I got a call for the "D NEESBD." My engineer and I were to take 5 motors out of Roundhouse 2 and 1 and bring them to Barstow. From there they would go on to San Bernadino. There was another crew taking some engines out of the Roundhouse that were to go to Winslow. We would have to stay out of each otgher's way. Fortunately our move was rather simple. We would have to back 3 of the motors out of Roundhouse 2 and then couple them to the other two motors on Roundhouse 1. My engineer started to release the handbrakes on the frist 3 motors, which were coupled together. To my horror they started to roll! If they kept rolling they would sideswipe another engine. I yelled, "They're rolling, stop!" and he did. The independant brakes weren't set. He started them up and released the handbrake. I worked the switches and guided him to a hook Once we had the hoses laced, we did the "Locomotive Air Brake Test." Our consist was ready to go in 2 hours and 20 minutes. Not bad. The dispatcher let us out of the yard. I only had to thorw one switch behind us as we left. :"Light Power," as we call it can go passenger train speed. But we had a throttle restriction of 5. Nonetheless, we made it to Barstow in about 5 hours. They brought us into the Rio Seco track. Since we were power only we could not tie our consist down. We would have to wait to be relieved. (Engines can not be left unattended unless they are coupled to a car, or unless there is a derail). The router told us that our outbound would be on duty in an hour. WE WAITED 3 HOURS TO BE RELIEVED. We had been on duty for over 10 hours. We tied up, went to the hotel, and I had a good breakfast. I slept for about 4 hours, went to get something to eat, and went back to bed for another 4 hours. I got my call at 10:35 pm. I was called for the Q LACATG. On duty time was 5 minutes after midnight. We got on at the steps. Our train had 4 motors on the head end. The second one was isolated and we cut out the dynamic brakes. It was a routine trip- until we got to Needles. As we were pulling into the yard I saw what I thought were fireworks behind me. I turned around and through the back window I cold see sparks and flames coming out of the compartment behind me. I told my engineer. He decreased the dynamic brakes and the sparks decreased. He increased them and the sparks increased. (This compartment had something to do with the dynamic brakes). There was another train coming in next ot us and they saw the flames too. We reported it to the dispatcher. and our outbound of course. After some consultation, and afer the flames subsided they decided to take the train,. They would isolate the lead motor and cut out the dynamic brakes. They brought the second motor online. I have attached a pic ture of our motor. You can see some smoke coming from the other side. I'm projected go out in the morning, but since New Year's Eve is coming up I'm sure some guys will lay off and I will go out much earlier. HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I got called for the "SALTLBJ1." On duty time was 7:10 pm. Traffic was light due to the holiday. Our trip was about 7 hours. When we got to Barstow we tied it down on Main 2. I only had to tie one brake. It was about 3 am when I got into bed. I got up at 6 for the free breakfast and went back to bed. Boy, did I sleep! I got up around 1, got dressed, and went across hte street to Barstow Burger for something to eat. The place was jam packed with people. I was in line when I got my call. I was going back to Needles on a another stack train- the S LBTMEM1. On duty tme was 3:15. I got down to the depot early. The engineer for this trip would be my next door neighbor. We got on at the steps. We had 3 motors on the head end and 2 on the rear. The inbound had reported that there was a problem with one of the DPS. We had to wait for Diesel Service to come and blue flag out train then they inspected the DPS. They coudn't find anything wrong so we departed. It was a good trip. About 7 hours. When we got in there was another train blocking the pad- so I had to climb over it with my grip and everything. Our outbound wasn't on duty just yet. We had to wait for a few. This morning I was saddened to learn that my Uncle Tom, my last living Uncle and my mother's last living sibling, passed away in Upstate New York. He was 87 or 88. My condolences to his family.

I got called for the S ALTHA1 going to Barstow. On duty time was 4 pm Pacific Time. It was a big train with 4 motors on the head end. Due to our length we were limited to 55 MPH. On the way we discovered that we were to be "flipped" back to Needles. As we got closer to Barstow it was pouring rain. The dispatcher told us that we would have to tie up "second out" at East Barstow on Main 3. My engineer said that due to our length we would have to "cut the crossing." If they had let us go up to the East Barstow signal and put the other train behind us, they would not have had to cut the crossing, but that's not what they did. I got off at the crossing. (Thankfully it had stopped raining by the time we got there). My engineer pulled ahead until the rear of our train was clear at the east end. I tied 10 brakes behind the crossing. We did a release test and it held. I started to walk up to the crossing to make the cut and thankfully a van showed up. He ran me up to the crossing. I closed the anglecock and made the cut. We had plenty of room and there was more that 250 feet on either side of the crossing. The van ran me to the head end of my train. I tied one brake and we did another release test. My engineer and I grabbed our stuff and got in the van. He ran us to the depot. We were suppposed to share the van with the crew of the train ahead of us. But when we got there we found the van had left with the other crew. My engineer callled the conductor in the van. They were at Ludlow and were not coming back. The trainmaster apologised and ordered another van for us. We were furious! Finally the other van showed up and got us to Needles just before we went DOL at 4 am. I tied up, went home, and went to bed. I'm supposed to go out tonight around 8 or 9 pm my time. No pictures.

