Here on the High Plains Division, Number 90 is on the Daily Report for the third time in a week.
The 90L-90A-90B were on the West Texas Express when the 90L developed a high voltage ground at Lampasas. They limped into Brownwood. Fortunately, the roundhouse had the 3463 ready to deadhead to Clovis, but it was more train than she could handle. A pair of FT freight diesels had just arrived on a train of stock cars from Menard, and the roundhouse sent the hostlers over to get the diesel right over to the depot. The 3460 coupled on, and, as soon as the Express stopped, they swapped engines. The Express left town with the 3460 double heading the 175L-175A.
The 90 split a switch going to the roundhouse. The Carmen got it rerailed and the roundhouse repaired the 90L. Brownwood put the 90 on the train today and they got as far as Caprock. After the station stop, the train was departing when the knuckle broke on the front end of the 90A, putting the train in Emergency and tearing out the steam pipe between the first and second units. They say bad luck comes in threes, and everybody hopes the 90's bad luck will now change. Hot Water, the Mechanical Department District Supervisor says he hopes that, ". . . the 90 makes it all the way to the Coast Lines and stays there." He doesn't want to see anything but steam or EMD diesel power on the West Texas Express from now on.
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