Part 6: The Chippewa Creek's Cross Country Adventure - Home Again in PRR Territory After 25 Years

by Bob Andrews & George Payne

Photo 13:

Cumberland, Maryland
Amtrak Station
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Photo by Bob Andrews

In the photo, Amtrak’s conductor and road superintendent coordinate after cutting the Chippewa Creek off of the Capitol Limited. An operation that the conductor achieved in less than seven minutes! The CSX switch crew, along with Assistant Terminal Manager Keith Stafford, are standing-by on the platform. Next to the Superliner, on the adjacent track and out of view, is CSX locomotive No. 2432, waiting to take us off of the CSX main, into the Cumberland Yard, and then onto the WMSR interchange track.

Photo 14:

Cumberland, Maryland
CSX – WMSR Interchange Track
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Photo by Bob Andrews

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!! Our CSX switch crew, with the assistance of CSX No. 2432, position the Chippewa Creek on the interchange track with the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad (WMSR). Dan Pluta, and the fine shop crew of the WMSR, will pick up the Chippewa Creek with their engine tomorrow. Once in the WMSR shop, the Chippewa Creek will be renovated to Amtrak standards, and will return in the splendor she had when she once ran on the Broadway Limited.

Oh, and one more thing, George finally relaxed......

Part 5: The Chippewa Creek's Cross Country Adventure - Home Again in PRR Territory After 25 Years

by Bob Andrews & George Payne

Photo 11:
Chicago, Illinois
Departing Union Station
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Photo by Bob Andrews

Bob began his pursuit of the Chippewa Creek when he flew to Los Angeles to meet with members of the Pacific Railroad Society on November 8, 2003. Since that time we both have had the usual challenges and victories that are associated with vintage passenger car restoration and operation. Anyone who is associated with private passenger cars has said to him or herself on more than one occasion, “I can’t believe I got myself into this”. It has taken us literally 4 years to get to this point. During the trip, we discussed how far we had come – from the purchase of the car, to its COT&S and freight move to the Amtrak shops in LA, to having to replace brand-new rim-stamped wheels with hub-stamped wheels, to painting over the “urban art” that was applied to our car during the freight move – all necessary in order for us to be approved for movement on Amtrak. As we left Chicago we were reminded of the credit card commercial currently running on TV:

Air brake work for the COT&S -- $ 1,855.55
4 new hub-stamped wheelsets -- $ 17,447.64
Labor charge to replace wheelsets -- $ 1,753.64
Amtrak movement charge -- $ 6,408.50

Looking out the end door of the Chippewa Creek leaving Chicago -- PRICELESS

Photo 12:

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Penn Station
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Photo by Bob Andrews

It’s very early Wednesday morning and we’re in Penn Station, Pittsburgh. We’ve covered 471 miles and traveled 9 hours since we left Chicago last night. We both wax nostalgic, as we opine that perhaps the last time the Chippewa Creek was in Pittsburgh, she might have been eastbound on the Pennsylvania’s crack train No. 28, the Broadway Limited. Bob checks the running gear and except for a brakeshoe key that needs to be knocked down a couple of inches, everything looks fine. Bob finds the Amtrak carman who is inspecting the train and asks him to knock the key down into place. The carman cheerfully agrees. Both George and Bob agree that Mr. Lewis and his Chicago shop crew did a fine job – everything is running well. We’ll get breakfast in the Superliner diner, pack our bags, and transfer to the Chippewa Creek in Connellsville, Pennsylvania – about 2 hours from now. After breakfast, we’ll meet with the Capitol Limited’s conductor in order to coordinate what he will need from us as he cuts the Chippewa Creek from the train.

We boarded the Chippewa Creek in Connellsville. The fall foliage was just beginning to turn as we headed through the mountains on our last leg to Cumberland. The view out of the end door was, at times, breathtaking. We had “unofficially” declared bedrooms “O” and “P” as the “owners suite” early in the trip, and this is where we would ride the next 88 miles. George coordinated via cell phone with his wife, Marcia, who has arranged for a welcoming party in Cumberland, as well as transportation for our drive to Baltimore.

