Steam & Excursion > Chama du Jour #20

Setting out the mid train helper.
This was the way it was done, countless times, moving a train from Alamosa up and over Cumbres Pass (or vise versa).  Once to the top, the head end of the train would cut away and allow the helper to escape using a run-around track. While the road crew put their train back together, and got their air, the helper watered and ran light down the hill.  The Cumbres Wye was on that run-around side too, if the helper crew needed to return back in the direction they'd come from.  What's so cool is that all this infrastructure is still intact today.
So why not just leave the helper in?  I'm sure Earl can enlighten us. 
My guess would be that at first they did- until something really bad happened one day...
SR

that, and a lower pay rate for running light.

Photo 1.  Train stopped, Earl & fireman hit the ground for no other reason than to give S_W & me crap about something.
Photo 2.  The crew from the tail end has come forward to make the cuts (the head end has already pulled clear) to allow the helper out.  The helper will run around using the switch on the engineer's side.  The track and switch in the foreground was used by Eastbounds when doubling (or tripling!) the hill- another story for another day.
Photo 3.  Watering the helper.  The train itself is behind me.  (Yesterday's du Jour #19 photos actually follow these.  oops)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/17 09:31 by BoilingMan.

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Back to a previous point, if it were 497 in those shots you could pass them off as "originals", nice
work.

Out

Thanks!
We've got a ways to go- I found a stash of 25 rolls of forgotten C&T stuff. This is roll 5 or 6.
SR

BoilingMan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks!
> We've got a ways to go


Keep 'em coming! Haven't commented much but I look forward to your posts, and they have been fantastic.

Alright Larry, time to get processing! lol

BoilingMan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks!
> We've got a ways to go- I found a stash of 25
> rolls of forgotten C&T stuff. This is roll 5 or
> 6.
> SR

Not permitting helpers to remain with a train going downgrade dates back to the D&RGW days.  There is a very logical reason: if the lead locomotive derails, the second locomotive and train can push the lead locomotive off the track--often leading to the lead locomotive rolling over.  There was a fatal derailment east of Durango in 1958 with that outcome.  After that, downgrade double-heading was prohibited by the employee's timetable, except for snow plow trains plowing snow going downgrade.  Even then, it is risky to double-head on a downgrade.  The C&TS prohibits downgrade doubhleheading for the same reason.

Ah
Yeah, I figured it was based on a lesson learned the hard way- a too often aspect of RRing: lessons learned in blood.
However, I'm surprised it was put into The Rules as late as 1958!
SR

Agreed, does seem like a late date considering the train volume starting just before that. I can see the logic
of the helper aggrevating a derailment but in a long train it would be nice to have some air provided back in
the train.

Out

There has alway been a rule prohibiting doublheading down the steep grades, such as the west side of Cumbres.  There was a special rule prohibiting doubleheadeding down the east side unless directed by the dispatcher for snow service.  I have seen examples of long freights doubleheaded east from Cumbres when the weather was rough.

The profile between Chama and Durango was a roller coaster, and for many years they doubleheaded trains both ways.  The ruling grade westbound was 1.42%, eastbound 2%.  Because of the profile they would doublehead all the way across.  A fatal wreck occured in Sept, 1958 when 483 was helping 494 coming down the 2% grade into Durango.  483 derailed, and 494 simply pushed her off the side of the fill, killing the fireman.  Thereafter,  special timetable instruction made it forbidden to double head westbound down the 2% grades through Monero and off Florida Mesa into Durango.

There are always exceptions.  I have seen pics of a high-wide move coming off Cumbres to Chama in the 1930's with two locomotives in the train. 

Thanks, Earl
SR

Earl is correct.  To my knowledge, doubleheading was never permitted on the D&RG on steep downgrades such as the west side of Cumbres during the steam days, going clear back to the early days.  The "roller coaster" from Chama to Durango was an exception, and that exception wound up having a fatal result.

Q:
Why was double heading significantly more dangerous when going downhill, as opposed to, say, level running?  I mean, shoving is shoving. 
Did the braking going downhill somehow mask the head end's intentions to the helper (I'm assuming the helper used the air gauge to "read' things). 
Or was it simply gravity? (insert "Duh" here)   
Or something else?

(I'm not knowledgeable about the finer points of train handling, and I'm not intending to second guess those who do- just wanting a better understanding)
Thanks
SR

Hard to believe that double heading would be an issue coming down a long grade as both enignes would
more than likely be a notch in reverse but you could see an issue shoving through a dip on the roller coaster
where the air didn't drop fast enough for the helper to catch the derailment.

Out

When running down grade, valve gear is in the corner in the direction you are going.  The locomotive is doing no braking.  The mountain cock is open to keep the driver brakes from applying, while allowing the tender to set and release with the train.  An extra locomotive in the consist adds another 93 tons of un-braked wieght to the train.

You DON'T want that descending a 4% grade. 

Ah!
Was this to use the locomotive's weight to stretch the train out and keep it from beating itself up?  (breaking apart)

Thanks Earl
SR



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/17 22:36 by BoilingMan.