Here's another story from the Ol' Hoghead. In the 40+ years of running from one end of the district to the other, a lot of things come to mind. One that I recall vividly happened several years ago at the summit of Cajon Pass. The Santa Fe had been doing a lot of track work on the hill, lowering the summit by 100 feet or so. Curves were straightened out some and cuts and fills were made. Drains were put in the fills to let rain water run out. Along came a very wet winter and water backed up behind a fill at Summit. Apparently the drain got stopped up and the fill was washed out. A Santa Fe hot shot, eastbound from San Berdoo, tackled the hill. Two brakemen, deadheading to Barstow, rode in the rear unit. When they hit the skeleton track, at the washout, the two head units cleared the washout, then the track gave way. The train came to a screeching halt, the two rear units dropped into the hole and caught fire. The headend of the train consisted of several auto racks, containing brand new autos, which were scattered over the area. The two deadheading brakemen were killed. Trains were delayed for several days as repairs were made.
Thanks for the story. I enjoy stories more than anything else since they tell about life on the rails and what the people did.
