On the ex-Santa Fe, waiting on the south side of Ponder was the northbound Z that would be the BNSF participant later on at Metro, waiting hanging out the south switch, due to the 4 crossings that would sever the town if the train occupied the siding. This is usual SOP here, so I parked on the east side, waiting for the two blasts of the horn sgnifying the meet was eminent. It was at this time the memory machine was awakened to days gone by on the ex-Santa Fe. In those days, once visual or radio contact was made, the train awaiting would erupt in a smoke filled sky, wanting to clear the switch before the other was around the curve, thereby handing the opposing train a clear, and then resulting in a notched out, smoke enhanced acceleration. I was not dissapointed, as the northbound Z notched it out, smoked it up and horn blaring, raced to the north switch. I wanted to get to a favorite spot south of town, so I was watching everything transpire in the side and rear-view mirror; I saw the southbound road-railer come around the curve to the tangent just as the Z cleared the switch. From the time the Z cleared to the time the signal cleared was less than a minute, announced by the notched out ex-CR C40-8W and punkin' dash blackening the sky. By the time he made it to my spot, he was already notching it down, as the 55 was reached quickly. In the distance I could see the exhaust haze from the northbound Z as he was shooting for long gone out of Ponder.
Santa Fe, all the way.
