Nostalgia & History > Hey, (LA) Guys... remember this? (An easy where-iz-it)

shot in summer of 1976...

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AH, good ol' DIKE T.O. office !

Who're you calling a dyke ? Oh wait, you spelt it right ...
I shot the other caboose/train order office being moved down from Summit many moons ago.


TCS - SD-9s and idler cars for braking.

What became of the SP caboose that was positioned up on Cajon Summit? When was it moved off the Pass?

JMW

Sometime in late '76 or early '77 (the date is a guess) I was called as a "Dike Helper" as it was known, which NOBODY liked to catch off of the helper pool out of West Colton. The reason? You sat in the spur off of the siding and watched all of the trains go up and down the hill. Hardly ever did they need any assistance to the top to Hiland.

My fireman and I had been sitting in the spur for about 8 or 9 days (at least it seemed that way) with nothing happening for the last 10 hours or so.

We were getting close to our hours of service (HOS) and we didn't cherish the thought about being out here any longer than what we had to be. Sometimes you'd be dead on the HOS for several hours before a relief crew would show up. Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, the Dike Helper was not one of the preferred helper jobs to come out of West Colton.

We only had a little while to work when I got an idea. If I could get inside that caboose I could get on the dispatchers phone and see about getting some orders to get back to West Colton. Remember, this was dark territory at the time (no signals). Signals would come a while later in 1979.

Because it was late at night, about 100AM or so, the train order operator at Dike was not on duty. But I knew I had to find a way to get into that caboose so we could get out of Dike before we died on the HOS.

I thought if I could climb up the end ladder, get up on the roof, I might find one of the cupola windows that were not locked. I tried it and got really lucky when I reached the end of one of the cupola windows and found with a little coaxing one of the windows would slide open. Now came the hard part.

At about this time in my life, I was 28 years old, and 6' 2" tall, and weighed about 250 pounds. My nickname of Shamu was very appropriate. I was so big that if they told me to haul ass, I'd have to 4 trips! Fortunately I'm not anywhere near that heavy now (I'm about 215 or so).

So, with lots of bending around and trying to get this big boy (and I don't mean the steam engine) through that little window I finally succeeded. Of course I was dirty as hell but I didn't care. I don't think that window had been opened since 1952 or so. At least it seemed that way. Part one of my mission was completed.

I got on the dispatchers phone and after he answered, told him who I was, where I was, and what I wanted to do. I don't think he was too keen about the idea of me copying a train order but if I didn't, who would?

He called West Colton and said, "Copy three". From spending my young teenage years in and around Colton Tower I knew how a train order should be repeated once it was put out. It went something like this:

The dispatcher said something like "Order number 5 to C&E Extra SP8466 East at Dike, period". They had to say 'period' meaning that this was the end of a, shall we say, a train order sentence.

"Engine 8466 run extra Dike to Slover has right over no. (#) 515 and no. 517 Dike to Slover, (signed) RMG (Which was Bob Gregory, the chief dispatcher at the time I believe)period."

Now, like I said, I had spent many hours listening to the boys at Colton Tower repeating train orders so I knew what the format was. So, I repeated it back to the dispatcher so fast with absolutely no mistakes or hesitations, the boys at Colton Tower would have been proud.

But, there was only one little problem. The dispatcher said, "Dike, West Colton has to repeat it back first."

My heart was broken and I almost cried right there on the spot (NOT!, but it makes for a good story, no?)

Anyway, West Colton repeated the order, gave a complete time and we were off to the races. Well, actually to West Colton.

After climbing back out through the cupola window, and almost falling out of the window and on my fanny, I closed the window and climbed down the ladder and walked over to the spur track switch (which you can't see in the photo) lined the switch and gave the fireman (was it Bruce Boyer, who now works out of Portola?) a "come ahead" signal and he came out onto the siding. We went down to the east end (no north and south B.S. in those days) and I lined us out onto the main line. Remember, this was dark territory and all of the main line switches, except the west switch at Slover and the east switch at Palmdale #2, were high stand switches that were locked with that litte flimsey lock that looks like it would have opened if you gave it a dirty look.

So we got back to West Colton and of course I looked like I had wrestled a pig in a dirt hole, and lost, because of having to climb through that cupola window, and had to explain to the guys in the locker room why I looked like a filthy bum.

It was an experience I shall not forget now. I had forgotten all about it until I saw the photo of the caboose at Dike. Photos can bring back some fun memories.


steamjocky

That's a great story! Thanks for sharing...The Expediter, out!

John: I knew it!, I knew it! Now, I really know you hit your head!

Take Care, Stay Safe, Have Fun!

Larry

The caboose that was used as a train order office at Hiland at the summit of Cajon Pass is now owned by a private individual who bought it from the SP. The owner initially did not know anything about the background of the caboose, so awhile back (at least 6 months ago?), he posted a query to the Yahoo Espee Group, giving the number of the caboose. Responses indicated that it was the caboose formerly at Hiland. The owner also stated that the ends of his caboose were painted white, which is how the Hiland caboose was.

Steamjocky Wrote:
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>> "Engine 8466 run extra Dike to Slover has right
> over no. (#) 515 and no. 517 Dike to Slover,
> (signed) RMG (Which was Bob Gregory, the chief
> dispatcher at the time I believe)period."
>
>> steamjocky

RMG = Rock-Marble and Granite......and was he ever....
SLO