I got called for the "V ELPBAR," a vehicle train going form El Paso to Barstow. It came into Needles with 3 motors on thehead end. But the inbound was to set out the third motor. We got in the van and met them at the east end of the yard to help them. They got on the third motor and we got on the head motor. At first we thought that they were gont to make the cut right there and take the motor to the roundhouse, but after some confused conversation we came up with a game plan. They told us to take the train up Yard 2 to the west end and we would make the cut there. We went to the west end, I tied 3 brakes and cut the power away. The inbound conductor made the cut between motors 2 and 3. I threw the switch. After they went over it to the roundhouse I threw the switch back and took my power back to a hook. I laced the hoses, cut the air in, and relwesed the 3 brakes. Our ledaer was the 1085, and old motor! We had to wait a while before we could leave. Our paper work order said that we were to set out the whole train in Barstow, but our IPAD said that we were to set out some cars in Nebo. They were not all in one block, so some switching would be necessary. We had 2 and half hours left when we got to East Barstow and Nebo was blocked by another train. A relief crew met us. We were happy about that. I went to the hotel and got there in time for breakfast. I slept most of th day. I got called for a baretable. On duty time was 10:15 pm. Our work order said that we were to set the cars out in the siding at Pisgah and take the two motors, and the ETD to Needles. Another crew had been called for a BARBAR and they wanted to swap with us. We agreed. At first, we were to dog catch an H train that had just left Needles. Then they told us to get on a a grain train that was at Dagget. We had to wait an hour or two for our van. The inbound crew was DOL. We got on the train. It had 4 motors on the head end and 2 on the rear. We were told that there were 8 trains terminating in Barstow, and the yard didn't have room for any of them. After a while they brought us in. They told us to set out the "Colton cars" (cars going to Colton, California) in Storage track 11. This would be cars 11 through 76. We came in Storage 10. I had to line the switch. I also had to line us out. I got in our van and brought the cut car up to the west end of the track. I tied 6 brakes, made the cut, took it over the switch, and rode the van during the shove. I stopped it before the crossing. I had the van run me up to the head end, tied 6 brakes, qand made the cut. I took my train over the switch, lined us back into track 10, and took us back to a hook. I laced the hoses and released the brakes. The van ran me to the head end. We went to the Receiving Yard. They told us to come into Receiver 4, leave our 2 DPs in R4, take our remaining cars in Yard 3, then go back and grab our DPs. The power would go to the house. I got out and had my engineer pull ahead. I tied the brake on one of the motors and made the cut. I rode the last car over the swtich and shoved us into R3. There were some cars on the east end. I got off about one car away and took us back to a hook. I had the van run me to the head end, tied three brakes, and cut us away. I took us back to R4 and made the hook. I laced the hoses and connected the MU cable bewteen motors 4 and 5. We took it to the house. We had to wait for another motor to get out of the way. Diesel servce told us the first four motors wold go to track 13, and the other two would go to track 15. I can't get an inbetween in Diesel Service, so I disconnected the MU cable before we went in. We took it into track 13. I made the separatiion. My engineer told me that the had no radio in the motor he was in so I had to use hand signals. I shoved him back over the switch, then threw the switch and lined him into track 15. He parked the motor and we were done. The van driver was nice enough to call a road van for me and the terminal manager wrote up a dead head ticket. I will be paid a basic day for working theBARBAR, an be paid for the trip back to Needles. I slept good, and got called for a stack train at 3:49 am. It was a big train- with 3 motors on the head end and 3 in the middle. It was nearly 15,000 tons and over 14,000 feet long. We got as far as second out from Klondike and stopped there. we wound up sitting there for 4 hours! A new dispatcher came on and asked us how long it would take us to tie our train down. "An hour and a half," I told her. We were on a steep hill, and our train weighed nealry 15,000 tons. It would have take 46 brakes to tie this train down. I didn't want to tie that many brakes on a hot day. (It was in the 90s). They sent releif crews for us and the train ahead of us. It took my engineer and I to the hotel. Aftter I showered and changed I was on my way to Fuzzy's to get something to eat when I saw a fire from the hotel window. I never did find out much about it. It looked like it was coming from Calico. (See the photos attached). I went to Fuzzy's, got my burrito, watchd some TV, and slept like a log. I got up at 6 for the free breakfast, and got called for a Z train just as I finished eating. Perfect timing! We got on a the steps. Our trip was just over 5 hours. I rolled my train by and tied up. My rest cycle starts at 7 am tomorrow. I might actually be off for the the 4th! Hopefully I won't get called before 7 am. I have attached a picute of our leader, the 8107. Have a Happy 4th!