RR Trip report - Plum wore out

First off...I get to run the train... it's a fun job.... but sometimes the timing is all wrong. Yesterday was a long day (or night). Then... it began... again...

Thursday were called for 0230 on the LM. It took 3 1/2 hours to get out of Laurel. Then waited for helpers for quite a while in Livingston. The dispatcher intended to relieve us at Winston when it became obvious we would not make it to Helena on our 12 hours. Then we went in the siding at Clarkston for a poor meet and again at Lombard for nearly an hour. After a train ahead of us stalled on the hill we parked our train at Toston and ended up in the van again. Unavoidable... I think the train stalled because of blowing drifting snow.

A total 12:55 on duty. Too tired to even stop to eat we went right to the hotel in Helena and I went right to bed. Awake again at 8pm I went to get something to eat and was up half the night. About the time I needed to go to sleep again and had just fallen asleep again, we were called at 0510 for the PASKCK. A nice little 57 car solo train, we had a good trip to Laurel, only to get held at Rapids for lite power, then Spurling and 5th ave. Laurel for 2 hours. There had been a little derailment in the yard last night. The yardmaster gave up and took us off the train. Tied up at 1500 after 9:50 on duty. I had been up from 8pm until 3pm and from 00:30 until 4pm the day before. I went home and went right to bed... so 2 days wasted. I don't make new years resolutions but I have been trying to get one thing done each day (besides railroading).

Now as I write this I am somewhat rested but need to get some more sleep. The timing is all wrong. When I went to bed the lineup said 0900 this A.M. Now the lineup says 1830 this next afternoon. I'll try to stay up a while and sleep in in the morning so that I can tolerate another all nighter.

Update: I am called for 1545... that gave me 24:45 off and we will chase down a crew on the train that we will run to Helena today. The crew will be short on time... so we will take over for them somewhere along the line.