Ride with The Volunteers on 08/30/10! ... 
| June 04, 2010 10:57AM |
|
Calling All Fans and Supporters of the C&TS!!
As nearly all of you know by now, during the late spring and the summer of 1970 a small hand-
ful of volunteers labored almost every weekend to clear the track, replace bent and broken rail,
and prepare the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad to accept the equipment to be turned over
to the two states of Colorado and New Mexico by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
This dedicated core of volunteers was assisted by a large number of helpers who came for only
a day or two, for a week or ten days, or in some cases a month or more. Their hard work was
rewarded when the first C&TS train arrived in Chama on Labor Day Weekend, 1970.
If it weren't for ALL of these dedicated and selfless "Summer of Seventy" volunteers, the C&TS might not exist today. Without their generosity and hard work the line might not have been cleared, there would likely have been no trains at all in 1971, and the railroad might have simply rusted and rotted away.
On August 30th, 2010, you will have a chance to say 'THANK YOU!' to these 'Summer of Seventy'
volunteers, and to join them in celebrating their accomplishment!
A special event is being planned to honor the 'Summer of Seventy' volunteers during the C&TS 40th Anniversary Celebration by re-enacting - insofar as is reasonably possible - the arrival of the first C&TS Train into Chama on September 6, 1970. Rider boxcars and a rider gon will replace the three boxcars and one of the ballast gonspulled pushed through The Narrows and into town by engine #483 - still wearing the hideous movie make-up from her starring role in 'The Good Guys and the Bad Guys'. As many of the 'Summer of Seventy' volunteers as can be located will be invited to ride and participate in the re-enactment pageant, and up to 40 sponsors of the train will be able to ride along.
$100 buys one ticket for a sponsor and one for a volunteer; $150 buys one ticket for a sponsor
and two for volunteers, $200 buys one ticket for a sponsor and three for volunteers, etc.
It's currently planned that engine #484 will be painted up as "Good Guy" #483 for the occasion; the train will depart Chama at noon, and there will be a riders-only photo op somewhere on 'The Hill'. Our train will be turned on the wye at Cumbres while more photos are taken, and then be posed for a side-by-side "meet" with the regular westbound train (and maybe Goose #5). We will then follow the regular train (and Goose #5?) to Lobato, where there will be another riders-only photo op while cars are switched into a resemblance of the first train, and we will then proceed to - and slowly through - The Narrows, re-enacting at least a little of the tedious clearing of the tracks that took nearly the whole day in 1970.
The C&TS did not celebrate a "Golden Spike" in 1970, but there was a "Rusted Rail" ceremony of sorts when two lengths of rail, 'liberated' from the D&RGW at the west side of town, were used to replace bent rails at the Highway 17 crossing; there will be a brief pause here in recognition of this storied event, and then "#483" will push her train on into town for the 40th Anniversary Ceremonies and Celebration Dinner. (It is hoped that a night photo shoot can be arranged, but this hasn't been confirmed yet.)
The schedule shown for this train on the C&TS web site at [www.cumbrestoltec.com] is subject to minor changes as details are worked out.
We need the support of at least THIRTY 1-and-1 Sponsors by August 15 for the event to occur;
a few 1-and-2 Silver Sponsors or 1-and-3 Gold Sponsors would REALLY help!
- Russ
*****
For Chile John Pritchard's memories of September 6, 1970, see [ngdiscussion.net] et seq.
Here are three of Ernie Robart's photos from that glorious day -
The work train prepares to depart Cumbres early on the frosty morning of 09/06/70:
Volunteers clearing the track and dumping ballast in The Narrows:
Volunteers preparing the Highway 17 crossing for the "Rusted Rail" ceremony:
Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/2010 01:31PM by Russo Loco.
As nearly all of you know by now, during the late spring and the summer of 1970 a small hand-
ful of volunteers labored almost every weekend to clear the track, replace bent and broken rail,
and prepare the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad to accept the equipment to be turned over
to the two states of Colorado and New Mexico by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
This dedicated core of volunteers was assisted by a large number of helpers who came for only
a day or two, for a week or ten days, or in some cases a month or more. Their hard work was
rewarded when the first C&TS train arrived in Chama on Labor Day Weekend, 1970.
If it weren't for ALL of these dedicated and selfless "Summer of Seventy" volunteers, the C&TS might not exist today. Without their generosity and hard work the line might not have been cleared, there would likely have been no trains at all in 1971, and the railroad might have simply rusted and rotted away.
On August 30th, 2010, you will have a chance to say 'THANK YOU!' to these 'Summer of Seventy'
volunteers, and to join them in celebrating their accomplishment!
A special event is being planned to honor the 'Summer of Seventy' volunteers during the C&TS 40th Anniversary Celebration by re-enacting - insofar as is reasonably possible - the arrival of the first C&TS Train into Chama on September 6, 1970. Rider boxcars and a rider gon will replace the three boxcars and one of the ballast gons
$100 buys one ticket for a sponsor and one for a volunteer; $150 buys one ticket for a sponsor
and two for volunteers, $200 buys one ticket for a sponsor and three for volunteers, etc.
It's currently planned that engine #484 will be painted up as "Good Guy" #483 for the occasion; the train will depart Chama at noon, and there will be a riders-only photo op somewhere on 'The Hill'. Our train will be turned on the wye at Cumbres while more photos are taken, and then be posed for a side-by-side "meet" with the regular westbound train (and maybe Goose #5). We will then follow the regular train (and Goose #5?) to Lobato, where there will be another riders-only photo op while cars are switched into a resemblance of the first train, and we will then proceed to - and slowly through - The Narrows, re-enacting at least a little of the tedious clearing of the tracks that took nearly the whole day in 1970.
The C&TS did not celebrate a "Golden Spike" in 1970, but there was a "Rusted Rail" ceremony of sorts when two lengths of rail, 'liberated' from the D&RGW at the west side of town, were used to replace bent rails at the Highway 17 crossing; there will be a brief pause here in recognition of this storied event, and then "#483" will push her train on into town for the 40th Anniversary Ceremonies and Celebration Dinner. (It is hoped that a night photo shoot can be arranged, but this hasn't been confirmed yet.)
The schedule shown for this train on the C&TS web site at [www.cumbrestoltec.com] is subject to minor changes as details are worked out.
We need the support of at least THIRTY 1-and-1 Sponsors by August 15 for the event to occur;
a few 1-and-2 Silver Sponsors or 1-and-3 Gold Sponsors would REALLY help!
- Russ
*****
For Chile John Pritchard's memories of September 6, 1970, see [ngdiscussion.net] et seq.
Here are three of Ernie Robart's photos from that glorious day -
The work train prepares to depart Cumbres early on the frosty morning of 09/06/70:
Volunteers clearing the track and dumping ballast in The Narrows:
Volunteers preparing the Highway 17 crossing for the "Rusted Rail" ceremony:
Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/2010 01:31PM by Russo Loco.
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
The NGDF was started by Don Richter and is currently operated in his memory by Nathan Holmes and others. Others who have contributed to the upkeep of this board are (in no particular order): Charles McCandless, Everett Lueck, Ted Wilton, Cole Adams, James Bane, John Moellmer, Jon Bentz, Linn Moedinger, lloyd lehrer, Rod Jensen, John Craft, Steven Forney, Herb Kelsey, Bill Ramaley, Russ Sperry (El Russo Loco), Josh McNeal, John West, Jim Armstrong, Bob Bergstrom, Greg Scholl, Blake Forbes Doug van Veelen and Mark Fuller.