Scenic and the C&TS, an Oral History, Part 5A: 1974, Biting the Bullet
| January 29, 2011 10:36PM |
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[When I started writing this series I referred to it as an “oral history.” I realize now that “memoir” would have been a better term, but will stay with oral history.]
Scenic Railways, Inc. was a management company focused on managing tourist railroads. I know I said this in an earlier installment, but I think it is worth repeating. American Heritage Railways is a contemporary example of this, but I believe Scenic was the pioneer in the field. The plan was to own and/or operate several tourist railroads around the country, and the C&TS seemed like a flagship opportunity – unfortunately for Scenic, it turned out to be more an iceberg than a flagship. In any case, the expectation was that those who came to Chama to work for Scenic would form the core of the company's management team. We would develop the necessary competencies, train locals to take over, and then move upward and outward as the company expanded. Scenic did not have the resources to pay top dollar, or even a reasonable wage, so their candidate pool was pretty much limited to starry-eyed young railfans who showed promise and were willing to work for peanuts – and the opportunity to “blow the whistle and ring the bell.” In Braden, Oldberg, Watts and Getman they soon found just such types, and those four quickly developed into people who could manage the mechanical and operating needs of a tourist railroad. All four of them did in fact go on to fill those roles in other places after Scenic’s demise. By 1973, what Scenic still needed was a starry-eyed young railfan willing to work for peanuts, without the whistle/bell incentive, to handle the critical promotion/public relations aspect of the operation at the local level and beyond. Somehow, Keller saw me as a good fit for this role. Well, my attitude has always been “if you want to get involved with something, figure out what needs to be done that no one else wants to do, and then make yourself useful.” During that first year in Chama, after learning the ropes of day-to-day operations, I found two opportunities to do just that: one expected, and the other totally serendipitous.
The serendipitous opportunity was a result of my library background and training. At the time Chama had an informal community library -- actually a large and growing collection of donated books housed in the Presbyterian Church. It was managed by a volunteer library committee headed up by Jardy Jones of Jones Mercantile, as I recall. They had recently been awarded a State Library grant to create a properly organized public library with a paid staff, but they had no idea how to do that. Jardy and I were already acquainted, so when he heard about my library background he asked me if I could help. I said “Sure” (seems like I am always saying that), and next thing I knew I was in charge. Over the winter we moved the collection to a room in the new city hall building (actually the old school building), organized it to state library standards as required for the grant, and named it the Eleanor Daggett Memorial Library. I hired and trained a young lady to run the library, but she left town a few months later. I then hired Margaret Palmer to take her place, and I think she is still running it. In addition to the grant, we won a “library-of-the-year” type of award from the State Library, and our efforts were promoted as a model of what could be accomplished by a small community with limited resources. It seemed like a small thing at the time and had nothing directly to do with the C&TS, but it helped establish my creds in the community, and it may be my one lasting legacy in Chama.
The expected interface, the one more in line with my duties, was participation in the Chama Valley Chamber of Commerce. I started attending meetings shortly after arriving in Chama. By the end of the season, when Scenic management had pretty much departed the scene, I had become the recognized “face” of the C&TS. Even though I was “laid off” I continued to attend meetings and represent the C&TS. This involvement became more critical as the full extent of the economic meltdown became obvious. Scenic had planned to duplicate the 1973 season schedule in 1974, but when Washington started telling people to vacation close to home, this threw plans into disarray. The bulk of our high season summer traffic came from Texas, California, and the Midwest, and it was obvious that we could not sustain the 1973 level of operation on the strength of local traffic alone. The 1974 season was, in effect, put on hold pending developments. The four-color brochure ordered for the season had been cancelled, and there was some talk of cancelling the season as well. These developments did not go down well locally and it became my job to put the best possible face on it.
Meanwhile, the New Mexico Department of Tourism launched a massive effort aimed at promoting in-state tourism. A big one-week “see New Mexico First” expo was held in the early spring at Albuquerque’s Winrock Shopping Center. The Chama Valley Chamber’s entry was a narrow gauge boxcar outfitted with displays promoting all the things to see and do in the area, and manned by myself and other knowledgeable chamber members. A local trucker transported it to Albuquerque and back, and Max and the track gang went along to lay track for it. A local artist donated two large oil paintings, including one of the train, that were displayed on the outside of the boxcar and raffled off at the end of the week. Needless to say, we won first prize and got a great deal of publicity from the effort. It also put me on a first name basis with the public and private sector movers and shakers in New Mexico’s tourism industry, exactly what the Company wanted.
