I enjoyed the article about the "OWL" by Vernie Barber, on page 10 of the March 97 issue. Here is a a couple of footnotes from history about this train:
My father was the regular fireman on this train several months following the end of World War II. The Crew was Engineer Clarady, Fireman Reed, Conductor. J. McClelland Sr., Brakeman Eckhom.
Traveling west to Fort Worth in the early morning hours (4-5am) as the train approached the city limits of Waxahachie and began braking for the stop at the Depot, nothing happened.
It's down hill into Waxahachie. More air was applied with no results. Emergency application, no results. The engine crew, looked back to see what was happening, to discover fire flying from all wheels of the train and the rails blazing with fire behind them. The train slid right thru downtown, stopping about a half mile past the regular spot at US highway 77.
An investigation uncovered pranksters had greased the rails with cooking lard all down the hill into town. Local FFA members finally took responsibility.
Another happening with this train at that time. Engr. Clarady was a whistle blowing engineer. He would shower down on the whistle and wake up every town nightly as the OWL passed thru. Mayors and city fathers complained to the SP Ennis Division office but received no satisfaction.
One night, while the # 268 was being serviced at the Ennis Roundhouse, Foreman G.L. McCalley, Mechanist Jeff Colvin, and Helper Avo Leaks, removed the whistle from the 268 and installed a whistle in it's place off one of the largest GS-5 (2-8-4) that would really wake up the sleeping towns.
It all backfired when Jeff cross-threaded the brass and the whole thing blow off at Boyce 6 miles out of Ennis.
Mr. McCalley related this store to me at his retirement party as the only time he was fired in more than 45 years of service.
A side note to these stories: Fireman Reed was the father of Engineer Dan Reed; Conductor McClelland was the father of Engineer Butch McClelland of Dallas, Jeff Colvin retired as Mechanic Trainmaster at Ennis, Mr. Leaks is the father of Conductor Avo Leaks of Dallas.
Dan Reed is a locomotive engineer at Miller Yard Dallas. 4-97