This Space for Rent

That doesn’t look particularly healthy

When I was coming back home on the bus this afternoon, I saw a small cloud of black smoke rising above the north end of Brooklyn Yard. I expected that I would see a geep or a SD40-2 switching, but when I got off the bus and crossed over to the yard, all I saw was a trio of C44Ws parked on the mainline, waiting for a green signal, with the third unit spitting out an cloud of smoke that a 251-powered locomotive would be proud of.

lights on, but not moving Not an Alco

When I got closer, the third engine didn't sound particularly healthy. It kept making thum-thum-thum-rattle-rattle-thum-thum noises, as if a piston had come loose and was sort of rattling around inside the cylinder. Since I'm not a railroad employee, it's thankfully not my problem, and I suspect that even if the #5510 rolls belly up that the two lead engines can get the train over the line to Albina yard.