While "loosing" locomotivies in turntable pits is not a laughing matter, this exchange between the Supt. I worked for and the office while he was on the road might be a bit interesting. Said Supt. had gone to Needles with his Biz. car and was returning on No. 7 the "Fast Mail". Just as they were leaving Needles he was handed a message that San Bernardino had an enging "fall" in the turntable pit and the San Berdo derrick had been called to rescue it. When the Mail train reached the station of Cadiz; the order board was red( For a Passenger train to encounter a red order board and not receive a clearance Card was a very rare happening, even more rare for the mail train and at a place like Cadiz, in the middle of no where) and the train instructed to pull the rear end down to the station so a message could be delivered to the Supt. and reply made. The message explained that the San Berdo derrick was now in the pit along with the locomotive and should the Barstow or Los Angeles derricks be called. The Supt"s answer was, " NO, no more room in pit." The record of how the pit was cleared has been lost to history.