Railroaders' Nostalgia > Overloaded Helium Cars

   Years ago, there was an SP local that switched a helium plant near Santa Susana on the Coast Line.  One day, an Assistant Trainmaster, who wasn't noted for being one of the brighter bulbs in the string, was riding with the job.  As they were switching this helium plant, the engineer, who had a well-deserved reputation for being a wiseass, pointed out that the helium company was overloading the cars, and they were having a problem with them derailing because of this.
   Mr. Genius ATM whips out a notebook, makes a note of it, and says, "Thanks for telling me this.  I'll bring it up at the next staff meeting."
   How would you have liked to be a fly on the wall at that staff meeting?

Brian Black
Castle Rock, CO

Bet that's what's been floating around way up there for years and now that Biden had it shot with a Sidewinder, it's slivers can't be found below.  

Haha..the infamous E.B. I retold that story quite a few times when EB would come into the conversations.
I worked with EB his last days before he retired. The LA yard master (JM) told our crew the El Segundo to run over to 4th street yard and switch out the inbound hauler. The list included 80 cars and almost every line was an ace. Plus he told EB to dig out the lumber cars for El Segundo deliver those and also take some cars to the Torrance branch. I told EB we are only going to either switch the cars out and go home. Or dig out the lumber cars and deliver them but not do both. Told him to tell JM to stick it. EB got all pissed of called JM that he said am all done and that he retired on the spot. Went home and never turned a wheel.

Posted from Android

SanJoaquinEngr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Haha..the infamous E.B. I retold that story quite
> a few times when EB would come into the
> conversations.
> I worked with EB his last days before he
> retired. The LA yard master (JM) told our crew the
> El Segundo to run over to 4th street yard and
> switch out the inbound hauler. The list included
> 80 cars and almost every line was an ace. Plus he
> told EB to dig out the lumber cars for El Segundo
> deliver those and also take some cars to the
> Torrance branch. I told EB we are only going to
> either switch the cars out and go home. Or dig out
> the lumber cars and deliver them but not do both.
> Told him to tell JM to stick it. EB got all pissed
> of called JM that he said am all done and that he
> retired on the spot. Went home and never turned a
> wheel.
>
> Posted from Android

Do you remember who the engineer was?

Brian

I don't recall exactly this had to be the late 70s. Am guessing Ray Trusty, Chris Livingstone, Del Roberts, Art Honea, Jerry Brockett ?

Posted from Android

Reminds me of a story where a string of empty hoppers derailed and a reporter asked the conductor what was in the hoppers.  "Sailboat fuel" he replied.....the paper printed it.

SanJoaquinEngr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don't recall exactly this had to be the late
> 70s. Am guessing Ray Trusty, Chris Livingstone,
> Del Roberts, Art Honea, Jerry Brockett ?
>
> Posted from Android

None of the above. CWJ Kruger.

Brian

atsfer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Reminds me of a story where a string of empty
> hoppers derailed and a reporter asked the
> conductor what was in the hoppers.  "Sailboat
> fuel" he replied.....the paper printed it.

As a former truck driver that for about 5 years pulled the big dry bulk pneumatic tank trailers, I would sometimes be asked what I was hauling. I often responded with "sailboat fuel". Well one time some guy responded with a wisecrack "hey right I heard that one before what are you really hauling?" I answered "OK OK you got me I am really hauling post holes." About a minute later he finally responded: "Are they wood or plastic?"