Part 4: The Chippewa Creek's Cross Country Adventure - Home Again in PRR Territory After 25 Years

by Bob Andrews & George Payne

Photo 7:

Chicago, Illinois
14th Street Yard
Monday, October 1, 2007
Photo by Bob Andrews

After traveling 2256 miles, and after 35 years, PRR-8369 the Chippewa Creek is back in PRR home territory in Chicago! The Creek has just come off the rear of the Southwest Chief in the 14th Street Yard. Amtrak P-32-8, No. 518, is shown here switching the Creek into the shop for her brake work.

Photo 8:

Chicago, Illinois
14th Street Shop
Monday, October 1, 2007
Photo by Bob Andrews

It’s about 6:00 p.m. Monday evening. We meet up with General Foreman Jim Lewis and his top-notch crew. Jim’s folks immediately swarm all over (actually, under) the car. To a person, they are efficient and competent, and understand that our goal is to be on the end of the Capitol Limited tomorrow evening at 7:05 p.m. One of the carmen commented that the car was built a dozen years before he was born. We learn that the consist is usually backed into Union Station at about 5:00 p.m., so we have less than 24 hours to get our parts to Jim’s team, and for them to make the repairs. Mr. Lewis is more than impressed that we were able to locate cast iron shoes as quickly as we did, and also impressed that we had a breakhead on the way via overnight delivery. One breakshoe did actually split (we assume very close to Chicago) and there was very minor damage to one breakhead, but Mr. Lewis’ very competent mechanic said he could build-up the head by hand using weld material. Wow, are we impressed! We then reviewed together that the breakshoes on the Creek needed to be of sufficient thickness to make tomorrow’s 629-mile trip to Cumberland, Maryland. We quickly got a report from Mr. Lewis’ team regarding which brakeshoes were thick enough to make the trip, and which, due to un-even wear, ought to be replaced with new shoes. We agreed that eight new shoes would do the trick. Again, as with Conductor Marti Ann Draper, Jim Lewis takes his responsibilities for the safe operation of the equipment he repairs, extremely seriously. There was no doubt in our minds, that Mr. Lewis would not allow the Chippewa Creek to leave his shop, and be added to the Capitol Limited, unless he was certain the car would make the trip safely. Mr. Lewis then kicked us out of the shop, saying , “we’ve got this, go get your brakeshoes”.

So, as Bob drives and George navigates, we head west about an hour and a half to meet up with the good Mr. Kallas. And guess what? Nick had “magically” found eight brand-new cast iron brakeshoes, which we promise to replace as soon as be get to Cumberland. We visited a little bit, thanked Nick profusely, invited him to join us for lunch tomorrow, and headed back to Chicago. We met up with Mr. Lewis right before the swing shift was about to go off-duty at 11 p.m. Jim advised us that his welder did indeed build up the breakhead, and all of the brake rigging had been shimmed and realigned. It turns out that Jim would be also working tomorrow’s day shift, and he advised that he would personally make sure the day crew installed the new breakshoes, did a final alignment, and tested the car. We went to the hotel tired, but very happy, grateful for Nick Kallas, and extremely impressed with Amtrak’s Mr. Lewis and his maintenance team.

Photo 10:
Chicago, Illinois
14th Street Yard
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Photo by Bob Andrews

It’s now Tuesday morning. We slept in a little bit, had breakfast, and waited for Dan Pluta’s FedEx package to arrive. We made plans to have Nick Kallas meet us at the 14th Street yard (where we would show Nick the Creek and then go to lunch together). We then checked out of the hotel and headed for the yard.

Upon arrival at the Shops, we were surprised, and very pleased, to find that the Chippewa Creek had been moved outside. We caught up with Mr. Lewis who informed us that they had completed their work by 10 a.m. and the car was ready to be switched out of the shop and onto the rear of the Capitol Limited’s consist. Bob went to the office where he signed the appropriate Amtrak paperwork while George thanked Mr. Lewis’ day crew. Mr. Lewis told us where we would find the Creek and the Capitol Limited when we got back from lunch. We promised Jim we would bring the Creek by his shop once it was renovated so he and his folks could see it. We then went to lunch at a fabulous Greek restaurant of Nick’s recommendation. After lunch we returned the rental car, as we both wanted to ride the Creek while it was backed into Union Station.

