Re: 1967 Engineers Board

Alamosa also had a multiple shift switch engine that used guys off the SG board. There younger guys like Jim and Larry Shawcroft, and Gayle Cunningham that got promoted in to engineer in the 1960's, but never had enough seniority to sit on the right side. Payne was the youngest guy in seniority to run trains. He was one spot ahead of Jim Shawcroft.

Alamosa had much more stable working conditions. All the valley locals, switch jobs, and runs over the hill to La Veta kept guys pretty busy on a daily basis. The runs on the NG were often enough through 1967, to keep most everyone moving.

Durango was a feast or famine situation. In the winter, most everyone worked part time at best. Some guys were forced to go elsewhere in the winter to find more steady work. After the refinery closed and the RR shut the line down in the winter starting in 1964, there was no work at all in the winter in Durango. The summer time was of course quite crazy with two daily trains to Silverton, freights to Chama and Farmington once a week or so. They got rather sort of engine crews, hired guys for the summer to fire and work as brakemen. That is how Payne got to be a regular engineer. He did nothing but fire in the off season. He was one of the few that stuck it out in Durango in the winter time. Once Bob Shock retired, Payne was the #2 guy in Durango in the winter, behind Steve Connor. And, when Steve Connor decided to got to Alamosa in the winter on occasions, He was the only engineer in town.