Show It Takes Tak AU All the Grit an Engineer Can Muster Must Butte InterMountain One 0 o the greatest difficulties of the thereal thereal thereal real mountain roads like the Colorado Midland Mi land the Rio Grande Western and the th Denver Dener do Rio Grande is ia ta getting engineers said Rid Charles A D d on city passenger er gent agent of the Hk RW Grand Western V road to a Butte lain tain r rOne rOne One might suppose that ht all nil roads would look alike to tOo the experienced eX en tn but they dont Along some aoma of the prairie roads an engineer can take a run on any new track almost almas as well as on one toe he has bas traveled tJ v led for years y anti anu I knows know with his hie hi ey eyes tyes s shut But here in the west it is different Down Doan Do in Colo Colorado Colorado Colorado rado where are some of the tIe greatest monuments to the railroad builder that have nave ever been erected an engineer r has ba s I to travel over the road read sometimes tim 8 for tor weeks with old experienced engineers who wao know the track before he be will Ill be I trusted with a train It km i nt t a B question QU stion of engineering ability a merely one ere t e of or I experience eXl It to is i enough to take a fellows nerve I to sweep sweeD around some HIDe of those moun tain curves and passes for tor th the first time Some SOffie good men man m n never lake take more I than thai their first rida I have so s 8 on eu n engi eng ne n neta s come cone tram front the th tb east men m n of g ii I edge character and ability who wb lost S I their ir nerve with the th first fir t trip and took t k th the first train for f r a flatter country I DiMcy reverse curves trestles tre te that seem i I to totter In the tb wind kind es s that seen to yawn for a II fellows life a nd grade grad tl that are a revelation of ot honor 1 to the m womer oro d in bewildering confusion r ou 11 h view ie anti n l un ss a fellow lellow is ao as a 1 as an ox or lr r nervy E l y oJ as the devil he is apt to lose his head You would be surprised at the num number number ber r of or young engineers who are on the mountain roads For one thing a iran ITan does not last Jast there as he does on a less picturesque more prosaic run It takes youth and strength aDd abd courage of a rare order to stand it at al a l The com companies companies are the most appreciative app in the world for they realize how hard it is to get a good man and an they treat a It good goodman goodman goodman man right rl ht royally The principal dangers are in ill the heavy grades and in ih the sharp curves cunes i though landslides ai are far from un unknown I known cnown One must know r his nis train and andus his us road like a book to get through with I his life Ufe on the Marshall pass J for instance in instance instance stance where you seem m to plunge pt ige S head Ion down the mighty hill hili AT rock on en ento O Otile tile the track a broken wheela wh a runaway car o Ot or ra a failure of Ute the brakes to ff H is ork would end in a smashup that would startle the whole county country The Th hill might be te a glare of ice or frost it 11 might be wet or snowy and i if f you vou set the air brake too hard bard so as lo to start the wheels to sliding down the hill you 90 gs dike y a gigantic toboggan with death And destruction at the end cf c f the ride The management of or the air an and knowing where the dangerous ous places are Is the greatest part of an engineers s education n in the mountains For IFor my Jt part knowing the dan laDLe t era as I do I feel nervous after alter riding ridin LAO JUnes over the wildest rUdest parts of the roads road even as a I rode through the Royal Gorge GOl e m JD n the engine II a few weeks ago O and was vas glad when the ride was over Such Su h is the theare care are taken in equipment and in getting the best men that the mountain roads have as a small email a of losses as bhe the dead levet level roads of the plains A freight train is the won worst t in m that it is much heavier than a 8 passenger ner and is expected to make almost t the same time All AH the heavy beavy stock trains going east ea t to thirty tars cars make passenger schedule A freight isso is isso isso so loosely coupled as to be very un unmanageable unmanageable unmanageable manageable at critical points The stock trams trains are the terror of the he en engine engine enginE gine drivers and ail all the trainmen A fellow necessarily Dece arHy a coward oward when he throws up Ills Ids Job as engineer over the mountain roads after seeing l eing What the dangers are Not one passenger passenger ger in would assume the same danger The position calls for absolutely absolutely absolutely steady nerve anti and an one who feels that he himself elf to the company and to all w who ho is likely to get gel rattled Is dan dangerous dangerous dangerous to ride behind him A man must mut think and ami act like Lightning in the face of or so 80 many dangers that he be must be sure of his ability to stand the strain No one stays any great number slumber of years A man may be brave and willing and all that but these are not enough He must be sure and proof against stampede Such a man is worth everything to the companies and they treat t him like a prince |