In this photo, George Payne and Nick Kallas visit next to the Chippewa Creek in the 14th Street yard. The Creek has been attached to the consist, and will be bringing up the markers on Amtrak’s Train No. 30, the Capitol Limited. We’re about an hour from being moved into Union Station. While waiting, we were pleased to give tours of the Chippewa Creek to Amtrak’s Chicago Terminal Trainmaster Don Crimin, as well as RPCA Information Exchange editor Stan Brandt and his wife Claudia.

Part 3: The Chippewa Creek's Cross Country Adventure - Home Again in PRR Territory After 25 Years

by Bob Andrews & George Payne

Photo 6:

Kansas City, Missouri
Union Station
Monday, October 1, 2007
Photo by Bob Andrews

Our last physical inspection of the car was last night in La Junta, Colorado, having traveled some 347 miles and 8 hours east from Albuquerque. During our inspection we noticed that some of the car’s brakeshoes were beginning to override. We noted the condition and discussed the uneven and/or accelerated brakeshoe wear that could result. We agreed to check the car again at our next timed stop in Kansas City. Again, we listened to the railroad radio throughout the night. Good news, “NO DEFECTS”.

It’s early Monday morning, and we’ve covered an additional 548 miles and 11 hours since La Junta. The news wasn’t good, we were seeing accelerated brakeshoe wear. While the condition was not unsafe, we knew we would have to change brakeshoes and adjust the brake rigging before we could leave on the Capitol Limited on Tuesday afternoon. And as George is fond of saying, “there’s no place better to work on a passenger car than a car shop. Lucky for us there was just such a shop at Amtrak 14th Street, Chicago. The problem was going to be finding cast iron brakeshoes of the right size in Chicago, knowing that Amtrak would not have them in stock. So, with 437 miles and 8 hours between the Chippewa Creek and Chicago, we began to work our cell phones, and Bob’s laptop computer with the handy Sprint wireless connection, to find the quantity of brakeshoes we would need and make arrangements for the Chippewa Creek to make a cameo appearance at Amtrak’s 14th street shop, the same place the PRS found and purchased her, some 35 years ago. For those of you wondering why we didn’t stock extra brakeshoes – we left Los Angeles with new brakeshoes all the way around, and we hadn’t anticipated overriding brakeshoes……. Additionally, we intended to replace the vintage cast iron shoes with composition shoes as part of the renovation and 40-year truck rebuild. However, regardless of our good intentions, we now had a challenge before us.

Bob has a Fire Chief colleague who is fond of saying, “make your friends before you need them”. That saying was no more appropriate than now. Our first call was to Becky Johnson with Amtrak Maintenance in Chicago to let her know we needed to get into the shop once we arrived in Chicago at about 3:20 p.m. We exchanged information and she provided us with the names and numbers of the appropriate managers at the shop. We found the General Superintendant to be extremely cooperative and understanding who told us that General Foreman Jim Lewis would be expecting us. Becky advised that the shop could charge expenses to our existing account (very important to have). For those of you that know Becky, she is wonderful to work with. Fortunately for her (unfortunately for us) Becky is due to retire at the end of 2007. We can only hope that her replacement will be as cooperative and competent as she was.

Meanwhile, George was working the “alliance” to find cast iron brake shoes. His first call was to our partner Brad Black, who suggested we reach out to RPCA member Nick Kallas. George spoke to Nick and explained our predicament. For those of you that know Nick, you know he is simply a class act. Nick embodies the RPCA spirit of “helping one another”. At the next station stop, we measure the breakshoes to make sure the replacement brakeshoes will match the Creek’s 36-inch wheel diameter, and that they are the correct length. We phone this latest information to Nick. After a couple of hours, Nick called back and said, “I have what you need”. Bob commented, “Since I joined the RPCA six years ago, I never cease to be amazed at how impressive and helpful RPCA members are. The value you get from your membership dues is just incredible”.

George, always cautious, suggested that we also obtain a spare brakehead, in the event a brakeshoe split and a breakhead wound up in contact with a wheel. Bob called Dan Pluta at the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad and asked him if he had an extra breakhead. Dan replied that he was looking at a pallet of suitable breakheads. What luck, we thought! Then Dan reminded us that they were ours. Dan is currently performing a PC-2 rebuild on the trucks from our other PRR car, the Catalpa Falls, and the pallet of breakheads were from the Falls, and on the pallet awaiting the reassembly of the trucks. We agreed that Dan needed to FedEx a breakhead to our hotel in Chicago for early morning delivery, just in case we needed one. If at all possible, we were going to leave tomorrow on the Capitol Limited – as originally scheduled.

