Railroaders' Nostalgia > Torqued Off the Toilet "SP Long Haul"

I'll bet this never happed to you but it did to me. Now the SP kept their toilets resonably clean. A large plastic bag was placed over the "Hopper".
As you railroaders know, the pot wasn't used that much. You peed off the cat-walk. No one wants to climb down in that smelly nose anyhow.
So the toilets wern't used that much. So that plastic bag could stay on for months and months. By the way, the big GE's were much more civilized
in that the hopper was in that big room directly behind the seat-box. After a while the plastic bag would accumulate sso much dirt and dust you really didn't want to touch it under any circumstances!
So the Ruling Grade East of Mojave to Los Angeles via Saugus Cyn was about 1.8% Four Jacks , 24 traction motors could usually handle it.
Well ,climbing Vincent Hill I had to take a crap. I'm not about to crap in the unit I'm riding in, so I headed back a unit or two. Now these trains were usually fairly short as SP kept the tonnage down to 4900 tons,
all that 4 units could handle w/o thru helpers. So just about as I was finishing, we came apart somewhere back in the train. I think it was an air hose separation.  The Torque generated by 24 axles at 13 mph is
unbelievable. I shot off that hopper like I'd been shot out of a cannon. Of course we stopped immediately.. I didn't suffer any ill-effects but I will never forget it.

Do you remember the old helper spur at Bena? At night you better not get off your power!


JJB

Makes me think you farted at the same time greatly increasing your departure.

OH!
SHOOT!

W.

On the other hand, nothing like using the toilet back in the engine room of an EMD F Unit. Always remember, NEVER attempt to flush if the engine was at high rpm under load!

Hotwater, c'mon, tell us what happens.

tomstp Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hotwater, c'mon, tell us what happens.

Well, the engine room in a negative air pressure due to the massive air being taken in by the engine, and since those F Unit toilets dumped directly to the track, when the flush pedal is stepped on,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,everything in the toilet flies right up to the engine room ceiling!

WOW.

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> tomstp Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Hotwater, c'mon, tell us what happens.
>
> Well, the engine room in a negative air pressure
> due to the massive air being taken in by the
> engine, and since those F Unit toilets dumped
> directly to the track, when the flush pedal is
> stepped
> on,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,everythin
> g in the toilet flies right up to the engine room
> ceiling!

The toilets were porcelain . the flush water was hot water...

Posted from Android

I've told this one before-
During SP F-unit days over the Tehachapis, my late brakeman uncle, T.J. Gill, went back to sit down on the toilet in the engine area of an F-unit.  When the engine got too warm, the temperature-controlled shutters opened up to let in the freezing winter air for cooling.  The rush of air made him stand up right there! 

mapboy

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> tomstp Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Hotwater, c'mon, tell us what happens.
>
> Well, the engine room in a negative air pressure
> due to the massive air being taken in by the
> engine, and since those F Unit toilets dumped
> directly to the track, when the flush pedal is
> stepped
> on,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,everythin
> g in the toilet flies right up to the engine room
> ceiling!

I hope this was not learned from personal experience !

train1275 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > tomstp Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Hotwater, c'mon, tell us what happens.
> >
> > Well, the engine room in a negative air
> pressure
> > due to the massive air being taken in by the
> > engine, and since those F Unit toilets dumped
> > directly to the track, when the flush pedal is
> > stepped
> >
> on,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,everythin
>
> > g in the toilet flies right up to the engine
> room
> > ceiling!
>
> I hope this was not learned from personal
> experience !

Yes, I was warned by more than one "old timer". However, I have see the "evidence" on the ceiling above the toilet on one unit.

Heard over the radio #1:  Amtrak engineer stopped his train at Rhinecliff, NY (former Water Level Route) to  use the toilet .  Had words with DS about same.  Engineer said he couldn't do both, i.e. attend to bodily functions and drive the train.

Heard over the radio #2:  Female engineer on the River Line stopped her N'bound train @ CP 90 because she refused to use the filthy toilet in the lead unit's nose.  DS wasn't pleased, but fortunately there are lots of fast food restaurants in Kingston, NY where there are many and infinitely cleaner toilets.