By J.D. Santucci
2005 Archive
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2003 Archive
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 J.
D. Santucci (a.k.a. "Tuch") began his railroading
career in 1978 as a trainman on the Missouri Pacific. After
a round of lay-offs in 1985, Tuch embarked on a railroad odyssey,
working in many different situations for different roads. This
column tries to explain some of the nuts and bolts of the job
and also demonstrates what we have to deal with on a regular
basis from within and without the industry. Tuch currently works
through freights out of Chicago for Canadian National/Illinois
Central. |
December
20, 2003 - Today We Ride Santa's Train
Several weeks ago I put out a piece about the 33rd
annual running of the
CN's Chicago Subdivision Santa Train. I had also mentioned that
I would
gladly send the history of the Santa Train to anyone that requested
it.
Well little did I realize that there would be such a tremendous
response to
this offer. So instead of trying to send it out to the multitudes
that
requested it, I just decided to borrow a page from Johnny Carson
formerly
of "The Tonight Show" and do a "Best of"
column; a fancy way of saying that
this is a rerun.
December 3, 2003 - Today
We Are Really Going to Do Something Different
I receive lots of mail from many of you kind readers.
Most of the notes are friendly, while some offer corrections
or revisions to subjects I have written about. I also receive
a few hostile ones here and there. Some of the letters I receive
often contain ideas for topics to write about. Others send questions
about various items. They may include questions about specific
railroad topics, general railroad topics, personal preferences
and the like. So I've decided to gather a bunch of them up and
address them all so that everybody can share the answers.
November 24, 2003 - Today We
Roll Into The Meet Market
The thought might strike you that we are discussing
the butcher shop where one would purchase their fresh beef,
pork, poultry and lamb. You might also think I have spelled
it wrong. Remember, the rail industry used to haul dressed beef
and other meats literally, by the refrigerated boxcar load.
But alas you are wrong. See, there you go thinking again before
I tell you to.
November 17, 2003 - This Time
We Take Another Look at How We Say It
Some three years ago or so I did a piece on some of
the jargon we use on the railroad. We have a language of our
own. Many of the railfan publications touch upon it from time
to time quoting some of it. And numerous railfans have a language
of their own, often trying to pass it off as being part of our
vernacular. This is what tends to make it easy to pick out a
railfan, the language they use in describing our job.
November 10, 2003 - This Time
It is the Eclipse of a Loony (or Lunar) Night
I had another column nearly finished and was going to run that
one this time, but as it happens in the rail industry, the exigencies
of the operation dictated a change. Today's journey would seem
like it was gleaned right out of an episode of "The Twilight
Zone."
October 30, 2003 - Today
We Get Bombed
While I keep saying that one of these days I will do a column
discussing rule G, the rule that prohibits the use of alcohol
or controlled substances, this column will not be the one. Instead,
we are going to discuss yet another group of idiots; the ones
that feel the need to hurl objects at or upon our trains.
October 18, 2003 - Today
We Study Those Who Drive Like Mr. Magoo
Well it is October 18th again. This year, for a switch,
we are not going to be discussing collisions between trains
and motor vehicles. We will not focus on the aftermath of how
such collisions affect the families and train crews involved.
For a change, this year we will discuss collisions that did
not occur and the motorists that drive like Mr. Magoo.
October 13, 2003 - This Time
We Deal with Dating and the Railroad Life
As you have very likely surmised in my little commentaries
here, railroading isn't just a job, it is a lifestyle. One must
learn to wriggle in a little life around a career on the railroad.
And with the railroad gods always in tune to what you are attempting
to accomplish away from the property, this can be at best, extremely
difficult. The prospect of having a life can itself can be a
challenge, but trying to actually pull of such a feat can almost
be undaunting.
October 7, 2003 - Today We
Couple and Pull and Swing and Shove
Gee, one might think these are steps barked out by a choreographer
preparing a dance ensemble for a new play. With a cane rapping
out a beat you hear the call of "Couple and pull and swing
and shove." Perhaps these words might even make up the
steps from some outlandish new dance craze. Trust me though,
they're not. These are the words which describe the job I am
presently assigned to, the 1200 Puller at Markham.