One final phone call with Nick Kallas where it is agreed that we will rent a car at Union Station and drive to Nick’s place on the Wisconsin border to fetch the brakeshoes.

So, with our repair and parts arranged, we rode the rest of the way to Chicago and listened to the railroad radio – “NO DEFECTS”. Most excellent.

We arrived Chicago Union Station at 3:15 p.m. – 5 minutes early. Good job, Amtrak.

Once in Union Station, Bob makes sure that all of our stuff is out of the Amtrak Family Bedroom and onto the Chippewa Creek. George visits with the Amtrak brakeman to see if he knows of our need to go to the shop. He advises that he has already been briefed. We come up with a quick plan. George will ride the Creek into the yard as Bob hotfoots it into the station to pick up the rental car. George then gives Bob very detailed directions, “You get to the yard from Roosevelt Road…..”.

Bob, as a volunteer cop, used his well-honed investigative skills to locate the consist – while still underway, and actually beat George into the yard and just in time to see the Chippewa Creek go through the car washer. Her Rustoluem Red Primer (Fuehring Red) never looked better! Dismounting the now “squeaky-clean” Creek, George was off to meet with the Amtrak shop folks.

Part 2: The Chippewa Creek's Cross Country Adventure - Home Again in PRR Territory After 25 Years

By Bob Andrews & George Payne

Photo 3:

Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (LAUPT)
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Photo by George Payne

Bob Andrews and Amtrak Conductor (and RPCA member) Marti Ann Draper. It was a delight to learn that Marti Ann would be the conductor for the first segment of our trip. Marti Ann is also a member of the Pacific Railroad Society and was instrumental in our efforts to purchase the Chippewa Creek from the PRS. In a wonderful twist of fate, Marti Ann’s father rode the Creek on its journey west to Los Angeles in the spring of 1972, and she would now have the opportunity to ride the Creek on its way back east some 35 years later! Amtrak conductor Draper then toured the car, radioed the engineer for a brake test, and collected our Passenger Manifest for her paperwork. We next coordinated AAR radio channels and she was then off to make sure her train was ready to leave on time. Marti Ann would ride with us for the next 325 miles to Needles, California where there would be an Amtrak crew change. To say that Marti Ann takes her responsibility as an Amtrak conductor seriously, would be an understatement. But it was also very comforting to know that Marti Ann, with her exceptional knowledge of private cars, would be able to properly assess any condition or concern that might arise on this most critical first segment.

Photo 4:
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (LAUPT)
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Photo by Bob Andrews

George Payne, Marti Ann, PRS President Will Walters, and other members of the Pacific Railroad Society who came down to LAUPT to tour the car and wish us well. The folks at the PRS were wonderful to work with and we were humbled by their words of encouragement, as well as their expectations that we continue their good work. The efforts made to get the Creek ready for this trip will be covered in another article which will be posted on this blogspot, as well as published in a future edition of the RPCA Information Exchange.

Photo 5:

Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque Train Station
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Photo by Bob Andrews

Throughout the evening, night, and next morning, we listened to our railroad radio, and felt a little bit better every time we heard the mechanical voice of an equipment detector announcing “NO DEFECTS”. We both understood that nothing would get us set off the train faster that a hot wheel / box detector indicating that our car had a problem – and justifiably so. However, the consequences (logistical and cost) of having our car set out “at the next switch” in the middle of nowhere, was nothing either of us wanted to even contemplate. And adopting George’s maxim of “infant mortality” – “the further down the track we get, the less likely something is going to break” we were feeling better, but still not letting our guard down. When Bob asked George, as the car’s Chief Mechanical Officer, when he would finally relax, George wryly replied “when we get off at Cumberland”.

