Nostalgia & History > CNW RS-32 4249 -return to New Ulm, then Green Bay, 1981

1) We're back in New Ulm, MN, the location of the Goosetown photo of a couple of days ago. I would have included it with that one, but this slide by Eric Hirsimaki's included a date, 1981, but no location. After consulting the Google-of-all-knowledge, I've deduced that we are looking at the northwest end of the New Ulm yard in the late afternoon, and from the looks of things, the crew is "on spot", perhaps taking a beaner before dragging that respectably long cut of cars over to Sleepy Eye. Save the equipment, the scene is nearly identical today.

Theshoe, if you are still with us, could you explain a little about on & off duty points and territory covered by the local back then?

2) Only two years after receiving CNW paint, a rather ragged-looking 4249 sits at Green Bay in this Francis J. Weiner shot recorded in September, shortly after the unit was transferred. Note that "Huron" is still painted on the frame, and that unit has the old style five hose M/U arrangement (already an outmoded arrangement when the unit was built for NYC; it must have been specified to make it better compatible with older locos), although only four appear to be in current use.

EO

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Nice photos . . . what do SEAM/MAES stand for? Obviously labeling the various m.u. hoses. I'll guess "S" is for air operated sanders. "M" = main reservoir?

CPR_4000 Wrote:
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> Nice photos . . . what do SEAM/MAES stand for?
> Obviously labeling the various m.u. hoses. I'll
> guess "S" is for air operated sanders. "M" = main
> reservoir?

The others: A = actuating; E = equalizing

I believe that the 5th unused line was peculiar to Alco, a second sanding hose (one for forward; one for backing), but I could be wrong here. I've had no experience with 5 mu hose hookups.

EO

Awesome pair! Love all those reefers in pic. #1!

Great photos..thanks for sharing.

hogheaded Wrote:
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> I believe that the 5th unused line was peculiar to
> Alco, a second sanding hose (one for forward; one
> for backing), but I could be wrong here.

That seems to ring a bell. You could be right.

The switch job always had a New Ulm on duty point and back when the branch lines (Redwood Falls & Gary SD) still operated there was a way freight that would start in New Ulm and work to Tracy then out to Gary on days 2 & 3 back to Tracy, Tracy to New Ulm day 4 then maybe a turn to Redwood Falls on day 5. It all kind of varied by home many cars there were for any giving point -- The New Ulm job was called a road switcher that could work as far west as Sanborn or as far east as Mankato. New Ulm used to have 4-5 regular customers -- Kraft, Burdick,the Rye mill, City of New Ulm (coal) and occasionally the red rock quarry. Sleepy Eye had Del Monte, Moormens feed, 3 elevators and the city power plant and occasional loads of lumber to the house track. As the truck went to hell (No maintenance) in the 70's the thru freights 495 - 482 changed crews at New Ulm & Tracy (so 60 some miles) Once they started loading 100 ton hoppers the speed went down to 10 mph all the way from Tracy to east of Waseca