Wreck & MOW
Reading Company – The Relief Train Story
Background & History
The Relief Train deserves its own story. Even though it is made up of the many pieces of equipment that complete a relief train along with the men of the Reading that were chosen to operate that equipment. In Reading parlance, the “Relief Train” was all of those things needed to deal with an emergency on the rails where engines, cars, equipment and even people needed assistance to clear the right-of-way and return the railroad to normal operations. Many railroads called this the “Wreck Train” as this is what it often had to deal with, clearing a wreck.
We will talk about each piece of equipment and its role along with the operators of each piece. In order for the Relief Train to be ready to respond to emergencies, the train had to be ready to roll on short notice with an adequate number of people to perform each function.
In the Steam era, Camelbacks pulled the “Relief Trains”.
(Photo courtesy Charles Knox Freericks)
Locomotive – In the steam era, a steam engine needed to be kept available to respond quickly. That meant that the relief train was usually stationed in a large facility, like an engine yard or near a round house. In the modern era, a diesel engine needed to be readily available to get the relief train to its destination.
Wreck Crane – Again in the steam era, the wreck crane had to be ready at all times. Cranes were usually steam powered, so the steam engine needed to be constantly tended to keep a fire up and ready to perform its role. Adequate coal and water needed to be on board. In the modern era, the wreck crane was powered by diesel engines (often more than one). They needed to be ready to roll as well as to be equipped to function for long periods. And of course, the operator and crew of the crane needed to be near by and ready to respond to emergencies.
Crane Idler Car – The simplest role that the idler car performed was to support and protect the crane while it was in transit. Along with that role however, it needed to carry much of the basic hardware that enabled the crane to function. Pulleys, Snatch Blocks, chains, cables, steel pins etc.
Tool Car – This car carried everything else that was needed to help the wreck crane function. Extra long cables, special rigging, extra ties, spikes and track hardware, but of all else, it carried tools.
Rider Car – The role of the rider car is the most obvious. It carried the people needed to make the relief train function, from the crane operator, the oiler, the wreck supervisor, the riggers, the track crews, and on and on. People brought everything else together on the relief train to make it work.
MOW Gondola – This car carried all of the over-sized items needed during a wreck clean-up. It also could be used to haul away badly damaged items to clear the wreck site. Extra rail and fittings were often carried on the gondola.
MOW Flatcar – again, the flat car often carried items too large for the tool car or extra pieces that the idler car didn’t have enough room for.
Where wrecks involved heavy locomotives, or involved multiple cars on the ground, a second or third relief train might be called in. In situations where long sections of track was involved, sets of relief trains might be on opposite ends of the wreck site and working toward each other to clear and rebuild the right-of- way.
He relief train supervisor was relied on to keep everyone performing their role in a safe manner. Foremen guided their crews under the guidance of the supervisor. Everyone needed to go home safely after the wreck was cleared.
MOW = Maintenance Of Way