September 24, 2003 - (Untitled)
Yesterday the 9th, made for some interesting operations
on the CNIC Chicago District. Unfortunately none of them good
and none that made the life of Chicago South Dispatcher Mike
Christopher any easier.
September 14, 2003 -
This Time We Are Reunited
I had actually planned this particular column before
the event of which I am writing took place. When I found out
about it and decided to attend, I felt that it would make for
interesting reading. It would also be a thank you of sorts and
a tribute to some great railroaders.
September
2, 2003 - Today It Is Time For Another Trip From Hell
The railroad gods were angry my friend. To quote George
Costanza from TV’s Seinfeld, “Like an old man trying
to send back soup in a deli.” Their mood was foul and
their antics sinister. They fired poison darts and lightning
bolts at us. Despite our most valiant efforts to overcome them,
our powers of goodness were simply no match for their evil and
wicked ways. Join me now as I recount the events of this day.
August 27, 2003
- This Time Things Go Haywire
It's about time to delve into this topic again. I
have a ton of fun writing about the bizarre and strange situations
and occurrences that seem to occur on a frequent basis. I guess
we should call this "Tales from the bizarre side." As per my
usual policy, I will not disclose names of the folks involved,
locations or railroads except for one instance and you'll see
why when you get there. While some of the victims deserve their
privacy others do not. However, those ones that do not are the
ones I need to be concerned about. This policy also keeps me
from getting sued by those who should be given up. In our litigious
society, people who perform dumb and foolish acts seem to feel
they should be compensated for their stupidity. They don't feel
they should be held responsible for their acts, no matter how
goofy. And I know that I shouldn't be the one who has to provide
them with a source of revenue for their acts.
August 20,
2003 - This Time It Should Have Been a Full Moon
I don't believe there was a full moon on the date of
this trip, 25 July 03. It was pretty overcast most of the evening
so we really couldn't tell. But for the course of the events
which took place, it sure seemed like there could have been
one though. I'm pretty sure one of you faithful and loyal readers
will be able to provide the status of the moon for me on this
particular night.
August 10, 2003 - Today We look
At Part Three of the South Shore
In late February 1985, I was furloughed from the MoPac. The
Union Pacific (whom we had merged with in December 1982) was
trying to downsize one of the most important terminals on the
entire system, Chicago.
July
30, 2003 - Today It Is Part Two of the South Shore
Right off the bat, I have an omission from part one that needs
to be mentioned. In guiding you all through the tour of the
route, I forgot to mention the fact the South Shore passes over
the EJ&E with yet another short, steep grade. This accomplished
east of East Chicago near the west end of the Gary city limits.
If driving east along the parallel Indiana Toll Road, this crossing
would be a little west of the Cline Avenue interchange. I recalled
this as I was on the way to work the morning after I sent part
one out. Hey, at least I even remembered it on my own.
July 23, 2003 - This
Time We Take a Ride on the South Shore
From time to time I have made some references on
various occasions to my days at the South Shore. As a result,
I have received quite a few requests over the past few years
to discuss more of the South Shore and their operations. After
all this time I have finally decided to get around to and just
that. Being that this will be a very long and detailed piece,
I am going to do this topic in three parts. The first part will
give a background and fifty cent tour of the South Shore. Part
two will discuss some of the changes made by Venango River and
some of the operations. Part three will cover events that occurred
to and with me while employed there. So away we go.
July 9, 2003 - This Time We
Play a Little Fun and Games
There is a great deal of concentration involved in the job of
railroading. There are numerous tasks and responsibilities of
which to keep track, no pun intended. As the Engineer I really
have a great deal to do, although when you see me rolling past
I am not looking like a font of intense concentration. To this
day, the beautiful bride still thinks all I do is sit there
and look out the window. However there are often times when
the fullest of concentration is not required. While you still
have to keep track of everything, you are not doing it with
any degree of great difficulty.
July
3, 2003 - Today We Take The Alternate Route
Many of you have already heard, but those that haven’t,
there was a huge fire in Riverdale, IL along the Chicago Sub
and also along the parallel Metra Electric District University
Park Sub. The bridges that span Metra and the CN over CSX Transportation’s
B&O Chicago Terminal trackage burned late in the evening
of Sunday, 22 June.
