| Busted & Broken hangs out at Money, MS While not the most glamorous image it’s a reminder of what railroaders worst nightmares are made of. While a railfan can sit around wanting if not demanding trains, worrying over what’s leading and how many shots they can get, those who make a living where railfans invite themselves upon have far deeper responsibilities and concerns. Few in the railfan community appreciate or un.derstand what these men and women are up against. It may be being called for a run that gets put into a siding because it’s a lowly local resulting in them dying out on hours of service without turning a wheel in a seemingly losing battle to get over the road and accomplish something never mind them baking in a unit with no a/c, hows their train going to handle in a sharp curve as the terrain ascends and descends, distant and disinterested management, worn out power, a failing PTC system that mocks all reason, a crossing well known for chance taking motorist, trespassing fisherman on a trestle that they bare down on in a curve with little notice to get stopped in time, struggling to see a signal in heavy rain or fog, a walking inspection of an 11,000’ freight designated as a Key Train from head to tail then back up to head in hot humid conditions on ballast dealing with mosquitoes and snakes, what short sighted moron they get paired up with for a run or hanging on the side of a RBOX boxcar at 3:36am in a freezing rain. Then there’s this. Everyone wants to be a part of the action or is an expert until this happens. |