Hi Everybody-- The following story comes from an old SP Switchman working in the Los Angeles area on or near Alameda Street. This story is true-- it REALLY took place !! Hope you enjoy it!
I call it: "The Cadillac vs. The Fusee' " ......
Author: Starship_Conductor
I was working the afternoon "J" yard job that switched the 50th street team, the 55th street mill and a few other industry's around Firestone park on the San Pedro Branch in 1990. One day, while preparing to switch the 55th street mill, I noticed that the auto traffic was a little heavier than normal. Our first switch that afternoon was the 55th street mill with about 8 spot cars.
The switch for the Mill Lead was just south of 55th street by about 100 feet or so and the lead cut across at an angle through the intersection of Alameda and 55th street. The Mill was on the west side of Alameda and just north of 55th street. So to get from the San Pedro Branch outbound main to the Mill the engine had to shove the cars across Alameda street, first cutting across at a Northwest angle through the Northbound lanes of Alameda Street, then through the Intersection of 55th street, then cutting across the Southbound Lanes of Alameda Street and finally arriving at the mill spotting track which ran North/South along the west sidewalk of Alameda Street. Whew!
After I made the cut on our train just north of 55th street, we pulled down with our 8 spot cars over the Mill Lead Switch. I then lined the switch for movement across Alameda and into the Mill. Since auto traffic was heavy and the only protection for this industry lead was a cross-buck, I knew a whole box of Fusee's was in order. So one at a time I lit the fusee's throwing them out into the Street with the expertise of a pitcher on the mound. One by one those fusee's were lighting up the crossing and giving the protection needed to shove across the street.
When I got to the last fusee I was going to light, I was having a problem with the striker. I was looking down striking the heck out of this fusee right next to the Northbound Lane on the curb. When I finally got that sucker lit, I let it go with a twist and a whirl, RIGHT INTO THE BACK SEAT OF A SPEEDING CADILLAC!!!! Holy Moley, I couldn't believe it. The Cadillac kept going North on Alameda Street with a massive amount of white fusee smoke trailing out the back windows.
At that point I new we were in a little trouble. The Cadillac went about 2 blocks before stopping. I figured then the driver was getting ready to make the U-Turn back to us. We could see the fusee thrown from the car, but to our amazement, the Cadillac continued North and was never seen again.
My Engineer, Mike Jarel, and I laughed for hours. With no less than 25 fusee's burning up the street, you'd think that Cadillac would have stopped before proceeding. To see that cloud of smoke pouring out the back window of that Cadillac rolling North on Alameda Street was priceless!!! Oh the memories of working on Alameda Street!
(finis)
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Cheers.
KRK
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