I know the UPRR and AT&SF did carry the things needed to
repair hot boxes. The only thing they could not do is change
the wheel set if the journal was cut. In the case of a cut
journal they would set it out or nurse it in. A hot train
would set it out and a local would pick it up and nurse it
in. The SF local from Enterprise Ks picked up a caboose,
whoop, excuse me, a way car with a cut journal and nursed it
into Emporia. When they arrived, the conductor told the
cartoad about it. They did nothing. About an hour later
there was a orange glow at the west end of the eastbound
yard. The yard master was on the speakers telling the east
bound yard crew to stop what they were doing and reach in to
track number ( I do not remember the number) and pull the
burning way car up to the yard office as the fire dept. was
on their way. The hot box was the one under the tool locker
and the wood floor was oil soaked from the years of use. The
Way car was gutted.
If a hot box is set out, the train crew had to pull the
packing and make sure the fire was out.
When I was working at Topeka Ks on the UPRR a CRI&P east
bound passenger train came to town and made the station
stop. The rear brake man dropped off and stood about 10
yards behind the train. The rear journal on the rear truck
of the rear pullman was hot and on fire. When the train was
read to depart the rear man gave a high ball and the train
started to leave. The UPRR switch tender ran for the phone
and called the tower east of town and told the operator what
was happening and he set a red board on him. The UPRR
dispatcher called the CRI&P yard master and made him send a
switch engine over and pull the train back to their yard and
fix things. If he had been allowed to go they would probably
have scattered that train all over the place before the got
to KC.
So every road had their own way of handling a hot box. I
know first hand the UPRR and AT&SF carried tools to make
repairs when needed.
Thank you
Larry Jackman


Richard Hendrickson wrote: