By B. Smith
Another day moving fluorspar from La Linda to Marathon. Here the daily La Linda Canyon Northern train is arriving in La Linda, Texas with three empties for fluorspar loading and their old wooden caboose bought back in the 1950’s from the MKT.
The train proceeds down to the stock pens. The entire train backs down the spur to pull an empty box car. The LCN gets a little traffic other than fluorspar. Someone off line had ordered a boxcar full of lumber.
Everything backs down to the loaded fluorspar cars. After coupling up, Frank, the conductor, checks the car number against his switch list and Manny releases the hand brake.
The loads, empty box, and caboose are shoved over to the main.
And the empties spotted.
The engine then drags the outbound train down the main so it can run around it.
Tex, the engineer, runs #30 light to the water plug and also takes on oil for the return trip to Marathon. Jesse, the fireman, checks the level on the oil tank. He knows it will need to be resupplied soon. The LCN is a major customer of the local fuel dealer and keeps that business going.
After turning on the turn table, the engine backs down to its train. The train is all set for departure, but Maria still hasn’t finished their lunch. Manny decides to walk up the hill to retrieve their lunch. Manny had told his cousin that the crew wanted lunch to go knowing they had a pretty short day in La Linda. Aunt Maria lives a few hundred feet from the track in one of these white houses.
After an air test and with Tex and Jesse in old #30 and Frank and Manny in place in venerable caboose, the crew is ready to head north to Marathon.
Just another day on the LCN.
Rails West 