released later this year are projected to be in the 3800 & 3900 number series.

Transcription

1 Brass Switchkey railnews, V. 22, #14, Apr 30, We encourage the input of granger and other railnews; our primary is to share this information. [Dick Wilson, 0=m editor, Omaha] E cnwhs@cnwhs.org ****************************************** In this issue: <>Updated upcoming area train/swap meets ~ Yetter, Heslop, Wilson <>Local Nebraska Region News ~ Mike Bartels (Diamond Magazine w/permission) <>Part 2: BNSF and other rail news for March & April 2015 ~ SFN <>Addendum to BNSF construction in 0=m issue #13 ~ Nick Tharalson <>Central States Steam Preservation Association ~ fwd Dave Kroeger <>Curtis Hill Rendezvous May 15-17, 2015 ~ Duane Koss <>March 10, 2015: Woman texting walks into train ~ fwd George Manley <>Answering request for CGW, MSTL items and stock certificates ~ Dick Wilson (inquire for prices) <>April 16 & 23, 2015 California trackside report ~ George Manley <>Shawn Heller April 19, 2015 Vancouver, WA report ~ fwd George Manley <>Question re Amtrak May 28th, 2015 trip Omaha to Denver ~ Daryl Achenbach <>Noted Amtrak #6 schedule change eff May 1 ~ Daryl Achenbach <>Year 1905: Drunk throws costly beer bottle at train ~ James L. Rueber ******************************************* Dave Yetter writes... In your issue #13 "Epilogue" Mike said KSD is Nov. 3rd. It's Nov. 7th, always the first Saturday in Nov. Thus, adding some shows and updates, this is our new local area train shows listing: June 6 & 7 Nebraska-Iowa Railroaders Historical & Museum 2-day show at 72nd & Grover in Omaha...June 7 (Sunday) CNWHS/UPHS swap meet in Omaha... July 3, 4, 5 Deshler, NE train show & open house Spring Creek Model Trains...Aug 9 KC, MO Mid-American Train meet & toy show KCI Expo Center... Oct. 4 is Central City, IA., Oct. 25 is Hampton, IA... Nov. 7 is Kate Shelley at the school on Hwy Nov Sioux Falls, SD Sioux Valley Model Engineers Soc. swap meet. **************************************** Local Nebraska Region News ~ Mike Bartels (Diamond Magazine w/permission) The 844 will likely return to steam in 2016 according to Senior Manager for Heritage Operations Ed Dickens. He said UP has decided to perform the 1,472-day inspection and work while it is down for other work. He said there is a chance it will be operational in late 2015, but 2016 is a more likely scenario. He said the restoration timeline for Big Boy No has it in operation in 2019, the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike. He said

2 the will run system wide. The two F7As, No. 787 and 788, from the defunct Minnesota Zephyr dinner train passed through Grand Island on 2 flats via the UP March 12, en route to Rio Grande Scenic Railroad at Alamosa, Colorado. The dinner train made its last run Dec. 31, The 6 cars were moved to Alamosa on TTX flat in March (Steve Snook) Speaking of Grand Island, Amtrak made a rare appearance in Grand Island March 23rd after a BNSF coal train derailment at Hudson, Colo., March 22. No. 5 went west early the 23rd but 26 came through in daylight with P42s No. 187 and 85 and 8 cars. (NE RRs Facebook) A solid train of 54 John Deere combines, en route from Barton, IL to Tacoma, Wash. passed through Grand Island on BNSF March 14th. (NE RRs Facebook) Also noted that the John Deere Glenwood, IA dealership is laying off 28 people from its full-time workforce of 350 because of lagging sales triggered by the downturn in grain prices, CEO Jeremy Ostrander said May 27th. (OWH) The future of the Nebraska, Kansas & Colorado branches out of Oxford is now uncertain. The NKCR map on parent OmniTRAX's web site shows just the lines from Holdrege, NE to Sterling, CO, and Culbertson to Imperial. A March 3rd Salina Journal story said NKCR shut down the 130- mile St. Francis, KS line Jan. 19th, pending a track inspection. Dave Arganbright, OmniTRAX vp of governmental affairs, said they are assessing the costs to fix the line, but shuttle train loaders on BNSF have siphoned away business over the past few years. He added that long-term viability, unless something changes, is not very good. A Feb. 4th Surface Transportation Board filing in a dispute regarding removal of rail on the former Missouri Pacific in eastern Colorado included an Aug. 14th letter that OmniTRAX expects to seek abandonment approval for NKCR's Oberlin, KS line and convey track materials to A&K RR Materials. ******************************************* Part 2: BNSF and other rail news for March & April 2015 ~ SFN <>[NEW POWER] ~ BNSF has received several more of the ES44C4s from GE this month. Those delivered in March were the 7921, , , & Also there were two that I missed that were delivered in February. They were the 7924 & These are all the ES44ACs that have four traction motors with the A-1-A trucks. They have the extra pair of cylinders on the trucks that are weight management cylinders to take some weight off the non powered axle when they are at slow speeds to give the four powered axles more traction. All of the new power at least from and the new 8300s are Tier 4 Credit locomotives. They are emissions tested to Tier 3 standards or better but are not Tier 4 as of yet. The new Tier 4 Locomotives from GE that will be

