Re: John Cole take notice!!!

In the first month or two of the D&S in 1981, prior to revenue service, we ran a double headed passenger train to Silverton, pulling just about every passenger car that was then available. This was a “practice train” so to speak, as a double header had not been run on the branch in many, many years. I was assigned as fireman on the road engine, No. 476 with engineer Paul Connor. No. 473 was on the point. As we neared Needleton siding, Paul noticed something wrong with the running gear on the engineers side and whistled to the helper engineer to stop the train. After stopping, we found that somewhere in the last mile or so, we picked up some old telegraph wire that was near the track. The engineers side eccentric crank starting wrapping the wire around the end of the crank between it and the connection to the eccentric rod, like a spool gathering thread. By the time we stopped, there was a huge ball of wire tangled up as tight as can be in everything. By the time we cut, broke and removed all the wire, we found that it had done significant damage to the connecting bolt that connects the crank to the rod, so much so, that it could no longer be depended upon to hold it all together. Of all things, we borrowed a similar length bolt, though smaller in diameter, that was one of many that secured the tender tank to the tender deck. This let us limp into Silverton where the folks from the Durango roundhouse met us with a more proper replacement.

The wire is great when it is up on the poles, but can create havoc when down on the ground.

Mike Ramsey