(Combining the two previous, we continue)
(I am enjoying this ride!)
Horse Creek was out in the middle of nowhere, nothing there but a water tank, a station signboard and the wye. The ceaseless winds scoured the snow off the tracks pretty much, so Billy didn't figure they'd have any trouble getting turned. There was an old boxcar set off there that was used for a telegraph office and a mine agent when the mine was shipping coal, but it was closed when the mine temporarily shut down a few months ago.
The wye was used to turn helper engines sent over from the terminal on the other side of the pass and they usually ran on "go and return" orders so there was no open train order office at Horse Creek
The yard limit sign a mile south of Horse Creek was a welcome sight. There was only a skiff of snow on the rails here and there, due to the small yard and wye being sheltered from the wind by a ridge rising sharply along the west side of the main track. Billy shut off and let the Baldwin drift easily to the south switch of the wye, where he stopped and gave a short blast on the engine's hooter. "Wish they'd put one of those new chime whistles on this thing," he thought.
The wye at Horse Creek was seldom used anymore.
It had been built over twenty years ago when the line was first built, and still had mostly 30 pound rail on both legs and the tail.
The brakeman waved a "come on" and Billy eased the throttle out and started backing into the wye.
He had just cleared the main when suddenly.....
Continue here:
the pops lifted with their usual sharp retort.
JoJo had been doing his job too well. "Easy on the coal, Jo" Yelled Billy, "we still got to make it to Yankee Girl to coal up". "I 'preciate the good job, though". Bill tried the middle try-cock and water sprayed out as merrily as you please.
"Holy Moses", Billy thought "those pops scared ten years growth out of me, I thought we had flipped a rail on this old rickety track". With the drivers lightly set, Billy began easing the old Hog around the wye. "Good thing this is an old Hog" Billy confided to Jo "it's light enough that we can take this wye, even as rickety as it is, if we go slow enough".
Lake got off the pilot, where he had positioned himself after lining the first switch and saw that the tail track was all ready lined for them. when the Locomotive got to the switch stand Lake bailed off and was at the ready to line back the switch behind them. He grabbed that old stand and.....
