In the first incident, the SP sent the divers down to look for one particular thing. In about 20 minutes, the diver came back with the wooden plug, "Is this what you're looking for?". That engineer, E. E. Panelli, was restricted to switch engines (when he got back to work). He had been running cab hop to Schellville with three big Baldwins and a plug in the jam (independent). The bridge was up, and he tried to stop for the red signal, even plugged it. But with that plug in the jam, the brakes on the engine never applied, and one caboose doesn't quite have the braking power to stop them, even when the grade is slightly uphill (which it is approaching the bridge).

But you know railroaders, , , , said the old heads to a green switchman one day: "Here kid put this on before you get on the engine" and handed him a life jacket. The Admiral went bananas, even though it's a cardinal rule of railroading that you can't let on that you hate your RR handle. The trainmaster had to come down to smooth the waters.