a flashing yellow dwarf (ground) signal.

It is 8AM on the dot as they start to leave Conway.

Balto looks at Kodi, "Someone wants us out of here."

Kodi laughs uneasy, "Two hours is pretty good."

"Tell me about it, one day, It took eight. That was fun. We had a kicker (bad car that keeps dumping the trains air), go ten feet and we would loss the air. Had to set the shit out."

Balto slowly proceeds up to Rochester interlocking and before him stairs a red signal on a large bridge like structure over the four track mainline. The sun has been in the sky for over an hour when 22W, a UPS intermodal. The hottest train on the system clears Rochester and traverses the S curve before meeting Balto and 11E. In the cab is Kaltag and Star. The two huskies greet the two hybrids by exchanging waves and blasts of air horns. Minutes later, it is reviled to Balto why he is waiting. On Balto’s right, 21Z screams by with three black throbbing 4 thousand horsepower GE products and two miles of tractor trailers on flatcars.

A few minutes later, Balto gets a flashing 45 degree signal, an approach signal. A few minutes later, the signal changes to a diverging clear. Balto, already anticipating the signals change has already let his trains air brakes drain and is ready to take the railroad. Balto glances over at Kodi as his son calls out, "11E, medium clear, Rochester, Out."

Balto then proceeds through the daily routine of starting his train. The first notch and there is barely a growl from the prime mover, mostly just amp readings on the ammeter. The second and the power starts to lurch forward, taking with them 1 or 2 cars, followed by the next 10 cars, then the rest of the train. By the third notch, Balto’s 11E is now gaining speed in the form of 15MPH. The restless prime movers start to awaken to the coming challenge of moving 7 thousand tons of freight. The forth notch finds Balto traversing a pair of switches and onto the Ft Wayne mainline. The rear end better be moving now or its going to moving real quick real soon. The fifth notch and Balto is starting to make a presence in the form of sound in the Beaver River valley. Balto and his 11E exit’s the half mile interlocking, around a sharp curve which takes the pair from a westerly to a northern direction. After traversing the sharp curves of Rochester, notches 6 and 7 breeze by quickly. With one final notch, Balto smiles howling, "Run eight, Don’t be late." And with that, Balto has his power in notch eight and working as hard as they physically can handle. The sound of the four thousand horsepower EMD’s would drown out that of a heavy metal rock concert.

Balto’s train is now up to 40 MPH and traversing the ruling 1.5 percent grade out of the Beaver River valley. Balto isn’t alone on this beautiful spring morning. On the other side of the river, a westbound CSX train with grey, blue, and yellow diesels slows to a crawl.

Balto remarks, "Probably got a bad one at Fallston."

Kodi looks on with only a smile. Kodi is more in it for the money and the need for a reliable job. Balto is in it because it is his second calling. Balto always loving to lead, this time, in the form of freight trains.

11E skims the Beaver River to the left and New Brighton to the right. Balto waves at a rail buff standing on top of his red S10 while Kodi gives him the one paw salute. Next, a southbound freight from Youngstown dips under them as they cross over the freight on a half mile long bridge. Balto then crosses the river that the valley is named for. They then cross over CSX’s mainline and catch a glance at a eastbound CSX train dipping under them.

Balto with 11E continues climbing up and out of the Beaver River valley. Twisting and turning, following the contour of the hill to their left. They approach a crossing, the first out of Conway, and blast the air horn with two longs, a short, and a long. Meaning, Rail Road Crossing.

The next thing to be heard is a talking defect detector, "Norfolk Southern defect detector, milepost three zero point five. Track two, No defects." It repeats then waits for another train.
Kodi sighs a small relief, "Don’t have to walk the train yet. Conway did their job."

Balto glances at his son and mumbles, "Yeah, thanks son. Every dog that says that ends up jinxing it. We’ve just begun."

Their attention is fixed back onto the main as 24V coasts downgrade in full dynamics, diesels whining from keeping the train at the 45MPH track speed. Soon, 24V’s rear end passes and Balto response, "24V, yah look good on the north side."

A strong husky voice crackles over the radio, "11E, your not too bad yourself, keep safe."

"You too.", Balto then hangs the receiver up and continues to enjoy the Beaver valley.

Minutes later Kodi looks over at Balto, "Ill be back, gatta leave a deposit."

Balto frowns, "Id wait until we get pass CP Wood."

Kodi shakes his head, "Cant wait that long."

Balto mumbles, disgusted, "He’ll learn."

