt he train, placing him under arrest [and] locking him up in the County Jail at Walsenburg.
I talked with M.P. Sergeant E.D. Schultz, M.P. Pvt. L.J. Plakke, after they had returned from Walsenburg to Trinidad. They informed me that the reason they missed train No. 8 out Trinidad August 17th, was that someone at the Trinidad Passenger Depot gave them the information over the telephone that train No. 8 would not depart before 8:00 p.m. They arrived at the Trinidad Passenger Depot at 7:40 p.m. and learned that train No. 8 had just departed.
The Soldier was taken off train No. 8 at Walsenburg by M.P. Sergeant E.D. Schultz, M.P. Pvt. L.T. Plakke, and locked up in the County Jail at Walsenburg, Colo., charged with being drunk and causing a disturbance. Soldier's name is PVt. Carl W. McClain, Serial Number 13001540, from Woodward, Oklahoma, to Colorado Springs, Colo., traveling on Special Orders, Number 126. Train No. 8 departed from Trinidad at 7:37 p.m., Ludlow, Colo., 8:14 p.m., arrived Lynn, Colo., 8:45 p.m., departed from Lynn, Colo., at 8:50 p.m., arrived at Walsenburg, Colo., at 9:17 p.m.
While at Walsenburg August 21st, I learned from Chief-of-Police A.A. Wheelock, that Pvt. Carl W. McClain, who was taken off train No. 8 at Walsenburg, August 17th, by M.P. Sergeant E.D. Schultz, M.P. Pvt. L.T. Plakke, who had City Police Officer S. Martinez lock Pvt. McClain up in the County Jail for them, telling Police Officer Martinez that they would be after Pvt. Carl McClain the next day. Chief Wheelock further stated that M.P.'s Schultz, Pvt. Plakke, never did show up at Walsenburg for Pvt. Carl McClain, that on Sunday morning August 20th, he called the Provost Marshal at Patterson [sic -- Peterson] Field, Colorado Springs, Colo., and asked the Provost Marshal when they would send for Pvt. McClain, who the M.P.'s had in jail at Walsenburg, since August 17th. Provost Marshal informed Chief Wheelock that he did not have a report nor did he know anything about Pvt. Carl W. McClain being in jail at Walsenburg, that no report was made to the Provost Marshal Office by the M.P.'s making the arrest at Walsenburg, Colo., nor had the Provost Marshal Office been notified by any of the Military Authorities that Pvt. Carl W. McClain had beenplaced under arrest at Walsenburg by the M.P.'s.
Provost Marshal then informed Chief Wheelock that he would send a guard at once to Walsenburg to return Pvt. Carl W. McClain to Patterson [sic] Field. On the afternoon of August 20th, Chief Wheelock stated a guard from Patterson [sic] Field arrived at Walsenburg and he turned Pvt. Carl W. McClain over to the guard. Chief Wheelock stated he did not learn the guard's name that came after Pvt. McClain.
No damages were collected from Pvt. Carl W. McClain for the window he broke out of CB&Q Coach 350, and damage to door of this same coach.
CB&Q 350 was a dinette-coach, converted in 1937 from coach 6119 and having a 2-seat table, a 4-seat table and a 4-stool counter serving sandwiches, drinks and snacks from a tiny kitchenette at one end of the car. The car would have been serving beer in New Mexico and Colorado, but for Pvt. McClain to have been that drunk by the time the train reached Ludlow, the had likely been drinking heavily before getting on the train -- and of course we don't know where he boarded. If he was driven from his home at Woodward, Okla., the most likely boarding place would have been Clayton, N.M. If in fact McClain climbed onto the top of the car, he was very drunk indeed, as there was no easy way to get up onto the roof -- no grabiron ladder or anything that would have made the task a simple one. At any rate, the railroad presumably never collected for the damage to coach 350, as there is nothing more to the file on the matter.
Hol
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