The local from Marathon arrives in La Linda. The consist is a no surprise mix, but today, a surprise is an early spring storm that is building. The crew saw a lot of lightning down in Mexico as they neared La Linda and they are a bit anxious, hoping they can get their switching chores done before the bottom falls out. It’s a little early for a spring storm around here. What little rains falls around here usually comes over the summer months.
An old outside braced box car for perlite loading and five empty covered hoppers for fluorspar loading make up the train.
Just as they hear a thunder clap well to the south, Jack dismounts to throw the switch. Jack is normally on the northern crew, but he’s filling in this week.
The entire in-bound train backs into the three loads of fluorspar that are ready to go north to Marathon. Diego is on the ground to signal to Pablo, the engineer, up in the cab. It is hard seeing through the bins and building.
The loads are shoved out onto the main.
The empties are cut from the caboose. Lenny, the conductor, has hopped off the caboose to signal he’s pulled the pin.
Pablo pushes the fluorspar empties up the loading track.
The first empty is spotted under the loading spout. The crew is starting to feel a light sprinkle. The desert starts to immediately smell so good.
The three loads are then dragged down to the cattle pens and cut off so the box and caboose can pull an empty feed covered hopper.
With the empty covered hopper out of the way, the box car for perlite loading can be spotted at the loading ramp.
The rain is really starting to pick up. The thunder remains in the distance.
All that remains to do is pull an empty from Mendoza’s and a load of wool from the wool house. The crew is kind of grateful for the rain. They know Tiny at the wool house won’t barrel out to talk football with them and slow them down. He always has local high school and Dallas Cowboys gossip to share.
When these two cars get placed on the head end the train will be made up and ready to head back to Marathon in the morning. The sky has darkened and now has that weird greenish glow, but thankfully, the worst of the storm seems to be staying in Mexico.
The crew can head for their homes in La Linda and dry off and enjoy an evening with family. The pay might not be as good as from the big railroads, but they get to spend every night at home.
Rails West 