3 released later this year are projected to be in the 3800 & 3900 number series. <>[REBUILT POWER] ~ BNSF got two new GP39-3s during March. They were the 2618 & The 2618 was released from Relco s Albia, IA shop on March 12 th. It started out life as ATSF GP then was renumbered to ATSF 3339 in the general re-numbering plan. It then got rebuilt in kind to ATSF 2839 in the early 80s. It was briefly numbered 3596 in 1986 in anticipation of the SPSF merger before being renumbered back to It then became BNSF 2539 in the BNSF merger. BNSF 2620 began as ATSF GP It was re-numbered to 3371 in the re-numbering plan. It was then rebuilt in kind to ATSF 2871 in the early 80s and finally re-numbered to BNSF 2571 during the BNSF merger. It was released from Albia on March 5 th. There was also a BNSF GP38 seen at Mt. Vernon, IL in primer. The engine was BNSF 2132 and is reported to become BNSF There are no other engines in this number series at this time except out of service former ATSF GP35s. The 2552 still exists as a close number and is a GP35. It will interesting to see if this is the new number series for rebuilt GP38s coming from National Rail. If so, it makes one wonder if the 2627 that was recently rebuilt at Albia and is former BNSF GP will be renumbered to that series instead of being in the numbers used by the GP39-2s. <>[LEASED POWER] ~ BNSF is finally terminating the lease on the CP engines they have had for over a year. The handful of GE s still on the BNSF have been recalled back to the CP as of March 24 th. As of April 1 st, they were still making their way back to Northtown Yard for lease turn-back inspection. Those engines included the ES44ACs 8852, 8853, 8879, & 8884; and AC4400CWs 9506, 9512, 9516, 9526, 9528, 9535, 9543, 9548, 9553, 9557, 9562, 9567, 9568, 9573, & Also the 9515, 9519, & 9532 are still on the BNSF but were not showing to be recalled to the CP. I am sure this was an oversight and they will be recalled soon. The other lease engines on BNSF continue to operate on the railroad. The CEFX SD60s that are ex SOO and numbered & 6020 are still operating across the system. The 7 NREX SD60s that are ex UP and numbered in the 5950 class are still on the BNSF. There are all 7 CEFX SD40-2s operating on BNSF and several PRLX engines on the BNSF. They include 9 ex BN/BNSF SD60Ms, 4 GP38-2s and a pair of GP40s. BNSF still has the 100 leased CitiRail ES44ACs lettered as CREX roaming the system as well. These are on long term lease.

