Download - O Scale Trains Magazine Online

Metal Fatigue?If you work around a place like the railroad for a numberof years, then occasionally you see something very unusualoccur. I can recall a similar situation happening only threetimes, one of which I was involved in but that’s a differentstory. This will be told from the Conductor’s point of view, soI’ll swap hats since it’s been twenty years of jerking the throttlefor me, instead of patting the chat.It’s 3 a.m. in the morning, dark and cool, as we settle in toour routine on train M-BIRMEM, a mixed freight from Birminghamto Memphis with a stop at Amory, MS for a setout/pick-upand crew change. Going to work at 00:01 a.m. we’re now 20miles north of town and down to a crawl as we climb QuintonHill. We’ve got three working motors with four more beingdeadheaded to Memphis. This mixed freight is a bit heavierthan usual, but the power is working well and the engineer isone of the best around.We top the hill at Quinton and the engineer notches downto run 7. About 15 seconds later he notches down to run 6 asthe speed begins to increase. I think to myself: “Just like you’resupposed to.” I start to relax when without warning, Ka-chow;the air goes down and we grind to a halt as the train stops inemergency.“What did you do?” was my question to the engineer, alongwith a hard look. “Nothing” was his reply as I thought aboutwhat just happened. I guess I’ll have to agree since I didn’tfeel anything unusual prior to the air going down. After resettingthe P.C. switch and getting air back into the train line, ittakes only a few minutes to determine that air is not gettingto the F.R.E.D. on the rear end; so we’re in-two somewhere. Iput on my coat, get my radio and lantern and as I start out thecab door, I tell the engineer to let the dispatcher know what’sgoing on. After rummaging around in the tool compartment onthe long hood of the lead unit, I find an air hose and wrench.Climbing down from the lead engine I start my walk back tothe rear of the train, 6200’ away or the problem, whichever Iencounter first.Walking back on the outside of a curve, 20 cars from themotors, I can hear air blowing; “At least it’s not too deep,” I’mthinking. Walking another five cars, I find a 200’+ gap in thetrain and the problem. I drop the air hose and wrench, whichI’ve been lugging along and begin a radio conversation withthe engineer.Me: “Found the problem. Over.”Engineer: “Air hose? Over.”Me: “No, guess again. Over”Engineer: “Knuckle? Over.”Me:“Not even close. Over.”Engineer: “Drawbar? Over.”Me: “No, but you’ll have to see this to believe it. Over.”Engineer: “Don’t tell me we’ve derailed? Over.”Me: “No, not that I can see. Over.”Engineer: “Well what then? Over.”Me: “You’ve pulled a covered hopper apart. The northend is coupled to the head end and the south end of the caris down on the rail still coupled to the rear of the train withabout a 200’ gap. Over.”Engineer: “You’re kidding? Over.”I give the engineer the car number and we determine fromthe train’s wheel report it’s a load of potash, a non-hazardousbulk material. The dispatcher is advised of our findings andassistance is requested since it will take more than an air hosewrench to fix this.Once the company officials arrived, it was determined thatthe car came apart due to metal fatigue at the welded andbolted assembly points on the end of the car. A crane wascalled that was capable of lifting the loaded car and it wasmoved off the main line to a location beside the track wherevehicles could access and unload the car.After removal of the car and inspection of the track, thetrain was put back together and continued on its way withanother crew since we were out of time to work. While notan everyday event, the strange and unusual does happen onthe railroad. As the photos show, this Conrail 3-bay coveredhopper is awaiting its final fate: the scrapper’s torch. Being tooold and badly damaged for repair, the car will be cut up andits steel re-cycled. Who knows? It may see the rails again as anew freight car.If you have been modeling for any length of time and arelike me, a “Pack-Rat,” then you have a derelict car hidingsomewhere around or under the layout that regardless ofwhat you do, it just will not operate well. Give it new life as acausality mini-scene on the layout awaiting its destiny. As forme, it’s nights like this that make you feel: “It’s good to be theHog-Head.”uJuly/Aug ’09 - O Scale Trains • 11