Steam & Excursion > Latest on Texas State Railroad

Tim Blackwell's column in Cowwcatcher Magazine tells the current situation.
http://cowcatchermagazine.com/texas-state-railroad-operator-says-trains-will-roll-but-tsra-seeks-to-terminate-agreement/

TSR has too many employees.  Get rid of some.  It was swamped when the State of Texas closed a bunch of state parks and moved the employees to the remaining parks like TSR.  They also need to fix the equipment.  They tried to back date the cars by removing the diaphrams between the cars and the traps for the steps.  As a result they have had a number of accidents, one fatality that I know of, and now have to have a person in each car to monitor the passengers and keep them safe.

jfrank39 Wrote:
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> TSR has too many employees.  Get rid of some. 
> It was swamped when the State of Texas closed a
> bunch of state parks and moved the employees to
> the remaining parks like TSR.  They also need to
> fix the equipment.  They tried to back date the
> cars by removing the diaphrams between the cars
> and the traps for the steps.  As a result they
> have had a number of accidents, one fatality that
> I know of, and now have to have a person in each
> car to monitor the passengers and keep them safe.

Where did you come up with this crap?   The TSR hasn't been a State Park for years.   When I ran the place for IPH, we had just enough employees to make it work right, and I could have used a couple of more.  I'd like to hear about the fatality, as well as the "number of accidents". That is news to me.  The spring-loaded safety chains between the cars worked just fine and as far as I know they have been on the cars since the TSR opened in 1976.  Most of the cars are former Rock Island commuter cars which never had trap doors in the vestibules.  There are gates at the top of the steps to keep passengers from wandering into harms way.  There is an attendant in the first class cars, one in the concession car, plus the train crew, not a person in each car.

TSR was removed from the Texas State Parks in 2007 and like Earl says, it has not been over staffed since.,  While it was still a state park a child some how got outside of the chains between the cars and fell. So far as I know that is the only injury incident that ever occured on the TSR.

The trains have always been operated at high  safety levels with very experienced engineers who were and  are very adept at train handling..When you look at the rolling land it runs through that is quite a compliment to the people who run them..

As far as having too many employees, it appears that IPH has done a good job of trimming the payroll since January.   

elueck Wrote:
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> As far as having too many employees, it appears
> that IPH has done a good job of trimming the
> payroll since January.   

I believe THAT is putting it mildly!

Roughly 15 will be rehired between this week and next. Time to bring up something positive.

http://m.ktre.com/ktre/db_330602/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=QqzRxb17



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/17 17:10 by LIL_BUDDY.

those Rock Island cars never had diaphragms either.

It's not crap Earl, just facts.  The fatality was a child that fell through the chains between the cars and was run over and killed.  I have seen and ridden the TSR.  Then there is a video of the meet at Menshaw where a TSR employee turns the switch under the last car and caused it to hit the standing train they were passing.  I have not been up there since you took over Earl, so hopefully you have corrected these deficiencies.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEkZPZpeaQM  You really should do some research before you start bad mouthing people on here.  Has anyone figured out how to put the Pacific Loco(#500 I think) back together?  It has been sitting out there in pieces for years along with it's new boiler.

Earlk Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jfrank39 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > TSR has too many employees.  Get rid of
> some. 
> > It was swamped when the State of Texas closed a
> > bunch of state parks and moved the employees to
> > the remaining parks like TSR.  They also need
> to
> > fix the equipment.  They tried to back date
> the
> > cars by removing the diaphrams between the cars
> > and the traps for the steps.  As a result they
> > have had a number of accidents, one fatality
> that
> > I know of, and now have to have a person in
> each
> > car to monitor the passengers and keep them
> safe.
>
> Where did you come up with this crap?   The
> TSR hasn't been a State Park for years.   When
> I ran the place for IPH, we had just enough
> employees to make it work right, and I could have
> used a couple of more.  I'd like to hear about
> the fatality, as well as the "number of
> accidents". That is news to me.  The
> spring-loaded safety chains between the cars
> worked just fine and as far as I know they have
> been on the cars since the TSR opened in 1976. 
> Most of the cars are former Rock Island commuter
> cars which never had trap doors in the
> vestibules.  There are gates at the top of the
> steps to keep passengers from wandering into harms
> way.  There is an attendant in the first class
> cars, one in the concession car, plus the train
> crew, not a person in each car.

