Nostalgia & History > Monday Meets: Jammed up at Aikman

I’m the head brakeman on a 973 train on a gorgeous day in October of 1979. In an oft-repeated situation we have pulled into the siding behind another eastbound at Aikman, KS on Santa Fe’s Middle Division 4th District; known today as simply “the transcon”. With the sun shining I can sniff a possible photo op, so I take my camera out and start to fiddle around with it. My engineer, Mr Melvin Matile is a very genial sort who suggested I take my picture from his seat behind the console. Sure, you bet!

Click! Now frozen in time are Santa Fe waycar 999329 on the train directly ahead and Santa Fe GP-20 3141 in pre-1972 paint with engineer Leonard Glenn (recently deceased) at the throttle of a 365 train.

1. AT&SF 3141 leads train 365 BI-1, meeting 2 eastbound trains stopped “in the hole” at Aikman, KS on October 29, 1979.

Thanks for looking back!
Lance Garrels
santafe199



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/07/22 21:25 by santafe199.

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Wow!! What a great shot.
You can count every rivet on the way car there too!

--Jim Baker

Wow, that's nice--like the reflection from the door behind the seat too, it adds 3-D atmosphere.
Brian Stevens

Great moment frozen in time. Outstanding!

Lance, what a well composed image !--- UP951 West... out.

Well done Lance!  What seemed so ordinary back then is 'top-drawer' now.

Man you guys pulled up close, pre fifty feet ;-) Great shot.
JB

3rdswitch Wrote: > Man you guys pulled up close...

I think conductor Dean Strand must have had a shoehorn in his grip that trip. Aikman siding is over 14,000 feet, but IIRC we barely fit in behind the train ahead. There might have been 3 trains in there that day, which wasn't all that rare. But I really don't remember for sure...

Lance

FANTASTIC shot Lance, thanks for sharing this action.

Kent in CArmel Valley

I just flat like that!