 :: THE AUTHOR :: Bill Killion in the cab of #19 photo ¦ jim fitzgerald [Click on image for larger version.]  :: SPEEDER :: A Yreka Western speeder photo ¦ chris camp [Click on image for larger version.]  :: THE PERP :: #21, which didn't behave too well on this trip. photo ¦ chris camp [Click on image for larger version.]  :: #19 TO THE RESCUE! :: Good ol' 19, that saved the day on more than one occasion. photo ¦ jim fitzgerald [Click on image for larger version.]  :: #21 :: Another shot of the Yreka's EMD SW-8 photo ¦ chris camp [Click on image for larger version.] |
SOME OF YOU MIGHT KNOW that I am the engineer of old number 19 at the Yreka Western RR located just under the Oregon border in northern California. The story that I am going to relate to you took place late last August. During the summer months we pull a steam excursion train Wednesdays through Sundays, which is scheduled to depart the Yreka station at 11:00AM. The excursion presents a problem to our revenue making freight service, which runs every day except Sundays. In view of the fact the freight must be moved in a way not to interfere with the steam excursion, the crew who run the freight start work at 5:00AM, which will normally get them back at the mill and 'in the hole' so that we can pass by them around 11:30AM. Freight is hauled by a 1953 EMD SW8, which consisted of heavy wood chip cars and bulkhead or centerbeam flat cars to haul plywood laminates material. On this particular day, my fireman and I had old #19 steamed up, oiled, greased, with a full tender of water and fuel. We had just hooked up with the consist when the office manager came out and told me that the freight train had mechanical problems, fouling the mainline just east of the Shasta River bridge. I soon learned that there was a major problem with the air supply from the control stand within the diesel's cab. The owner of the railroad drove out and picked up the crew, who were going to attempt to repair the problem. IT WAS DECIDED the passengers could have a full refund, or retain their tickets for a future run in addition to a no charge halfway run. Most everyone elected to go on the free excursion. So we departed the depot and proceeded for approximately 4.5 miles to the Shasta River Bridge. The freight crew rode with us and took some tools and extra parts with them to attempt to fix the problem with the diesel. We waited for them to make the repairs, but they were not successful. The owner of the railroad directed me to take the passengers back to Yreka and then return to assist the diesel / freight in any way possible. I backed the consist all the way back to Yreka and let the passengers off, then moved the old 1915 Baldwin light 2-8-2 back down to the water tower to refill the tender, servicing the grease fittings while it filled. I then proceeded back to the location of the stalled diesel, where the crew was still trying to remedy the problem of a massive air leak by making a hand-made gasket. No go! It still would not hold air to release the brakes. I was told to move my locomotive up and hook on to the rear car so that I could push the freight train into Montague where we would set the freight out on a siding at the interchange with the Central Oregon & Pacific (CORP). Now the fun was about to begin! The freight consist was 4 loaded chip and 3 loaded veneer bulkhead cars, each weighing approximately 125 tons. Each of these cars dwarf the little Mike. The SW-8 weighs approximatley 260,000 pounds and was located at the east end of the freight cars. I coupled onto the rear bulkhead and awaited a signal to move ... contemplating how I was going to manage all that weight up "Pumphouse Hill" (a 2+ percent grade) from the river without slipping the drivers for about a mile and a half. We made our brake test and all was ready to proceed... and the order came to start forward. I gave two short blasts of the whistle to acknowledge the order. OVER THE YEARS, I have pulled freight up that grade from the front end of the consist a couple of times, but this was the first time I had to start from a stop, pushing a load that was already on the grade. Leaving the cylinder cocks open, I released the brakes and slowly opened the throttle. Expecting to lose traction, I pushed the sanding lever all the way forward and kept my other hand on the independent brake lever as the old steam locomotive started to move very, very slowly. It seemed that it was 'holding its breath' because there was no immediate exhaust... only the furious sound of steam escaping the cylinders through the cylinder cocks. But when it did take a breath, it was massive... and the entire consist lunged forward. I opened the throttle just a little more and gained more momentum as I closed the cylinder cocks. Slowly... very slowly I continued to pull the throttle and gain speed as my fireman looked at me with wide eyes, then back to the stack, which was blowing smoke out and barking great volumes of compressed steam exhaust like an angry volcano. As we continued up the hill, the sound of air being sucked into the firebox was deafening, even with ear plugs. If I could only retain traction as we approached the steepest section of the track, which curved to the left then dropped down to an almost level section... I was listening to and feeling every motion and vibration that the old locomotive made as we entered that curve .. but to my surprise, she held steady as we went through at about 5 miles per hour. I felt so proud of that old steam locomotive. She has been so reliable over all these years and has to rescue the diesel locomotive at least once every year. In November 2001, we had to pull freight twice with it because of electrical problems in the diesel. I am a true believer.... Steam rules!!! |
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