Re: Antonito Answer: 09/18/70 (w/ pics - sort of)

guymonmd Wrote:
===================================
> When was the NG at Antonito severed from
> the dual or standard gauge trackage?


Per pp 66-68 of 'CUMBRES & TOLTEC SCENIC RR', copyright © 1971 by Terrance W. Ross:

"September 18: 483, tool car (box 3316) and caboose coupled onto 35 of the 40 cars (and 3 engines) which had been in Antonito since their delivery there by the D&RGW on September 4 (second delivery).  This consist of 37 cars was the longest train to operate on the CATS Railroad in 1970.  While engineer Arthur Pugh was handling this train west toward Toltec Siding, the D&RGW was making its third (and final) delivery of equipment purchased by Colorado and New Mexico .... This was the last mixed-gauge train to be operated by the D&RGW over the three-rail track between Alamosa and Antonito.  After arrival in Antonito a considerable amount of switching was done before shoving the train out onto CATS Railroad trackage, southwest of the Antonito depot .... a section of the third rail was immediately removed, breaking forever the connection with the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad ... "

The first delivery of equipment from the D&RGW to the C&TS was on September 1, 1970 (see [ngdiscussion.net]), and the second delivery was on September 4.  I was passing through Antonito on my way to Colorado Springs on September 2, and snapped this shot of #483 preparing to pull the C&TS first train out of Antonito:*


I then hopped on a speeder as part of the volunteer track crew working to straighten a kink and sag near the Toltec section house site - a stretch of track that still causes occasional problems 45 years later:


I only took a couple of photos - and no notes - so any help identifying the crew will be greatly appreciated:


Added 04/15 - Per page 56 of Terry's book (op. cit.), one of the volunteers had a young German Shepherd named Sheila, so one of the men above is almost certainly her owner, Clay.  My dog Nikki, also a young German Shepherd, was with me on vacation but must have remained in the care of one of the volunteers in Antonito that day - maybe Ed Stabler - as she was larger and a much lighter brown than the dog in the above photo (see [ngdiscussion.net] and [ngdiscussion.net]).

- Russ

 *  Here are two of Ernie Robart's photos from that first week of C&TS operations, out of more than 9,000 slides in his collection.  #483 prepares to depart Antonito with C&TS' first freight, 09/02/70:

Photo Copyright © 1970, 2010 by Ernest W. Robart - ALL Rights Reserved.

#492 after being hauled to Lava Loop on the evening of the following day:

Photo Copyright © 1970, 2010 by Ernest W. Robart - ALL Rights Reserved.

Added 04/14:  Per a pvt. msg. from Ed Stabler, he's the one in the blue plaid shirt near the middle of the gon.
He made a recording that day which later appeared on Volume IV of the LP series 'The Rattle and the Roar'.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/2015 12:01PM by Russo Loco.