Re: 130 mph freight, no way!

Stories of amazing speeds seem to lose detail and credibility as they are passed from one person to the next. So I asked the person who told me the
story to please type it down and E-mail it to me.
The following was written by a Mr. Robert Williams who heard it straight from the "horses mouth."
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Following is the speed story as best I can remember it:
One Sunday night shift during the middle 1980's I was working with an engineer by the name of Dan Ivy. He spent his early railroad career in the employ of the Santa Fe in the Southern California area. This was during the late 1940's and early 1950's. Steam was still a major player on the secondary freight and passenger trains at this time. The 2900 class Northerns were making their last stand in passenger and fast freight service. He had been called off the fireman's extra board to fire the #2925 on the second section of a SanDiego to LosAngeles passenger train at night.
The engineer was known to be a fast runner and they had all roller bearing equipment on their train which was an invitation for speed. The locomotive in question was in top shape that night and very little traffic was on the road. By being the second section of any train all you can do is try to make up time as you are running on the time of the first section. It was not long before Dan realized this was gong to be a memorable ride.
With nothing but green signals and straight track ahead the hogger proceeded to let the big northern show what it could do. Dan began to realize that man on the right hand side of the cab just might be related to Casey Jones.
The mile posts began to slip by faster and faster as the power reverse was moved back towards center and left there. He noted that the lineside telegraph posts we just a blur in the headlight. The exhaust was nothing but a roar with individual exhausts blasts a distant memory. The engine began to shake violently as this was in the days before ribbon rail. He kept the pressure on the peg not wanting to be admonished for not keeping her hot. Soon he realized that he had never gone this fast before and pulled out his watch to check the speed from his side of the cab. To cross over and look at the speedometer would have been a sin in the eyes of the hogger and with the violent movement of the big locomotive could have been life threatening besides. His railroad approved watch indicated that mile posts were flashing by every 26 seconds. Upon discovering the terrific speed he immediately checked the next mile to be sure and it went by in the same time span. He immediately put his watch away and commenced to hang on for dear life for if he lost his position in the cab he could easily be thrown about the cab floor which was slippery and could be deposited along the ballast before anyone knew he was missing. By this time the throttle was wide open and the reverser almost on center. Never again did he go that fast on big SantaFE steam power.
A few months later he did run the #2929 off the turntable into a roundhouse stall and through the wall spraying bricks in all directions.
When filled with steam, those big cylinders would not let a locomotive stop on a dime.
The brakes were no contest with the expansive power of superheated steam.
Dan Ivy left the SantaFe to work for the Modesto and Empire Traction Company until his death one evening just before work.
Hope this answers your question about speed.
Robert
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For those who don't have calculators handy that 26 second mile comes out to 138.46 MPH (221.54 KPH). " />
It wasn't all that unusual for engines to go ludicrous speeds, they were just never officially reported. The Engineers would be severely punish, or the incident looked over. In 1944 (I think) the Southern Pacific GS4 4449 made a freight run for the US Navy from the Shipyards in Oakland, Ca. to the Shipyards in Portland, Or. with nothing but green lights. The standing order was to NOT clock the speed of the engine, and the onboard speedometer tape was burned upon arrival in Portland.
Curtis F.