Also during this time I became involved with promotion efforts in the San Luis Valley and Colorado. However, the folks up there didn’t react quite as quickly to the situation as did New Mexico, and I have no vivid memories of Colorado initiatives at that time. Frankly, I think the focus there was on Denver and the Front Range to counteract the bad national press resulting from the gasoline rationing and shortages afflicting that area.
Under pressure from various publishing deadlines, and fearful of being accused of reneging on their contract, Scenic’s directors finally came up with a 1974 schedule they thought they could live with. A low cost two-color brochure was printed in time for the Winrock show and subsequent distribution throughout Colorado and New Mexico. We continued to advertise in the major newspapers and travel publications of both states, but not in the wider market. These decisions were made by Scenic director Dave Ogle whose ad agency represented Scenic.
The Winrock Boxcar won first prize; Bite the Bullet set crew gives the Hinman a facelift; "cribs on wheels"
Over the winter the New Mexico Film Commission convinced Richard Brooks to film “Bite the Bullet” in Chama during the early spring of 1974. (I will assume that everyone reading this has seen the movie – if not, why not?). Scenes were filmed at the Sand Dunes and White Sands, but the major indoor and outdoor sets were located in Chama, and the major action took place along the C&TS. This required a great deal of advance work, and set crews started to work when there was still snow on the ground. They were still filming in late May, and the excursion trains occasionally had to work around the movie train.
When I arrived back in Chama late one day after a weeklong jaunt distributing brochures around New Mexico, Nancy told me that the actors, directors, etc. had finally arrived and would soon be shooting. Early the next morning I went down to my office anxious to deal with whatever mail had accumulated while I was gone. I noticed a few strangers standing around the depot but thought nothing of it, went through the waiting room, back to my office, and saw some guy I didn’t recognize sitting half asleep in a chair outside my office door. I walked past him, opened the door, and beheld a lovely blond wearing nothing but panties standing behind my desk. I stopped short, somewhat taken aback by this, just as a pair of heavy hands came down on my shoulders and spun me around, and the guy who had been sitting at the door said, not very kindly, “What do you think you’re doing?” I said, or squeaked, something like “This is my office.” He said “Not now it isn’t!” and pushed me in the general direction of the waiting room. As I went stumbling towards the door Fritz came in, took one look at me, and started laughing. He said, “What’s the matter with you?” I said, “There’s a naked lady in my office.” He said, “Haven’t you heard? That’s not your office, its Sally Kirkland’s dressing room. Why don’t you go on home and have a cup of coffee. I’ll call you when they’re done.” This was one of my more memorable moments on the C&TS. The real dressing rooms showed up later that day.
Some of the outfit cars were painted in rather strange colors for their role as “cribs on wheels.” In one scene a group of cowboys came galloping past those cars whooping and hollering, and the “ladies” (extras hired from the community, including the new town librarian) were supposed to lean out the doors and windows all smiling and waving as they rode by. This scene had been rehearsed and shot several times, but on the final shoot one of the cowboys reached up and ripped “Marian’s” blouse right off, leaving her pretty much just hanging out. She was so embarrassed she left town and never came back, which is why I had to find a new librarian. That scene does appear in some versions of the movie.
As a result of the movie Scenic received the cash flow it needed, but was not receiving as anticipated from advanced ticket sales. Thus the Company was able to bring key people back on the payroll and get the railroad up and running. I really doubt that Scenic could have cranked up the season without “Bite the Bullet.” And of course the local restaurants and motels did a land office business during a time that was normally rather slow, making it possible for the frugal and lucky among them to survive what did turn out to be an abysmally slow summer.
See also:
Scenic and the C&TS, an Oral History, Part 1: Meeting Fritz
Scenic and the C&TS, an Oral History, Part 2: Expectations
Scenic and the C&TS, an Oral History Part 3A: 1973, Filling Trains
Scenic and the C&TS, an Oral History, Part 3B: 1973, "If the world ended today...."
Scenic and the C&TS, an Oral History, Part 4: OM-74
About the author
Also of interest:
How Many Winter Specials did Scenic Railways operate?
Bite the Bullet Photo Gallery
"Time spent with CATS is never wasted." -- Sigmund Freud
"Nothing endures but change." -- Heraclitus
"C'est le meilleur des mondes possibles." -- Candide
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2011 08:52PM by gothpapa.
Scenic Railways, Inc. was a management company focused on managing tourist railroads. I know I said this in an earlier installment, but I think it is worth repeating. American Heritage Railways is a contemporary example of this, but I believe Scenic was the pioneer in the field. The plan was to own and/or operate several tourist railroads around the country, and the C&TS seemed like a flagship opportunity – unfortunately for Scenic, it turned out to be more an iceberg than a flagship. In any case, the expectation was that those who came to Chama to work for Scenic would form the core of the company's management team. We would develop the necessary competencies, train locals to take over, and then move upward and outward as the company expanded. Scenic did not have the resources to pay top dollar, or even a reasonable wage, so their candidate pool was pretty much limited to starry-eyed young railfans who showed promise and were willing to work for peanuts – and the opportunity to “blow the whistle and ring the bell.” In Braden, Oldberg, Watts and Getman they soon found just such types, and those four quickly developed into people who could manage the mechanical and operating needs of a tourist railroad. All four of them did in fact go on to fill those roles in other places after Scenic’s demise. By 1973, what Scenic still needed was a starry-eyed young railfan willing to work for peanuts, without the whistle/bell incentive, to handle the critical promotion/public relations aspect of the operation at the local level and beyond. Somehow, Keller saw me as a good fit for this role. Well, my attitude has always been “if you want to get involved with something, figure out what needs to be done that no one else wants to do, and then make yourself useful.” During that first year in Chama, after learning the ropes of day-to-day operations, I found two opportunities to do just that: one expected, and the other totally serendipitous.
The serendipitous opportunity was a result of my library background and training. At the time Chama had an informal community library -- actually a large and growing collection of donated books housed in the Presbyterian Church. It was managed by a volunteer library committee headed up by Jardy Jones of Jones Mercantile, as I recall. They had recently been awarded a State Library grant to create a properly organized public library with a paid staff, but they had no idea how to do that. Jardy and I were already acquainted, so when he heard about my library background he asked me if I could help. I said “Sure” (seems like I am always saying that), and next thing I knew I was in charge. Over the winter we moved the collection to a room in the new city hall building (actually the old school building), organized it to state library standards as required for the grant, and named it the Eleanor Daggett Memorial Library. I hired and trained a young lady to run the library, but she left town a few months later. I then hired Margaret Palmer to take her place, and I think she is still running it. In addition to the grant, we won a “library-of-the-year” type of award from the State Library, and our efforts were promoted as a model of what could be accomplished by a small community with limited resources. It seemed like a small thing at the time and had nothing directly to do with the C&TS, but it helped establish my creds in the community, and it may be my one lasting legacy in Chama.
The expected interface, the one more in line with my duties, was participation in the Chama Valley Chamber of Commerce. I started attending meetings shortly after arriving in Chama. By the end of the season, when Scenic management had pretty much departed the scene, I had become the recognized “face” of the C&TS. Even though I was “laid off” I continued to attend meetings and represent the C&TS. This involvement became more critical as the full extent of the economic meltdown became obvious. Scenic had planned to duplicate the 1973 season schedule in 1974, but when Washington started telling people to vacation close to home, this threw plans into disarray. The bulk of our high season summer traffic came from Texas, California, and the Midwest, and it was obvious that we could not sustain the 1973 level of operation on the strength of local traffic alone. The 1974 season was, in effect, put on hold pending developments. The four-color brochure ordered for the season had been cancelled, and there was some talk of cancelling the season as well. These developments did not go down well locally and it became my job to put the best possible face on it.
Meanwhile, the New Mexico Department of Tourism launched a massive effort aimed at promoting in-state tourism. A big one-week “see New Mexico First” expo was held in the early spring at Albuquerque’s Winrock Shopping Center. The Chama Valley Chamber’s entry was a narrow gauge boxcar outfitted with displays promoting all the things to see and do in the area, and manned by myself and other knowledgeable chamber members. A local trucker transported it to Albuquerque and back, and Max and the track gang went along to lay track for it. A local artist donated two large oil paintings, including one of the train, that were displayed on the outside of the boxcar and raffled off at the end of the week. Needless to say, we won first prize and got a great deal of publicity from the effort. It also put me on a first name basis with the public and private sector movers and shakers in New Mexico’s tourism industry, exactly what the Company wanted.
