CSXT & roller bearings for interchange?

o anderson · **Posted:** Thu Apr 16, 2009 12:25 pm

Quote:

You know the old saying "if you want anything done right ya gotta do it yourself"? Well, the railroad won't let us do it ourselves (unless we're Jerry Jacobson or Andy Muller), so we have to do the next best thing: perch like a vulture and stare over every move anyone makes around the shipment.

Never say never. Such a thing happened when the Nebraska Zephyr did a barnstorming tour of the Midwest. From a 1994 IRM "Rail and Wire":

Quote:

Since there was no place to turn the train in Mendota, an engine had to tow us backwards all the way back to Eola. The benefit of this was this time we would travel over the West Chicago branch "head first."

On the return trip to East Union, there was one errand to take care of. "Guys, on your way home, can you pick up a gallon of milk and a U30C?"

Well, we forgot the gallon of milk, but we did get the U30C.

Earlier that summer, the BN had donated U30C #5383 to IRM in appreciation for bringing the Zephyr out to Fort Worth and Galesburg. The engine was sitting in Eola yard waiting for paperwork to get it interchanged to the C&NW. With the Zephyr passing within yards of a unit that was technically "ours," why couldn't we just take it home with us? The answer from BN: Why don't you do just that. So, with the tall, boxy 5383 tucked in between 9911A and the articulated Zephyr consist, we headed for West Chicago looking kind of like a silver snake that had just swallowed a frog.

http://www.irm.org/railwire/rw153.html

Jdelhaye · **Posted:** Thu Apr 16, 2009 5:11 pm

BN 5383 was actually part of two different "do it yourself" moves for IRM.
The first, as described above, got 5383 to IRM.
The second, used 5383 to move SP (T&NO)2-10-2 #975, and CB&Q 4-6-4 #3007 to IRM.

The BN was more than willing to move both steamers in a special train, but was in the midst of a motive power shortage. IRM "loaned" the 5383 back to the BN, who changed out all 6 "thin" wheelsts for new ones, and also replaced her batteries, then ran her in revenue service to Des Moines, IA (to pick up 3007), back to Galesburg, IL, (drop off 3007), down to Texas, interchanged with the UP then SP to Beaumont TX, (pick up 975), reverse route back to Galesburg (pick up 3007 again), and on home to Union.

The C&NW crew for the last leg was the crew for the regularly scheduled local. After parking their normal train in Union, they were "taxied" (Kallas Express) to West Chicago, ran 5383 up the Belvedere branch to Union (with 1 or 2 "hot loads" for the Chrysler plant at Belvedere), and then took their own train (plus the "hot" cars) back to Belvedere.

Jeff

Jdelhaye · **Posted:** Thu Apr 16, 2009 5:18 pm

ooops forgot the link, with a few pictures of the move, and 5383 getting new wheelsets. http://www.devanno.net/bn5383.html
Jeff