Nostalgia & History > AT&SF wreck train waiting at Temple Texas

In 1984, ready and waiting for an event that nobody wants to happen, but ready never the less. Railroads don't have wreck trains that they keep ready to go anymore, do they? Isn't train wrecks just handled by contractors like Hulcher or Pat Baker nowadays?

Con

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Here is what used to be Katy's wrecker that was based out of Bellmead Texas (Waco) One day I was just coming back empty from a run in my 18 wheeler and I was headed to the yard that I was running out of in Elgin Texas. Just as I had slowed way down to cross over a rough grade crossing of the MKT mainline, I heard a steam engine working. I PAUSED, completely surprised and looked all around to see what was making this sound, because even the poor broke Katy was all diesel-electric powered, and there wasn't a tourist steam outfit for a lot of miles at the time. I discovered that earlier that day, Miss Katy had strewn about a dozen loaded 3 bay grain hoppers all over the r-o-w just a couple of hundred of feet to my left, and that the still steam powered big hook #1043 was taking care of the problems with the derailed and overturned cars. It was a heck of a deAL!

cON

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What the heck! As long as I'm on this kick, I might as well post one or two of the Rio Grande's hooks. Not that they were ever needed ya understand what with the Grande's careful attention to safety, good track and careful inspection of the running gear in an effort to prevent uh-oh's.

Con

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Here is Rio Grande 024 from Pooeblow, or pee-eblow, or pyou-weblow, Pueblo, take your pick.

Con

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Didn't get a close look, but I think BNSF still had a "big hook" and tender cars in Winslow in July 2005.

DNRY122 Wrote:

> Didn't get a close look, but I think BNSF still
> had a "big hook" and tender cars in Winslow in
> July 2005.

That would have been 199796, the former Amarillo, TX derrick. Its last actual working assignment, as far as I know, was at Belen, NM, where it filled in for a few months after the usual Belen derrick, 199795, was retired. Santa Fe retired the last of its derricks about 1989.

The 199796 was sent to Winslow for display in town, but was reportedly too heavy to move. It sat in a side track west of the depot for years, though I thought I heard that it had finally been moved to a site off BNSF property.

That D&RGW 024 is interesting - how on earth do you get into the thing, and how do you see out once you're in?

xtra1188w Wrote:
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> In 1984, ready and waiting for an event that
> nobody wants to happen, but ready never the less.
> Railroads don't have wreck trains that they keep
> ready to go anymore, do they? Isn't train wrecks
> just handled by contractors like Hulcher or Pat
> Baker nowadays?
>
> Con

I don't know any details, but I know the UP still has wreck trains in Colorado. Perhaps because there are areas where it is hard to get to if not by rail. I believe there are wreck trains in Denver, Bond, and Grand Junction. The Bond and Denver trains responded to the recent derailment of a loaded coal train in Tunnel 30 on the Moffat line, from what I heard. Wish I could've watched some of *that* cleanup!
-Wes