Another Diesel Breakdown at Hicksville? 4/10

This evening about 7PM I saw a freight-switcher type locomotive pulling a Diesel train westbound from Hicksville. Anyone know what that was about? Another DE/DM or cab car failure? Sorry I wasn't close enough to see any numbers.

On a related note: recently during one of those episodes, I thought I again heard 204 calling a unit named "Flash". Can someone tell us who or what "Flash" is? I assume it's either a vehicle or person who responds to the scene of a disabled train.

I noticed that myself as we passed it leaving Hicksville, but I didn't hear anything having to do with it over the radio, in fact, it was my train #8061 that was having problems. We had a speed failure between CI and Brentwood and were forced to treck along at under 30 MPH. We were 30 minutes late into Penn. That train proceeded west behind us without the MP15 at the lead because they passed us while we stopped at the HSF.


Flash is actually a very experienced car inspector who has been on the property for a while now. He really knows his stuff and typically shows up when a train is disabled. You'll usually hear either his name or himself talking on the radio.

Speaking of engine failure....

Tonight (sunday the 10th) I was in Mineola later on at night. Every now and then I'll drive by the tracks to see if I can spot any freights or anything interesting creeping through at night. I was heading east on that road that Western Beef is on, and I got stopped at the crossing gate. This was strange, because I had just seen the weekend 11:58 PM train pass through East Williston, and noticed on the schedule that there weren't supposed to be any city bound trains until morning. I can hear a locomotive coming but it doesn't sound like the DMs/DEs. As it clears the skating rink, I can see it's an MP15...but in the darkness I can't make out what it's pulling yet. Then as it gets close, I can see that it's a DM or a DE being pulled by the MP15. I gotta assume that this was either a broken down engine, or that every now and then a road switcher will go out to one of the depots, pick up an engine that is to go into servicing, and bring it back to the shops. Again, this was heading westbound, Sunday 4/10, around 12:20 AM past Mineola's Western Beef.

Very correct...........Flash is one of, if not, the best car inspector on the property. His nickname is attributed to his ability to get where ever he is needed in a "flash".