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Re: How Far Can A Locomotive Jump? No. 373
Author: Nudge
Date: 08-07-2017 - 12:00
Frank Jackson was the hoghead on 373 one night in January, 1969. He was just east of Capitan, MP 349.9. and had a bunch of covered wagons. He was about 1,000 feet of the east switch, going about 70 when they found a huge culvert that had washed out. The lead unit made it across and all the rest and a major part of the train derailed. The "B" unit, right behind the lead unit, stayed in line with the track structure. The engines laying over at at 45 degree angle in the small cut and all the auto racks and trailers from the head end, stacked up and burning.
Squeaky Milsap was the swing brakeman out of Santa Barb (winter time) and was riding the rear F unit that was headed east. He had been sitting in the middle high seat and had just gone over to the land side to roll a train that was in the siding when it happened. He said he hung on for dear life. When the dust cleared, a rail had come thru the cab floor and speared the center seat and on out the windshield.
The conductor walked up and after assessing the damage saw no point hanging around. Frank was able to cut the lead unit off the rest of the junk, went up to the east switch and picked up that power. They left one unit there. Then they went down to the west switch, picked up the caboose. Everybody was on board and used #373 head rights to go on to SLO. (There was no radio contact, it was a dead area. The phone and signal lines were torn out in the wreck. They finally were able to get Surf from around Sudden and told them what happened.
As it turned out, the MofW had been called out to check the heavy rain fall and found the mess so the dispatcher was already aware.
Another day (or night) on the Coast.
Nudge
Squeaky Milsap was the swing brakeman out of Santa Barb (winter time) and was riding the rear F unit that was headed east. He had been sitting in the middle high seat and had just gone over to the land side to roll a train that was in the siding when it happened. He said he hung on for dear life. When the dust cleared, a rail had come thru the cab floor and speared the center seat and on out the windshield.
The conductor walked up and after assessing the damage saw no point hanging around. Frank was able to cut the lead unit off the rest of the junk, went up to the east switch and picked up that power. They left one unit there. Then they went down to the west switch, picked up the caboose. Everybody was on board and used #373 head rights to go on to SLO. (There was no radio contact, it was a dead area. The phone and signal lines were torn out in the wreck. They finally were able to get Surf from around Sudden and told them what happened.
As it turned out, the MofW had been called out to check the heavy rain fall and found the mess so the dispatcher was already aware.
Another day (or night) on the Coast.
Nudge
