Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1907-01-18
WHEN NO. 27O
RAN AWAY

"a luo jimmy coal cars n hand brakes
1 was runnin' extra at the time,
mot havin' been assigned to a regular
engine yet. Hen Morris, an easy go,
In fellow, was the regular man on,
the 27O, m / always commended that
ne was too easy with her. Engines
are just like bosses, you've got to let
'em know who's master.
One night Hen Morris was taken
sick n I was called to take his run
out. n we We're hardly started
sthrough the freight yards before she.
started up her tactics with me. I just
talked to her like Dutch uncle.
Now, look here, you old scally-
wag, I says, you're dealin' with no
spring chicken this trip. You just get
down to business or I'll pound the life
out OF you.
AN, suitin' the action to the word.
I dropped her down in the .corner m
put 1t to her for all I was worth.
However, she didn't do any extra
work m Jagged n hung back all the
way.
"'Well,' I says to myself. when we
get goin' down Pine Hill I'll just keep
the throttle open awhile n make her
go. The weight of this train behind
US will make her perk up bit
"Accordin'ly, when we went over
the pitch at the top of Pine Hill just
left her wide open m KEEP the steam
on full head till we were flynn down
by Copper's Crossin'. Then I thought
I'd better shut off, as the 270 would
get pretty lively clip down the hill
now m had no hankerin' for goin'
down the bank OWN to exceedin' the
speed limit on the grade.
$50 showed the throttle in to shut
of the steam. Imagine how I felt
when the 270 KEEP right on exhaustin'
just as If the speed was all to her
likin'.
"Somethin' had gone wrong in her
steampipe somewhere inside m the
valve didn't shut her of. So the go
had taken the bit in her teeth n was
goin' to see how liked ridin' fast.
"Her9 was a pretty predicament.
My engine goin' down Pine Hill under
full head OF steam with a heavy
freight train behind her. It wouldn't
have been so bad If had not known
that Ras Cole was only about FIVE
minutes ahead of me with train of
coal jimmies.,
II attempted to put the reverse
lever in the back motion. but the
steam was on such a full head that
couldn't bulge the thing. Then ! gave
the high sign on my whistle several
times to let Ras Cole know I was
comm down the hill out of control m
it would be wise for hir> to shake a
leg or he'd get spifiicated.
"In an almost incredible time we
swung around by the Gate station m
what / saw ahead made me wilt like
a fat mans collar on a hot day. Not
more than quarter of a mile ahead
Of us was Ras Coles train. Maybe
that little caboose of his didn't look
as big as a summer boardin' house.
."Ras had heard my warnin' whistle
a. was dom. his best. He was gain
In Roadway, but he wasn't in our
class. could figure out that we would
just about meet up with his caboose
around the ten degree curve below the
Gate.
"Ras' train was now goin' at ter
rife speed, too, m it was a question
whether either train would keep the
rails goin' 'roun' the sharp curve.
could almost reach the tail lights on
that caboose ahead. In a second
thought we would be into them n
would be rollin' down the embank-
ment amidst the wreckage of twisted
iron, coal m miscellaneous freight.
"Then came an awful crash m
thought could feel my engine goin
down the bank. But my engine KEEP
goin' n I could tell by the lurchin
that she was takin' the curve all right
n true.
81 opened my eyes, The red lights
of the caboose had disappeared. In
the ravine below me I could hear Q
crashin', rollin' sound m see dari
shapes tumblin' down.
st realized what had happened. The
excessive speed at which the trair
| ahead had taken the curve caused tht
last Is or 20 coal jimmies to jumI
| the track clean, takin' the caboost
with them, just like a string of boy
| playin' snap and whip. Thus when W,
Strengthened out ON the curve Ras
train, by losin' those 10 cars, had lef
| that much space between me m death
"The train ahead was movin' a
equal speed with me now n woul'
probably keep the Is cars distance be
tween us. Under her full head o
steam my engine was leapin' n
boundin' over the rails. n when sh
settled back from an extra severe jol
! she stopped exhaustin'.
"The terrific jar had shaken tn
valve back on its seat again n shu
| off the flow of steam. My heart re
sumed its normal beatin', as we wer
most down the hill now, m soon ha
her under control.
"They pulled 270 in the shops afte