The Birch and Declaration Branch

[Gary_Evans]

The sun is rising over the city of Declaration as the Industry switch pulls back a string of boxes. This will be the last run for the SP to UP SW1500 because the Birch and Declaration Branch has been acquired by the Blue Water Line.

Morning shift at the B&D diesel house. The chatter is about the recent acquisition of the Birch and Declaration by the Blue Water Line.
The B&D Branch runs between the cities of Declaration and Birch through the towns of Deane, Allison and Bugner.

The UP delivers cars from the west.

The BNSF from the east.

 

[Gary_Evans]

The BWL sends a daily through freight from Declaration to Birch carrying hoppers loaded with grain products and empty tank cars. The freight returns the same day pulling empty hoppers and loaded ethanol tanks.

A local works from Declaration to Birch on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from Birch to Declaration on Tuesday,
Thursday and Saturday.

A couple of unions have been squabbling with the BWL and rumors that there may be some kind of sabotage abound around the yard.

At 6:45 AM rumor becomes fact when a tower employee sees the engines from the ethanol train heading out of the north yard with no one at the throttle.

Throttle locked into position the EMD's roll past the refinery and trailer site. The B&D is operated by Track Warrant Control so there are no automated switches or signals. Disaster will have to be prevented manually with
radio and phone calls.

 

[Gary_Evans]

The nuke plant near the town of Deane would have been a catastrophe.

The switches were lined to prevent the calamity.

The folks in the town of Deane are not yet aware of the potential hazard of the speeding driverless diesels but they soon will be as will everybody from Declaration to Birch.

 

[Gary_Evans]

Every town has their idiot.

The engines roar into Allison without any devastation.

Life in Allison appears to be normal so far.

The crew usually stops here to grab a donut and coffee. Not today.

Some towns have two idiots.

 

[Gary_Evans]

These guys will get some good shots if the SD60's don't jump the curve and kill them.

The natural gas loading site across from the coal power plant would have made a fiery conflagration.

The diesels speed past the bentonite plant at Bunger.

The folks in Bunger have heard about the runaways and are lined up to watch the spectacle.

 

[Gary_Evans]

The curve beside the ethanol plant in Birch has officials concerned.

Past the curve and into Birch Yard the speeding locos roll.

Birchites have gathered in awe to watch.

Rail bosses are relieved as the unmanned locomotives reach the central part of Birch yard on the way to what is hoped will be the end of the ordeal.

The plan is to divert the engines onto an abandoned siding used to store obsolete freight cars on their way to the grave. At the end of the siding earth-moving equipment has dug up the soil to create an earthen bumper.

 

[Gary_Evans]

The plan worked. The EMD's hurled off the end of the track into the softened soil where they were stopped without causing any casualties.

Mean while back at Declaration Yard, the hooligans who started the locomotives on their runaway journey have been
apprehended. Word has it that one of the miscreants is a friend of Deane Tunaley (Dinorius Redundicus). He is the one on the phone no doubt calling his lawyer or maybe Deane.

 

[Euphod]

Nice local history there...

 

[Gary_Evans]

Thanks Ed. The Wisconsin guy has been bragging about his story telling abilities so as an author I thought I would tell a story.
G

 

[DonZer63]

Moin,

I have tried to start to drive Allison Switch in TS 2010 but unfortunately i only come to this screen:

Then nothing seems to happen, still waiting just about 45 minutes.
After hit the <Esc> key i come into the drver mode but no Driver there, Any tip what may be wrong?
In surveyor all looks ok.
Thanks for your reply in advance.