Western Railroad Discussion > Last UP unit train today on Tennessee Pass

Thanks to a freind who called after hearing the call on the scanner I was able to get to Spikebuck just as the two UP units were headed to couple up to the last 96 cars stored on the Tennessee Pass line. The UP 9470 and 9796 ran light Pueblo to Spikebuck then after the track inspector removed a derail, headed another mile west on single track to start the process of coupling up the 20 25 car blocks. This took about 2 hours as the crew had to walk along each car and using a pole released the hand brakes on every car. A few air issues delayed things, but about 11:30 the show started moveing east at 10-15 mph. They waited at Parkdale for an hour for the CC&RG passener train, plus a 15 minute delay trying to get the UP dispatcher on the radio.

Most shots in the sun,except, of course, the one I climbed up a large hill at Parkdale and waited (in the sun) for 20 minutes, and just as the train departed the railfan cloud came by.

Note that this is being done to clear the line for work areas to support the Cristo "over the river project". Hope it will provide some business for UP and maybe the CC&RG can run some passener extras a few more miles west of Parkdale to observe the "Art???" close up.

To the photos:

1. Still heading west the light engines wait for the track inspector to clear them on.
2. Its a long walk to undo brakes on 96 cars....
3. Here is how it was done.

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1. Ready to depart headed east. This is as far as the power ran west, about 1 mile west of the west switch at Spikebuck.

2. Passing near the rest and fishing area called Spikebuck.

3. After moving about 1/2 mile from the start, they stopped here to attach the FRED, which had been left on the wayside on the backup move. This took over 40 minuetes as the crew had the walk the full 96 cars back to the head end after the air test.

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1. At last! Starting the last run east towards the next stop at Parkdale.

2. Passing West end Spikebuck.

3. East end of Spikebuck, first cloud cover
3.

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What was the reason for the long pole to release hand brakes? Tightened up that much when they parked them or something else ?? And if you have more photos, please post them. Even the ones that might not have the best lighting.

What a fortunate catch for you. Great shots.
JB

Boy, I would of loved to be part of the crew on that run! Nice to see some action on that part of the line. Hopefully one day we might see action on the rest. Great photos!

Aj

1. Getting close to Parkdale

2. At west end of Parkdale, off UP trackage and onto R&R/CC&RG trackage.

3. Someone needs to update this sign! Parkdale siding. Was D&RGW, then SP then UP and now R&R/CC&RG....

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You sir are awesome! Thanks for these one of a kind shots! Tennessee Pass will live on years on! Even if its dormant!

- John

John Crisanti
Longmont, CO

1. East of Parkdale the noon CC&RG (short version for a Monday) heads west, but had to wait 10 minutes just to get permission to enter the siding at Parkdale, then had to wait for 15-20 minutes while the UP train tried to get in touch with the dispatcher to get a warrent to head east..

2. Finally things start to move. The passenger heads west to clear the east end of Parkdale, then the empties head east.

3. Oh that cloud. Waited here over 30 minutes in full sun only to have a large cloud darken the river while the mountains remained full bright....


End of these postings.

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The reason? Safety. You don't have to climb up between cars to release the hand brake, and if the car should move you will be clear (or at least in theory you will be clear) and will not get bumped off.

A few more, took these mostly to pass the time. Two hours to wait while they did this and not much else to do there while on the highway.

Third shot shows cleaning the windows of the 9470. Apparently Pueblo yard didn't do too good a job as they had to use several waterbottles to clean the windshield. I have more photos of this interesting task also..... ( :-))> Amazing the things one takes photos of with nothing else to do and, its digital anyway, so why not?

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Wow, Fantastic photo's, brings back some GREAT memories! The stick the trainmen is using is to knock off/apply the handbrakes without having to climb up and down the cars.

Very nice series- well done!

Great shots. Outstanding scenery.

So how far down the line were these cars from the currently used tracks?

Why they don't send the Rio Grande heritage unit to do this is beyond me.

FrontRangeTrains Wrote:
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> You sir are awesome! Thanks for these one of a
> kind shots! Tennessee Pass will live on years on!
> Even if its dormant!
>
> - John

Could not have said it better myself. What great photos you got! Thanks for sharing with us.
Steve B.

Any idea how long the cars have been there? Surprised they didn't have air problems. Are the signals that were shown, active or mothballed? Nice pics.


Nudge

dcfbalcoS1 Wrote:
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> What was the reason for the long pole to release
> hand brakes? Tightened up that much when they
> parked them or something else?

This tool is called a "brake stick". As the OP pointed out, they allow the conductor to apply and release hand brakes from the safety of the ground. Being an engineer, I only have used one once, and I have to say I like them. They save a lot of time and effort from having to climb up and down off of cars, especially those with high hand brakes. They make two sizes, one is easy to carry and only about 2' when collapsed which doesn't reach high brakes very easily. The other will reach high hand brakes easily but is 4' long when collapsed.

The other thing is that there were HOW MANY hand brakes tied on this train? All of them? That would be a lot of climbing up/down and would kill an awful lot of time.

Pump

Glad to see retirement ain't hurting you:)

Big signs all over rail yards at Cumberland Maryland visible from the Capitol Limited "BRAKE STICK MANDATORY".

David