Minutes later, Balto calls out, "11E, track 2, clear CP Wood."

20 seconds later, Balto is slightly bounced about the cab. They are traversing the switches and a sharp curve at CP Wood at Homewood. Balto looks at the restroom door and notices blue chemical water coming out from under the door.

Kodi exits a few minutes later, his red and white fur now entirely blue from the toilet water.

"I told you to wait!!!!"

Kodi is left just only to growl in complete disgust. Knowing his father is right. He goes about tending to cleaning himself off from the nasty water.

Balto with 11E traverse the beautiful western PA countryside. 11E crests the grade at Highland at 25MPH and enters Highland cut. The sound of their EMDs echo through the deep cut. Drowning out every thought Balto and Kodi could be thinking of. After cresting the grade, Balto notches down to the forth notch and would leave it there until New Galilee. Several curves later and he meets another eastbound intermodal train, this time, 20Q with JB Hunt double stacks and Schneider trailers.

The sound of flanged wheels squealing from two trains fills the valley with the presence of rail activity. Every living critter in the area who hasn’t awoke is now awake. Balto traverses another S curve and enters the small town of New Galilee, PA. With the blasts of the air horn, he blows for the two crossings in the area and leaves just as abruptly as they came. A few seconds later an ear piercing sound comes over the radio.

Balto grumbles as he throttles down the two M-2s, he looks over at Kodi and grins, "Guess your going for a nice little walk."

Kodi growls, "Yup."

They sit as the train slows to a stop. Finally, the pair hear the mechanical voice of the defect detector that has called to them.

"Norfolk Southern, Milepost Four Zero point one, Dragging Defect near Axle one forty five." It repeats the entire message then shuts up.

Balto slows to a safe stop, taking almost two miles to do so.

When the train finally comes to a rest, Kodi tones the dispatcher.

The dispatcher responses, "Ft Wayne Line dispatcher, who’s calling?"

Kodi replies, "This is 11E, we have hit the dragger at MP RD40.1, Over."
The dispatcher response growling, clearly pissed off, "Okay 11E, tell me what you find."

Kodi looks at his dad, "Time to see if anything is on the ground."

Balto is left with only a short response, "Yup."

Kodi dismounts and starts to walk back towards the rear end of the train. Today’s consist includes a long string of gondolas with scrap metal and steel coils, refrigerated box cars with perishable food, grain cars with plastic pellets, box cars with finish goods heading for store fronts, and finally, tank cars with water purifying chemicals. No caboose on this train, or any since the 1980s, all having been replaced by a mechanical computerized EOT attached to the knuckle of the last car.

He gets to the 145 axle, the 37th car, and finds the problem, an air hose that was low enough to hit the steel shields that detect for dragging wheels or equipment. 

Kodi radios Balto, "I’ve found the problem, it’s a damned air hose."

"We got lucky son, could’ve been worse."

Balto hangs up then tones in the dispatcher while Kodi repairs the air hose.

"Ft Wayne line dispatcher, who’s calling?"

"This is Balto with the 11E, we have found the problem and will be moving soon."

The dispatcher responses again, "Okay 11E, once you get moving, pull up to Enon, Ill be bringing a westbound by you. Be on the lookout, I have an eastbound coming first."

Balto growls, "10-4"

Kodi does as the rules say and walk the entire length of the train, checking for any other problems. He then heads back up towards the front end.

Back in the cab, Balto sees the headlights of the approaching eastbound and radios his son.

"Kodi, track one is hot, got a eastbound coming at ya."

"Thanks dad, I’m in the clear." He puts the radio back onto his belt then steps back from the main, waiting for the eastbound.

Seconds later, the train blast by with more black Norfolk Southern GE products and a mile of tank cars loaded with ethanol. With two quick blasts of the air horn, it fires past Kodi as he waves to the crew comprising of two wolves.

The rear clears and Balto calls to the train, "Ya look good on the north side 68Q."

A minute later, the rear passes Kodi, "Lookin good on the south side 68Q."

68Q responses, "Thanks guys, you don’t look all that bad yourself." Followed by a laugh, "Except for the blue husky!"

Ten minutes later, Kodi climbs back into the cab. Balto releases the trains brakes and waits for the air to charge. A few minutes later, they start their crawl to Enon. Balto knowing full well that he will be waiting at Enon for a westbound, he crawls the three miles at the land speed record of 10 MPH. In that time, the westbound, road railer train 261 screams

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