|
McCloud Rails : The Last Two Weeks? Page 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
After the derailment engineer Bob Sharrah assessed the situation before calling for help. Due to the previous derailments at the spot Bob had the train down to 2 miles per hour at the time of the accident, and the slow speed kept the damage at a level far less than what it could have been. The #37 carried one re-railing frog, and Bob asked some other employees to bring up a second one. Then the wait begain. |
 |
|
The lead truck on the centerbeam resting on the ties. |
|
|
 |
|
All dressed up and no where to go. The #37 and the train waiting for help to arrive. |
|
|
 |
|
Another view of the derailed centerbeam. |
|
|
 |
|
One last view of the derailed centerbeam. |
|
|
 |
|
After an hour or so John and Jose, the two remaining guys on the section crew, arrived with the second rerailing frog. The three employees wasted no time in wrestling the frogs into place, one on each rail ahead of the rear truck of the locomotive. |
|
|
 |
|
Once the frogs were in place John walked Bob over the frogs by using hand signals. The frogs guided both derailed wheels right back onto the tracks. |
|
|
 |
|
Once the crew had the #37 back on the rails they rolled the frogs out of the way and then discussed what to do next. They agreed that to pull the derailed centerbeam any farther forward would just tear up the tracks some more, and in the end they agreed to bring in a contract dozer the following morning to help re-rail the centerbeams. The #37 then departed light to Cayton while John and Jose headed back towards McCloud to make the necessary arrangements and gather the tools they would need the next morning. |
|
|
 |
|
Bob halted the locomotive for a few minutes near Milepost B-44 to take advantage of one of the few spots on the railroad with clear cell phone coverage. |
|
|
 |
|
The shadows are starting to run tall as the #37 finally arrives at Cayton. The railroad started keeping a pickup truck here to allow Bob to drive himself to and from McCloud. |
|
|
 |
|
The #37 pauses briefly at the north end of Cayton so that the switch into the siding can be thrown. |
|
|
 |
|
Once the switch is thrown Bob eases the #37 down to the loading area, where he shuts down and locks up the locomotive. |
|
|
 |
|
One last shot of the #37 at Cayton. This day has come to an end. |
|
|
|
|