June
16, 2003 - Laying a Little Iron - Part 2
We are providing a couple special additions for today’s
column including something all new, photographs. There will
be various photographs accompanying today’s piece. They
are posted at http://www.railroad.net/santucci. I will also
include the URL’s for each picture as part of the description
of each step as well. You can take a look there to get a view
of the equipment used in the operation of removing and installing
rail as well. We will also include some guest commentary from
former Roadmaster Mark Lynn as well with a few stories about
rail.
June 9, 2003
- Today We Take Another Tour Through The Cab
A few years ago I took you on a tour through a standard locomotive
cab which has often been referred to as the “Spartan”
cab. Way back then I mentioned that we would take another tour
again in the future, with next tour being through a super cab.
Well that future has finally arrived and now it is time get
around to it with today’s lesson.
May
12, 2003 - Laying a Little Iron
One of the great misnomers of railroading is the one that commonly
refers to the rail as iron. Once upon a time rail was made from
iron. Before that it some of it was made from wood with strips
of iron laid upon the top of it. Today though, rail is made
out of steel. It has been rolled from steel for over one hundred
years now.
April 2, 2003 - This Time It’s
a Grand Old Flag
While this may appear to be a tribute to the Stars and Stripes,
we will actually look at flagging rules in today’s lesson.
I have touched briefly upon flagging rules in the past. In this
particular little workshop we will probe deeper into the subject.
March 26, 2003 - This
Time We Study Restricted Speed
Periodically, the FRA will board a locomotive and talk with
the crew on board. On occasion they will ask the crew for the
definition of restricted speed. I have read in various railroad
publications and also been told by Federal Inspectors that this
is the single most incorrectly answered question they ask train
and engine crews.
March
20, 2003 - This Time We Do Our Daily Constitutional
I have touched upon daily inspections of locomotives numerous
times in this little column over the years. Today we are going
to look more in depth at the procedures for performing the daily
inspection.
March
10, 2003 - Today It's an Excerpt from the Engineer’s Journal,
Train Date 6.03.03.
Quite awhile has passed since I wrote up the last one so I guess
it is indeed time. I decided as I drove in to work today today’s
trip would be the one. And as our journey unfolded, the decision
to chose this day turned out to be a wise choice.
March 5, 2003 - Today We
Clear Out Some Stories in the Odds and Ends File
Before we get started with this week’s lesson, I thought
I would take care of a few odds and ends of my own.
February 18 , 2003 - Today
It’s a Special Tribute to an Incredible Man
On the 15th of October 1945, William H. Bacon entered this world
as the first born child of William and Katherine Bacon. Through
the magic of this high tech means of communication I can actually
hear many of you wondering out loud, "Bill who?" My
job today is to tell you all.
January
30, 2003: Today It Is Part Three of the Hammond Local
When we left you last, we had brought the train to State Line
Tower. Now we will bring you onto the L&N Track and L&N’s
South Hammond to Lafayette line. None of the L&N timetables
I have in my personal collection show a subdivision or district
name for this route, but Seaboard System timetables called it
the Monon Sub. We’ll go with that to describe it in today’s
lesson.
January
20, 2003: Today It Is Part Two of the Hammond Local
So now we’ll take a look at the actual operation of
the Hammond Local. It was normally called for 0759 each Tuesday
and Thursday. A regular crew was assigned to the job. On the
other three days of their work week, this job did roustabout
work around Yard Center. The train would be gathered up in B
Yard, the north end of 8 Yard at Yard Center, coupled to the
caboose and air tested.
January
14, 2003: Today It Is Part One of the Hammond Local
This is going to be an unusual piece as it deals with the presence
of the Louisville & Nashville in Northwest Indiana and how
their presence waned. It will also explain how the MoPac assumed
operations over an open and active rail line.
January
7, 2003: Today It Is Part Three of Our Trip Across Chicago
After a nice Christmas and New Year’s Holiday season,
it is time to get back to the grindstone and have back at this
writing thing. Our Holidays were great being spent with friends
and family and no worry of annoying phone calls or pages beckoning
me to work. I hope yours all went as well. |
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