4 <>[RE-NUMBERED POWER] ~ BNSF re-lettered (instead of re-numbered) some switchers in March. SW1500s 3411, 3419, & 3436 were all relettered to GN during March. The 3464 was re-lettered in late February but it didn t get reported until early March. MP was also re-lettered to GN during March. This just leaves SW and SW as those still lettered as BNSF. The 3601 is supposed to be retired and sent to Albia, IA for RCL harvest, but it still shows to be in Kansas City, MO. SW shows to be an active unit as well and supposedly in West Burlington, IA for long term storage. However, I have a note that this engine became GMTX 96 in 2007 so I am not sure which is correct. Of course the BNSF computer also shows that slug 3959 is stored in Amarillo, TX, but it was cut up for scrap many years ago. I personally saw this happen. Also, the SW is supposed to be retired and sent to Albia for RCL harvest. This may or may not have happened yet as it shows to be in Coon Creek, MN. >[LAID-UP POWER & UP-GRADES] ~ Last month, I listed a group of BNSF Dash 9-44CWs that were laid up Good Order (LUGO). All of the 700 class that were put in storage have all been pulled back out of storage and are working on the BNSF. A few of the 960 class that had been laid up have also been put back in service but many of them remain in storage. Those still Laid Up are the 961, 962, 966, 971, , , , 1000, 1003, 1004, 1006, 1009, 1010, 1013, 1018, 1020, 1024, 1025, 1027, 1030, 1038, 1040, 1043, 1045, , 1059, 1062, 1066, 1067, 1070, 1075, 1079, 1083, 1086, 1097, , 1109, 1111, 1113, 1118, 1119, 1122, & They too are mostly laid up at Topeka with a few at Barstow, CA. All of the 600 class Dash 9-44CWs, (Including the 599) are Laid up for one reason or another with the exception of the 612, 636 & 647 that are still in revenue service. The 612 is supposed to be moving for inspection and possible upgrade. Almost all of the 600s numbered above 620 are stored at Topeka, the rest are in Texas. The 600, 604, 608 & 614 have all been moved to Eagle Pass, TX and routed to the GE shop in San Luis Potosi in Mexico for upgrade to the C4 program the same as the 616 was done earlier. There are several more of these engines in Saginaw and Alliance, TX for inspection and possible up grade as well. The 616 is still in San Antonio, TX for emissions testing. In addition to these GE locomotives in storage, all of the SD75M/SD75Is are still in storage. Most of them are stored at Northtown with a few still at Topeka. These are the & 8300 & <>[WARBONNETS] ~ With the 700 class being put back in service, some

5 of them have ran in trains that are solid Warbonnet consists. At least one was noted for sure on H-KCKALT1-01 at Oklahoma City on the evening of April 3 rd. The Kansas City to Alliance train had a trio of Warbonnet clad Dash 9-944CWs, the 728, 706 & 726 for power. <>[POWER MOVES] ~ The BNSF moved an unusual set of power recently. Cedar Rapids & Iowa City SW and slug 129 were seen departing Alliance, TX on March 31st. The pair of engines were headed for the Texas Northwestern Railway at Sunray, TX in the Texas Panhandle. They were seen departing Alliance on train M-ALTAMS1-31 heading to Amarillo with BNSF 4671, 9391, CIC 129, BNSF 7410 & The last two were to set out at Quanah, TX. The train was seen arriving at Amarillo the morning of April 1st with the two lead engines and the CIC pair. [The End] ***************************************** Addendum to BNSF construction in 0=m issue #13 ~ Nick Tharalson To add to the report of SF Newsworthy, BNSF now has CTC installed and working between La Crosse, Graf Control Point, and Lynxville, WI, with new crossovers installed and operational at Genoa, WI, DeSoto, WI, and Lynxville, WI. The remainder of the CTC to Prairie Du Chien is expected to be installed by this summer, with another control point near the Charme detector north of Prairie Du Chien. The searchlight signals are out of service and being removed in the new CTC sections. Fill work is underway between Grand Crossing in La Crosse and Graf for a second track. According to one report, this will be suspended in May to protect an endangered bird species. They may lay new track this fall plus another diamond at Grand Crossing. ~ Nick Tharalson, Marion, IA ****************************************** Central States Steam Preservation Association ~ fwd Dave Kroeger Welcome and thank you for your interest in our group. As you may know the former Iowa Interstate Railroad Steam Crew has taken it upon themselves to form a non profit organization to maintain and operated the Two QJ Class Steam Locomotives 6988 and Right now our focus is to find out what your interest are and what, if any time you could volunteer. Also if you are wanting to volunteer, what skills you could bring to us. If you have made a donation or already joined as a member, Thank You. If you have not, please consider it and visit our now fully functional website. Putting on a steam excursion takes money. Not only to make a run, but to get the engine ready before hand. The important thing is we

