Railroaders' Nostalgia > Riding a big Red Sleigh!

I’m riding a Santa Fe waycar on train 703 D-6. We went on duty at 0620 in Wellington, KS. My crew had deadheaded down just after midnight on train 308 B-1. With just over an hour off we were “doubling back” to Emporia. Through the wee hours an unseasonal, but dry & powdery snow had fallen as we rode the 308 through the dark night across the Middle Division. If my memory holds the 703 was normally a New Mexico/Arizona to Argentine general manifest train. The ‘D’ meant this train was made up on the 4th and the ‘6’ designation meant it was from somewhere other that the normal origination point for 703 trains. The 6 also usually meant it was likely a heavy and under-powered junker, and this train was no exception: Engines 5099 & 5109 were expected to handle 54 loads, 34 empties & 7434 tons of excess eastbound traffic.

I’m sure the 65 minutes we had off between the DH down & the 703 back were spent at a local beanery wolfing down some breakfast. Very seldom in my career did I work with a train crew that passed up a chance to go eat! Even if you weren't particularly hungry it was wise to get something down because ya just never knew when events would conspire to keep you out there until your hours-of-service had run out (or longer in some cases). I can’t remember what I had for breakfast 30+ years ago, but it’s a pretty good bet it was something quick, like B&G with big ol’ sausage patty and a glass of ice-cold milk. A cup or two of hot Joe also came highly recommended!

Not long after going on duty our 703 junker came rumbling into town from the west, right on up the mainline. The head end crews changed via crew van at the east end and my conductor & I replaced the inbound waycar crew via the classic “on & off” change on the roll by at the yard office. The Wellington Yardmaster took a bit of a chance bringing our dog train in on the main as he had a hot westbound intermodal that had already called for a track, meaning they were by the tiny berg of Belle Plaine, KS, next station to the east. As our waycar negotiated that big sweeping left-hand curve at the east end of Wellington yard I could just make out the glow of a westbound headlight on the other main. Our long & heavy 703 was grudgingly picking up speed as the westbound was slowing down in its approach to Wellington. I gave that hotshot a look-see as it passed by us. When we finally got up to speed we were kicking up that white powder just like that hotshot [image below]. Pretty soon our red waycar was engulfed in a blizzard of tiny white whirly-gigs and visibility became nil. With not much to see and nothing much else to do I put my feet up and rode my big Red Sleigh-car… oops, I mean WAYcar home to Emporia.

1. AT&SF 5189 is westbound with autoracks & lotsa tiny white “whirly-gigs” just outside of Wellington, KS. Taken from the eastbound waycar on train 703 D-4 on April 3, 1984.

Thanks for listening!
Lance Garrels
santafe199



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/29/14 09:58 by santafe199.

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Excellent! Man I miss riding in the caboose (er...sorry...waycar).

Great shot!

It's not suppose to snow in April! (We got 6" in Temple on Easter about 5 years ago. Al must have had that weekend off or he wouldn't have allowed it.)

Mark

trainjunkie Wrote:
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> Excellent! Man I miss riding in the caboose
> (er...sorry...waycar).

us easterners in ex PRR territory referred to the rear end sleigh as CABIN CARS ... nice image and story LG ...

Posted from Android

Excellent shot, Lance!

Randy Lundgren