Also during this time I became involved with promotion efforts in the San Luis Valley and Colorado. However, the folks up there didn’t react quite as quickly to the situation as did New Mexico, and I have no vivid memories of Colorado initiatives at that time. Frankly, I think the focus there was on Denver and the Front Range to counteract the bad national press resulting from the gasoline rationing and shortages afflicting that area.
Under pressure from various publishing deadlines, and fearful of being accused of reneging on their contract, Scenic’s directors finally came up with a 1974 schedule they thought they could live with. A low cost two-color brochure was printed in time for the Winrock show and subsequent distribution throughout Colorado and New Mexico. We continued to advertise in the major newspapers and travel publications of both states, but not in the wider market. These decisions were made by Scenic director Dave Ogle whose ad agency represented Scenic.
The Winrock Boxcar won first prize; Bite the Bullet set crew gives the Hinman a facelift; "cribs on wheels"
Over the winter the New Mexico Film Commission convinced Richard Brooks to film “Bite the Bullet” in Chama during the early spring of 1974. (I will assume that everyone reading this has seen the movie – if not, why not?). Scenes were filmed at the Sand Dunes and White Sands, but the major indoor and outdoor sets were located in Chama, and the major action took place along the C&TS. This required a great deal of advance work, and set crews started to work when there was still snow on the ground. They were still filming in late May, and the excursion trains occasionally had to work around the movie train.
When I arrived back in Chama late one day after a weeklong jaunt distributing brochures around New Mexico, Nancy told me that the actors, directors, etc. had finally arrived and would soon be shooting. Early the next morning I went down to my office anxious to deal with whatever mail had accumulated while I was gone. I noticed a few strangers standing around the depot but thought nothing of it, went through the waiting room, back to my office, and saw some guy I didn’t recognize sitting half asleep in a chair outside my office door. I walked past him, opened the door, and beheld a lovely blond wearing nothing but panties standing behind my desk. I stopped short, somewhat taken aback by this, just as a pair of heavy hands came down on my shoulders and spun me around, and the guy who had been sitting at the door said, not very kindly, “What do you think you’re doing?” I said, or squeaked, something like “This is my office.” He said “Not now it isn’t!” and pushed me in the general direction of the waiting room. As I went stumbling towards the door Fritz came in, took one look at me, and started laughing. He said, “What’s the matter with you?” I said, “There’s a naked lady in my office.” He said, “Haven’t you heard? That’s not your office, its Sally Kirkland’s dressing room. Why don’t you go on home and have a cup of coffee. I’ll call you when they’re done.” This was one of my more memorable moments on the C&TS. The real dressing rooms showed up later that day.
Some of the outfit cars were painted in rather strange colors for their role as “cribs on wheels.” In one scene a group of cowboys came galloping past those cars whooping and hollering, and the “ladies” (extras hired from the community, including the new town librarian) were supposed to lean out the doors and windows all smiling and waving as they rode by. This scene had been rehearsed and shot several times, but on the final shoot one of the cowboys reached up and ripped “Marian’s” blouse right off, leaving her pretty much just hanging out. She was so embarrassed she left town and never came back, which is why I had to find a new librarian. That scene does appear in some versions of the movie.
As a result of the movie Scenic received the cash flow it needed, but was not receiving as anticipated from advanced ticket sales. Thus the Company was able to bring key people back on the payroll and get the railroad up and running. I really doubt that Scenic could have cranked up the season without “Bite the Bullet.” And of course the local restaurants and motels did a land office business during a time that was normally rather slow, making it possible for the frugal and lucky among them to survive what did turn out to be an abysmally slow summer.
See also:
Scenic and the C&TS, an Oral History, Part 1: Meeting Fritz
Scenic and the C&TS, an Oral History, Part 2: Expectations
Scenic and the C&TS, an Oral History Part 3A: 1973, Filling Trains
Scenic and the C&TS, an Oral History, Part 3B: 1973, "If the world ended today...."
Scenic and the C&TS, an Oral History, Part 4: OM-74
About the author
Also of interest:
How Many Winter Specials did Scenic Railways operate?
Bite the Bullet Photo Gallery
"Time spent with CATS is never wasted." -- Sigmund Freud
"Nothing endures but change." -- Heraclitus
"C'est le meilleur des mondes possibles." -- Candide
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2011 08:52PM by gothpapa.
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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.