Railroaders' Nostalgia > Interesting Runaway Story

While looking into the Black Mesa and Lake Powel RR, I came across this article that contains a quite an amazing runaway story, not sure if it has been mentioned here before.

http://www.flagstaffbusinessnews.com/first-navajo-woman-operator-at-black-mesa-railroad/

Thomas Eckhardt

Well, it's a good story on its own and the runaway makes it more interesting. But the reason for the runaway makes no sense. The story says "an air hose was mysteriously disconnected" which should have sent the train into emergency. One explanation is that that isolated railroad has a different air brake system than other railroads. Doubtful. Another explanation is that the reporter didn't understand railroad air brakes and misremembered what he was told. Given that it is such a short and pretty flat railroad (I've driven the length) I'm not sure how they lost their air unless they never had any. And no locomotive air? I hope someone knows what really happened. I wonder if the FRA was ever told?

Marty Bernard

Agree that there probably no broken brake hose, more likely a closed angle cock,for whatever mysterious reason. The railroad is flat for a large part, however from Kaibito at 6100 feet the track drops down to 4350 feet at the power plant, over a distance of about 26 miles. A 1700 feet drop is quite enough to gain momentum with a loaded coal train.

Thomas Eckhardt

They don't answer to the FRA.

I think most likely a kinked air hose or a partially opened angle cock.

I find it odd that the author refers to "...the operator's chair..."
...Lorenzo

NSDTK Wrote:
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> They don't answer to the FRA.

If this is true, what regulatory agency, if any, DO they answer to?

Its a good point, They are located entirely within Arizona, with no interchange, that seem to leave the feds out, so maybe the AZ DOT; but I belive its also located on Indian Territory, so maybe a Federal Agency is involved?

Thomas Eckhardt

http://rpca.com/pdfs/FRATouristRailroadPolicyAugust2011.pdf
That link tells most of the story even thought its for passenger trains.

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
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> NSDTK Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > They don't answer to the FRA.
>
> If this is true, what regulatory agency, if any,
> DO they answer to?

Because they are located entirely within the Navajo Nation, a sovereign state, the tribal council will be probably be responsible for for regulation within the Nation.