Re: EUKA
Author: Tom Moungovan
Date: 03-04-2009 - 18:31
SP5103 is correct on the tonnage for a single GP38...it was uphill nearly all the way to Willits and if sanders were not working well and you had wet rail, you were in trouble. I rode a lot on the EUKA and remember that well. We stalled right at the shoofly around the damaged Tunnel just out of Willits in late '87 and had to back up & try again. I was surprised that we made it. Vic Neves was along on that ride. By then, most of the engines were getting pretty tired & some were throwing a lot of oil. In better days, I was able to get a lot of stops for photos. When the dispatcher would ask about the delay, the engineer would answer that we had to stop to remove a rock from between the rails. We wore that one out. Bob Todd called me up right after they filed Chapter 11 (or whatever) and invited to ride "one last time". Had engine 33 with the loads out of Glynn to Willits. Great memories of the EUKA and its people.