FOUR-WAY MEET AT BARBER JUNCTION

       Then looking at a particular spot on this landscape from high up on top of a nearby feed mill silo one could spot a little cluster of houses among a few scattered trees, small garden plots, a general store, a small white crackerbox of a frame building with "POST OFFICE" over the door. In addition there were a couple of barns, a stack of rough sawn lumber beside a saw mill near the dirt road, a filling station (gas station in modern lingo) and a peculiarly shaped ell-structure frame building with a strange roof line.

       Along each of two sides of this structure stood an overhead weather protecting shed roof - each roof mounted on a row of center columns. Also nearby stood a single small square two-story building with an outside stairway leading up to the upper floor which in turn had windows all around. Looking closer still one could make out railroad tracks laid out in the shape of a "plus" sign or a cross - set up on a north/south - east/west orientation. At the intersection of the cross the tracks were situated below the level of the immediately surrounding ground level. The tracks to the north - west - and south were located in varying degrees of cuts. Joining the north leg to the west leg one could further make out a single "wye" track in a shallow cut. Likewise from the west leg to the south leg. But from the south leg to the east leg - an exception - for here the track was laid "on top of the ground" so to speak - no cut. However there was a wooden water tank beside this particular wye and the ell shaped structure with the strange roof line and the two story square building were enclosed within this wye also. The crossing point of the tracks was nestled snugly adjacent to the two story structure (tower), and the shed roofs were aligned closely parallel to the south and the east tracks.

       The surrounding countryside was typical of Piedmont Carolina - cultivated fields and pasture land interspersed with small patches of woods: oak, hickory, poplar, ash and a few pines. At this time of summer the tree foliage was of such a shade of dark green as to make it appear from a distance to be almost black. Cultivated fields had been covered mostly by small grain, wheat, oats, and barley (before the combines had gone through the area). For variety there was also corn and cotton. A second crop of hay was now coming on in the small grain fields after the combining had been completed a few weeks earlier.

       My brand new 19 jewel Illinois "Sangamo Railroad Special" watch my Dad had given me last Christmas read a few minutes past two. I was (am) so proud of that watch, only it didn't have the name "Hamilton - 21 Jewel" on the dial like Dad's gold railroad watch does. But it (was) is mine and did (do) I ever cherish it!! His and mine were (are) each engraved on the back with a railroad train but of different designs.

       Swinging my gaze toward the horizon to the east - there was the unmistakable sign of an approaching train - "smoke on the horizon"!! Now then watching intently in order to catch the first possible glimpse, the reward soon came as a SOUTHERN passenger train with a green and gold engine came into view. I couldn't tell at first, but did a couple minutes later that it was a heavy "USRA" mountain type - a 4-8-2 class (SOUTHERN class) Ts1 -number 1487 -but she was trailed by only two cars - a coach/baggage combination and an extra coach. This turned out to be an Asheville Division engine and crew with "little" 21 and right at 2:25 PM this "short dog" of a train stopped precisely at the shed roof shelter near the ell-shaped structure with the strange roof line (the depot). "Little" 21 had left Salisbury 11.4 miles to the east some twenty minutes earlier.

       About now in this tale it's time to switch my "observation" point from up on top of that (imaginary) feed mill silo in the (ficticious) distance to a point on the ground right beside the interlocking tower and right at the track diamond crossing. From here I can see the engines up close - and here I can smell the sulphur smoke drifting around as well as the smell of engine oil and grease from the rods and the hot valve oil fom the cylinders - and hear all the sounds of the engine - and feel the ground vibrate and shudder as the big machines "clump" across the diamond. Did I say this was "Heaven" for an eager 13 year old locomotive and budding rail fan? Well it sure was!!!

       In jig time a few parcels and luggage had been unloaded onto one of those Railway Express four wheeled baggage carts and three or four passengers got off. Five minutes later 1487 and her two car consist has moved on across the "diamond" where the tracks cross and on up into the cut toward the west for several hundred yards.

       But here now (it's 2:30PM) comes another "short dog" train approaching - but this time from the south. And sure enough this one has another green and gold locomotive - again with only two cars just like those behind number 1487 a minute or two ago. However this engine is not as large. It's a class Ps2 - number 1343 - a little 4-6-2 light pacific type -but this is a Winston Salem Division engine and crew - with "little" 22, having left Charlotte 43.3 miles to the south at 1:10PM.

       The same routine now repeats with the luggage and parcels on another four wheeled baggage cart and a few more passengers detrain. In a couple more minutes "little" 22 has moved on across the "diamond" crossing to the north, but she's stopped short of the "northwest" wye leg switch. It's a good thing, too, because quietly showing up from the north and from behind a low hill which obscured her approach - but headed right straight for the front of engine 1343 and "little" 22 -is yet another Ps2 - number 1315 - however this engine is pulling nine cars. This is "big" 21!! and she departed Winston Salem 41 miles away at 1:15PM with three head end cars: two bag gage/storage mail and an RPO/baggage combination, a baggage/coach combine, four coaches, and one Pullman sleeper - nine in all. This is a big train for such a small engine - perhaps - but after all the grades between here and Winston Salem have been gentle and so it was not really a bad match. This is also a Winston Salem Division engine and crew. Further it is the eastern leg of the "Carolina Special" which runs through between Goldsboro and Cincinnati and combines in Asheville at 6:30PM with number 27 - the southern leg of the "Carolina Special" up from Charleston, S.C.

