I always enjoyed being the Engineer on a train that was the first one to be allowed maximum authorized speed over a section of track that had been reballasted. Not only would the track be smooth as glass, but the turbulence caused by a train running 60 or 70 MPH would cause everything behind the engine to be completely enveloped in white dust.
When we were still using cabooses, the rear end crew knew what was coming and would have the waycar closed up as tightly as possible, and would hold wet towels over their faces so that they would not inhale the dust.