6 need people, Not just in operating, but behind the scenes like administrative and marketing. If you feel you can help in this way please let us know. You can do so by contacting me by ... Dan Hetzel, Volunteer Coordinator, Central States Steam Preservation Association ******************************************* Curtis Hill Rendezvous May 15-17, 2015 ~ Duane Koss Hi Everyone...Another great Curtis Hill Rendezvous is scheduled and coming up, 2 weekends after next.. on May Its Always 3rd weekend of May and October. Check out our website for news, photos, freqs, motel and camping, maps to down load and print. Any questions, back. Also we have 116 railfans on the Curtis Hill Rendezvous Facebook page. Most of us, probably will be meeting up at Polly Anna's Cafe, in Woodward, Friday evening 15 May at approx 6-630pm. Some are staying in motels locally and some of us are camping again. Most of us have started eating Saturday morning Breakfast at the Mooreland Motel Cafe, west side of town. Really great food and allows us to get up to Quinlan much earlier. Please think about joining us and enjoy some great fellowship and taking photos on Curtis Hill. As always, we pay attention to the guidelines as listed on BNSF's card for Citizens for Rail Security, for safe railfanning. Please pass on to any other railfans, that you feel, might be interested. Thanks, Duane Koss, CHR Coordinator , BNSF Clovis Sub / MP 715, Fort Sumner, New Mexico dak507@plateautel.net ******************************************* March 10, 2015: Woman texting walks into train ~ fwd George Manley Someone who was allegedly texting to walk into a moving freight train. This, however, is what police in Lakeland, FL., are indicating. As the Lakeland Ledger reports, 27-year-old Sheena Keynna on Monday allegedly walked around lowered railway crossing gates on Kentucky Avenue. What she allegedly didn't notice was that a freight train was rolling through. The train struck her and tossed her into the air. Local police told the Ledger that witnesses said Keynna appeared to be texting. Sgt. Gary Gross of the Lakeland police said, "The pedestrian claims she was not texting." However, the conductor and engineer in the train said she was looking down at something in her hands. Gross continued that perhaps we will never know.

7 A CSX representative confirmed that local authorities and company representatives responded to the scene and that an investigation is under way. "Accidents between trains and pedestrians or vehicles are all too common," the CSX rep said. "About every 3 hours somewhere in the US, a person or a vehicle is struck by a train. We urge drivers and pedestrians to use extreme caution around railroad tracks for their own personal safety." Gross said there will not be any criminal charges and that Keynna suffered a broken right arm and other minor injuries. He added that if people move around with their attention on a gadget in their hands, disaster is but one message away. ****************************************** year 1915: Brakeman kills conductor with poker ~ fwd James L. Rueber [THE FORT DODGE MESSENGER, Fort Dodge, IA, Jan. 25, 1915] Olateh, KS,.Jan 25, O. E. Quinn of Kansas City, 45 years old, conductor of southbound Frisco freight train No. 135, was killed in the caboose of his train here at 9:35 Tuesday night by his rear brakeman, W. M. White. Quinn was struck across the back of the head with a stove poker. At 9:30 the conductor Quinn received his orders from the station agent. He entered the caboose, which stood opposite the station door. When the train did not take its leave, a brakeman from the front end of the train started toward the caboose. He met White, who still carried the poker. "What's the matter?" asked the front brakeman. "Oh, I had a fuss with the old man," returned White. "You'd better go on back and see if I killed him. He kicked over my lantern" Then the engineer, anxious about leaving, walked back down the string of cars. Meeting White, he inquired into the delay. "I knocked the old man cold, and I'll do the same thing to you," grumbled White. W. J. Chesney, the operator at the station, called E. J. Carroll, sheriff. When the officer arrived, he walked toward White, who yet held the poker. "Who did this?" he asked. "I did, and that ain't all, you can't take me," said White. The two grappled. Carroll is a small man in stature. The two went to the ground. Carroll wrested the poker away, then took the brakeman to jail. When persons entered the caboose they found the conductor's body still sitting in a chair at the rear of the caboose, his back to the door. In each of his hands was a pad of waybills. A cut across the back of his head showed where the brakeman's blow fell.