It’s now early afternoon on Sunday and so far, so good. We’re in Albuquerque at a timed stop for a crew change and train supply and servicing. Having just traveled 924 miles, it’s a good time to fully examine the Creek, especially the trucks, running gear, brakes, and look around and under the car for any loose or dragging equipment. Everything looks good to us. Under Amtrak and FRA rules, the Southwest Chief also needs to undergo both a 1000-mile and a Daily Inspection by a qualified maintenance person (QMP). That inspection performed, the Amtrak QMP agrees with our assessment that our car (and the train) is safe, and hands us a signed Daily Inspection Form which we will carry on the Creek until the next inspection.

Part 1: The Chippewa Creek's Cross Country Adventure - Home Again in PRR Territory After 25 Years!

by Bob Andrews & George Payne

Photo 1:

Los Angeles, California
Amtrak Maintenance Facility
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Photo by Bob Andrews

RPCX 8369 / Amtrak 800375 (nee-PRR 8369), the Chippewa Creek, on the end of Amtrak’s No. 4, The Southwest Chief, over the pit at Amtrak’s sprawling Los Angeles Maintenance Facility. Having arrived Friday evening, the first order of business on Saturday morning was to find the car! In the case of the Southwest Chief, the train consist is fully made-up and moved over the pit for maintenance and inspection. At this point the Chippewa Creek is being hooked onto the Chief, its airlines connected, and the entire train’s airbrake system is checked. As the Creek would be operated without head-end power, the battery operated rear marker light was also attached by the crew at the pit. Having introduced ourselves to the Amtrak general foreman and the maintenance crew, we opened the car for our inspection, and cheerfully gave tours to the Amtrak personnel, including Assistant Superintendent, Jack Wilson, and Trainmaster Bruce Selby. It was gratifying to learn that all of the Amtrak employees we met were enthusiastic about our plans to renovate the Creek, and looked forward to seeing it once it was fully restored. Having found the car, and presented ourselves, we were off to Home Depot for batteries, gloves, Ty-raps, duct tape and everything else George hoped he wouldn’t need to fix what he hoped wouldn’t break. Then on to a food store to stock the car for our four-day adventure. Logistically, we rapidly determined that it would be best to stock the car, and move our luggage onto the train at the pit, rather than try to move all that material through Los Angeles Union Station and then load off the platform. Once we returned to stock the car, we met our Sleeping Car attendant, who showed us our room on the adjacent Superliner sleeper, and allowed us to pre-load our luggage. When the Chief was backed into the station, our luggage would already be on board. We were told that the Chief should be backed into the station at about 4:30 p.m. in advance of our scheduled 6:45 p.m. departure.

Photo 2:

Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (LAUPT)
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Photo by Bob Andrews

What a beautiful sight! After months of work, planning, coordination, and paperwork, the Chippewa Creek is bringing up the marker (we only had one) on The Southwest Chief, about to begin her 3085 mile run to Cumberland, Maryland where she will be rebuilt to full Amtrak 110 mph standards. We have Amtrak PNR #04BD56 in hand stating, “THIS IS THE CONDUCTOR’S AUTHORIZATION TO MOVE PVT CAR 800375 CHIPPEWA CREEK ON THE SEGMENTS ABOVE. DETAILS ARE AS FOLLOWS……”, “FINAL DISPOSITION CSX AT CUM”, “TOTAL REVENUE: $6,408.50”.

While we were both very excited, we were also very anxious, as the Creek had not moved in high-speed passenger service in 30 years. Unfortunately, unlike your classic automobile, you can’t take your classic Pullman car for a “test drive”. We both (George as an Amtrak private car inspector, and Bob as a fire chief), fully understood our responsibility to have done as much as possible to make sure the Creek was ready for its trip. Early on, we adopted an attitude akin to launching the Space Shuttle – “we only have one shot at this, and we have to get it right the first time”. Failure, for safety reasons, as well as potential damage to our personal reputations, and that of our community, was just not acceptable.

Over the next four days, we would both ride the Creek and spend time in our Amtrak Family Bedroom. We would need to move between our car and the train at certain station stops, and always in coordination with the Amtrak conductor. Since the Chippewa Creek was moving before restoration and without electrical power or a functioning water raising system, we booked the bedroom on Amtrak primarily for sleeping, restrooms and showers, and hot food service. It also gave us a great opportunity to interface with the Amtrak crews on both the Chief and the Capitol Limited. On the Chief, as shown in the photo, our bedroom was in the Superliner immediately forward of the Creek, which would make for our easy transfer between the cars.