Here is #500, former Santa Fe 1316.  Really sad.  http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=568879&nseq=5

jfrank39 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Has anyone figured
> out how to put the Pacific Loco(#500 I
> think) back together?  It has been sitting out
> there in pieces for years along with it's new
> boiler.

The problem is not so much figuring how to put the locomotive together, it's that there's no point in putting it back together with the new and "improved" boiler.  If you went through the trouble of reassembling ATSF #1316, it would quickly be out of service just like T&P #316.  The new boilers for both locomotives were foolishly constructed out of thicker than necessary steel and they'll remain out of service until new fireboxes are constructed (at the very least).  I don't see that happening anytime soon....

-James

There is always that nattering nabob of negativism that has all the reasons why something can't be done.

typebangin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jfrank39 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Has anyone figured
> > out how to put the Pacific Loco(#500 I
> > think) back together?  It has been sitting
> out
> > there in pieces for years along with it's new
> > boiler.
>
> The problem is not so much figuring how to put the
> locomotive together, it's that there's no point in
> putting it back together with the new and
> "improved" boiler.  If you went through the
> trouble of reassembling ATSF #1316, it would
> quickly be out of service just like T&P #316. 
> The new boilers for both locomotives were
> foolishly constructed out of thicker than
> necessary steel and they'll remain out of service
> until new fireboxes are constructed (at the very
> least).  I don't see that happening anytime
> soon....
>
> -James

jfrank39 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There is always that nattering nabob of negativism
> that has all the reasons why something can't be
> done.

Do not misconstrue my comments as negativism, I was merely explaining why they can't (and haven't) just put 1316 back together.  I'd love to see 1316 back together and running.  As always, the main impediment to any steam restoration is money.  If the TSRR had more of it, I'm sure 1316 would have a 2nd new boiler and be pulling trains again.  It's as simple as that....

OK, lets look at this from another point of view.

1 passenger fatality over 40 years, and one accident of the switch.  In the case of the child, I have to ask where the parents were, letting a small child wander between cars unattended.  As far as the switch incident, my memory is that it was never determined whether the switch was thrown under the last car, or whether a sharp flange picked the switch.    

For the record, Earl gathered the material and started the replacement of the entire Mewshaw passing siding, switches and main line with heavier rail as one of his first projects while there.  He was gone before it was finished, but it is now done.

The 1316 (500) is a casualty of the state parks administration and state funding, as well as poor design which has been addressed here several times and is addressed again in the post above.

The incident at Mewshaw occured during the last few weeks of State operation.  The employee was discharged.

I stand corrected.

From what I can remember about the child incident, at the time there were train attendents stationed between cars, but not sure if there was one in the vestibule where the incident occurred. The parents were warned repeatedly to pick up their child when walking between cars, and they were not doing it. The child got loose, ran into the vestibule, lost his(her)balance, and fell between the cars.  

Currently the engine parts are scattered all over the yard and rotting away.  At the least they could reassemble the engine for display until they can afford another boiler, if that is what it takes.  The current status is totally unaceptable.  Is there anyone left alive that can put it back together?

typebangin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jfrank39 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > There is always that nattering nabob of
> negativism
> > that has all the reasons why something can't be
> > done.
>
> Do not misconstrue my comments as negativism, I
> was merely explaining why they can't (and haven't)
> just put 1316 back together.  I'd love to see
> 1316 back together and running.  As always, the
> main impediment to any steam restoration is
> money.  If the TSRR had more of it, I'm sure 1316
> would have a 2nd new boiler and be pulling trains
> again.  It's as simple as that....

Last video I can find of it running is 1996.  So I guess it has been sitting there for 20 years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUhY3B_Tvao&t=1s



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/17 18:21 by jfrank39.

316 needs firebox repairs and some other minor things, 28 is getting new tubes and needs cylinder repairs. In case you have not noticed, money is in extremely short supply at TSRR and has been ever since before the state privatized it.  Now if someone wants to step up with say $250,000 for starters, and then recruit and pay the labor force necessary to put the 1316 back together (old boiler) and all, to cosmetically restore it, I am sure that it can be done.  Right now, it is not going to happen.  Steam railroading in the 12 inch = 1 foot scale takes both qualified labor, and dump trucks full of money, neither of which TSRR has in over abundance right now, nor has it had for a long time.  To do all of the projects that they have, they would need at least 10 more qualfied shop people, more shop space, and  several dump trucks full of $100 bills.