What is the "hottest" train you have ever ran?

Question

I'll start out and say about 6 months ago I took Matt Rose and his "buddies" on a 306 mile trip to Amarillo. Took about 4 and a half hours. For those that don't know.....Matt Rose is the CEO/President for BNSF........the top dog. They parted the seas for this run. We had a wind advisory.....which we high-balled by direction of the Texas Division Manager, and we had a permanent 10mph bridge which we went 49mph over by direction of the manager as well. Funny that they want US to abide by the rules, but will direct us to break them to "get there faster."

Answer 1

what are you talking about?!?!???

Answer 2

I'm with you on this one Bob.Never ran an officers special and never wanted too.Two years ago i got a call from one of our MRO's telling me i was being held off the board to run the UP streamliner over the territory i work on.I asked him who was on it and he told me the general manager.I told him no thanks.While i wouldn't have minded getting to run the old E-9 consist ,i had no desire to pull a bunch of those yahoo's around behind me.I did find it interesting when i went to work about 5 hours ahead of the special that 4 form a restrictions we had had for about 4 months were gone.On our return trip home they were back.Funny how that works.So the hottest train i have been on recently was hauling the new GE Evolution Hybrid unit #2010 which was going to California to be showcased at a green technology fair and to be annointed with a laying on of hands by Governer Schwartzenneger.

Answer 3

Didn't run it, but was there in the "power", while Amtrak's General Road Foreman took a Congressional Special Metroliner inaugural run from Washington D.C. to NYP with an AEM7 on the point in the early 80s.  Speed limits became mere suggestions, as our "hogger" was sure that he was capable of judging thse things "for himself".

Yeah, we got there fast, but getting thru some of those interlockings was like riding a bucking bronco.

Answer 4

UPS had a contract with UP and CSX to move a train loaded with their semi trailers across the country, from Long Beach, CA, to NYC and the intermodal terminal in Worcester, MA.  The train would split in Albany.   Anyway, it had to get there over the course of 4 business days.  It was doable most days, since the weekend would give us an extra day or two of buffer time, but the train that left Long Beach on Monday had to be on the east coast by Friday morning, and that was a race.  The crew that caught that train would be assured of high greens all the way, and by Ghod you ran that thing like a tall dog.  Every other train was either held in the yard or at a siding until it went by, and no dispatcher would dare run anything ahead of it for several hours - if the train ahead of it ran into any kind of trouble, the UPS special would be toast, so on Thursdays you would look forward to getting that UPS train or sitting around for a long time.

Answer 5

Oh, any officer's special was hot, hot hot.  Especially with those of the General Office aboard.  In that instance not only would that train do as instructed where speed is concerned, but the trainmasters all along the route would hide every damned car they could; out of sight in yards, stashed on branches, ANYWHERE out of sight.  All the locals would be loaded up for three days prior to the trip to make sure ALL of 'em were non-existent, then spend another three days hauling all the sluff back to the yards, other storage tracks and spurs.  

A car could prompt a question, you see, which in turn could result in an unacceptable response.  A bad thing.  No cars = no questions.

Happily, I was never on one.  They'd usually put a private car on the rear end of a pig if the super was out and about, so you were getting all high green anyway.  But, still uncomfortable with the old man on the rear end...  if max authorized was 70 mph, that meant 70 mph.  Not 69, not 71.  70.

I did work the Barnum and Bailey Circus train a couple of times and we were given right over the pigs but, there again, nothing remarkable.

As a side note, on the SP, a division superintendent had the authority to order a train to move at whatever speed he wished, with the exception any "federal" speed limits (no cab signals = 79mph max, 49mph max in dark territory, eg.)  But, prior to FRA intervention via regulation, up until and well into the 50's, if a superintendent authorized you for 90 mph, and you had that in your orders, then 90 mph it was.

Thanks, but no thanks.

Answer 6

Officer's specials are always top priority, we have those across our route from time to time and they will be instructed to operate at passenger speed where they can.

For freight trains we occassionally have "Boeing specials" that will consist of up to half a dozen cars from the Boeing Aircraft plant in Missouri to Seattle. Straight through, no work, good power.

Funny to see an entire 737 aircraft fuselage on two flatcars (minus the wings).

Lots of people stop to take pictures.

Nothing is supposed to get in the way of these although it happens.

A friend is one of the engineers on a steam excursion train operating near here, the have a magnificently restored 1910 Baldwin, I dont know the model of it off the top of my head but he asked if I wanted to take her one day I was there.

Of course it only had half a dozen cars on slow track but I was shocked at how fast it took off when I widened on it.

On the Milwaukee, we had the old boxcab electrics for switch engines. There was an engineer in Harlowton that would bet any switchman they couldlnt stand at the front footboard with the engine stopped and catch the rear footboard when it came by (one engine length)

He never had to pay, the electrics were instantaneous, no diesels to rev up, the power was there overhead waiting.

Answer 7

I rode the old "Burlington Zephyr" from Chicago to Denver back in the 40s. What an experience !!!!

Answer 8

I work part-time with steam engines and they get very hot! Safety first, every time!

Better safe than sorry.