A rescue for OI-16

[RailsEast]

It was just another daily transfer for YPOI-16, running a bit early as they do on Sundays, until they received the signal at the southern end of the Chemical Coast Secondary at WOOD, to enter the NJT North Jersey Coast Line. The crew felt something unusual as they began to move, and thankfully stopped to check things out. It turns out the trailing unit, NS 1701, had developed a serious drawbar issue, and they had the NJT dispatcher knock down the signal, as they could not safely proceed. Fortunately, crew JR-2 was in Port Reading Yard, and they quickly grabbed 2 units to effect the 'rescue'.....
JR-2 with Form D in hand...
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2868508
Something you rarely see, a train utilizing the south switch at BARB siding...
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2868527
Moving northward on the siding...
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2868587
Holding at the north end of the siding, waiting for the OI-16 power to pull up...
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2868592
A view of the drawbar...
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2868600
A comparison of a normal drawbar & the damaged one...
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2868605
The whole rescue manuever only took about 90 minutes; pretty efficient work by all involved.......

[chuxter26]

Shouldn't the guy in sweatpants and sneakers have a safety vest.....?

[ChrisU]

Very cool,nice pics!

[RailsEast]

Thanks, Chris, an unusual day for sure. Dunno, chuxter, but it looked like this gentlemen was an off-duty trainmaster/superintendent type who got a call to check how things were going; he wasn't there for long, and he wasn't smiling (be advised, this was the third quarter or so of the Giants/Falcons playoff game).
No sandbagging here, the 2 crews & dispatcher worked together well, a very smooth resolution to the matter......
Chris

[econandon]

(be advised, this was the third quarter or so of the Giants/Falcons playoff game).

So why the heck were you out railfanning?

[RailsEast]

Well, 2 reasons; I hadn't been trackside in a few weeks, and, unfortunately my team did not make the playoffs.... :-/

[Jtgshu]

Looks like the coupler for a cushioned underframe box car!

There is enough slack in a freight, don't need to add like another foot to it! hahaha

Another one for the "$#!t Happens" files........at least by that point, the game was pretty much over, so if the non-wearing white hat white hat was watching it, he didn't miss much!

Boy THAT would have been interesting if it held long enough until they tried going up the hill at Essay - now THAT would have been a sight to see railfanning! Luckily tho, it wouldn't mess up the Coast Line trains much, as they usually pass in Woodbridge on the weekends. But it would give "Mumbles" the dispatcher aggravation, so it would be worth it....

[TSTOM]

Excellent photos !

I see this is one of the ex-E-L SD45-2 units. For this layman, how exactly does this happen and given the engine's age, is this likely due to it's age ?

Thanks.