       But suddenly now - with two Ps2's facing each other like a couple of cats spoiling for a fight - 1343 standing with her two car consist and 1315 proceeding slowly - AH HA! - now I see what's going on! Somebody (must have been the interlocking tower operator in that two story full view glass windowed showcase) has thrown the northwest wye switch by means of a long pipe linkage emanating from the bottom of the tower and running out along the ends of the cross ties. So as 1315 ("big" 21) proceeds further she comes to a thrown switch which directs her path up the wye toward and out onto the westbound main. (But where's Ts1 number 1487 and "little" 21 we saw run up that same track a minute or two ago?) Oh! The big mountain engine and it's "short dog" train have left room behind itself for Ps2 number 1315 and "big" 21 to tuck in behind her. Pretty neat!

       Now then both "big" 21 and "little" 21 each begin to back down the cut - one behind the other -on the same track toward the diamond crossing. "Big" 21 is first - its peanut air whistle on that rear Pullman blasting out its warning used for such close quarter "blind" rearward movements. Finally it slowly "clump - ka-lump - ka-lump - clumps" across the diamond crossing until all of the train except for the engine - 1315 and its tender - is alongside the passenger waiting shelter next to the depot with the strange roof line.

       At the appropriate spot "big" 21's train conductor - who has been riding the rear vestibule of the Pullman as the train began its backward movement - reaches up and pulls a valve handle to dump the air in the train line so the brakes of the entire train go into emergency! All movement squeals to a halt with brake shoes shuddering against the wheel treads and firmly set. Each car's air brake auxiliary reservoir has been "exhausted" through its brake valve and into its brake cylinders. The tender of 1315 stops right beside me and the two story interlocking tower. Its 2:38 now. "Big" 21 was just three minutes late for its time card arrival of 2:35PM.

       Almst unnoticed or unobserved I finally note that "little" 21 with 1487 has temporarily backed into the northwest wye. (That interlocking tower operator has sure been busy flipping remote wye switches.) Now 1487 cuts loose from her short dog train and has pulled back out onto the westbound main - way up there in the cut.

       Simultaneously a couple of "big" 21's train crew has uncoupled 1315's tender from the lead head end car - coupler - train line (air brake) hose - train line signal (air) hose - and (even though it's summertime) - the heavy swivel-jointed steam heat train line. (No heat being used but those joints must be kept up and away from dragging on the roadbed and across the switch frogs at turnouts.)

       Now 1315's hogger hauls his reverse lever forward one more time - cracks the throttle - and 1315 "barks" herself back up the cut westward to come right up behind 1487 in the distance. At this point both engines are beyond (west of) the northwest wye switch and must wait now for the tower operator to again flip that switch. When he does each engine reverses and both begin to back down the cut slowly - one behind the other like two dancers in unision. From where I'm standing - looking at an oblique view of the left side of each engine, the most pronounced thing I see is the revolving motion of each engine's eccentric crank on its main driver and their movement reminds me (years later now as I think back on it) of the synchronized movements of those precise synchronized swimmers in the Olympics. - but notice -1315 has darted into the northwest wye track leg. She disappears momentarily from my sight, but I know she's coupled onto 1487's short dog train. Again the tower operator must be alert to throw the switch back normal before 1487 gets to the switch so 1487 can back on down to the diamond crossing right where I'm standing. Talk about coordination! The tower operator has got to be on the ball or he's liable to see a derailment up there with an engine and maybe a tender "on the ground". As 1487 eases back toward me the relative quiet is broken by the sound of the rear tender truck "clump - ka-lump - clumping" across the crossing diamond. With the lightest of a deft touch this Asheville Division hogger just lets his tender coupler "kiss" the head end car's open coupler knuckle. A "chunk!" announces the sucessful coupling as the pin drops into place. But just to be sure, "Stretch 'em out, Sam", the baggage man yells up to his new engineer to test the "success" of the coupling. Okay! All's good. Again the train line (air) - signal line (also air) and steam heat connections are made up by "big" 21's and "little" 21's baggage masters - both of whom we see have temporarily donned overalls for the purpose until this dirty work is completed.

       This has been real coordination. There are - three trains - three engines - three crews - one interlocking tower operator and two engines swapped so far - and one fascinated teenage observer! Back alongside big 21's head end cars parcels and luggage are being quickly off - or on - loaded while transfer passengers have already hastily loaded and are busily looking for suitable seats in those four coaches. There doesn't seem to be any Pullman passengers boarding as transfers from Salisbury or Charlotte. Indeed the Pullman passengers are through passengers and are going on through to Asheville and beyond probably as far as Cincinnati.

       The "fireboy" in the cab of 1487 is actively dressing and preening his fire with a few well-placed scoops of coal along each side and into the back corners of the firebox. His injector is singing merrily away as it rams gallons and gallons of cold water down the delivery pipe and into the boiler. The 8-1/2" cross compound air pump's "ka-thump ka-thump ka-thump ka-thump" throbbing breathlessly and furiously away is an indication of its desparate efforts to pump up the pressure in big 21's evacuated train (air) line of nine cars. It takes several minutes but eventually the air pump's rate of breath slows as the engine's train line feed valve begins to sense the train line pressure approaching 80 psi and the air pump governor detects the pressure in the engine's main reservor quickly rising toward 130 psi.

       Simultaneously the brakes on all of the cars begin to release and their auxiliary reservoirs charge up to 80 psi as conditions equalize.

       Watching his gage glass, the tallow pot (fireman) reaches down near his feet and shoves a lever forward to operate the steam supply valve for the injector and it suddenly quits with a very loud "thun-n-nk-k-k!". This sends a violent shock vibration back along the injector pipe into the cab.

       The water check valve out on the side of the boiler has just presented itself as an "immoveable object" in opposition to the "irresitable force" of the cascading water stream emanating from the injector.

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