8 White's home is in Fort Scott. Quinn lived with his wife and two daughters, Anna and Katherine, at 4018 Oak Street. [The end] ******************************************* Answering request for CGW, MSTL items and stock certificates ~ Dick Wilson (inquire for prices) <>[Texts]... CGW IN MINNESOTA (Bee, Browne, Luecke 1984); 107pgs ~ EX CGW...DEPOTS ALONG CORN BELT ROUTE (Piersen/Huddleston pics by Wilson); 96pgs ~ LN CGW STEAM CONSOLTION LOCOMOTIVES (Brown 1977); 80pgs ~ LN spiral softback (MSTL) THE TOOTIN LOUIE: HISTORY M&StL (Hofsommer 2005); 374pgs ~ LN softback <>[Other items]... --CGW tariff 133-D tables of distances between all stations on the CGW, FDDM&S, Manchester & Oneida Ry, Mason City & Clear Lake RR issued Feb 28, listed pages ~ Ex- no tears --CGW Supplement #10 to Tariff 133-D between all stations on the CGW, FDDM&S, MC&CLRR issued Apr 14, pgs ~ EX --MSTL tariff 260-E Table of Distances between all stations on the M&STL issued Sept 17, pgs + 5 CNW thin supplements ~ EX --(5) CGW lucky strike scratch pads 4-1/2x7 ~ EX --CGW black lucky strike logo deck ~ LN --CGW "Rules, Regulations & Rates governing Conductors reprinted Jan 1955 ~ LN --(3) CGW labeled sealed toothpicks (2 in each packet) ~ LN --(6) Form 6004-Rev 55 Chicago Great Western Railway Company 9-1/2x4-1/8 brown envelopes EX --CGW lucky strike logo cereal tin from the 1950's ~ EX --CNW pass issued to Mr. J. L. Henderson, Gen Agt CGW Waterloo, IA ~ EX <>[Stock certificates]... --UP Corporation common stock par value $ shares dated Dec 07, 1978 ~ EX --C&NW Railway common stock without par value 100 shares dated Oct 27, 1955 ~ EX --(3) CSTPM&O 1000 shares equipment trust of /4% par value May 1, 1949 ~ EX *****************************************

9 April 16 & 23, 2015 California trackside report ~ George Manley <>[April 16] ~ Thursday began early on the BNSF as we had a meet at Collier as EB brand new C leading SD70ace had a mix of auto racks and bare tables. This train was heading to Mariposa to drop off the baretables and make a pickup of stacks and trailers. The 8331 barely fit into collier siding as WB WB ???? were holding the main with a way too long doublestack for collier and heading for OIG. While all this was going on we missed #11 but picked up on 529 at Rodeo. **Rodeo Atk11 four cars CT 2052 five cars --#6...Atk42 (Veterans unit-atk171 and eight cars...# 6 was running 45 minutes late, apparently the 42 was switched to the lead of 171 as 171 came west yesterday on #5 on the point Atk 125 five cars **West Gately... I waited as long as possible for the UP doublestack but headed to West Gately to shoot the Z-8 with 796 who is no longer a WB. On the way I got to the point of no return on San Pablo Ave. when I heard UPEB 8227 which was the doublestack...and then minutes later, the WBUP 7962 was on the way...the problem is at some point on San Pablo Ave., once you get to a certain point, doubling back takes too much time, so I missed out on EB8227 and WB BNSFWB...796(H-3)-6670 a very short Z-8 for North bay. --After this event took place, I got caught again as a BNSF WB rolled thru, so I took off to Richmond Pacific to catch the BNSF double stack that was heading for OIG in Oakland. --The power was BNSF 8218-NS 8081-UP 4723, so it was worth the move and on the way I caught RP 423 switching for some more shots... **East Christie... It was getting mid afternoon, so I headed to East Chrisite which paid off. --BNSFWB Fresric which died on the law at Christie --BNSFEB plus seven units...a lite power move to Mariposa --BNSFWB on a long Z-9...Now the 4936 was DOTL at Christie and holding the main, so WB 7838 took the siding and ran around the WB 4936 on its way to UPS at North Bay and then it was time to go home. <>[April 23] ~ One of the interesting things going on at Caltrans Capitols and San Joaquins is the number of P42's that are working in the area. They had the most low numbered P42's in the area in some time. Pretty busy day today and this is what it looked like:

