Side Tracked

Side Tracked

Chapter 1 - Where the hell are we?

John the Conductor

I wake up with a problem, the train is not moving. Now I know it has not reached Trinidad, but I think I felt it slow down for La Junta. We were not scheduled to stop there, but it still was a small town, so we slowed down from the high speed run of 55 miles per hour to 20, or so, for each of the 3 towns between Dodge City, Kansas and Trinidad, Colorado.

Climbing over Vic while not trying to wake her, I got out of the bunk bed.

"Is 2 times not enough for you, John?" I hear sleepily from the bed.

Leaning down, I kiss her and say, "Go back to sleep, I have to check on something. Maybe when I get back, we can try for number 3 then. I think I'm up for it, and I know you have never turned down a good customer. "

"Oh, John, get on with you. You have never been able to get it up 3 times in a single day, in all the years I've known you."

Leaning in for another kiss, I say, "There's always a first time, my love." and reach for my clothes. Out of the vest pocket, I pull out the Railroad supplied watch and check the time. 3 a.m., we should be crossing the Purgatory River and reaching Trinidad by 3:30 a.m. for a water stop, in preparation for Raton Pass.

Pulling on my uniform, I put the watch back into the pocket designed specifically for it and step out onto the back deck. The night is dark, with no lights visible in any direction. The stars shine down, like diamonds in the sky, with the train an island of light. The main headlight aimed southwest, off in the front of the train, and the red lantern on the back of the caboose aimed north east. Making sure that there is enough kerosene in the red lantern, I turn and jump down onto the gravel and walk next to the tracks, forward toward the locomotive.

I pass three boxcars, the crew car, and climb into the cold kitchen. The chef opens his door. "Is there a problem, John?"

"I'm checking now. Maybe you should start the stove and make some coffee. If we are stuck here long, we will need both to keep warm."

"Sure thing, I think I kicked the dishwasher and porter awake, also. They can serve."

As I hear that, I turn and enter the dining car, which also includes the bar. I find a group of 3 men playing cards with one of Vic's girls hanging around the big winner, at least by the chips in front of him.

"I know, we have stopped, I'm on my way to find out why." I say to hold off the enviable questions.

"Think you could get someone to make some coffee. It'll warm me up if we stay parked here long." One of the gamblers says.

"Already taken care, the Chef is getting some started."

I then head out the other end door and enter the first Pullman rail car. Going through the door, I check the coal stove to make sure it is still warming, as this is the 3rd class section. The passengers are spread out on the seats, asleep. A few are snuggled together for warmth, while others are under large wool blankets or buffalo robes. The overhead whale oil lamps are turned down dim, as the passengers try to sleep.

One of Vic's working girls opens her eyes and asks, "Are we there?"

"No, just stopped for a bit, go back to sleep, my dear." I answer and then head on down to the door to the next car. It is the 2nd class car, with bunk beds set up on eitherup either side to sleep in. As I walk down the aisle, between them, a head or two pops out. I tell them, "we've stopped, I don't know why yet, I'll let you know when I do. I suggest you go back to sleep."

One of the male heads pulls back, and I think I hear a giggle in the single width bunk bed. Ignoring the sounds, probably another one of Vic's girls, getting a little on the side, I head toward the 1st class cabins.

Another door, another platform, and another door, I'm in the car with a hallway down one side and doors on the other side for the individual cabins. As I walk down the aisle, a head pops out and says, "Hay, you. Why are we stopped, I have to get to Santa Fe this morning, "

I answer, "I don't know right now, I'm going to find out. When I know, I'll let you and the rest of the passengers know." And quickly head out the other end.

I'm now at the coal car, I have a choice. Climb up and over the coal, or back off the train and walk up to the engine. Not wanting to get dirty, I drop off the train into the mud alongside. Well, you can't win them all, I think to myself.

At the engine, I find it way too quiet, as these new 2x4x2's, out of the Lincoln motive works, are never quiet.

Climbing into the cab, I say to the engineer, "Hi Sam, why?"

He looks back at me and says, "Hi John, water."

Both he and I know these things run on coal for heat and water for steam. Without both of these, the "Great Iron Beast" as the local Arapaho Indians call these things will not move.

"How?" I ask.

"Well, the best I can guess is, when we went through La Junta, one of the local Cowboys was drunk and took a few shots at us as we went through. By sheershear luck, he hit the feeder line from the water tank and the boiler. I didn't know we were hit, so I didn't plug it, and this is how far we made it before running out of water. The problem now is that even if we fix the hole in the feeder line, we still could not move without filling the water tank."

"Ok, I give. How are we going to do that?" I ask, knowing I won't like the answer.

"We were lucky that we were able to stop at this sugar beet siding. So we are not on the mainline, and if any train comes down this way, they will not hit us. I am going to suggest that someone goes ahead to Trinidad and bring the add-on engine for Raton Pass and pull us into their wheelhouse there and get ourselves repaired. Or we can sit here, on this siding, and wait for the next train to come by and have it give us a ride into Trinidad."

"When is the next train?"

"Well, that is also a problem. It is starting to snow, and they will stop the next train at Dodge if the weather goes bad. Raton pass will close, and Trinidad Station will close with it, so the next train will not arrive for who knows how long. The repair shop and the spare engine will still be available, so I think that we need to make that run to Trinidad by one of us."

"That all sounds reasonable, so who goes?"

"First of all, I suggest two people. They walk to the handcart at mile 120 and use it to get to Trinidad, but we are currently at mile 97. So to start with, there is a 23-mile hike before having to pump the handcart the rest of the way. I am not in shape for that, and I know you are not. So we need a pair of kids, who are under our control, to do our dirty work."

"I have an intern if I can break him away from one of Vic's girls."

"My Fireman is the strong and silent type, so I think we have our men."

"That's going to take at least 3 days to get there and back. That's your problem with the passengers, cooks and servants."

"I know, but I have an advantage, I have Madame Victoria and her traveling Whore House to help keep the men calm. I'll have her set up shop, you do remember that we have one free use of her girls, per trip."

"Oh, yes and as an added incentive, I'll have the two going to TrinidadTrinadad, stop in for a quick one, before departing."

"Good idea, I'll give a free fuck when they get back, also."

"Let's be about this, and get everything going. We have 3 days or more to survive in the middle of nowhere."

------------------