Foe Smiting (Snow Fighting) at Windy Point - 05/12/73 ... (pics)

Hi, All -

Photos and comments on another thread – and the April 1st highjacking thereof by Clovis and myself – prompted me to start this new thread after scanning all 72 of my negatives from May 12 & 13, 1973.  This is partly in order to figure out the order of the three rolls of film – one roll of Tri-X and two rolls of fine-grain Panatomic-X – taken that weekend.

Some of the shots seem out of sequence, but as I was carrying only one camera – and didn't rewind and then reload any of the rolls – I'm hoping that Richard, Clovis, and anyone else who was there that weekend can help verify the sequence of events.

I'm pretty sure the Tri-X was shot first, beginning about mid-day on May 12th, when the flanger train sent to clear the line in preparation for the opening of the season derailed just before crossing the old highway bridge west of Cumbres Pass.  (This is the same train photographed by Ernie Robart earlier in the day at Dalton - see [ngdiscussion.net].)   These first five are near the beginning of the roll, and based on weather conditions and background details, I'm pretty sure they were all taken on May 12th.

My first shot of the stalled train, taken as I slogged up to the tracks through the heavy, mushy snow:


Richard Braden and his fireman were already busy shoveling snow into the tender of #483 so she could be kept hot overnight:


"So near and yet so far . . . "  —  And still more snow on the way!


In spite of having a bulldozer available, clearing the snow away and out from under the engines and flanger had to be done the same way it had been by the Rio Grande for nearly 90 years - with shovels:


Looking back after walking down to my car:


(To Be Continued ... )



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/2020 12:36PM by Russo Loco.