Re: Planned - and recent - C&TS Charters ... (pics)

[Michael Allen] Wrote:
========================================
> The future of charters on the C&TS is probably a
> one- or two-day event which will run from Chama
> [[b]or Antonito*[/b]] to Osier & back with a single loco.
>
> [The upcoming 10/19-23/12 charters] may be [your]
> last chance to see a mid-train helper out of Antonito,
> Cumbres turns with a helper ahead of the caboose,
> and some double headers as well - all on the same
> visit.


Right On, Michael -

With the necessity to add a reasonable profit for AHR onto an already expensive proposition - and the need for professional tour operators to make a profit as well - the likelihood of ANY two-engine charters in the future is greatly reduced.  Even running a (from-the-get-go) non-profit excursion with just one engine - such as the May, 2010 "Springtime" event - will become significantly more difficult.

As John West and others have pointed out, the charter arranged for October 19-23, 2012 will quite possibly be the last of its kind. Also, due to the limited yard space in Antonito, it may be the last large photo freight operating westbound on the highly photogenic East End of the C&TS - almost certainly the last in the foreseeable future to offer a mid-train helper reminiscent of the long trains of the early 1960's.  (See two fabulous 1964 photos by JBWX at [narrowgaugememories.com] and [narrowgaugememories.com].)

- Russ

* The runs departing from Antonito on October 21 & 22 will hopefully start late enough in the day to allow these westbound trains to face into the afternoon sun.  As with the C&TS dinner trains that depart from Antonito, and the #315 extra on 06/18/08, there are some locations on the East End that become truly spectacular when the sun is to the west.   We found this to be true on 05/25/10 as well, even though the train departed more than two hours earlier than originally proposed.

We originally planned to depart significantly later - putting the sun much farther to the west - and then to wait on the Lava Loop connector track for the regular eastbound train to pass:


Will I ever get a second chance?  This location would have worked much better if we had stopped several car lengths sooner, and set up the photo line well to the right of where I was standing.  I'm not sure if Mt. Blanca would have been in the background, but at least we would have caught the engine heading directly into the sun - and on top of an embankment instead of behind some low bushes:


Mr. Stebbins graciously posed for us while we waited at Big Horn for the eastbound passenger train:


Would Phantom Curve be even spookier if the sun were lower?   Only The Shadow knows ...


Even without the hoped-for moon, the long-shot run-by near m.p. 317.5 was spectacular:




Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2012 04:27PM by Russo Loco.