Re: [CBQ] Grain boxcar trains

["Steven Holding via groups.io" <sholding=sbcglobal.net@groups.io>]

The disgusting thing about box car loading of grain was a LEAKER.  One that the coopering had been compromised and the load was being spread along the ROW.  One reason for wild life getting hit along the ROW.

We got one a SOU box car up at Congress Park where I started back on BN in 1973.  It was batted around the yard and due to being Bad Ordered by the carman there.  Was again switched out and spread more corn around the yard.  It should have went to Cicero and the Rip Track but because it was BO it was not moved out of the yard but batted around over the course of a week.  

I grew up working on farms during the summer and started with CB&Q as a stockyard laborer my senior year in High School so I knew what walking in S***  was but it did not carry a candle to spoiled corn in the yard trying to yard count cars.

Finally the Harbor(IHB) refused to shove cars into the yard.  SO MOW had to clean up the mess so the Harbor would again deliver cars.  We were only moving 4-600 cars a day thru the yard as Compass had just been introduced. Now with a clean yard we could get back to business.

Just another joy of box car grain movement.

Steve in SC 

On Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at 11:15:21 AM EDT, Winton via groups.io <runextra=gmail.com@groups.io> wrote:

Once back in the late 1970s or early 1980s there were two tracks full of empty covered hoppers in Gillette yard for 2 weeks or so. Those hoppers prevented train meets at Gillette so eastbounds had to be held at Oriva the first siding west of Gillette. When I am 7 miles from Gillette at 5am all I want to do is get to Gillette and get to bed in the crew cribs. I got REAL TIRED of being held out because of those grain cars clogging the yard. I had read or heard that the RR was extremely short of grain cars so I called the car Dept and asked if that was true. Whoever I talked to was adamant that they needed a lot more cars. I told him I knew where he could get about 100 of them that had been sitting there for almost 3 weeks. He was said he would look into it. Two days later on my next run to Gillette all of those cars were gone. And once again we could get straight into Gillette, tie up, and go to bed :-)

_._,_._,_

---

Groups.io Links:

You receive all messages sent to this group.

View/Reply Online (#68216) | Reply to Group | Reply to Sender | Mute This Topic | New Topic
Your Subscription | Contact Group Owner | Unsubscribe [archives@nauer.org]

_._,_._,_