Tuesday I got called for a stack train to Barstow. This was my 6th start. The trip back wold be my 7th start, and I would get 72 hours off. I would get to spend Christmas with my son and daughter. Well, it didn't work out that way. I got called for a deadhead back home yesterday. (4 of us came back to Needles in van). But I did get 48 hours off. So I got to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas day home. I'm planning on taking my son and daughter to a movie today and then taking them out to dinner. I seldom get Christmas off, and we don't really have a Christmas tradition in this household, especially since my divorce. I hope you get to spend Christmas Day with friends and family. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Tony, James and Betsy

I got called for a train with an unusual symbol- the Q BELLHG. It was going from Belen, New Mexico to Los Angeles Harbor. On duty time was 5:20 am. It was a small, light train and it sould have been a 5 hour trip, but they stopped us at Troy, then Dagget, then at East Barstow. We finally got relieved at the Barstow signal after a 9 hour day. I got something to eat tat Barstow Burger and I went to bed. I was out like a light. Boy, did I sleep! I got my call at 4:30 am for a baretable. On duty time was 6 am. Lola's was closed. When I got to the depot I found out that we had been swapped to the H BARLUB. The yard crew was building it. We waited over 2 hours for them to build it. We got on the head end under the bridge. Our train was on Main 3. It had 4 motors on the head end. We moved up to the East Barstow signal and stopped. When it was time to get moving again my engineer noticed that the air on the rear of the train was going down, not up. He suspected someone had closed an anglecock. We notified mechanical, and the dispatcher. I would have to walk the train. Mechanical got out there and found the problem very quickly. I had made it back to the car when they found a closed anglecock and opened it. We were on our way. The rest of the trip was routine. I rolled my train by and tied up. I'm projected to go out around 7 am tomorrow. I have attached a couple of pictures of myself wearing my new "peak season hat" and my new shirt. My union, the SMART Union, gave out T-shirts to us union members who are veterans. It says, "Proud Union Member, Proud Veteran," on the back. I have also attached a photo of a UP train with an engine that says "ONE." I know there is such a railroad in Australia, but in the U.S.?. I have also attached a photo of our leader on the BARLUB, the 5860.

I got called for the H AMSBAR. On duty time was 6 am. When I got donw to the depot I found out that we had been swapped to the H KCKBAR. There was a problem. The first cara in our train was 33 tons. The first car onour train needed to be 45 tons. The dispatcher said that the inbound crew was setting out a car at Yucca. Were they setting out the first car? We wouldn't know until they came in. When they did come in they said that the 33 tons car was not in the first 10 cars. They didn't know where it was. I updated my IPAD and the 33 tons car was no longer in our trrain. We were on duty for 2 hours and 45 minutes before3 we departed. They put us in the siding at Amboy for a couple of hours. We swapped with a stack train. At this pint we had been on duty for 6 hours and 45 minutes. We made good time to Barstow. They told us to tie it donw on I1. We were almost DOL. I tied one brake and it held. We went DOL while we were wating for the van. Wouldn't you know that the van showed up with our outbound? We had tied the train down for nothing. When I got to the hotel I went across the street for a burrito and there were orange lights in the sky. I have attached a picture. What were they? Flares? UFOs? I asked the employees at Barstow Burger and they didn't know. I slept like a log. I got called for the Q LACCHI at 5:30 am. At 6 am I had the option of getting in the van or eating breakfast. I ate breakfast. Wouldn't you knowthe pancake machine was on the blink? I had scrambled eggs and sauseges. Thevan showed up at 6:20 and I got to the depot in plenty of time. We got on at the steps. It was an 8 hour trip. I'm projected to go out around 10 am tomorrow. That would be great! I have attached a picture of oour leader on the Q LACCHI, the 6698, and an old CXS engine that is in our yard.

