I was reading a Milwaukee Road-specific website some time ago, and theway they referred to the contents of trains intrigued me. On the MILW, lumber loads were 'Logs', and everything else was 'Commercials' on this particular line out of Tacoma Tideflats yard. As there are a few former Grande employees here, what are some of the printable (this is a family forum) terms you have used commonly, and their meaning? Any info gathered here will be used to help spice-up operations on my upcoming layout, BTW.
What did Grande crews call the Rocky Local? What about any nicknames for the tunnels? Any interesting ones you can remember?
Those Milw terms seem odd. As they hauled logs. So how they could call lumber "logs?" mg: I do recall some loads as being "rollers." Referencing roller lumber. Anyhow, I read recently, (was it here? Thread?), the explanation of how their term "Mudhen" came about. Anyone have that info handy again? Boxcab E50
Maybe I didn't type that in right.. I should have typed in log spine cars... Maybe they referred to forest products the same as well on that line.
Rocky Local= west local Washington Park job=short belt Stock yards/Conoco job= long belt South local worked Littleton Burnham worked Burnham area down to Denver lumber near Gates Rubber. Above the east portal of tunnel 6 if you use your imagination you can make out Mickey Mouse. West end of tunnel 30 is Shinx/indian head. The long straight strech from East Tolland east to the canyon was called the "shotgun". The 20 mph curve at the west end of Byers Canyon is "Coopers Corner". Named for the engineer that found out the curve is not good for 62 mph!! Reason why we get an audible radio warning near Parshall and the Grande started installing alerters. All that I can remember for now.
The Mudhens were so named because the boilers were mounted decidedly closer to the running gear than the other 2-8-2's. Closer to the ground meant "in the mud". Of course it was that positioning which resulted in the boiler damage to the 463 that took her out of service and mandated the patching in the process of the rebuild for service on the C&TS.
Great info!! Pretty easy to understand.. The 'Shotgun' was a new one for me. I knew about Tunnel 30's 'Sphinx head', but never put 2 and 2 together at Tunnel 6, with 'Mickey Mouse Wall' as local rockclimbers know it... Were any of the many coal trains on the Grande known as anything different?
