Railroaders' Nostalgia > The End (pt. 9): Crimson & Blue Fog

No, this thread has nothing to do with legendary Kansas University basketball coach Phog Allen* (but I made some of ya look, didn't I ;^). Nor does it really have anything to do with KU's school colors of (you guessed it) crimson & blue.

In addition to being the shortest day of the year (for sunlight), December 21, 1979 was a very foggy night in central Kansas. I had been the head brakeman on Santa Fe hotshot pig train 981 from Wellington coming into Emporia. It was probably the scariest train ride I ever experienced in my whole career. For the entire 114 miles between Wellington & Emporia my engineer and I never did have more than about one boxcar length of visibility ahead of our lead unit. And we had a train that was qualified to run 70 MPH! At that speed we both had our noses almost literally up against the front window glass keeping a lookout for signals. If we missed a signal flashing by in that 70 MPH fog we would have to assume the next one could be red. We actually got very lucky and got nothing but green signals, with no delays whatsoever. But it was easily the single most hair-raising trip I was ever on! Covering 114 miles in 1' 52" with that kind of [non] visibility was never my idea of a relaxing trip.

My train had gotten in & my crew went off duty fairly early in the evening. And I remember having to wedge my camera up against the Emporia passenger station building just to get a 'grab shot' time exposure of my train. But then I ran home to get my tripod and ended up spending a considerable amount of time taking time exposures. Here is an unexpected rear end shot just east of the Emporia station. This train had changed crews and was on the way our of town, but got stopped for some unknown reason. I was right there with my trusty tripod. I got several good shots this night, but they would all be overshadowed by tragic events that would occur later in the evening down at tiny Salter, KS. For a shot of my inbound consist, plus the whole tragic story from Salter see this thread: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/posting.php?11,edit,2511005

1. AT&SF waycar 999240 is stopped near the Constitution St. crossing in Emporia, KS on December 21, 1979.
For a shot of AT&SF 8507 at the head end of this same train at the depot see this thread:
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,2509839,2509839#msg-2509839
*Forest Clare [Phog] Allen was the head basketball coach at the University of Kansas from 1920-1956.

Thanks for looking back!
Lance Garrels
santafe199



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 09/17/16 01:18 by santafe199.

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Newly promoted, I caught a Red Rock coal train out of Emporia. They were about 14,000 tons/6500 feet or so back then, and they usually had three or four six axle units. Fresh out of the simulator, I was feeling pretty cocky handling that big train down to Ark City all by myself. We were cruising along leaving Aikman, all greens and clear weather. Coming out of the curve, I kept thinking I should be seeing the approach signal for Chelsea. All of a sudden, we ran into the fog coming off the Eldorado lake. About then the signal comes into view for just a couple of seconds, and it was a flashing yellow. Well, crap. I was rolling downhill with the DB howling, and started rehearsing my next few moves in my head. The train would just barely fit in the siding which was about 7,000' long. No problem, I've done this a few times, but not in the fog. I came under the overpass at about 45, and another quarter mile or so to go. I hit the turnout at the east end, into the siding right at 40. Not too far past the signal, I was looking for a milepost, and trying to focus on having it down to 10 mph or so at the NEXT mile post, because the signal is only a couple hundred yards past that, and it would be red. We didn't have foot counters back then, and I couldn't see anything, the fog just got worse as we got into the siding which is right on the fill that goes across the Lake. The DB was working good, but we had three BN units trailing, and they didn't use extended range braking, so at about 25 or so, they just got weaker as the speed fell. The Santa Fe unit on the point just keep howling and stepping down, but it couldn't do it all by itself. I was starting to squirm around in the seat, thinking about setting the air, when all of a sudden, an eastbound engine goes by me on the main line with his headlight off. That rattled me, so I set the air. I couldn't see in front of me, and I still couldn't see the ground. I knew the mile post and signal should be coming up, but when I turned my headlight back on, it just made the fog worse, so I shut it off again hoping to see the signal a little easier. I really had wanted a one shot stop, with the rear end in the clear, but it just wasn't going to happen for me tonight. I was kinda lost out there in the fog, and had heard nothing yet from the rear end crew. I came to a stop, with my rear end hanging out on the main, forcing the guy I'd just met to stop at the east end, and wait me out. Pretty soon, a voice came on the radio, and told me my waycar was just on the switch, I needed about five more cars to get in the clear. Just then I saw the mile post I was looking for, got a "released & moving" from the rear end, pulled into the clear and got stopped again just a few car lengths from my red signal. Of course it turned green the instant I set the air for my stop, so I stopped twice in all. So I drew it way down to avoid any stickers, walked out the back door to take a leak, get some fresh air, and enjoy the fog a little more. I came back in, sat down, released the brakes, and blasted off for Ark City, kinda embarrassed, and humbled a little. I remember thinking to myself as I pulled out of Chelsea, NOW I know what they're paying me for. I thought I was being paid to indulge in my hobby, and ride all the trains I could stand, but right then I think I finally got it. I was all puckered up getting that thing into the hole at Chelsea, and haven't forgot it to this day.

Great story - thanks for sharing. Nature can be a 'mother at times, as I learned when driving tour buses through Tennessee on overnight runs. On I-75 you could be howling along at 70 and just drive into a wall of fog so thick you couldn't see lines on the road in front of you. Helps to keep your sphincter exercised indeed!

timecruncher

Interesting story. Fog is so scary no matter what type of vehicle you operate. thanks for sharing.