On March 2nd 1999, the BNSF 021 Sislbee road switcher sits idle during a crew change, after which Conductor Larry Williamson will take charge. These General Electric locomotives are favorites of the swich gangs, as they are noticeably quieter than their EMD counterparts, and seem to accelerate more quickly than the GP30s commonly used on this job. The power used on these yard jobs changes every few days, depending on maintenance scedules, and shortages of power. For several days, a severe power shortage had the two yard jobs using one locomotve each, which cut their productivity noticeably.
Photo: Andy Chier