Re: Locomotive....... loading and unloading

Mike,
You make a good point. We also have had to deal with all kinds of unusual off load situtations. It is quite amazing how many different variables there are to get a locomotive off a trailer. As a result, we usually carry all sorts of stuff to try and be prepared for any eventuality.
Not only that, but the regulations and personnel that run each state can sometimes be daunting. I remember one time we could not get into Colorado on our way to Durango, even though we had a permit to do so, because some guy on the FAR SIDE of the Rocky Mountains was just positive that no steam locomotive could be less than 8 feet wide. I guess he had X ray vision and could see clearly through 150 miles of rock and use his tape measure. If it had not been for a very considerate and dedicated woman in the Denver main office who at 5:00 pm on a Friday actually took the time to investigate that Eureka is really less than 8 feet wide as we said, we would have been stuck in Arizona on a Friday before a 3 day weekend.
You might also appreciate this: One time we were heading across Arizona when some other trucker saw Eureka up on the trailer. He called over to us on the CB and said, "Boy, it's sure nice to see us hauling the competiton for once!"
Ah! The joys of hauling a locomotive around.
Dan