Yesterday's freight tomorrow, no matter what direction the cab is facing...

Al
----- Original Message -----
From: Gerald Altizer
To: WesternMarylandSurvivors@yahoogroups.com
Cc: Knox and Kane RR
Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2009 9:55 PM
Subject: [WesternMarylandSurvivors] WM / KK / GCK 39 Update





Sometime between 10:00PM last evening and first light this morning, the
flanges of GP9 39 gripped Western Maryland rails again when CSX delivered it to
NewPage Corporation on the Thomas Subdivision, thus ending it's long sojourn.

Also ended was a chaotic, comedic, and frustrating chain of events since it
departed Kane on the evening of June 29th. The good news is that the Buffalo and
Pittsburgh performed as they said they would and delivered 39 on schedule to CSX
at New Castle, and 39 made it home. That's the good news. The in-between stuff;
you be the judge.

Having entered successfully the BOL and waybill data on the 23rd, I then
prepaid the move on the 26th. At each step there is a place to enter special
instructions, and each time I entered "we would like this delivered cab east".
From July 3rd until last Friday, I know I spoke with at least 4 supervisors and
superintendents. All of them were asked to assure that the unit was delivered
"cab east"

For those who may not know what cab east means, let me take this opportunity
to explain. It simply meant that when we got our choo choo we wanted it to be
facing, or rather, the engineers and conductors seats, facing east. I know this
can get complicated, so for anyone who is, or was, not sure, all they had to do
was be up at dawn and look to see where the sun comes up. When you see the
bright light in the morning sky, point the locomotive that way. It's that easy.

Anyway, it finally returned to Maryland Friday afternoon and before long was
securely tied down over the inspection pit, surrounded by curious railroad shop
personnel (Mike, they loved the "WM" on the nose). We know this to be true
because we drove to the service area and Kermit donned his Sperry hard hat and
vest and went to chat with some guys checking out the geep. At the time, it was
facing the same direction as it was when it left New Castle; west. For those who
still aren't sure about east versus west, west is where the sun goes after it
comes up in the east.

So, we (Kermit, Nate, myself) happily retreated from the service area, content
with the knowledge, and assurance, that 39s chopped nose would feel the morning
sun before her hand brake did. That's because the hand brake would be, or should
be, in the opposite direction of the chopped nose. Now understand that there are
hills everywhere in Western Maryland, and you cannot drive straight very long,
nor can you drive on flat ground very long. But nevertheless, we do have an east
and a west, that complement our north and south, but we won't, nor do we need to
go there. The issue is, and always was, east versus west.

I digress. We came home to enjoy an evening of train videos, complemented by
doses of Central Pennsylvania foam. Saturday morning, I traveled to Cumberland
where I enjoyed a trip to Frostburg in a caboose on the Scenic as a guest of the
Central Pennsylvania Rail Corporation, who, by the way, was responsible for all
of the work getting 39 rail worthy for the trip home. Well done, guys.

While on the return trip I received a call from CSX that they had a locomotive
for me. At it happens, 39 had departed Cumberland on Q317 at 1314. Now, it is
numbered Q317 for a reason. CSX numbers their trains in a peculiar way; trains
headed east have even numbers. Even numbers does not mean that they are all the
same height or size; it means you can divide it by two and get another whole
number, and the ones headed west have odd numbers. They are not odd because they
are strange or perverted or anything like that. They are called "odd" because if
you use even numbers for eastbound trains AND westbound trains, CSX employees
would get confused and not be able to determine east from west, so they use odd
for west, and curiously, if you divide an odd number by two, you can get partial
numbers, or fractions too. Kind of like "half assed" numbers

Now that I know that 39 came WEST on Q317, I asked the caller if he knew which
direction the nose of the locomotive was facing, I was told he didn't know. At
least he didn't say that the nose was going the same direction as the rest of
it. So, when we got back to Cumberland, me and my daughter and Poopsie, my dog,
headed for West Keyser where CSX makes their setouts, and there she was, in her
charcoal regalia, sitting there headed the same direction as Q317.

Today we pulled 39 into the mill with 25 and placed it on track two. Tomorrow
we decide what the sequence of events to return it to service will be.
Occasional updates will be posted, and when possible accompanied with pictures.

Thanks to everyone who at one time or in one way or another, helped us get
this project done. I can't say enough about the kindness, consideration, and
assistance provided by the folks in Kane, from the motel putting up with the
grease, grime, and Poopsie, to the local merchants who literally went out of
there way to help get us the things we needed to get 39 ready to move. The folks
at the B&P are railroaders at heart. It is much more than just a job to them.
They were helpful in every way and gave us everything we needed from them.

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