I got called for the H AMSBAR, wich goes from Amarillo, Texas to Barstow. On duty time was 9:20 pm. Our train had 8 motors on the head end and one on the rear. Most of the motors on the head end were either dead or isolatated. This train was gong to be fun to put away when we got to Barstow. They put us into the siding at Amboy and we waited there for 3 and a half hours. Then we were told to swap trains with the crew of the Q CHISBD. They had work to do . They had a set out in Bartow. I assumed we would be settting the cars out to the buggy tracks. My engineer said, "They might have us come into Main 4 and set out to the I Yard.."That was exactly what happened. I could not ride a van because there was no road for the van. When we pulled into Barstow I walked back 14 platforms and tied 4 brakes. That didn't hold. I tied 3 more and it did hold. I walked up and made my cut. I walked to the head end. I rode past the signal, got out, and had my engineer pull ahead. The car was very easy to ride. We had a red over a flashing red. So we shoved into I3. We were told to shove back to a hook. There were some intermodal cars way at the east end of I3. I got off about a car away and took my train back to a hook. I tied one brake on my cut and it held. I walked up to the motor, cut my motors away, and we were going to go back to our train on Main 4 but the router asked us if we had time. We had 15 minutes left. He told us to go back to the cut and call it a day. We did that. I called van while my engineer tied the brakes on the motors. . When we tied up my engineer and I were projected for the H BARKCK at 10:45 pm. I didn't think we would get it because you never get the first train that you are projected for. At the depot I asked the terminal manager for a new "peak season" hat and he gave me one. I got some new ear plugs from Diesel Service too. I grabbed a burrito and went to bed. I slept good for about 4 hours and then I couldn't get back to sleep. TCM was having a marathon of classic 1950s horror movies. I watched part of "The Thing From Another World," "Invaders from Mars" and "I Married a Monster From Outer Space." I finally got to sleep about an hour before I got my call. I got called for the BARKCK. On duty time was 9:36 pm. I grabbed a burrito from across the street and was down to the depot early. I found out, to my relief, that the yard crew had built our train. It was a big train; with 176 cars. It had 3 motors on the head end and one in the middle. The van ran my engineer and I to the head end- which was on Main 3 across from the Amtrak terminal. We relieved the yard engineer who was still on it. During the trip we lost communication with our ETD. My engineer suspected that the yard crew did not punch the ETD number into the DP. So for the rest of the trip we were limited to 30 MPH. When we got to Needles we volunteered to fix the problem. I got my radio and had the outbound pull ahead 91 cars. My engineer got on the DP and found out that the yard crew had not punched the ETD number into the DP. Once he did that communication was restored. I finished the roll by and tied up. I requested a SMART Rest. It looks like I will go out early tomorrow morning. Hopefully I will get a

I got called for rhe S LPCLBE. On duty time was 9 pm. It was over 8500 feet and we had head end power only, so we were limited to 55 MPH. We got to East Barstow at 6 am. They told us that our outbound would meet us there. It took them an hour to get there. I had the van dorp me off at the hotel. I had a good breakfast when I got to the jotel. I saw an engineer that Iknow and he said, "Back on the west end again?" Yes, I'm in purgatory," I said. He laughed. I had a good sleep. I slept about 9 hours and I got called for the H BARTUL. The yard crew was putting it together. The tranmaster told us tht our train was toghether and it was on the "Auxillary Lead," but someone told us over the radio that it was "under the bridge." We found out train. When we went to the ehad end we watited for the crew to come down but no one came down. We entered the cab and there wa sno one there. Our train was tied down. I only had to untie two brakes. Our train had 4 motors on the head end. The sun was up by the time we gotto Needles. They told us to take it to put our train into Yard Two and tie it down. We were lined into Yard 2 but our train was too long to fit in there, so they told us to foul the switch n the east end and leave the roundhouse in the clear. So, we did that. I only had to tie one brake. The van came out to pick us up. I don't know why but lately they haven't been callling our outbound crews at Barstow our Needles. They have us wait for the crew to come on duty, or tie our train down.

I was called to be deadheaded to Barstow yesterrday morning. On duty time was 9 am. Two crews were deadheaded to Barstow in a van. When we got there I asked the trainmaster if they had any trains for us (we were hoping they would "flip" us back on a train) but no such luck. We went to the hotel. Since we had run around a bunch of crews, we thought we would be there for a while, But I was projected to g out around midnight. I got a burrito from across the street and watched TV. I didn't think I would be able to sleep, but I did. I slept pretty good, and got called for a stack train. On duty time was 3:15 am Pacific Time. It was cold in Barstow at 3 am! Our train came in before we were on duty. The inbound waited for us at the steps. It was a big train- with 4 motors at the head end and 3 in the middle. Our HPT was 2.0, and they stopped us a couple of times. Just the same we got to West Needels by 9:37. It would have been a good trip. but they held us out there for a couple of hours. For some reason, they had not called an outbound for us. They finally told us to pull up to East Needles and tie our train down. They also saaid that security had about 40 containers on our train to close. I tied 3 brakes and it held. Security gave me a ride to the head end of my train. I'm projected to go out tomorrow morning around 8 am. No pictures.