Fan Trips & Photo Specials
| July 31, 2014 07:51AM |
A few thoughts here. There are wonderful opportunities to ride and photograph steam. No it is NOT 100% like it was 70 years ago. But we are living in the present, not 70 years ago. We can come close to those early fan trips, but never exactly replicate them. Even if we cant exactly replicate 1939, there are still wonderful opportunities for photos, video, and great cameraderie on these trips.
In May I went on the 315 / Pile Driver OB special. Worth every cent, in my opinion. The C&TS people, Chama Steam, and the volunteer organizers really put together an outstanding trip. I was surprised it hadn't ended up with a waiting list. We could have had a few more on board swhen we pulled out of Antonito. The railroad's people were friendly and professional. The volunteers who demonstrated Pile Driver OB put a heck of a lot of work into restoring this item, then learning how to operate it. Getting to see how it is done was instructive and very enlightening. Weather is variable, especially in the spring. The C&TS crews and Jay Wimer worked with the trip's participants to fit in photo stops, and make adjustments if we needed to. Flexibility is helpful - the weather wasn't always what I hoped for, but you get what you get, and we had a lot of good photo opportunities. I was impressed with how thorough the pre planning had been. Not only were photo locations scouted out, but also the organizers recognized that we were in snake country, and were equipped with snake gaiters for riders to wear at stops where we were likely to encounter snakes. We had a few photo locations that are common, and many that are not. Olaf always seemd to have ideas about another possible location for photos for another trip, or at different sun angle. The night photo shoots were well organized. I enjoyed myself,a nd learned a lot.
Watching the comments on the 463 trips, again, I am surprised that this trip hasn't already sold out. If I wasn't already committed to attend a professional meeting that week, I would have my tickets, and I would be there for August 13/14. Seems to me that the only way to make sure these special rail fan / photographer trips will run is to patronize them when we have the opportunity. Instead of waiting for someone to organize the perfect trip, maybe we all should be supporting the ones which are being run now. That might create demand for some other photo locations and different experiences. I won't be able to ride this 463 trip, but I will certainly be riding the C&TS again later this summer.
Get out there and ride and photograph the C&TS, D&SNG, Nevada Northern (non narrow gauge), Sumpter Valley, WP&Y, WW&F and any other steam that's running. If we won't buy the tickets, the trip won't happen. Which is precisely the case with the cancelled SP&S 700 trip that had been planned for September. Hope to see you on the train on one of these trips.
Charlie
Charles V. Mutschler
In May I went on the 315 / Pile Driver OB special. Worth every cent, in my opinion. The C&TS people, Chama Steam, and the volunteer organizers really put together an outstanding trip. I was surprised it hadn't ended up with a waiting list. We could have had a few more on board swhen we pulled out of Antonito. The railroad's people were friendly and professional. The volunteers who demonstrated Pile Driver OB put a heck of a lot of work into restoring this item, then learning how to operate it. Getting to see how it is done was instructive and very enlightening. Weather is variable, especially in the spring. The C&TS crews and Jay Wimer worked with the trip's participants to fit in photo stops, and make adjustments if we needed to. Flexibility is helpful - the weather wasn't always what I hoped for, but you get what you get, and we had a lot of good photo opportunities. I was impressed with how thorough the pre planning had been. Not only were photo locations scouted out, but also the organizers recognized that we were in snake country, and were equipped with snake gaiters for riders to wear at stops where we were likely to encounter snakes. We had a few photo locations that are common, and many that are not. Olaf always seemd to have ideas about another possible location for photos for another trip, or at different sun angle. The night photo shoots were well organized. I enjoyed myself,a nd learned a lot.
Watching the comments on the 463 trips, again, I am surprised that this trip hasn't already sold out. If I wasn't already committed to attend a professional meeting that week, I would have my tickets, and I would be there for August 13/14. Seems to me that the only way to make sure these special rail fan / photographer trips will run is to patronize them when we have the opportunity. Instead of waiting for someone to organize the perfect trip, maybe we all should be supporting the ones which are being run now. That might create demand for some other photo locations and different experiences. I won't be able to ride this 463 trip, but I will certainly be riding the C&TS again later this summer.
Get out there and ride and photograph the C&TS, D&SNG, Nevada Northern (non narrow gauge), Sumpter Valley, WP&Y, WW&F and any other steam that's running. If we won't buy the tickets, the trip won't happen. Which is precisely the case with the cancelled SP&S 700 trip that had been planned for September. Hope to see you on the train on one of these trips.
Charlie
Charles V. Mutschler
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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.