Railroaders' Nostalgia > Runaway UP Locomotive

I was reading a 1985 issue of CTC Board last night, and they had a interesting story about a runaway UP locomotive that passed through Pendleton, OR. A 5-unit helper set pushed a eastbound freight up to the top of the pass at Kamela. Then on the way back down they set out a single U30C at Gibbon before going down to Minthorn to be cut into another eastbound train. As they were doing that the dispatcher noticed a track indication moving west from Gibbon and correctly guessed it was a runaway piece of equipment....the U30C that had just been setout there. He told the train at Minthorn to clear up in the siding and started routing the U30C through sidings to slow it down. It passed the freight at Minthorn doing about 40mph. Meanwhile the Sheriff's deputies were called out to protect crossings in case the locomotive was moving too fast and beat the crossing gates. The locomotive rolled through Pendleton and the dispatcher routed it up the Pilot Rock branch. The locomotive went 6 miles up the branch before stalling on the uphill grade and started to roll back down the branch. A MOW worker was able to get on the loco and get it stopped outside of Pendleton on the mainline. An investigation found that the handbrake was not set, but the independent brake was. But the locomotive had shut down and the air bled off.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

I wonder how many "shizzlers" the culpable employee had to sign for . . .

This brings to mind a story told to me by a close friend who was a Santa Fe brakeman at the time of the incident (probably late '70s). Eastbound train set out some power (can't remember how many units) at Cadiz and my buddy, working as the head man, set the independent but no handbrake(s). Some time later, a signal maintainer who was trying to get some rest at Cadiz found the sound of the idling unit(s) an impediment to his sleep so he climbed aboard and shut the power down. Sure enough, eventually the air leaked off and the power rolled west and did some damage. Both my friend and the signal maintainer were issued some demerits.

Kinda like bottling the air--don't do it. Don't trust the "jam" alone, set handbrakes to be on the safe side.

My pal went on to a good career as a Needles West End hogger.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/24 14:52 by eljay.

One of the reasons FRA took a no prisoners attitude regarding finding unattended locos without handbrakes applied. Instant violation.

Posted from iPhone

eljay Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wonder how many "shizzlers" the culpable
> employee had to sign for . . .
>
> This brings to mind a story told to me by a close
> friend who was a Santa Fe brakeman at the time of
> the incident (probably late '70s). Eastbound train
> set out some power (can't remember how many units)
> at Cadiz and my buddy, working as the head man,
> set the independent but no handbrake(s). Some time
> later, a signal maintainer who was trying to get
> some rest at Cadiz found the sound of the idling
> unit(s) an impediment to his sleep so he climbed
> aboard and shut the power down. Sure enough,
> eventually the air leaked off and the power rolled
> west and did some damage. Both my friend and the
> signal maintainer were issued some demerits.
>
> Kinda like bottling the air--don't do it. Don't
> trust the "jam" alone, set handbrakes to be on the
> safe side.
>
> My pal went on to a good career as a Needles West
> End hogger.

It's not hard to set a hand brake on a locomotive... not sure why they were so lazy.

Posted from Android

A runaway engine happened to UP about 10 or so years back in Omaha.  A train set out an engine on the side of the Summit in a track that back then didn't have a derail.  (It does now.)  They set up the engine to lead and applied the air brakes, both independent and automatic.  They also tied on the hand brake as tight as they could.  They didn't release the air brakes to see if  the hand brake would hold it.  The engine was shut down and the air leaked off.

The hand brake didn't hold.  When it had last been repaired, a wrong gear/part had been used.  So even though the chain was as tight as could be, the brake shoes weren't fully applied.

I believe it was a local waiting for a signal on an adjacent track who saw the engine go past them and raised the alarm.  The dispatcher broadcast warnings over the radio and was able to line it into a standing cut of loaded coal hoppers in the Council Bluffs yard.    

57A26 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A runaway engine happened to UP about 10 or so
> years back in Omaha.  A train set out an engine
> on the side of the Summit in a track that back
> then didn't have a derail.  (It does now.)  They
> set up the engine to lead and applied the air
> brakes, both independent and automatic.  They
> also tied on the hand brake as tight as they
> could.  They didn't release the air brakes to see
> if  the hand brake would hold it.  The engine
> was shut down and the air leaked off.
>
> The hand brake didn't hold.  When it had last
> been repaired, a wrong gear/part had been used. 
> So even though the chain was as tight as could be,
> the brake shoes weren't fully applied.
>
> I believe it was a local waiting for a signal on
> an adjacent track who saw the engine go past them
> and raised the alarm.  The dispatcher broadcast
> warnings over the radio and was able to line it
> into a standing cut of loaded coal hoppers in the
> Council Bluffs yard.    


Oops

Posted from Android

I’m not surprised that they didn’t apply a handbrake…even today I hear hogs and conductors complain about cranking 30-50 cranks on a ratchet handbrake on a locomotive. I can’t stand them either…but I always apply one.