10 **Collier... --BNSF EB auto racks 7947 is a brand new C-4 **Rodeo... --#11...Atk144/Atk cars Cab Car six comet cars CT 2014 as the pusher Atk 5 five cars Atk 7 four cars Atk 192 five cars **Collier... --BNSFWB a monster double stack 8350 is a brand new C- 4...The series runs , so the 8300's are being delivered slowly.. **Rodeo... --#6...atk4/Atk3 nine cars Atk 11 four cars Atk 7 four cars --UPEB DPU cut in 27 cars from the rear KOADU --UPWB MRVSJ **Christie... --BNSWB a short Z-8 for UPS North Bay --BNSFEB a UPS Reposition train with half long trailers and pups, train will fill out at Mariposa. **Rodeo... UPWB Z train mix of containers, UPS, and domestic trailers. #5...Atk187-Atk177 nine cars ******************************************** Shawn Heller April 19, 2015 Vancouver, WA report ~ fwd George Manley It was sunny again on Sunday and I headed for the Vancouver station from 2:30pm to 5:30pm. It was pretty busy again and I saw 13 trains. --BNSF Yard Power 1599, 1746, 1779, 1948, 2104, 2112, 2236, 2265, 2359, 2367, 2754, 2810, 2812, 2935, 2948, BNSF H-VAWBAR 7668, 4052, 3186, 2096 / DPUs 709 w, Amtrak Cascades , 25 --Amtrak Cascades , UP Garbage Empty 5804, 7745 / DPUs 8856, 8354

11 --BNSF M-EVEPAS 5441, 4671, BNSF Light Power-NB 1746, 2367, JLCX-1344 (leased switcher for the port) --UP Grain Load 3748, 3729, 5519 (two 90MACs) --BNSF RGT Grain Load 4150, 4599 / DPU Amtrak Coast Starlight-14 10, 159, eleven cars --BNSF VAW Grain Empty 7868, 6861, 6728, Amtrak Empire Bldr , four cars --BNSF Transfer-SB 2812, BNSF VAW Grain Load 4035, 6675 ****************************************** Question re Amtrak May 28th, 2015 trip Omaha to Denver ~ Daryl Achenbach My wife just called and they finally arrived at Denver this morning. Into Omaha ten minutes early, then out on time. Well over an hour late to Denver and she said they stopped once and the power went out,no lights, etc and no announcements either. Maybe someone else may have something on it??? ******************************************* Noted Amtrak #6 schedule change eff May 1 ~ Daryl Achenbach I see number 6 will be moved back a few hours on their schedule May 1. It is to be scheduled out of Denver at 10:10PM and into Omaha a little after 7 AM. Number 5 still looks to be on the same schedule as it is currently. Wonder where the meet will take place now? ******************************************** Year 1905: Drunk throws costly beer bottle at train ~ James L. Rueber [THE FORT DODGE MESSENGER: Fort Dodge, IA, Jan 5, 1905] BROKEN WINDOW COST $ Beer Bottle and Coach Window Prove Expensive... James Campbell, of Kalo, Pays Heavily For Throwing Beer Bottle Thru Railway Coach. James Campbell of Kalo was sentenced in the court of Justice S. N. Magowan today to a fine of $100 or imprisonment in the county jail for thirty days. Last October, Campbell, while drunk at Tara, threw a beer bottle thru

12 the window of a coach on an Illinois Central passenger train, and narrowly missed striking one of the passengers on the head. Detective M. Welch of the Central was at once put in charge of the case, but Campbell suddenly decided to pay an extended visit to friends in another part of the country, and the matter was dropped till he returned. As soon as he had arrived in Kalo, Detective Welch paid a visit to the home of the young fellow and brought him to Fort Dodge, where he was tried and sentenced as above. Campbell is a young man about twenty-five years of age, and belongs to a good family in Kalo. [The end] *************************************** 0=m epilogue: More news to follow as time permits.